Now out, Redemption Reapers promises to be an exciting tactical RPG with a compelling story and a compelling cast of characters. But while the game looks good on its own merits, you won’t trust the team behind it.
Employees with career accomplishments in Metal Gear Solid, Fire Emblem, Okami, and more classic games feature in Redemption Reapers’ work. So what initially looked like an exciting team-based RPG left us eager to learn more.
But first, Redemption Reapers is a top-down tactical RPG where you control a squad of five unique characters from the Ashen Hawk Brigade and help them overcome the odds of their journey. The Redemption Reapers take place in a dark fantasy world, so they must carve a way out of Mort’s Legion to protect the citizens of the land while unraveling the ambiguous past that has led to chaos in the world.
You’ll spend most of your time dealing with these five characters throughout the game. Sarah the mercenary, Glenn the knight captain, Lugar the assassin, Urs the barbarian, and Karen the hunter each have unique weapons and skills to use in battle, as well as their own backstories to add depth to each of your members . On top of that are special, unique tough attacks that require strict activation requirements to unleash, but can wipe out enemies if used correctly.
Each character can carry up to five weapons and two accessories at a time, which allows you to switch out your gear depending on the enemies you’ll be facing. Each weapon type has specific characteristics that you need to be aware of.
For example, daggers are used more often and with better accuracy than other weapons. On the other hand, the halberd has a high crit rate. Smart players will have a whole host of useful weapons on hand to suit the situation.
The game’s story and direction are in the hands of Hiroyuki Kobayashi, best known as the producer of Ender Lilies. It’s a beloved 2D dark fantasy RPG thanks in no small part to its remarkable story and world-building. If Redemption Reapers’ narrative was nearly as good as Ender Lilies’, it would be great.
That’s not all! Writing the script is Tomokazu Fukushima, who you may know from his writing and research on the Metal Gear series. The two teamed up on Redemption Reapers, and you sure know there’s going to be interesting twists and turns throughout the game.
What about the gameplay itself? Well, as a TRPG, you control your team and fight fearsome enemies to the death with a turn-based system. You must manage action points, skills, and recovery options while eliminating as many enemies as possible. So if you want to do well, you have to adopt a slower, deliberate approach to fighting.
TRPG fans will be happy to know that Masayuki Horikawa is the game designer on the game, having previously directed Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. So you can be sure that the combat and balance of each encounter will be fine-tuned to a high standard. If you consider yourself a fan of party-based RPGs, this should excite you.
The Mott are formidable as a hostile force, requiring clever strategy and proper countermeasures to take them down. Thankfully, Redemption Reapers let you level up your character, improve your skills, and equip and upgrade weapons and accessories. You’ll want to pay special attention to the skills you improve, as not only are they vital to your survival in the game, but they also allow you to customize your personal playstyle.
If this all sounds a bit overwhelming, you’ll be happy to hear the spiritual threads scattered across each map. These restore a large amount of HP on contact and replenish the number of available elixirs, making them very useful in deadly fights. That being said, they disappear once touched, so you have to think carefully about who will use the ley line when you find it.
Finally, if you’ve seen the trailer above, you’ve definitely noticed the great musical score that accompanies the action. It looks so good for a reason! Composer Rei Kondoh, who worked on Okami, the Bayonetta series, Fire Emblem Awakening and Fire Emblem: Three Houses, brings their talents to Redemption Reapers for a stunning orchestral score.
The game is now available on Steam, and people are already flocking to see the mystery and gripping thrills behind Reaper of Redemption. If you’re anything like us, you’ll rush over to join them to see if the development team’s star-studded cast has produced a true gem here.
Redemption Reapers is available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC. You can download the game on Steam here!
