Deceit, betrayal, and death are the signature moves of greedy and selfish individuals. These sinister snakes will do whatever they can to gain power, and they don’t care who they step over to get it. This is the backbone of Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory. It combines Fallen Legion: Flames of Rebellion and Fallen Legion: Sins of an Empire to create a familiar experience. However, it has some new characters to encounter, but it retains much of the charm and many of the mechanics.
Developed by YummyYummyTummy Inc. and published by NIS America Inc., this is a side-scrolling and story-rich JRPG. Furthermore, it comprises real-time combat, a smattering of tactical nuance, and some well-trodden story elements. What’s more, there are some moralistic moments, plenty of political dilemmas, and lashings of battles to overcome. As such, there is plenty going on as you try to piece together a punctuated story.
Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory tells a tale as old as time.
You control either Princess Cecille or Legatus Laendur as you either restore your broken kingdom or try to create a new world order. Sadly, Princess Cecille’s father has passed, and this allows Legatus a window of opportunity. Fenumia is on the brink of war, and the smallest of sparks will set fire to this besieged kingdom. Will you choose to smother the flames, or will you add fuel to the fire and watch the walls burn down?
Depending on which character you pick, you will see the story from their perspective. However, the core gameplay and much of the action remain the same, no matter your decision. You’ll observe a repetitive side-scrolling adventure that is punctuated by real-time combat encounters. Alongside this, the main map comprises nodes for each poignant moment in the story. As you travel from one stop to another, you’ll hear snippets of the main plot that change depending on your character and the political decisions you make.
The bitesize chunks and casual arcade approach worked brilliantly with the meaty cutscenes and the fast and tough real-time combat. Moreover, the developers did well to keep the gameplay flowing even when there were lulls in the story. With an array of enemies to overcome, bosses to defeat, and your band of heroes to control, you have plenty of plates to spin.
Combat mechanics and Exemplars.
Where Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory excels is its combat mechanics. The fast-flowing and slick battles were simple to understand, but hard to master. You control a band of heroes known as Exemplars. Each of these characters has strengths and weaknesses, and can only be used when they have enough Action Points (AP). The AP allows you to strike your opponents with melee, ranged, and magical attacks. Moreover, if you successfully hit your foes, you’ll create a chained combo, and this deals a devastating blow. However, if your opponent breaks your defences, you’ll lose your combo and you must start again.
Alongside the brutal attack commands, you must time your defence to perfection. Accordingly, if you fail to do so, you’ll be smashed to pieces by your foes, and you’ll lose every major battle you encounter. Alternatively, though, if you can time the use of your shield perfectly, your opponents will be stunned, and you can unleash hell upon them.
This back-and-forth between attack and defence is what makes Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory so special. Sadly, many of the other elements feel tired or understated. Yet, this undeniably smooth and challenging core concept ensures that the game is neither tiresome, tedious, nor underwhelming.
Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory has a traditional style.
If you love the JRPG genre, then you will adore Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory. The classic sprites, smooth animation, and interesting settings are fantastic. What’s more, the simplified overworld and its node navigation were equally good. On top of this, the varied backgrounds and trouble-free gaming make this a maddening but enjoyable experience. Moreover, the excellent UI and clear indicators ensure that you don’t struggle.
Alongside the amazing visuals was some classic Asian-inspired music. The electrifying soundtrack adds drama to the fast-paced action that unfolds. Furthermore, the occasional bits of acting worked perfectly alongside the narration. However, I would have loved there to be more acting. The well-delivered lines added an extra layer and made each scene much more immersive. Consequently, the end product would have been better had this been a major portion of the game.
Brilliant controls.
When a game focuses on real-time combat, the controls have to be on point. Fortunately, Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory got this spot on. The reactive controls and excellent button layout make it a joy to play. What’s more, though it can be challenging to keep up, it never felt overwhelming or uncomfortable. Instead, the action was perfectly balanced from start to finish.
Though the developers worked hard to keep things on an even keel, you can tip the balance in your favour. Your character can be fitted with gemstones to improve their stats. Furthermore, there are political moments that alter the story and change the flow of the game. However, it doesn’t have multiple story branches and many subplots. No, instead, these decisions have a minor impact on the grand scheme of things. Yet, it increases longevity somewhat, and that’s a good thing.
Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory is good but repetitive.
I love JRPGs. Therefore, Fallen Legion: Rise to Glory piqued my interest. Sadly, though, as much as I enjoyed it, it was unfortunately repetitive. Every stage follows a similar pattern, and the only real difference is the monsters you face. Yes, the political dilemmas add some drama, but it follows a linear pattern that becomes old before its time. Thankfully, its incredible combat and wonderful aesthetics save the day, while keeping you interested throughout. It is for these reasons that I recommend you buy it here! Will you save the kingdom, or will you smash it down and build something new? Undertake a wild adventure that is slick, colourful, and challenging.
