Review cover Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore (Nintendo Switch)
Official GBAtemp Review

Product Information:

  • Release Date (NA): January 17, 2020
  • Release Date (EU): January 17, 2020
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Developer: Atlus
  • Genres: JRPG

Game Features:

Single player
Local Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Co-operative
Nintendo has set the stage for a new-old JRPG, giving Nintendo Switch fans a chance to play 2015's Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE on a new platform. Was it worth the re-release?

attachFull193428

 

As much of a critical failure that the Nintendo Wii U was, the console had a handful of incredibly strong first-party titles. Games like Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8, Hyrule Warriors, and even the Nintendo-published Bayonetta 2 were all fantastic, and loved by many. What all these games have in common is that they got a second chance on the much more popular Nintendo Switch. It’s a smart plan on Nintendo’s part; porting pre-existing Wii U games means bringing older titles to a willing new audience, and it fills the gap between months where game releases are dry. The latest of which to make the port-journey is Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, otherwise known as the result of the much-hyped SMTxFE crossover. Now riding off the heels of the recently released Fire Emblem: Three Houses, and before next month’s Persona 5: Royale, there’s no better time to experience this JRPG. 

For many, the idea of marrying Fire Emblem with Shin Megami Tensei sounds like perfection--that includes myself, as I utterly adore both franchises. Despite that love, when Tokyo Mirage Sessions launched on the Wii U, I never managed to complete it, mostly in part due to never wanting to actually drag out the oft-neglected console out for a single game. For the longest time, I always wanted to go back and complete it, but instead, it sat on my shelf gathering dust, watching as I went on to play a bevy of other JRPGs. With the transition to the Nintendo Switch, that's no longer the case, and as the game booted up for the first time, I found myself excited to finally give TMS#FE the attention that it deserved. 

attachFull193887

Review image Review image Review image

There’s a definite dissonance when watching the game’s first cinematic cutscene, where Fire Emblem music plays during an animation style that looks identical to that of Persona. From the intro cutscene and boxart alone, you'll notice more of a lean towards Persona than Shin Megami Tensei, with the anime-ish artstyle, the colorful designs, and the focus being on a younger cast of school-age characters. Regardless, the execution of all these elements is fine, but on a surface level, it doesn't look like either game that it's trying to take from, and the only way you'd ever be able to notice that this is a crossover is from the sound effects, spell names, and character cameos. 

The gameplay, on the other hand, is a veritable melting pot of different mechanics, borrowed from both series. In battle, you'll be using demons that you fuse with, or pseudo-Persona, equipped with familiar skills; Zio, Agi, Dia--they're all here. On the flip side, upon leveling up, an RNG roll will dictate which of your stats will increase, much like how it happens in Fire Emblem. Blending these concepts results in a game that plays great, and manages to keep you engaged with its battle system throughout your long journey. 

Instead of utilizing enemy weaknesses to obtain multiple attacks in a turn, in TMS you'll want to take advantage of Sessions. These happen when you strike an enemy with a skill that it's weak to, and then follow it up with another character's equippable corresponding skill. It didn't give off the same satisfying feeling that knocking down a line of foes with a single spell does in SMT, but it does do a great job of mixing in Fire Emblem's "Pair up/Follow up" mechanic.

attachFull193886

Review image Review image Review image

Where battles might have dragged on in the original, one of the few things that Encore adds to the port is a skip function for battle combos. This makes the constant fights and grinding levels a little less tedious, as you aren't dreading using type-effective spells since they'll trigger a long line of flashy animations you'll have seen a million times by this point. The additions made by the Switch port overall are quite minimal, but this is probably the one you'll appreciate the most. Other than that, Encore offers costumes for the cast to wear, which reference Persona 5, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey, and even Etrian Oddysey. Having these cosmetic items is nice, and it's super cool to see the cast dressed up in outfits from the games that influenced TMS. In terms of substantial bonus content, new to the Encore version is an additional dungeon to explore, which not only adds more gameplay, but a lot of character dialogue as well, which, considering the game is very much character-driven, is a welcome extra. 

Just like the original Wii U release, this game lacks any English audio. It would have been a nice bonus for the port to receive a dub, but considering that if you're a major Persona, Shin Megami Tensei, or Fire Emblem fan, you've likely immersed yourself with English-subtitled content before. Add to the fact that the game is specifically about idol-culture in Japan, and features many songs sung in Japanese, it almost feels more fitting that TMS is only available in its native, intended language. 

What does serve as a mark against the game here is the fact that there is a lot of battle dialogue shouted out by your teammates, and not a single word of it gets translated anywhere on screen. There's never anything of major significance said during these battle cut-ins, but it's annoying nonetheless to only know what's being said purely because you've watched one too many anime series; simple subtitles wouldn't have been that difficult to have here, and though it is a minor grief to have, it cheapens the localization every time it occurs. 

attachFull193885

Review image Review image Review image

With both Atlus and Intelligent Systems at the helm of a JRPG, it's almost impossible to go wrong. Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore has found the perfect home for itself on the Nintendo Switch, giving players a solid game that exudes enough upbeat, positive energy to get you bobbing your head to the beat of the battle music, and smiling all the while. It might come off to some as a stripped-down Persona game, lacking a story as deep as games from the aforementioned series, but TMS's characters stand out, especially when it comes to seeing the demon-ified versions of old-school Fire Emblem characters.  

This was, beyond a doubt, one of the best games that Nintendo could have brought over from the Wii U's library, and fans of anime and turn-based JRPGs alike will no-doubt love what Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore has to offer. 

 

Verdict

What We Liked ...
  • Beautiful character artwork and stylish, colorful visuals
  • The turn-based combat system is fun and keeps you engaged
  • Catchy music that you'll be humming along to for the entire adventure
  • Has references that both SMT and FE fans will appreciate
What We Didn't Like ...
  • Could benefit from subtitles in battle
  • The story might be a tad more shallow than what SMT or FE fans are used to
8
Gameplay
The battle system is one of the brightest points in the game, with an interesting combination of Shin Megami Tensei's press turn system, and modern Fire Emblem's "follow up attack" mechanic.
9
Presentation
If there's something that Atlus always excels at, it's artwork and visual design. The characters and party members you encounter throughout your journey stand out, as they exude style and fit perfectly within the colorful idol-themed world.
8
Lasting Appeal
There are a few moments within the game where you'll wish for a fast-forward button, due to sluggish pacing, but that's a very common complaint in JRPGs in general. For the most part, TMS#FE manages to keep things fresh and exciting, throughout its heavily dialogue-laden story.
8.5
out of 10

Overall

Tokyo Mirage Sessions never really captures the best of either of its inspirations, always feeling like a crossover that mixes the elements of both Persona and Fire Emblem, but never blends them fully. However, that doesn't take away that this is a fun and fulfilling JRPG, even if it's not what we expected, and most definitely deserved a second lease on life on the Nintendo Switch.
It does, but not sure how justified it is.
Fair enough, honestly. The review mostly focused on the port additions and positives. Maybe it didn't come across as balanced as I'd like. I feel like the game hits a lot of highs--the combat is fun, good presentation, etc. But again, the story is a little lacking, its nature as a very Japanese-y JRPG makes it a little difficult in terms of accessibility for newbie Switch owners looking for a more classical JRPG, the battle mechanics work well, and it's fun, but outside of it and the weapon grinding, there's not much else in terms of side content like there are in other games of this caliber. The game on its own makes for a good JRPG, but if you're judging it on being SMT-y or FE-y, then it's missing the mark by a bit. Also localization quirks can be a dealbreaker to some, though I won't touch that topic with a 1000 foot pole in a review, since it was serviceable to me outside of the battle dialogue and is more of a political issue. It's good, but it's not like a 9 or 10 game, such as SMT3, P4, FE:3H, etc imo, where you're going to go beat the game, fall asleep, and wake up disappointed cuz you can't play more. TMS is a good ride, a great one even, but it doesn't come off as a game that you're going to want to get a plaque for and display it in the Great Hall of JRPG Goodness.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Silent_Gunner
Wow, I didn't know Fire Emblem game have that deep of story.

Genealogy of Holy War would like to have a word with you...

nobody reviewed this f or Wii U? what a shame

Considering how...unwieldy the Gamepad was even compared to what is, IMHO, the barely functioning, let alone inconsistent Wiimote's motion controls in tandem with the sensor which never seemed to play all that well with yours truly when aiming in Metroid Prime 3, I'd say people making a hard pass at the beta of the Switch tablet-invisibly-tethered-to-a-glorified-DVD-player is to be expected.
 
nobody reviewed this f or Wii U? what a shame
I think is because this site have more struggle to receive review codes from Nintendo more than other companies. I could be wrong, but it seems that way. Even youtubers who do review of games have codes by people like capcom with not even having the subscriber or maybe viewership of least half a million. Straight up established people with maybe over a million subscribers don't even get Nintendo review codes. :ninja:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Silent_Gunner
I think is because this site have more struggle to receive review codes from Nintendo more than other companies. I could be wrong, but it seems that way. Even youtubers who do review of games have codes by people like capcom with not even having the subscriber or maybe viewership of least half a million. Straight up established people with maybe over a million subscribers don't even get Nintendo review codes. :ninja:

I just remembered that Nintendo had a stick up their ass when it comes to people even covering their games for their systems around that time.

I'm getting a sense of deja vu. Did we...have this exchange before? Like, same thing where someone questioned why no one reviewed another Wii U to Switch port, you, @Sonic Angel Knight explain, and then I remembered something to this effect.

I must be getting tired...
 
I just remembered that Nintendo had a stick up their ass when it comes to people even covering their games for their systems around that time.

I'm getting a sense of deja vu. Did we...have this exchange before? Like, same thing where someone questioned why no one reviewed another Wii U to Switch port, you, @Sonic Angel Knight explain, and then I remembered something to this effect.

I must be getting tired...

yea i remember now... there was a worldwide boycott on nintendo because Satoro Iwata and big N were STEALING money from youtubers and such and such. He was the donald trump of nintendo presidents, a total clown.
 
I just remembered that Nintendo had a stick up their ass when it comes to people even covering their games for their systems around that time.
Well, since I'm not really knowledgeable about how review codes are given, i can't comment on that matter. But I do remember how nintendo wanted to monetize youtube videos that had their games featured in videos. They even went so far as to establish a partnership program. I think it did happen around the time the wii u's 4 years of life, so perhaps you're right. :unsure:

Still, it seems at odds how some companies are very selective of review codes. I mean if you're confident that a person will enjoy their game or even want some feedback of improvements that wasn't considered when development. Then I think getting it out to as many people as possible would be important. I seen even lesser indie companies have giveaways for codes as much as they would be able to with perhaps not having enough money to do to begin with cause they aren't big companies like nintendo or square enix... or capcom.
 
Well, without the Wii U Gamepad, we wouldn't have the Switch!

lol by 2021 switch pro will probably fail sadly. there was a rumor a year ago saying switch2 was coming January 2021 with BOTW2 and that seems to be real. I had a wiiu and still have my sealed Tokyo Mirage Sessions i never played. Because there was rumors it was coming to switch way back in 2016. ill probably just pirate it for my hacked switch.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Silent_Gunner
When TMS originally released in 2016, this site was still in its more early days of getting review codes. Even now, we don't get every game that releases, but we've certainly grown since that time. That, and Nintendo-senpai notices us now.
 
lol by 2021 switch pro will probably fail sadly. there was a rumor a year ago saying switch2 was coming January 2021 with BOTW2 and that seems to be real. I had a wiiu and still have my sealed Tokyo Mirage Sessions i never played. Because there was rumors it was coming to switch way back in 2016. ill probably just pirate it for my hacked switch.

Nintendo only has themselves to blame for backing themselves into this corner at this point ever since they made the WiiABU so late into the seventh generation of consoles' lifespan. At this point, I honestly wouldn't mind them trying to stick it out with the Switch as it is, make a Switch 2, or something.

One thing that I remember reading about the Xbox Series X had to do with the Xbox All Access Plan, and what I think could be the future of how companies handle console upgrades going forward: they're going to treat them as phone upgrades in the sense that, once you make so many payments, you qualify to upgrade from, say, the Xbox One X to the Xbox Series X (That's a lot of X's, just saying). I could see Nintendo hypothetically trying to make the Switch their own version of, say, Samsung's tablets and doing something similar. I think it's personally a neat idea to introduce to the console hardware market considering that, once a new set of mainstream consoles launch, people are inevitably going to eventually migrate from one to the other. Sure, maybe it won't be everyone (i.e. my older brother who's perfectly happy with his 360, though if he got an Xbox Series X, I'm sure he'd appreciate it), but it'll be enough to potentially justify this initiative and possibly bring in more people than if they just stuck with the old fashioned "plop down 499-599 US dollars and hope there's no emergencies in the next two weeks" mentality that most of the market has stuck with before the idea of paying for upgrades and services caught on in the past decade with the phone market (yes, I said phone because, honestly, smartphones are so standard I don't see much of a point making a distinction as most of the people using "dumb phones" are usually kids at schools nowadays).

We'll have to wait and see, but I'd say that, if there's anything Nintendo honestly needs to do in regards to the Switch IMO, it's to shrink the damn thing down while having better battery life. I just can't bring the thing with me to work and keep it in my locker as I share it with another guy who, while I don't think he'd steal it, you never can really know with people, you know? And no, the input lag on Android phones prevents yours truly from using those as a portable means of gameplay.
 
When TMS originally released in 2016, this site was still in its more early days of getting review codes. Even now, we don't get every game that releases, but we've certainly grown since that time. That, and Nintendo-senpai notices us now.

I find it ironic considering that they give this site review codes in the first place considering all of the hacking discussions that go on here! XD
 
  • Like
Reactions: gameboy
I find it ironic considering that they give this site review codes in the first place considering all of the hacking discussions that go on here! XD
Indeed, but at the same time, we're not that much different from other gaming news/review sites, as well. We do have that hacking aspect, but we also have a very Nintendo-focused userbase--a very large one too--that's strong enough to put us in a high enough tier to get review codes/hardware. GBAtemp is just another gaming site, but made better with...certain discussions :D
 
Nintendo only has themselves to blame for backing themselves into this corner at this point ever since they made the WiiABU so late into the seventh generation of consoles' lifespan. At this point, I honestly wouldn't mind them trying to stick it out with the Switch as it is, make a Switch 2, or something.

One thing that I remember reading about the Xbox Series X had to do with the Xbox All Access Plan, and what I think could be the future of how companies handle console upgrades going forward: they're going to treat them as phone upgrades in the sense that, once you make so many payments, you qualify to upgrade from, say, the Xbox One X to the Xbox Series X (That's a lot of X's, just saying). I could see Nintendo hypothetically trying to make the Switch their own version of, say, Samsung's tablets and doing something similar. I think it's personally a neat idea to introduce to the console hardware market considering that, once a new set of mainstream consoles launch, people are inevitably going to eventually migrate from one to the other. Sure, maybe it won't be everyone (i.e. my older brother who's perfectly happy with his 360, though if he got an Xbox Series X, I'm sure he'd appreciate it), but it'll be enough to potentially justify this initiative and possibly bring in more people than if they just stuck with the old fashioned "plop down 499-599 US dollars and hope there's no emergencies in the next two weeks" mentality that most of the market has stuck with before the idea of paying for upgrades and services caught on in the past decade with the phone market (yes, I said phone because, honestly, smartphones are so standard I don't see much of a point making a distinction as most of the people using "dumb phones" are usually kids at schools nowadays).

We'll have to wait and see, but I'd say that, if there's anything Nintendo honestly needs to do in regards to the Switch IMO, it's to shrink the damn thing down while having better battery life. I just can't bring the thing with me to work and keep it in my locker as I share it with another guy who, while I don't think he'd steal it, you never can really know with people, you know? And no, the input lag on Android phones prevents yours truly from using those as a portable means of gameplay.

xbox 12tf version =
+$600 console
+$100/yr xbox live
+$70 for 1 game (price rise)
=$850 with tax....
just buy a pc for a bit more IMO
 
  • Like
Reactions: Silent_Gunner
It would have been a nice bonus for the port to receive a dub, but considering that if you're a major Persona, Shin Megami Tensei, or Fire Emblem fan, you've likely immersed yourself with English-subtitled content before.
Er, no. Every Persona game since 3 (with the exception of Q2, due to it being a very late 3DS title), and every Fire Emblem game since Awakening, has an English dub available.
As a result, I would bet that many people have grown used to English dubs, and don't like Japanese vocals with English subs. I myself can't stand such releases, since the English VA can portray a lot more emotion than mere text can and being able to comprehend voices in battle can be quite important.

Also, no mention of the STUPID censorship? Nintendo must've known people WANTED the original Japanese release, but noooo - instead they foist the ludicrous censored version on everyone, including Japan.
There's a reason people suddenly began buying Japanese Wii U releases not too long ago.
 
Considering how...unwieldy the Gamepad was even compared to what is, IMHO, the barely functioning, let alone inconsistent Wiimote's motion controls in tandem with the sensor which never seemed to play all that well with yours truly when aiming in Metroid Prime 3, I'd say people making a hard pass at the beta of the Switch tablet-invisibly-tethered-to-a-glorified-DVD-player is to be expected.
While I don't like motion controls (as opposed to gyro - i.e. 3DS - which can be quite good), I have to disagree with the GamePad part.
It's an excellent map device for Twilight Princess HD, The Wind Waker HD, and Pikmin 3, and as a controller itself I quite like it.
Definitely better than the horrible JoyCons, the Switch Pro Controller, or the Wiimote.
 
While I don't like motion controls (as opposed to gyro - i.e. 3DS - which can be quite good), I have to disagree with the GamePad part.
It's an excellent map device for Twilight Princess HD, The Wind Waker HD, and Pikmin 3, and as a controller itself I quite like it.
Definitely better than the horrible JoyCons, the Switch Pro Controller, or the Wiimote.

Oh no, I have to pause the game to look at a map. Such horror!

/s

Er, no. Every Persona game since 3 (with the exception of Q2, due to it being a very late 3DS title), and every Fire Emblem game since Awakening, has an English dub available.
As a result, I would bet that many people have grown used to English dubs, and don't like Japanese vocals with English subs. I myself can't stand such releases, since the English VA can portray a lot more emotion than mere text can and being able to comprehend voices in battle can be quite important.

Also, no mention of the STUPID censorship? Nintendo must've known people WANTED the original Japanese release, but noooo - instead they foist the ludicrous censored version on everyone, including Japan.
There's a reason people suddenly began buying Japanese Wii U releases not too long ago.

Man, those Yakuza games really suck. Every game after the original PS2 sucks because it's all subs after it. Never mind that the dub doesn't even have the "so bad it's good" charm of Shenmue, and that the VA actually put in some pretty solid work and the series getting actual movie actors in the games lending their voice to their roles, I want my dub, damn it!

Also, I don't know who made the call on the censorship, but honestly, if you're going to get worked up over a game to the point that you'll get (translation: use that one Windows program to download the game)the Japanese Wii U port which I doubt was re-translated so normal people like yours truly could play it (if they even cared to begin with, mind you), then maybe you should consider your life priorities. There's plenty of re-translations of classic RPGs using the "uncensored" versions of ROMs as base for their efforts.

When it comes to shit like that, I'd rather more people focus on more obscure and niche projects like the Front Mission Translation Project. That's a team that needs all the help it could take to accomplish what they've set out to do and even to go the full nine yards in some regards. Most of that series never even made it to the US in any offical capacity, and the ones that did ended up losing some of what made the series special in the first place!
 
You are too damn famous Krista... -_-

or should I say...


KUHristah!!! -El Psy Kongroo
Ku- Ris star.
 
Great review! Nice to see one that isn't completely bogged down by the censorship complaints (even if they're valid, the game is so much more than bikini shots lmao.)
Coming back to this game after finally playing Fire Emblem game to completion outside of awakening has really led me to loving this a lot more compared to just being into SMT expecting a lot more on the story side of things. The extra content was pretty crap all in all but the weeb in me loved the new song, super cute Kiria and Tsubasa performance definitely made the slog worth it.
 
Review cover
Product Information:
  • Release Date (NA): January 17, 2020
  • Release Date (EU): January 17, 2020
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Developer: Atlus
  • Genres: JRPG
Game Features:
Single player
Local Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer
Co-operative

Reviews

  1. Xiaomi has just launched its latest smartphone line, the Xiaomi 14 series. In this series, the Xiaomi 14 Ultra is the top-of-the-line model, with a focus on photography and a dedicated Photography Kit to complement this focus. Let’s take a closer look!

  2. Obsidian’s Pentiment is part of a new wave of Xbox games coming to other platforms. Should you try to solve the 16th century murder mystery it presents?

  3. The second iteration of Supernote's compact e-ink notebook, we check out the A6X2 Nomad!

  4. Acting like an NPC has never been more intense

  5. The Aurvana Ace by Creative might look like your regular pair of wireless earbuds but it's the first to pack xMEMS’ solid-state silicon drivers. These are supposed to deliver richer, lifelike...

Site & Scene News

General chit-chat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
    straferz @ straferz: Anybody know why this is happening to my ACWW town...