I love me a good anime-style RPG. From Persona to Honkai: Star Rail, the art style lends itself massively to great visual representations.
Over at Tokyo Game Show 2024 I got to try out a beta build for Etheria Restart, one such entry from XD Entertainment. Considering the game is coming to Steam, it seems to have addressed a recent criticism of the genre- one of oversimplification.
Nitty Gritty Etheria Restart
While many modern games in this genre see the dungeon as just a means to move between encounters, imagine my surprise when Etheria Restart actually expects me to do things. There’s sneaking, there’s grappling, it’s all plenty fun.
However, where the meat really comes in is the combat. While more modern games tend to split things up between normal attack/special/ult, Etheria Restart splits them up into three utility skills. Given you’re allowed to swap your lineups around for every encounter there’s a lot of potential for fun combinations here- like a support unit who specializes in extra turns, or a flashy hot onee-san type with devastating AoE attacks.
It’s a system that definitely seems like a theory crafter’s dream- a huge chunk of the problem with hero collectors is characters being too locked to a niche. Giving characters more tools to work with enables more creative party comps, without any single attack feeling like a punishment for running low on resources.
I didn’t get to check out the menus for myself though- that’s where the real theory crafting lies. But considering how often skills can get buried in unique terms, it’s nice to have buttons that just say “This one slows down the enemy” or “This one hits everyone”. It definitely helps in more short burst scenarios where you’re trying out unfamiliar characters.
Etheria Restart is coming to iOS, Android and PC some time in 2024, and is available for pre registration now.
