Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Preview

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE for Wii U is an upcoming JRPG, available in Japan as of Dec 26, 2015 and coming to EU and North America June 24, 2016. Initially announced as Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem, this crossover between Atlus’ and Nintendo’s acclaimed IPs has already received major acclaim in with the Japanese gaming magazine Dengeki Nintendo calling it a “masterpiece.” The Western release will feature the original Japanese dub with English subtitles as well as a few yet-to-be-revealed localization adjustments, as is Nintendo’s norm when importing risqué content to the West.

The game is set in Tokyo and focuses around a “shamelessly over-the-top” (Nintendo), energetic J-pop premise – something involving high-school, glamour, and interdimensional travel. Japanese coverage of the title has painted its premise as extremely colorful and light-hearted, bringing the universes together in an original story that doesn’t lean on either series too heavily. An early gameplay trailer (below) demonstrates a blend of animated cutscenes, player-controlled exploration, and in-engine character dialogue used to communicate the story, as well as some stunningly over-designed monsters, environments, and costumes and explosive action sequences.

Combat is derived from MegaTen’s turn-based, Persona summon system, with Fire Emblem characters acting in place of Personas. Fans of either series can expect a slew of new monsters to fight, as the ranks are filled with enemies from both dimensions, and memorable boss battles. We can also expect friendship-based progression, as found in both IPs, wherein developing your protagonist’s relationships is as key to leveling up your party as grinding is.

Despite a poor sales track thus far in Japan, pushing under twenty-four thousand copies within its first week and dropping off the country’s Top 50 within the first month, I for one hope this exciting experiment doesn’t discourage major publishers from attempting such ambitious collaborations in the future. We’ll be better able to assess how well Atlus and Nintendo hit their mark once we get our hands on it June 24.