Record of Agarest War review

Released 16 years ago, there’s a significant amount of Record of Agarest War that feels creaky. But beneath it, there’s a sense of ambition and unprecedented scale, that merges turn-based combat and dating sim into a tale that spans generations.

Strategy role-playing games are routinely referred to as epics. That’s an accurate descriptor, since the genre habitually boosts 40+ hour lengths, larger than life heroes, while the stories themselves regularly revolve around incredible feats of valor.  Typically, the duration of these narratives is measured in months or even years.

A collaboration between Compile Heart (Hyperdimension Neptunia) and Red Entertainment (Thousand Arms, Sakura Wars: So Long, My Love) 2007’s Record of Agarest War’s storyline spanned five full generations. Sure, the pace was often plodding, with adventuring parties subjected to successions of uneventful fights. By the time the title arrived stateside three years later, an unwieldy user interface and the unmistakable recycling of battlefields made the game feel a bit dated.

Evading Front-Loaded Exposition

But Agarest War’s ambitions were undeniable. This was a 140 to 160-hour marathon, where the protagonist and their dating sim-style companions passed qualities onto their offspring. Yes, Phantasy Star III and Fire Emblem: Awakening used similar devices, but neither ended up feeling quite as grandiose as Record of Agarest War’s prolonged plotline. Sixteen years on, the title’s imperfections are more noticeable than ever. But Ghostlight’s recent Switch port also reveals an SRPG that truly deserves to be categorized as an epic, imperfections and all.

Agarest War makes a rather lackluster first impression, with a brief text crawl detailing a war between twelve gods, resulting in the destruction of the world. But a new world was forged by the remaining deities, delivering a rather mundane creation myth. Things aren’t much better when we meet the lead character of the inaugural generation, Leonhardt.

But She’s a High Elf!

As a general in the army, he’s undoubtedly been in the service for years. But inexplicably, he lobs any loyalty out the window, as he turns against his allies to save a young elven girl he just met. This act of heroism doesn’t turn out well, and poor Leonhardt dies in battle. However, a woman named Dyshana proposes a Faustian deal: she’ll resurrect him, but he and his entire family line must banish the forces of darkness from Agarest’s five continents. Elf girls must be insanely cute to agree to all that. But that’s hardly the only evidence of underdeveloped motivation. Several of the obstacles each subsequent generation faces aren’t compelling, either.

To its credit, Record of Agarest War leisurely walks you into its intricacies, with a procession of fights that steadily teach all the basics of battle. At the foundation of its turn-based system are AP points, which characters spend during movement and action phases. Interestingly, the game advocates saving like an accountant uncle. Any AP not spent during movement carries over toward offensive spending. Anything left over gets carried over to the next turn.

A Battle of Emplacements

The result means that it’s quite possible to quickly wipe out a throng of foes by playing things prudently. Vigilant placement of your units can result in an alignment, providing AP bonuses and powerful team-up attacks. But know that enemies also utilize the system, and it’s quite possible to witness a procession of your party members get taken down during a single turn. Agarest War won’t say it outright, but the game is hinting at the importance of positioning and direction-facing on otherwise lackluster battlefields.

On the Switch, hitting the tiny plus button to initiate each attack becomes an annoyance. On top of that, you’ll often face a sequence of battles with low stakes. The pacing can be so sluggish that it can feel like Agarest War shoehorned grinding into the experience. But on the upside, the individual battles move at a swift pace. Much of this is due to the incorporation of far-reaching attacks, with some characters able to strike at the other side of the battlefield. A Break State system also hastens stalemates, offering elevated abilities if the conflict has dragged on for too long. On home consoles, progression through Agarest War might have felt Sisyphean. But the portability of Nintendo’s hardware lends itself to clashes that can be resolved while on a bus, train, or in bed.

Baby Making Time!

The marketing of the stateside releases hinted at some sensational moments, just as the terms like ‘hentai’ and ‘eroge’ were entering the gaming vernacular. But no mistake, save for a bit of cleavage, Agarest War’s approach to baby-making (referred to as a “Soul Breed”) plays is almost too decent. The game automatically chooses your mate after evaluating your dialog decisions presents at regular intervals. The women who appreciate your banter the best carry on your genes. The upside is that your heir earns your abilities, experience level, and items.

Fortunately, you’ll find a bit of variety across Agarest’s campaigns.  Once you gain a specific ability, you can capture, trade, and even combine monsters at the local guild. Although the game ditches the typical town exploration, menu-based systems let you improve weapons and armor, alchemize items, learn new skills, and view a horoscope detailing the attributes of your offspring.

Conclusion

If the concept of a marathon-length strategy role-playing game sounds remotely interesting, Record of Agarest War might be worth seeking out. It’s sixteen years old, which means that the game’s art and approach can feel dated. But for players who can appreciate the kinds of grinds offered during the PlayStation 3/Xbox 360 era, a proficient Switch port (with shortened load times) is appreciated. Likewise, the inclusion of all previously released DLC makes this one of the better methods to enjoy Agarest.

Record of Agarest War was played on Switch
with review code provided by the publisher.