My first experience with the Musou type of gameplay came with Dynasty Warriors 2 on the PS2. For those that have managed to never play anything in the Omega-Force’s large Warriors franchise, think of something like Streets of Rage (a brawler), but 3D with large spanning maps and thousands of enemies of which you’ll kills tens at a time. There have been many additions and variations to the formula, spanning IP like One Piece, Zelda, and even Dragon Quest. Strangely though, I’ve never played a game in this space that was published by someone other than Koei Tecmo or developed by Omega-Force until now.

Utawarerumono: ZAN is the first in the series to contain action sequences opposed to tactical battles. I’ve never played any of the previous entries spanning back to 2002, nor have I taken time to watch any of the anime arcs or read the manga, so believe me when I say it’s easy to get lost if you’re just jumping in now. The game progresses with narration that is very vague and quick to move things along, while it slows down with some dialogue sections that are akin to a visual novel, albeit with less interaction from you. There are entire chapters that are limited to story development, while others intertwine some of the brawler action I mentioned previously.

The opening mission had me a bit worried, as the action is held exclusively in a tightly knit circle arena. I was hoping for wide areas to battle enemies, so seeing wave upon wave of identical enemies spawning in a small area was a bit of a disappointment, although it was soon followed by a chase scene that brought my spirits up. However, if you’re looking for battles that can last upwards of an hour or more, you’re barking up the wrong tree. This is a game that has action sequences, but its focus is on the story and dialogue sequences, as confusing and trite as they may be. Playing chapters consecutively helps a bit with understanding, but the first several are so sporadic it’s almost impossible to understand what is going on with no prior knowledge of the characters (this one focuses on Haku, who has lost his memory), and the tropes used make me wonder if it’s on purpose or not. In one of the first chapters there’s a seemingly big reveal of who a character actually is, but it didn’t hold any power since I didn’t know who he was supposed to be in the grand scheme of things.

Battles are definitely the high point for me, with up to four characters available per battle to switch to, giving a variation in strategy and combat. Along with the base skills, you’ll be able to boost stats by leveling up, equipping different items, and working together with your party members. Of course, some fighters are better than others when it comes to wiping out hordes of enemies. For example, playing the same level with different characters can mean dying or never taking a hint of damage. And really, who doesn’t want to mow down enemies while riding a giant bird (see above) that’s seemingly impenetrable? As much as I enjoy these sections, they take a long time to ramp up, and once they do, they’re still a bit lacking when compared to their competition.

In regards to looks, I understand that this type of gameplay is a big jump from previous entries. What’s deemed acceptable in something like an RTS is appalling in an FPS. The character models were revamped for this entry and are decent, but the opening sequences of environment shots that preface each battle look like they belong on a PS2, or a very early PS3 game. I hate tanking on a game for their graphical choices, but this seems like less of a style decision and more of a lack of funding for adequate set pieces. I’m all for low-poly games, but this is not how you sell the aesthetic.

I jumped into this not entirely sure what to expect, and having not played a visual novel in quite some time, it was a nice change of pace. I just wish the combat was a bit more developed, similar to how in-depth the trailers show. Perhaps enough dedication to the combos and it’d be possible, but the game doesn’t force you to do anything but button mash your way to success. Having twelve playable characters is nice, but I would really like to see more in terms of complexity with how small scale the battles are in the grand scheme of the game.

I can’t help but wonder what direction the series will go in following Utawarerumono: ZAN. I think as a first step, it’s a decent one, although a bit unsteady in footing. Lots of ideas are implemented, but none of them feel like they fully committed – it’s as if the team didn’t actually want to go this direction for gameplay. I have no doubt their next entry will fare much better should they choose to continue going this route, as growing pains are natural for any sort of development. I just hope a misstep doesn’t mean they revert back if they truly want to take on Koei Tecmo in this genre.

6 out of 10

Pros

• 12 Distinct Player Characters
• Visual Novel with Action
• Easy to Play

Cons

• Hard to Follow for Newcomers
• Button Mashing Combat
• Feels Unpolished

Utawarerumono: ZAN was developed by Aquaplus and published by NIS America. It is available on PS4 as of September 10th, 2019. The game was provided to us for review on PS4. If you’d like to see more of Utawarerumono: ZAN, check out the publisher’s site.

 

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