I ask because in one way it overrated is the double digit critic vs user score difference on Metacritic: [https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/tokyo-mirage-sessions-fe-encore/critic-reviews](https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/tokyo-mirage-sessions-fe-encore/critic-reviews) vs [https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/tokyo-mirage-sessions-fe-encore/user-reviews](https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/tokyo-mirage-sessions-fe-encore/user-reviews) and mind you games like Code of Princess EX and Daemon X Machina did not get so high critic reviews but the users are much more kind to both games. It is basically Nintendo The Last of Us Part II with a big critic vs user discrepancy. But on the flip side it could be a underrated game depending on who you ask?
by Sonicx9u
17 Comments
This is a very interesting discussion as it is a polarizing game in a sense?
Underrated for sure. It’s a gem of a game. Not many people gave it a chance because they literally don’t know what it is. It caters to a specific demographic. When people thought shin megami x fire emblem, they thought something completely different, which I also did, but legit this is one of my favorite RPGs of all time.
I think it’s exactly what it is. It’s a solid JRPG with the level of polish you expect from Atlus. It’s first problem is that it’s short and the Switch version added very little new content. The second problem is that it has very little to do with fire emblem. So the market for this game is just general JRPG fans. Fire Emblem fans aren’t really going to get anything out of it.
That being said it is based on idol culture so it’s not for everyone. It’s certainly a unique setting, a weird mix of idol persona but with a positive story. Overall it’s a solid game but it’s no cult classic.
Considering I never finished it
I think it’s just… rated. It was fine, but there was a lot that put me off, and it got pretty stale by the end. Granted, I played the Wii U version and saw no reason to double-dip, so maybe Encore is better with its faster speed. But the game sought to ape Persona’s sense of style, but almost none of its depth, wither mechanically or narratively. I feel like they’d need to add more meat to the combat for the gameplay to grab me, and that’s not even getting into the way it handles its FE content.
Another idol game from the bunch.
For the life of me I can not understand why anyone loves this game. Played through the whole thing and it was ok. I have read countless reviews praising the combat, maybe I was doing it wrong but it felt so simplistic I don’t know why people were enjoying it. They literally allow you to have items to throw at enemies in case your active character doesn’t have an attack that hits it weakness and start the chain of attacks. As someone who ran through this game, thought the story was ok and the combat was lame can someone explain to me why it is beloved?
Terrible marketing that rattled off what games to play first (including the near identical Wii U version) must have alientated many. It evidently undersold as Nintendo made it one of their big monthly pushes yet until stock liquidation there were literal _stacks_ of discounted copies in any bricks and mortar store. Note that despite some characters being (3DS) Fire Emblem references, this was an entirely standalone story in a unique setting with zero prior knowledge of _any_ game required. Its also quite scathingly satirical of its setting which again, is never alluded to. It doesn’t actually expect you to be a Jpop fan.
Gameplay-wise its… mixed. There’s a deep combat system yet levelling up happens quickly and trumps all. Dungeons are pretty but puzzles are basic at best. The film set dungeon is literally just some fancy corridors.
I think it was _definitely_ worth a playthrough during covid travel and movement restrictions as a bit of slice of life virtual tourism and I’d have called it severely underrated _in that unusual context._ Generally speaking now though, its a highly competent but niche title. Its still worth it if an RPG set in the Japanese entertainment industry sounds interesting _or_ you are a gamer tired of derivative works looking for anything with a completely fresh setting and theme; neither of whom were marketed to.
It was a very “eh” game for me, basically a dumbed down simplistic smt/persona hybrid, with a splash of fake Fire Emblem stuff. Dropped it after 10-15 hours. There are better games to sink my time in.
It was one of my favorite games on Wii U and I like it even more on Switch with its decreased load times and additional content.
It’s unfortunate that it was censored so extensively but it’s still a fantastic RPG with a decent amount of challenge. I don’t think it’s quite as divisive as something like The Last of Us Part II though, outside of the censorship there’s really nothing to cause that kind of ire.
I found the gameplay loop very addictive and it is one of the few JRPS I have finished without putting it down for a while. The story however, is pretty meh, but that wasn’t what I was playing it for.
I really loved it. One of the best games on the switch overall yet nobody even knows it exists lol. Def underrated
The user reviews for SMT games across the board have been review bombed with negative scores, you can see this if you check almost any other SMT game at random. [SMTIV](https://www.metacritic.com/game/3ds/shin-megami-tensei-iv) has a 7.1 user score compared to an 8.3 critic score without a significant number of negative written user reviews. [Strange Journey](https://www.metacritic.com/game/ds/shin-megami-tensei-strange-journey) has a 5.4 vs an 8.0. [Persona](https://www.metacritic.com/game/psp/shin-megami-tensei-persona) has a 4.5 vs a 7.8. So that’s one thing to keep in mind when looking at metacritic scores for the SMT series.
There are also some other specific reasons why there’s more user backlash than other games. The Switch version used the censored western Wii U release as opposed to the original Japanese version which slightly modified some outfits for modesty and some people have very strong opinions about that lol. There are also a lot of people who were disappointed that the long awaited SMT x FE crossover, two series known for apocalyptic demons on one side and medieval warfare on the other, ended up with a game that focused on Japanese idol culture. It was very out of left field and not really matching the target demo for people who like the more serious vibes of the mainline series. On the gameplay front it also ended up not really being a true crossover game, but more of an SMT game with some Fire Emblem aesthetics.
Ultimately I think the biggest discrepancy was that people expected a very different game from the SMT x FE crossover and were disappointed that this was the result. But if you go in disregarding the expectations of the crossover and just accept it as an idol themed SMT game, I think there’s a lot to enjoy. Before Persona 5 got ported over a lot of people likened it to a Persona-lite on Switch which I think isn’t a bad comparison.
I would say to never look seriously at user scores. User reviews are often full of “10 I like this game” or “0 this game sucks.” Read a couple critic reviews, maybe watch some gameplay and decide if you think it’s something you would like to play.
I borrowed this game and personally didn’t care for the characters and story. The theme just wasn’t for me and that’s okay, I didn’t think it was bad though. I’d just rather be playing other SMT games.
as a fan of both persona and fire emblem i found it to be a weird combination that was only ok. first time i played about half way and dropped it, i picked it up a few years later and started again and finished it. probably a 6/10.
i can see why others would like it but not really my thing
The game has an AMAZING battle system, and the visual are top notch. Unfortunately, the Idol / Anime side of things is a bit disappointing at times, it could have done it way better with a more interesting protagonist, and completely removing that harem shit.
I love this game. If you are looking for SMTxFire Emblem, you may be disappointed but if you are looking for a funny JRPG, and can handle a 12/10 weeb factor, then this is great!
If you are the type of person who thought Xenoblade Chronicles 2 was “too anime” then you will really hate this. However, if you are a fan of comedic slice of life anime, I would give the game a strong recommendation