Fuga: Melodies of Steel Review

Many games make it clear that war is hell. The Banner Saga, a game that puts themes like loss and the visceral horrors on the battlefield front-and-center, creates compelling narratives that strike an emotional chord. CyberConnect2's Fuga: Melodies of Steel puts this idea in a new light by putting you in the shoes of displaced children.

Malt, Hannah, and their anthropomorphic animal companions wake up in middle of the night to find their home under attack. It was shocking that the Berman Empire's armies would target their small village. After they have evaded the eye of the enemy army, and found one another, they are led by a mysterious voice into a forbidden zone where they discover their town's best-kept secrets. The Taranis is a huge tank that was built by an ancient civilization. The gang activates it to stop the Berman dogs from attacking their family and save them from a terrible fate.

Fuga immediately puts you on the frontlines from the beginning. Your behemoth tank rips through the battlefield, stopping only to attack towns and fight enemies. It's almost like a strategy RPG. Battles are turn-based, with each child pilot manning one of three armaments. To stay one step ahead of your enemies, you can track their turn order at the top.

The machine gun, grenade rocketer and cannon are the three weapons that children can use. Every enemy you encounter will be weak against one type of weapon or a combination thereof. This pushes them back in turn order if they are taken damage from these sources. You can also level up to gain additional skills, such as healing or powerful attacks.

The Taranis also have a secret weapon called "The Soul Cannon", which can be used to destroy all enemies and is available for voluntary sacrifice. This is crucial, because combat is not the only challenge they will face in their quest to save their families.

The warpath is a journey that children must take advantage of to keep their spirits high, as well as those of their fellow soldiers. Similar to combat, the route your tank takes will be displayed at the top of their screen. This will guide them to their next destination. The Taranis will be littered with icons representing enemies, healing, intermissions, and collectibles. You can choose which path you want to take, with more risky routes offering greater rewards for those who are brave enough to try it.

Maintaining morale among crew members is crucial. Intermissions are where you can see life inside the tank. You will be able take control of any character that you want to explore Taranis and interact directly with the crew. A journal will be provided that displays the current wishes of each member of your crew. This journal will help to brighten their moods after they are done. These tasks can be as simple as speaking to another child aboard the tank or using one of many systems within it.

Taranis is a more mobile fortress than a tank. It contains everything you need to personalize your experience and improve your armor and weapons. Fun side-scrolling Dungeon Runs are also possible. These fun runs offer nothing more than the opportunity to obtain extra items. Each activity will result in characters developing bonds with each other. However, they can unlock fun dialogue that is unique to the pair of children talking, and special combo attacks when they are paired up on the battlefield. These bonds can be deepened and provide extra bonuses in combat, such passive resistances and buffs when they are paired up with their closest friends.

This social aspect is important because it gives the Soul Cannon weight. Once a child has died, there is no way to bring them back. They can be more susceptible to depression if they are separated from their friends, which could affect their combat performance. To keep your crew strong, you will want to maintain close ties with each other so that they can support one another in the event of a difficult situation. The ending of your story will change depending on whether all the children are alive or dead. This can make it more replayable, even if not everyone makes the cut.

These visuals are complemented by dramatic music and stunning hand-drawn visuals that perfectly fit the mood of Fuga Melodies of Steel. You will also find plenty of Japanese-voiced cutscenes that will keep you interested in the story of the children fighting the evil Berman empire. All of this creates a dramatic and entertaining anime story that is similar to Persona, but with a balance between combat and drama.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel can be a very engaging and fun game. However, there are a few things that could make it less enjoyable. Intermissions become less fun and more like team building exercises. As your crew grows, your journal fills up, it can feel like you are checking off boxes. Because the journal system is tied into other systems on Taranis, and each intermission allows for only a small number of actions, large teams can feel impersonalized and difficult to manage.

It is possible for combat to become repetitive if you don't learn how to balance its systems. Crew members can be buff up and elevated to Hero Mode, which gives them powerful passive effects that can be used later in an encounter. This allows you to save your crew members and use big attacks to eliminate most of the more difficult enemies, with the exception of bosses at each end. This makes fighting less fun if you manage to figure it out the first time.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel offers a fun strategy/RPG experience. Each character is unique and has a fun personality. This helps them to grow as they help each other on the battlefield. You can also feel this feeling in side content, such as side-scrolling minidungeons and cooking for the crew. These activities grant combat and social benefits, making every activity you engage in rewarding. While the JRPG aesthetic may not be for everyone, Fuga: Melodies of Steel proves to be a fun take on the strategy RPG, especially when backed up by its dramatic and heartfelt narrative.