Rune Manufacturing unit has been in a bizarre spot over the previous few console generations. Regardless of surviving the collapse of its unique developer, the eventual launch of Rune Manufacturing unit 5 was — to place it bluntly — a little bit of a catastrophe. Nevertheless, quite than disappearing for an additional 10 years, Marvelous ended up revealing that not one however two extra video games have been on the way in which.
Whereas Rune Manufacturing unit: Guardians of Azuma may not be a numbered title, it held all of the expectations of a mainline entry regardless. It wanted to repair up the problems with Rune Manufacturing unit 5 and produce the franchise into the fashionable period. However whereas it actually manages the latter with a giant increase in manufacturing values, Guardians of Azuma’s totally different tackle farming and combating fails to do both of those components notably properly.
Rune Manufacturing unit: Guardians of Azuma takes place a while after the occasions of 5 within the japanese lands of Azuma. Devastated by an occasion often called “The Celestial Collapse”, Azuma is slowly withering away. Enter the protagonist, certainly one of two playable amnesiacs who finds themselves making an attempt to revive the lands and regain their reminiscences alongside the way in which.
This results in the protagonist’s new lifetime of each adventuring and village constructing as they work to carry life again to every space. It positively tries to arrange a extra plot-heavy story, thanks partially to the addition of full voice appearing and far improved character fashions. In follow, although, the story usually takes a backseat to character occasions as an alternative.
You begin off with entry to Spring Village, shortly changing into its chief and given free rein to begin constructing new amenities and decorations. With the ability to design sections of every village is the principle new gimmick in Guardians of Azuma, bettering them to each entice villagers again and improve your stats within the course of.
You’re solely capable of construct inside particular zones, including in amenities like blacksmiths, farmland, or extra housing as new villagers transfer in. It’s all simple to grasp, with easy Village Missions guiding you in direction of particular objectives. Finishing missions allows you to stage up villages, granting entry to extra buildings, construct areas, and an elevated villager cap.
This easy system makes choosing up constructing a breeze, but in addition finally ends up being its downfall on the similar time. Village constructing by no means will increase in complexity as you proceed, and also you don’t must put a lot thought into the way you assemble every one. In reality, Rune Manufacturing unit: Guardians of Azuma does a reasonably horrible job of constructing any of the village-specific stats truly matter.
Some buildings can improve the share bonuses for sure points like farming or mining, however this by no means feels impactful. Villagers additionally include an Output worth, although you haven’t any actual incentive to actively take note of this. No matter what I selected, it by no means appeared like my decisions modified a lot about how villages functioned everyday.
I’m reminded quite a lot of Dondoko Island in Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, the place you are not anticipated to strive that arduous in constructing issues up. No less than in that recreation, it was solely a facet mode, quite than a key part of the principle gameplay loop.
By the top of the story, I ended paying a lot consideration to any of the village constructing mechanics, exterior of cramming stat increase decorations into one nook. Since construct area is kind of restricted in most villages — just one has a big space to work with — it’ll be exhausting to actually make a village that is distinct from what different gamers will find yourself creating anyway.
What makes this a difficulty is the truth that quite a lot of Guardians of Azuma is in the reduction of when in comparison with mainline Rune Manufacturing unit entries. Farming is even much less essential, there are few facet actions, and the world continues to be stored comparatively small. I might perceive if this was achieved to make approach for an in-depth village-building system, however that’s simply not the case.
In regard to the small world, that is one thing that’s shared by all video games within the franchise. However in Guardians of Azuma, it virtually feels such as you have been meant to have entry to bigger zones sooner or later. You’ve gotten 4 most important zones, with smaller sky islands and linear dungeons. None are notably massive, and every little thing is proven on the map, which kills the sensation of exploration.
On the very least, fight has seen some enhancements over Rune Manufacturing unit 5. Motion and combos are usually quicker, with timed dodges opening up enemies to counterattacks as you decelerate time. Weapon decisions aren’t that thrilling, and you will get through the use of just about something, although the bow does no less than permit for manually aimed cost assaults.
As with earlier Rune Manufacturing unit video games, fight nonetheless stays simple total. Retaining your gear updated and putting decorations in every village is sufficient to hold your stats updated. Degree grinding is nonexistent too — for those who enter an space with enemies increased than your present stage, you acquire massively elevated XP. Conversely, you get barely any XP for enemies at or under your stage.
Adventuring exterior the villages continues to be enjoyable sufficient, I simply want that there was extra occurring in every space. As talked about earlier, there’s no actual sense of exploration as a result of small areas and abundance of map markers. Outdoors of gathering wooden and stone, there’s usually not a lot of an incentive to retread outdated floor both.
With village constructing missing substance and exploration being restricted, it is the character occasions that actually carry Rune Manufacturing unit: Guardians of Azuma. I loved attending to know the principle solid, chatting to them day by day whereas unlocking new friendship and romance occasions.
Like with the principle story, occasions are all absolutely voiced with each a wonderful English dub and what appeared like strong Japanese voice appearing (although I used the previous for many of my playthrough). Mixed with the extra expressive character fashions, that is the very best occasions have ever been in Rune Manufacturing unit.
What’s unusual is that, regardless of having robust character occasions, the precise most important story is generally horrible. Issues aren’t so unhealthy beginning out, as you get to go to every village and meet its inhabitants. However after that, the story turns into very sloppy and poorly paced, with a number of characters or plotlines launched and dropped at a second’s discover.
Like with some components of exploration, there’s a sense that main components of the story needed to be reduce sooner or later. All of it culminates in a most important plot that simply finally ends up being rushed, regardless of nonetheless taking some time to finish.
I can also’t discuss in regards to the story and characters with out particularly highlighting that a number of characters have occasions locked behind day 1 DLC. With occasions being the spotlight of the sport, I can’t actually condone chopping a few of this from gamers who don’t wish to pay extra at launch.
Rune Manufacturing unit: Guardians of Azuma Assessment | Closing Ideas
Robust character occasions and improved presentation aren’t sufficient to hold a weak story and cut-down content material. There’s nonetheless enjoyable available relating to Rune Manufacturing unit: Guardians of Azuma’s characters, however right here’s hoping Rune Manufacturing unit 6 improves upon every little thing else.
Rune Manufacturing unit: Guardians of Azuma was reviewed on PC with a replica offered by the writer over the course of fifty hours of gameplay – all screenshots have been taken in the course of the means of assessment.