Video Game Review: Record of Agarest War

Developer: Idea Factory

Publisher: Aksys Games

Genre: JRPG

Reviewed For: Nintendo Switch

Record of Agarest War has been around since 2007 on the PlayStation 3. It was never a bright spot in the genre, sporting some fine mechanics and a neat generation system, but suffering from tedious grinds and unnecessary fanservice. 

Now Record of Agarest War is on the Nintendo Switch giving a new generation a chance to experience it. The long, turn-based strategy with dating sim mechanics works better on the Nintendo Switch due to handheld mode, but it still suffers from many of the same shortcomings as the original.

The game’s storyline follows the protagonist, Leonhardt, who is away at war to protect his home country. With the help of a divine being, Leonhardt is given immense power to change the tides of the war. Throughout the game’s 70+ hour campaign, players will lead Leonhardt, and his future offspring to victory in a multigenerational journey. 

The main draw to is the system in which the player romances a character and then has offspring that is a blend of their parent’s stats. It’s not particularly deep, but fans of breeding super children in games like Fire Emblem Awakening and Fates might find some thrill here. Personalities don’t change across the five generations that players are required to breed for.

The gameplay’s battle systems aren’t particularly unique and utilize most of the standard systems that you would expect from the genre. While battles can be lengthy, the Switch version benefits from optimized loading times compared to its console counterpart and can be quickly put into sleep mode and picked up later. 

Visually, Record of Agarest War contains fine anime character illustrations and distinctive character designs. The women are almost all have ridiculous proportions and full of fanservice. It’s ridiculous. When combined with the breeding system, it is clear that Record of Agarest War is made to appeal to a very specific audience. The battlefield sprites are decent, but their animations aren’t anything special.