Juusan kihei boueiken

I didn't know what to expect when I started to play this game, so I was pleasantly surprised when 13 Sentinels decided to take me on a wild rollercoaster ride.

Despite the game essentially being one half visual novel and the other half being a tactics battle simulator, it's a genuinely amazing game.

The painterly artstyle and various shading techniques makes the game look like an immaculate moving painting, surpassing any other visual novel I've played. But probably the game's strongest asset is the absolutely insane story and the fantastically unique, varied, and memorable cast of main characters.

The story is a convoluted blend of sci-fi and anime tropes that somehow manages to constantly subvert all expectations and has a series of never-ending twists that are more puzzling yet exciting than the last. But I will say, the story can seem needlessly complicated at times, and by the end of the game my brain felt fried. But the journey is completely worth it since the game delivers an ending that perfectly wraps up everything with a nice little bow.

It's honestly impressive how this game was able to create 13 different protagonists that are all memorable in their own way. I'll admit I preferred some characters storylines much more than others, but each character has a very compelling story that end up being entertaining in their own right. Stellar voice cast too. Shout out to Hijiyama, Minami and Yakushiji for having my personal favorite storylines. I've never wanted to try Yakisoba Pan as much as I did after this game.

The battle system is pretty fun as well and I found myself thoroughly enjoying planning out my Sentinel units' attacks on a virtual battlefield. Although I'll admit, some missions can be very overwhelming at times and have some crazy difficulty spikes. But it's not too much of a problem since the battle difficulty can be changed at any time.

Overall, this is a game I would highly recommend to anyone as it's an unforgettable gaming experience.