Actraiser Renaissance

74%
Game Brain Score Based on 861 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
Actraiser Renaissance Game Cover
An outstanding remake with meaningful additions that will appeal to fans of the original and newcomers alike.
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Actraiser Renaissance is a refreshed version of the classic game that combines elements of simulation, action, and platforming. As the Lord of Light, players will aid humanity by providing guidance, battling nightmarish monsters, and rebuilding a prosperous world. This new edition features improved graphics, remastered music, and new content, providing a fresh take on a beloved classic.

  • Nintendo Switch
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

74%
Audience ScoreBased on 861 reviews
story53 positive mentions
grinding36 negative mentions
  • Faithful remake of the original with expanded story and characters.
  • Updated graphics and music enhance the nostalgic experience.
  • New gameplay mechanics, including tower defense and mini-action stages, add variety.
  • Tower defense segments can feel tedious and disrupt the game's pacing.
  • Excessive dialogue and interruptions detract from gameplay flow.
  • Graphics in action stages are criticized for being low resolution and unappealing.
  • story419 mentions

    The story in "Actraiser Renaissance" has been significantly expanded from the original, introducing new characters and deeper narrative elements that enhance player engagement. However, many players find the storytelling overly verbose and frequently interrupted by quests, which disrupts gameplay flow and can feel tedious. While the overarching plot remains familiar, the added content is seen as both a strength and a potential source of frustration, as it sometimes detracts from the pacing and immersion of the game.

    • “Additionally, some characters are added which not only give some context to the plight of the humans inhabiting this world but also serve to grant the master (and your mission to defend the townspeople with him) more weight and meaning.”
    • “They have revved it up with a more in-depth plot, so you end up having a more involved storyline where you can connect with the characters a little deeper than in the original game.”
    • “The story is expanded via the introduction of new lovable characters, and even the bosses have some personality now.”
    • “The quest system tries to expand the old storyline, but the way it is done rips you out of gameplay constantly.”
    • “The story is now incredibly linear, to the point that fans of the original will know all the story beats, but the individual sections of rebuilding the towns are now full of drawn-out exposition, with a weird focus being put on the tower defense characters and not your god-player character.”
    • “The most irritating part is that this game never really lets you get into a flow in the world-building section, since you're constantly interrupted with a new quest within 2-3 seconds of completing one.”
  • music417 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, particularly for its remastered soundtrack by Yuzo Koshiro, which beautifully reimagines the original compositions while also offering the option to switch back to the classic SNES tracks. Many reviewers praised the orchestral arrangements and the nostalgic feel they evoke, although some noted that certain new tracks felt less impactful compared to the originals. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, enhancing the game's atmosphere and gameplay experience.

    • “The gameplay is solid all round, the story is reasonably interesting and the soundtrack is genuinely amazing.”
    • “The music is orchestral reimagining of the original chip tunes, which is a plus in my book.”
    • “The remastered music is also great and a definite positive as Actraiser always had some of the best tunes on the SNES.”
    • “The new music is not good and has a completely different feel.”
    • “The remixes of the original music (the original songs were bangers btw) are sub par and make it sound like generic ambient fantasy music.”
    • “I really can't recommend it because I feel robbed of music tracks I used to love.”
  • graphics385 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the low-resolution pre-rendered visuals and awkward art style, particularly in the action sequences, which some liken to outdated mobile games. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and improvements in certain areas, others find the overall aesthetic disjointed and lacking polish, leading to a less favorable impression compared to the original. Despite these criticisms, a segment of players still enjoy the updated graphics and the nostalgic elements they bring to the gameplay experience.

    • “The graphics have had a big improvement; they have added new content, the music was remixed and updated, and they even added a new type of gameplay to the mix, a number of base/tower defense sequences to each region.”
    • “This remake has beautiful graphics, smooth gameplay, and a kickin' soundtrack.”
    • “The graphics are really well done; it stays true to the original enemies, dungeons, bosses, overworld map, and so on.”
    • “The graphics are honestly really bad overall.”
    • “But the action stages.... this may be the ugliest graphics I've seen for a game in over a decade.”
    • “Honestly, I really really wanted to like it but the graphics are so... crappy. I mean it looks like they really rushed to finish this, there is no polish at all.”
  • gameplay382 mentions

    The gameplay of the remake has received mixed reviews, with many praising its blend of action platforming and city-building mechanics, while others criticize the clunky controls and frequent interruptions from town management tasks. The addition of tower defense elements has been divisive; some players find it enhances the experience, while others feel it detracts from the core gameplay and disrupts the flow. Overall, while the game retains the spirit of the original, the execution of new mechanics and the balance between different gameplay styles have left some players wanting more.

    • “The gameplay is solid all around, the story is reasonably interesting and the soundtrack is genuinely amazing.”
    • “The gameplay loop becomes very addictive and calming, even though it is just pretty basic action and tower-defense strategy.”
    • “Rarely are two totally different gameplay styles fused this effectively, and the enhancements introduced by developer Sonic Powered really do improve things; combat in the action sections is more fun, while the 'god sim' portions of the game are lent increased depth thanks to thoughtful gameplay upgrades.”
    • “The controls are way too clunky to allow for any form of advanced gameplay.”
    • “Wow that tower defense mode is an awful experience, way to ruin the flow of gameplay with an awful, constant, and required minigame.”
    • “This was really poor gameplay design, and frustrated me to the point where I got to Aitos (town 4) and just kind of gave up.”
  • grinding36 mentions

    Players consistently find the grinding aspects of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly due to excessive dialogue, repetitive tower defense segments, and lengthy quest requirements. While some enjoy the core gameplay, the grinding often feels like unnecessary padding that detracts from the overall experience, leading to a cycle of boredom and frustration. Many reviews highlight that the additional grind quests lack engagement and can feel cumbersome, ultimately diminishing the enjoyment of the game.

    • “Thus a tedious cycle of waiting and watching for mana potions is created when the player clears out all the monster nests and is trying to raise the population levels.”
    • “It just feels like padding and grinding to stretch the time needed to beat the game with zero impact in the end game.”
    • “The additional grind quests aren't all that either... grinding over an act so I can kill a couple of typhoon pigeons is not fun.”
  • optimization11 mentions

    The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing issues like jittering and screen tearing, particularly when locked at 60fps. However, others report solid performance with high frame rates and no crashes, especially when using higher resolutions and disabling certain settings. Overall, while some enjoy smooth gameplay, the presence of graphics bugs and questionable art direction detracts from the experience for others.

    • “I had no crashes during my playtime and performance was always solid.”
    • “Great performance, has unlimited fps and many resolutions supported. I'm running 4K and hitting 500fps in action mode and over 1,000fps in god mode, capped it to 144.”
    • “As someone who played and enjoyed the original and other Quintet games, my joy upon seeing the trailer was dashed upon the cruel rocks of the reality of this mobile-optimized garbage.”
    • “However, the questionable choices in the art direction, the bugs, poor performance, and the, at times, way too wordy expanded script, mar the experience in such a way that what should have been the masterful return of a masterpiece instead turns out to be a nice introduction to the classic for new audiences, but not much more.”
    • “Some of the comments are complaining of graphics issues; I am playing at 2560x1440, no frame cap, Vsync off, Gsync monitor, and I have no tearing, FPS drops, or stuttering, so for me, it's a win.”
  • emotional10 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players noting a strong connection between the gameplay and emotional experience, evoking feelings of nostalgia and warmth. The soundtrack is particularly impactful, eliciting tears and enhancing the overall heartfelt theme, which resonates well with both new and returning fans.

    • “Because of that emotional loop that coincides with the gameplay loop, it just feels really damn good.”
    • “I shed a tear hearing the soundtrack.”
    • “Summary: wonderful & heartfelt!”
  • character development10 mentions

    Reviewers highlight significant improvements in character development, noting a deeper narrative and enhanced character designs that enrich the overall experience. The focus on regional characters adds depth to the story, although some express a desire for more varied aesthetics in gameplay. Overall, the advancements in character development are seen as a standout feature of the game.

    • “My favorite part: there's far more story and character development going on.”
    • “I also love the new character designs, and the new designs for each of the locations and the followers in those areas is fantastic.”
    • “I can understand everyone's frustration on this matter, as I wish too that we could have seen a different type of aesthetic in the gameplay sections for enemy and character design.”
    • “Perhaps the two biggest changes are the character development and siege mode in the sim mode.”
    • “More character development with the people of each region, which is good.”
  • replayability8 mentions

    The game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it offers significant replay value due to the enjoyment of mastering mechanics and revisiting side-scrolling stages, others feel it lacks substantial incentive for repeated playthroughs. Overall, it seems that the experience can vary greatly depending on individual player engagement with the game's mechanics.

    • “This is a solid classic game with a lot of replay value.”
    • “Replayability is good: once you learn more mechanics, it's fun to restart from the beginning and really utilize them.”
    • “The side-scrolling stages are replayable and there's benefit to doing so.”
    • “- no real replay value.”
    • “- no real replay value.”
    • “The side-scrolling stages are replayable, and there's a benefit to doing so.”
  • stability6 mentions

    The game suffers from significant stability issues, including frequent freezes after about 30 minutes of play, various technical glitches such as AI and audio bugs, and persistent graphical problems like awkward visuals and resolution defaults. These interruptions severely impact the overall gameplay experience.

    • “The game freezes constantly, usually after 30 minutes of play.”
    • “And that's not including technical issues like AI bugs, audio bugs, the game defaulting to low resolution every time I start it up (for no explicable reason), and minor graphical glitches.”
    • “Buggy, the graphics look awkward and gameplay is constantly interrupted by requests from the townspeople.”
  • monetization6 mentions

    The monetization strategy of the game is widely criticized as a blatant cash grab, with players feeling that little effort was invested beyond a remastered soundtrack. Many express disappointment in the developer's approach, hoping for a more genuine revival of the classic rather than exploiting its legacy for profit.

    • “The whole thing feels like a cash grab, and the only part that feels like any love was put into it is the remastered soundtrack.”
    • “I will never touch anything from this developer again, and I really hope that someone develops a spiritual successor that breathes new life into this classic in the manner that it deserves, and not what is obviously a cash grab for an aging IP.”
    • “Too bad Square can't do that for every cash grab release.”
  • atmosphere6 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its beautiful rendering and atmospheric effects, particularly in the initial stages. The simple charm and exceptional music by Yuzo Koshiro significantly enhance the overall experience, while the expanded story further enriches the game's ambiance.

    • “The first stage is rendered beautifully with nice atmospheric effects.”
    • “Much of that is due to its simple charm, great atmosphere, and more than anything else, thanks to the great music from Yuzo Koshiro.”
    • “The expanded story is really cool and adds a lot of atmosphere.”
  • humor4 mentions

    The humor in the game is often described as hilarious, particularly due to its nostalgic nods to old-school game development. Players find the angel character amusing, especially in the early moments when he mocks the mortals he guides, adding a lighthearted touch to the experience.

    • “This stuff is pretty hilarious how much they left in the old school ways of developing games.”
    • “The angel is funny sometimes, especially at the beginning when he makes fun of the dumb mortals you have to guide.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

71% average critic score

Buy Actraiser Renaissance

Play time

13hMedian play time
11hAverage play time
5-22hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 8 analyzed playthroughs

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