Actraiser Renaissance

77%
Game Brain Score Based on 424 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.

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Reviews

77%
Audience ScoreBased on 424 reviews
story26 positive mentions
grinding18 negative mentions
  • The game successfully captures the nostalgia of the original Actraiser while introducing new mechanics and characters.
  • The remastered soundtrack by Yuzo Koshiro is exceptional, offering both new arrangements and the option to switch to the original music.
  • The addition of tower defense elements and hero characters adds depth to the gameplay, making the city-building aspect more engaging.
  • The graphics, particularly in the action segments, are criticized for being low resolution and reminiscent of mobile games.
  • The tower defense mechanics can feel tedious and disrupt the flow of gameplay, leading to frustration for some players.
  • The game is bogged down by excessive dialogue and tutorials, which can detract from the overall experience.
  • story209 mentions

    The story in the game has been significantly expanded, introducing new characters and deeper narrative elements that enhance the original plot, though some players find the pacing hindered by frequent interruptions from quests and tower defense mechanics. While the added depth and character development are appreciated, many reviewers note that the storytelling can be overly verbose and repetitive, detracting from the overall experience. Overall, the remake retains the core story while adding layers that may appeal to newcomers but can frustrate veterans of the original.

    • “The story is expanded via the introduction of new lovable characters, and even the bosses have some personality now.”
    • “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.”
    • “This is a very lovingly and well-executed remake of the original with lots of added content that just adds to the fun and fleshes out more of a story.”
    • “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.”
    • “The story in this game is just a repeating carousel of text that I just started skipping everything when I got to the second area.”
  • music206 mentions

    The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many praising the remastered soundtrack by Yuzo Koshiro, which beautifully reimagines the original compositions while also offering the option to switch back to the classic SNES tracks. Reviewers highlight the orchestral arrangements as a significant enhancement, though some express nostalgia for the simplicity of the original music. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a standout feature, elevating the game's experience and maintaining its nostalgic charm.

    • “The gameplay is solid all around, 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 subpar 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.”
  • graphics191 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the low-resolution pre-rendered visuals and inconsistent art styles that evoke a dated feel reminiscent of early PS1 or mobile games. While some appreciate the nostalgic charm and improvements in certain areas, others find the overall aesthetic lacking, particularly during action sequences, leading to a disjointed experience. Despite the graphical shortcomings, some players still enjoy the gameplay and new features, suggesting that the visuals may not detract significantly from the overall enjoyment of the game.

    • “The graphics are really well done; it stays true to the original enemies, dungeons, bosses, overworld map, and so on.”
    • “This remake has beautiful graphics, smooth gameplay, and a kickin' soundtrack.”
    • “The graphics, sound, and music have been remade to be more modern, and it all came out great!”
    • “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.”
  • gameplay187 mentions

    The gameplay of the remake has received mixed reviews, with many praising its nostalgic elements and expanded mechanics, such as the addition of tower defense and refined combat features. However, players have criticized the clunky controls, frequent interruptions from town quests, and the repetitive nature of the new mechanics, which detract from the overall experience. While some enjoy the blend of action and simulation gameplay, others feel that the new elements disrupt the flow and pacing of the game.

    • “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.”
    • “The added mechanics are fun and the combination of town-building and action stages is as charming as ever.”
    • “The controls are way too clunky to allow for any form of advanced gameplay.”
    • “The quest system tries to expand the old storyline, but the way it is done rips you out of gameplay constantly.”
    • “Wow that tower defense mode is an awful experience, way to ruin the flow of gameplay with an awful, constant, and required minigame.”
  • grinding18 mentions

    Overall, players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the overwhelming amount of dialogue, lengthy tower defense segments, and the need to wait for resources like mana potions. While some enjoy the core gameplay, many feel that the additional grind quests and mechanics serve as frustrating padding that detracts from the overall experience. The consensus is that while there are enjoyable elements, the grinding often feels cumbersome and detracts from the fun.

    • “There is way too much chitchat from the angel and the townspeople; at times it's hard to get stuff done because you keep getting dragged into tedious dialogue scenes.”
    • “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.”
    • “It just feels like padding and grinding to stretch the time needed to beat the game with zero impact in the end game.”
  • emotional5 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its ability to create a heartfelt connection through its gameplay and nostalgic design, evoking genuine feelings of warmth and nostalgia. Players appreciate the wholesome themes and moving soundtrack, with some even shedding tears during their experience. Overall, the game successfully intertwines emotional depth with engaging gameplay.

    • “Because of that emotional loop that coincides with gameplay loop, it just feels really damn good.”
    • “Summary: wonderful & heartfelt!”
    • “I shed a tear hearing the soundtrack.”
  • character development5 mentions

    Reviewers highlight significant improvements in character development, noting a deeper narrative and enhanced designs for characters and locations. The focus on regional character interactions adds depth, although some express a desire for more varied aesthetics in gameplay. Overall, the character development is 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.”
    • “Perhaps the two biggest changes are the character development and siege mode in the sim mode.”
    • “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.”
    • “More character development with the people of each region, which is good.”
  • optimization5 mentions

    Overall, optimization feedback is mixed; while some players experience issues like jittering and screen tearing at 60fps, others report solid performance with no crashes and high frame rates, especially when playing at higher resolutions. The game supports unlimited fps and various resolutions, leading to a positive experience for those with capable setups.

    • “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 500 fps in action mode and over 1,000 fps 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.”
    • “Some of the comments are complaining of graphics issues, I am playing at 2560x1440, no frame cap, V-Sync off, G-Sync monitor and I have no tearing, FPS drops, or stuttering, so for me it's a win.”
  • replayability4 mentions

    Overall, the game's replayability is mixed; while some players find it lacking in value, others appreciate the opportunity to revisit side-scrolling stages and experiment with newly learned mechanics for a more enjoyable experience.

    • “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.”
    • “This is a solid classic game with a lot of replay value.”
    • “- side-scrolling stages are replayable and there's benefit to doing so.”
  • stability3 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.”
    • “Buggy, the graphics look awkward and gameplay is constantly interrupted by requests from the townspeople.”
    • “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.”
  • monetization3 mentions

    The monetization strategy is perceived as a blatant cash grab, with little effort put into the overall product aside from the remastered soundtrack. This has led to significant disappointment among users, who express a desire for a more respectful and innovative approach to the classic IP.

    • “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.”
  • atmosphere3 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game is praised for its beautiful rendering and charming simplicity, enhanced by Yuzo Koshiro's exceptional music. Additionally, the expanded story contributes significantly to the overall immersive experience.

    • “On the other hand, other stages like the first one are 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.”
  • humor2 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 they are tasked with guiding.

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

Critic Reviews

71% average critic score

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Play time

13hMedian play time
11hAverage play time
5-22hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 4 analyzed playthroughs

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