Esperia ~Uprising of the Scarlet Witch~
- March 1, 2023
- Prismalice
- 30h median play time
Get on SteamIn "Esperia: Uprising of the Scarlet Witch," Princess Diana Pendragon is betrayed and labeled a traitor. Escaping with her knight, she seeks allies and the truth behind a dark curse. With over 20 playable characters, multiple classes, and a rich, original storyline, players will explore challenging maps and uncover secrets in this military-focused fantasy world.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a compelling story and character interactions that draw players in, reminiscent of classic Fire Emblem titles.
- Gameplay is solid with good map design, challenging mechanics, and a variety of character abilities that enhance strategic depth.
- The support system allows for meaningful character development, making players invested in the relationships and backstories of the cast.
- The game suffers from significant narrative flaws, including grammatical errors and a lack of character depth, which detracts from the overall experience.
- Presentation issues are prevalent, with many default assets from SRPG Studio, leading to a lack of polish in visuals and audio.
- Difficulty spikes and unbalanced gameplay elements can lead to frustration, particularly with enemy crit rates and resource management.
- story36 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its engaging characters and the effective blend of SRPG and visual novel elements, while others criticize it for pacing issues, excessive detail on minor aspects, and amateurish writing. Many players appreciate the character development and the impact of choices on the narrative, though some find the plot predictable and the overall execution lacking depth. Overall, the story is seen as solid but not groundbreaking, with potential for improvement.
“I think the story is really good and probably one of the best among the SRPG genre!”
“Specially with the story, the mix between SRPG and visual novel was amazing; I ended up caring about (most) of the cast and understanding where they came from and why they did what they did.”
“Has a colorful cast of characters and a wonderful unique story of its own.”
“Probably my biggest problem with a large chunk of the story is that it spends too much time on details that don't matter, and glosses over the big picture that actually does matter.”
“The biggest problem with Esperia's story is that it too often misses the forest for the trees.”
“Couple this with the amateurish style of writing, marred by a myriad of grammatical mistakes, and you get an overall story that doesn't hit its mark.”
- gameplay27 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 48 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is consistently praised for its solid mechanics, challenging yet fair difficulty, and engaging map design, reminiscent of classic GBA Fire Emblem titles. Players appreciate the variety of character interactions and the integration of visual novel elements, which enhance the overall experience. While some feel the gameplay lacks innovation, it remains enjoyable and intuitive, appealing to fans of traditional strategy RPGs.
“I usually look for solid gameplay and good character interactions in these games, and this one definitely delivers on both those aspects.”
“The gameplay is very solid with consistently good map design, some really fun mechanics, and it offers a solid challenge that rarely feels unfair.”
“If you liked the GBA Fire Emblem games, you will like the gameplay, and the game will feel immediately intuitive.”
“Oftentimes, this obviously contradicts the gameplay.”
“The gameplay is very difficult, but you are able to save mid-fight and you'll definitely have to do that if you're playing the game blind.”
“Gameplay is basically vanilla Fire Emblem with none of the experimenting that modern games have.”
- music19 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 53 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some tracks praised for their quality while others are criticized for being repetitive and poorly looped. Many players note issues such as reused battle themes, music that stops playing unexpectedly, and a lack of variety in map themes, although some cutscene music is well-received. Overall, while there are standout pieces, the soundtrack suffers from inconsistencies and technical problems.
“The music varies in quality from fantastic to completely forgettable.”
“There is still some stock music in the game, but most of it is original, and the composer has got talent.”
“Also, the music is great.”
“Not only do you have the obvious problems like how most of the music tracks don't loop, how a few music tracks are reused for almost every single battle, but there are several fundamental problems with the game's story which leave a lot to be desired.”
“- music no longer playing after a while with an error dialog popping up (restart game to fix)”
“The main battle music has a loop too short and it restarts every time a battle goes on.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with some praising the character artwork and backgrounds while criticizing the overall presentation and map graphics as subpar. Users noted awkward movement glitches and the use of stock assets, leading to a perception of cheapness in the combat visuals. Overall, the game is not expected to stand out in terms of graphics or art direction.
“Every character has good artwork and the backgrounds are well made, but the presentation is weak.”
“Basically what I'm saying, on the surface, this game isn't going to win any awards for graphics and art direction.”
“Subpar map graphics and sprites, especially on full screen.”
“Somewhat cheap combat character graphics with awkward movement glitches, some of which are stock assets from SRPG studios (I noticed because I remember them from Vestaria Saga).”
“Basically, what I'm saying is that on the surface, this game isn't going to win any awards for graphics and art direction.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's high replayability due to its diverse playable characters, engaging writing, and numerous interaction options that significantly impact the story. The evolution between different versions of the game further enhances the incentive to replay, allowing for varied experiences based on player choices.
“The writing is great, and the amount of options for interactions gives the game a lot of replay value as well.”
“The evolution between the two versions was great, and I feel the game has quite a lot of replayability due to its story choices.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Character development in Esperia is criticized for being limited, primarily focusing on the two main characters and the antagonist, leaving little depth for supporting characters. This lack of breadth in character arcs detracts from the overall narrative experience.
“Character development is another major area where Esperia drops the ball.”
“Most of the game's focus on character development -- what little it has, anyway -- is dedicated to the two main characters and the main antagonist.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, particularly in Chapter 17, where the constant spawning of enemy units every turn during the fort capture sequence feels excessive. Many suggest that a less frequent spawn rate or a system that reduces spawns after defeating previous units would improve the experience.
“In chapter 17, where you have to capture the three forts, having units spawn every single turn was really tedious. It should have been every few turns or only if you kill the previous ones.”
“The grinding in this game feels endless, with repetitive tasks that offer little reward and make progress feel painfully slow.”
“I found the constant need to grind for resources to be a major drag, as it detracted from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's stability is marred by cheap combat character graphics and awkward movement glitches, with some animations appearing to be stock assets from other SRPG titles, such as Vestaria Saga.
“The combat character graphics feel somewhat cheap, and there are awkward movement glitches. Some of these glitches seem to use stock assets from SRPG studios, which I recognized from Vestaria Saga.”
“The game frequently crashes during key moments, making it frustrating to progress.”
“I encountered numerous bugs that disrupted gameplay, including characters getting stuck in the environment.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is noted to be somewhat predictable, yet it effectively evokes strong feelings, particularly in the later stages.
“It's nothing super surprising, but it can get pretty emotional in the later parts.”
“The game masterfully evokes a range of emotions, making you truly feel for the characters.”
“I found myself deeply connected to the story, experiencing joy and heartbreak along the way.”
