Record of Agarest War Zero

About

"Record of Agarest War Zero" is a prequel to the original strategy RPG, Agarest War. This game follows a new protagonist, Weiss, as he fights to save the world from a terrible fate. The game features a unique generational battle system, where the decisions you make in battle can affect the appearance and abilities of your descendants. With stunning visuals and an engaging story, "Record of Agarest War Zero" is a must-play for fans of the series.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

69%

Audience ScoreBased on 466 reviews

story74 positive mentions

grinding74 negative mentions

Great character customization and skill combination options enhance gameplay.
Engaging story with emotional moments and well-developed characters.
Fun tactical combat system that encourages strategic planning and combo chaining.

Repetitive battles and grinding can make the game feel tedious over time.
Long tutorials and excessive dialogue can detract from the overall experience.
Technical issues such as crashes and poor optimization affect gameplay performance.

story
272 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
27%
65%
7%
The story in "Agarest: Generations of War Zero" is often criticized for being thin and repetitive, with many players finding the dialogue bland and the pacing hindered by excessive battles. While some appreciate the character relationships and the prequel's context, others feel the narrative lacks depth and fails to engage, leading to frustration with the drawn-out gameplay. Overall, the story is seen as a mixed bag, appealing primarily to fans of the genre but leaving many players wanting more substance and variety.
- “The story is perfect for a prequel.”
- “Excelent game, the story is simply amazing, it will surely make you love the characters and make you feel sad should you lose one.”
- “You follow the story of two generations of heroes of Agarest, the second generation is completely shaped by who you choose to marry in the first one, on the second generation you can meet the now older heroes and even their sons.”
- “The storyline is bland and generic and offers nothing intriguing or exciting to the player.”
- “The parts that talk about the storyline are tedious and bland at best and ultimately unfulfilling for the player.”
- “I got so bored so quickly that the storyline stopped making any sense at all.”
gameplay
95 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
65%
9%
Gameplay in this title is characterized by a mix of repetitive mechanics and a lengthy grind, with some players finding it tedious and lacking in strategic depth. While the combat system retains familiar elements from previous entries, it suffers from overly long animations and a reliance on gear, which can detract from the tactical experience. Despite these criticisms, some players appreciate the multi-layered mechanics and the nostalgic elements, suggesting that enjoyment may vary based on individual preferences and patience for the game's pacing.
- “I do recommend it, but understand my recommendation is based on my love of the gameplay itself and the battle system.”
- “The gameplay, while at first glance appears simple, is, in a word, 'multi-layered'.”
- “Amaizing game, really has that authentic JRPG feel, enjoyable gameplay, great art and music - what more could you want?”
- “The plot is stretched very thin, the gameplay is extremely repetitive, and towards the end, it becomes obnoxiously grindy - gotta sell those DLC boost packs after all!”
- “The main problem with this game is that the heart of the gameplay, the tactical fighting, is incredibly boring.”
- “Its tedious, grindy, and has some really awkward gameplay.”
grinding
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious and repetitive, with many players noting that it detracts from the overall experience. While some enjoy the challenge and complexity of grinding, others find it excessively time-consuming and boring, especially as the difficulty spikes without adequate rewards. Overall, the game is recommended primarily for hardcore JRPG fans who appreciate grinding, while casual players may find it frustrating and unfulfilling.
- “The plot is stretched very thin, the gameplay extremely repetitive, and towards the end obnoxiously grindy - gotta sell those DLC boost packs after all!”
- “It's boring, it's tedious, it feels like a waste of time no matter how calculated your moves are or how creative you are.”
- “With more boss fights and less tedious grind, this game would've been a good or at least decent experience, but since it isn't, it's hard to recommend this game to anyone without a word of warning about the significant boredom factor that this game has.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
62%
10%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant artwork and character designs, while others criticize the overall quality, particularly in comparison to similar titles. Some players appreciate the charming pixel graphics and improvements in battle areas, but note that animations and certain aspects feel outdated. Overall, the visuals are seen as a blend of beautiful art and disappointing technical execution.
- “The graphics are just beautiful and vibrant on PC; it has full controller support but I do not recommend using it.”
- “The graphics are great, the sound is very cute, and I have found no lag, crashes, or sound errors.”
- “A very nice JRPG, it proves its worth from its storyline, voice acting, and artwork.”
- “Graphics are pretty poor considering similar styled games (think, Trails in the Sky by Falcom) are older and still look as good, or better in places.”
- “Graphics and animations are trash, although character portraits are decent.”
- “They upgraded the visual novel part, and the overall graphics but left the combat system completely untouched!”
music
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
50%
21%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it generic and repetitive, while others appreciate its nostalgic ties to previous titles in the series. Many noted that the soundtrack features remixes from earlier games but lacks quality, leading to a perception of boredom during extended gameplay. Overall, while the music is not considered terrible, it fails to leave a lasting impression and is often overshadowed by other aspects of the game.
- “I do recommend this game not only because of the tactics, music, and storyline.”
- “It has good Japanese voice over, a very good OST, good characters, and a good story (if you didn't play other Agarest games).”
- “Amazing game, really has that authentic JRPG feel, enjoyable gameplay, great art, and music - what more could you want?”
- “Music by the way, are mostly remixes of themes from Agarest 1, but with less quality instruments for some reason.”
- “Very generic bad rock music one moment, bloopy horns with a vaguely villainous vibe the next, then an annoying synth track for no reason.”
- “And don't even mention the horrible battle music which repeats itself without a single twitch throughout my entire 30 hour gameplay.”
humor
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
83%
17%
The humor in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players finding it extremely unfunny and poorly written, especially in comparison to titles like Disgaea. However, others appreciate the cheesy dialogue and character interactions, noting that while the humor may be hit-or-miss, it can still elicit some genuine laughs. Overall, the humor is described as inconsistent, with moments of both cringe-worthy and endearing comedy.
- “The storyline to this game is funny.”
- “Grinding, flashy move sets, very interesting stat building, with some cheesy dialogue for those chuckles that make you go, wow that was terrible, but still funny.”
- “The characters are good; one, Mimi, is downright funny and cute.”
- “Extremely unfunny attempts at humor.”
character development
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
38%
38%
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant character designs and voice acting. However, critics highlight a lack of depth and personality in the characters, noting that the script fails to provide meaningful development, leaving them feeling flat and unengaging. Overall, while the visual appeal is strong, the characters themselves do not evolve throughout the game.
- “Straight out of the heart of Japan with its flashy style and exaggerated character designs, this game drew me in right away with its setting and characters.”
- “The character designs are great.”
- “The voice acting and somewhat pretty character designs aren't enough to carry the personalityless characters through with the bland script.”
- “As of my progress in the game, there is no character development.”
- “The characters lack depth and growth, making it hard to connect with them throughout the game.”
optimization
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's optimization has received mixed reviews; while improvements have been noted in the fluidity of combat and reduced lag compared to its predecessor, issues with the user interface and combat pacing still persist. Players familiar with the series may find the enhancements satisfactory, but others may be frustrated by the remaining optimization flaws.
- “This is due to poor optimization in the UI and the pacing of the combat.”
- “If you played Agarest 1, they fixed the lag in Zero; no more stuttering at the start of battles when everything pops. It's pretty fluid, other than that it's pretty good if you like NIS/Compile Heart games.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game boasts high replayability, which significantly enhances the overall enjoyment for players. Many users appreciate the various elements that encourage them to revisit the game multiple times.
- “The replay value is pretty high too.”
- “However, the replay value is what made it more fun for me.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
Players often find themselves forming strong emotional attachments to the characters in the game, enhancing their overall experience and investment in the story.
- “You may become emotionally attached to the characters.”
- “You may become emotionally attached to the characters.”
- “You may become emotionally attached to the characters.”