Is this retro indie title more style than substance? Zeboyd Games has a history of bring a love of old school JRPG style to their indie games. I experienced this firsthand when I got a chance to play their comedy RPG Cthulhu Saves the World. Now they’ve brought that to their most ambitious title, one I’m only experiencing for the first time on the Switch. And what a treat it’s been to play.
How’s Cosmic Star Heroine from the developers of Cthulhu Saves the World and Breath of Death VII? Let’s dig into our review of the game on Nintendo Switch!
As a kid growing up, I didn’t really play many RPGs, so my first real encounter with them was in high school after Final Fantasy VII became a sensation. That title intrigued me enough to look at some old school stuff, where I developed a love of the 16 bit games in the genre, like Chrono Trigger, Phantasy Star and of course, Final Fantasy. If anything, I prefer sprite-filled, simple turn-based to some of the more overly complicated and cut scene heavy modern titles.
Cosmic Star Heroine follows the sci-fi story of Alyssa L’Salle, an agent of the API. When she discovers an evil conspiracy at the heart of the organization, she ends up going rogue with her friends. Now she has to uncover the truth as she travels across three planets. It’s not exactly the most brilliant story, but it’s fun and sets the stage, harkening back to classic titles like Chrono Trigger and Phantasy Star II. It helps that the characters are not only likable but also have great unique ideas put into them (one word: Gunmancy). The real stars, however, are the design aesthetics and the combat.
If you’ve ever played an old school JRPG, you know how to control this game. D-pad/analogue stick for movement, face buttons for talking and running in the main world as well as opening the menus, and of course choosing or declining moves in the battles. It’s very easy to grasp for both new and old gamers alike, making the experience of recapturing classic gameplay just as good as the looks of the title.
The graphics are gloriously retro. The sprites are bright and detailed, but not too detailed that it takes away from the old-school charm. The areas also ooze charm as you explore them. And every once in a while you get a 2D cut scene done in a style reminiscent of the classic JRPGs of the past. I actually briefly remembered Lunar on the PS1 from back in the day during one of them, despite those cut scenes being full FMVs. And the soundtrack is a lot of fun, with great tracks.
Given that this is styled after JRPGs of the past, it’s great that they emulate the game play while still making it their own. You can explore with your party all sorts of areas for loot and the next story point. Enemies appear on-screen so you don’t have to worry about random battles, but you do have an option to trigger a battle anytime from the menu. There’s also an adjustable difficulty, allowing you to switch between an easy experience for the story and truly challenging yourself. The combat system is definitely a high point of the game. Characters have moves that can only be used once before needing to rest and recharge their moves. And as battles go longer, your characters get stronger, but so do your enemies. As a result, battles becoming interesting nail biters of strategy, especially since you’re always kept aware of which character on both sides of the fight will move.
Not sure how different it is from other versions, but the Switch is such a perfect console for this game. Playing on the go is a definite treat, and being able to save from the menu at anytime gives this game the perfect pick-up-and-play for gamers on the move. I haven’t had this much fun with a portable JRPG in a while, especially since I didn’t have to worry about having to needing to rush out of needing to get to a save point.
There’s not a lot to complain about here. Granted, the final dungeon’s a bit linear, but that’s small potatoes. The only problems anyone may have is if they just don’t like the genre or the style. But honestly, Cosmic Star Heroine is a great experience for those nostalgic for old school JRPGs and those who are curious about how it felt for the rest of us back in the day.
