Alliance Alive originally released exclusively in Japan in 2017, and it was not until a year later that the game was finally brought to the West. The story follows a group of companions as they attempt to overthrow the tyranny of a ruling race of Daemons in traditional JRPG fashion. The title has absolutely everything you expect from a JPRG. You have swords, magic, some crude humour, some puzzles, turn based combat, equipment slots, and varying party members. If you’ve played any Final Fantasy or JRPG, this will be more of the same.
The game pretty much flew under the Western radar at launch, but with the release of the HD Remaster, and similar games gaining commercial and critical success like Bravely Default 2, I thought I would attempt to introduce our lovely MGN audience to what might otherwise be a completely unknown and charming experience in The Alliance Alive HD Remaster.
Story
As mentioned, the story of Alliance Alive revolves around a group of companions attempting to overthrow the Daemons that rule their world with an iron fist. Essentially, the Daemons weren’t a huge fan of the whole “humans having free will” thing and the chaotic way humans lived their lives. So, they created a barrier between our and their world. They could get in, we couldn’t get out. The result? Our side succumbing to climate change turned up to eleven. Lava streams, unending rain, earthquakes all over the place. You get the picture, humans pretty much got the short end of the stick.
That’s where the player and our heroes come in. Bring together people from all corners of the affected world and forge alliances in order to restore the unity and peace that once was.
The name of the game is very telling in what the player will be doing, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. You know what to expect going in and it pays off as the story introduces those elements quite quickly.
Remaster
So, what improvements are you getting from the remaster as opposed to the original 3DS release? Well, obviously you’re going to lose that forced pseudo-3D effect from the handheld original release. But, if you’re anything like me, you never used that feature anyway. And with the re-release, the game has been upgraded to high definition.
Where before the game’s simplistic and artsy look was heavily influenced by the system’s hardware limitations, now the game is presented in such a fashion by intent and the result is a gorgeous-looking game that’s lovingly crafted in an adorable art style. This is something you will notice immediately upon playing and will be delighted to enjoy throughout. The game is ADORABLE.
Cast
Much like similar JPRGs, AA features a large list of creatures and characters that the player will get to add to their party and control their growth and skills through the game’s unique leveling and arts system. These include characters that will feel familiar like Snow Galil, the noble resistance member who is stoic and pure hearted, or Tiny Tina Tiggy, the childish genius whose great at tinkering, but bad at taking any situation seriously.
But don’t let these cookie-cutter characters fool you, the writing is top-notch and features characters whose motives and personalities are much more complex and interesting.
Take Gene, for example. His livelihood depends on the Daemons, who are portrayed as the villains throughout the game, and he has to tow the line between wanting to change the world for the better and working with the resistance, against maintaining his relationship with the tyrants to allow him and his guild to provide for their basic needs and survive in an unforgiving world. This internal struggle sets up some really intriguing and though-provoking grey areas that add another facet to the genre’s typical “beat the bad guys, save the world” motif.
Verdict
Naturally, my verdict is going to be subject to quite a bit of bias as I have enjoyed the game personally enough to write an article about how the game is a hidden gem. But, if you like what you’ve seen thus far and are looking for something to fill the void after finishing Bravely Default 2, or any other classic JRPG, then consider giving the HD Remaster of Alliance a go and you might be drawn in by the cute charm just as much as I have been.
The remaster is currently available for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and on PC through the Steam store.
Credits
| Program | Founding Writers |
| Author | Luke Cowling |
| YouTuber | SwitchUp |
| Publisher | MGN |
| Game | Alliance Alive |