Re:Zero - Starting Life in Another World: The Prophecy of the Throne

Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne attempts to appeal to both casual visual novel fans and Re:ZERO fans but ends up disappointing both. The macabre elements that Re:ZERO fans expect are all but absent, and the result is a dime-a-dozen visual novel that even casual genre fans would gloss over. That said, the interactive gameplay elements, though shallow, are welcome, and the English dub is par excellence. A single playthrough took me about 14 hours, and there is only one ending. However, clear data unlocks some amusing hidden scenarios, so a second playthrough isn’t a total repeat. TPoT is not a bad game, and I actually enjoyed my time with it, but its compromises and a lack of focus keep it from being a good Re:ZERO game.

Geared primarily towards the series' fans Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of The Throne is also the perfect match for newcomers to enter Suburu's world without being overwhelmed on where to start. The action parts are more infrequent than anticipated, and may not be enjoyed by all, but this excels in the visual novel elements. In the future it would be good to see the original visual novels brought to Nintendo Switch, until then this instalment of the series exploring Suburu's unusual ability and how it helps Emelia be a royal candidate will more than suffice.

Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World: The Prophecy of the Throne is a memorable experience perfect for the fans of Anime and Light Novel who want to once again dive into beautiful yet brutal world of Re:Zero.

Re: Zero - Starting Life in Another World - The Prophecy of the Throne delivers exactly what can be expected from a visual novel with light elements of tactical and adventure games, and not the other way around. The visual novel also ends up limiting its audience by not explaining Re: Zero's events very well before the game's plot begins, and fails to hide certain events from the visual realm, but Re: zero fans will certainly appreciate this alternative view of the third arc of history, which is quite faithful to the tone and spirit of the original work.

Despite being an exception to the genre (a worldwide simultaneous release of a visual novel with a good budget behind it), Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne suffers an identity crisis to find its audience and also a balance between story and gameplay.

For the most part, that is what Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne comes down to. Fans will likely enjoy the new content, newcomers can enjoy it, though execution leaves something to be desired. Simply replacing the gameplay sections with character interactions would likely go far, especially when they do very little to sell the concept. As a fan, this is unfortunate, though I can at least respect that it attempts to capture what fans loved in the source.

Re: Zero comes to PC, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch with The Prophecy of the throne, a new visual novel supervised by Tappei Nagatsuki that will delight anime fans, but will not dazzle those looking for the deeper gameplay.

If you’re expecting a full-on tactical adventure, then you won’t find it here. But if you’re keen to sink into an engaging visual novel, Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne has plenty to offer. Its story is wholly original and engaging, if a little long-winded at times, but it’s brought to life with gorgeous animation and wonderful characterisation. It’s a shame there aren’t more gameplay sections, but what’s here is enjoyable enough.

My gut reaction to Re:Zero is that the entire property would probably have been better served with a game that could have introduced new fans to the series. I don’t necessarily have a lot of time for anime and, while I think RE:Zero has some lovely character art, I would have rathered just been able to play the game without having to work through an isekai anime go with it. That being said, as I started to puzzle the characters out I found them endearing, the writing solid, and that combat system to be distinctive, creative, and a lot of fun. If you are a fan of Re:Zero I think you’re going to get a kick out of just how careful the developers have been to do the anime justice. There are a lot in the industry that could learn something from this approach.

Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- The Prophecy of the Throne is a bit of a disappointing mess. From the story that just lazily takes an arc from the anime and slaps some new characters on it to the gameplay that is straight-up tacked-on, there really isn’t much to like here. Sure, the art and voices are good and the story isn’t terrible, but as a fan of the series, I find it hard to recommend, even to other fans.