Shining Resonance Refrain

On the surface, Shining Resonance Refrain is a largely unremarkable Japanese RPG, but dig a little deeper and fans of the genre will find an accessible adventure that comes together surprisingly well. Cliche characters and predictable plot elements prevent the story from really taking off, but there's an endearing quality to how the game presents itself. Combat's fun, progression is straightforward and rewarding, and dating sim elements add a certain charm. Refrain's like a quick and easy summer anime -- it's certainly not a classic, but it's good fun while it lasts.

Shining Resonance Refrain is the kind of game that can put on a solid performance, but it's also abundantly clear that it doesn't quite have the pipes to hit the high notes; it's a good game, but not a great one. A fascinating setting, live action combat system, and eye-catching cel-shade visuals are all balanced by a slightly dampening feeling of mediocrity that never seems to go away. Fans of RPGs will find plenty to love here, it's a well-rounded, content-rich game that understands its audience well, but it's also a very safe RPG. We'd ultimately give Shining Resonance Refrain a recommendation, especially if you're a newcomer looking for a good RPG to show you what the genre is all about, but veterans may be a bit disappointed with the final product.

If you are looking for a JRPG that encapsulates the summer vacation experience, this one may very well be for you.

The very definition of mediocre, Shining Resonance Refrain fails to stand out from the crowd in another packed year of RPGs.

Shining Resonance Refrain doesn't do too much to get away from JRPG tropes, but that might be part of its charm as some of its themes have been addressed in several JRPGs prior but that should come as no surprise to fans of the genre.

As an action JRPG that focuses on music and European themes, Shining Resonance: Refrain hits about half of its marks. The European aspects with gallant warriors fighting off the impending doom of dragons is incredibly fun in this game. It's the perfect amount of challenge, and it almost presents the player with a JRPG-Musou hybrid that's rewarding to play. However, music and story are largely lacking in the game, either being convoluted or unimaginative, if not both. Given the overly complex customization and sexist tones, the whole project drops from above average to lackluster. Shining Resonance: Refrain is a learning opportunity in recognizing when parts of a game are overextended or outdated.

Shining Resonance Refrain is a good, albeit predictable JRPG.

Shining Resonance Refrain is a very cliched role-playing game, too boring and predictable for 2018. Biggest fans can spend around 30 hours on romance activities and silly dialogues with gothic lolitas, but for everyone else there are enough great games for deeper immersion out there.

It's not an awful game by any means, it's just a fine JRPG, but with a predictable story and repeated backtracking, this is a game that is lacking any spark to be anything other than a local school orchestra rather than being the London symphony.

Shining Resonance Refrain performs well on certain elements, such as its characters, the amount of content available and the simple but competent battle system. Unfortunately the game is not that inviting to explore and the clichés all around its plot mean that it does not have a lot going for it that can set it apart from other RPGs, especially as this is a game of a previous generation being adapted to the Nintendo Switch.