Editorial Review] "Actraiser Renaissance" is available today! The legendary SNES game "Actraiser" is back in all its glory with new, exquisitely balanced elements!

The legendary action game "Actraiser" has made a spectacular comeback as "Actraiser Renaissance! The game was released today as a complete version, with all the charm of the Super NES version intact and with various new elements added.

The Akiba Research Institute's editorial department has conducted the fastest review of "ActRaiser Renaissance! Let us introduce it to you in text and video.

Actraiser" is an action game released by Enix (now Square Enix) on December 16, 1990. The player, God, descends to earth to defeat Satan, who rules the earth. The story is that the player, God, rides on a statue of God and fights against Satan's army.

With a large rotating screen, mosaic processing, and other visual effects, as well as symphonic background music, this game showed off the capabilities of the new Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), which had just been released the previous month, to the fullest extent.

This masterpiece of video game history has been revived this year, the 30th anniversary of its release, in the form of "Actraiser Renaissance.

This is, without a doubt, the "Actraiser" of all time! It brings back memories!

I was a member of the real-time generation that first played this game when I was in the upper grades of elementary school. The beautiful visuals and sounds that could not be expressed on the previous NES hardware, the unprecedented system that combined the "Action Mode" for exterminating demons and the "Creation Mode" for developing a town by giving instructions to humans, and everything else was so innovative that I thought, "Wow! Wow! I remember playing the game while screaming in my heart, "Wow!

If I tried to make a half-hearted remake of "ActRaiser," I would have inevitably said, "I guess remakes are no good," in a full-blown old-man's way of saying no.

Now, what is the impression that such an old-timer gamer had when he played this game? One word: "Wonderful!

It's great! I had this gimmick! It was both nostalgic and fresh!

Basically, it is a port of the original SNES version of "ActRaiser" with enhanced graphics and sound. New game elements have been added to make the game even more exciting to play.

The additions are a very good balance, and rather than detracting from the original, they add depth to the story and worldview while providing a rich variety of gameplay experiences, which is a very exciting thing. I heard that not only young people but also programmers who were involved in the development of the game at that time are participating in the game development. The wide range of generations of staff involved in the development of the game has resulted in a remake that is both nostalgic and new, a model of what a remake should be.

This is a game that I recommend not only to fans of the original game, but also to those who have never experienced it! So, let's take a look at each of the key points of this game while playing the PlayStation 4 version!

The game retains the feel of the SNES version while offering a greater variety of action!

As in the original SNES version, the story of "Actraiser Renaissance" progresses by switching between the Action Mode, in which you control a god to defeat demons, and the Creation Mode, in which you control an angel to give instructions to humans and develop the city.

Each stage begins with God descending into the nest of demons that rule the land and defeating the first boss.

▲Castle in the sky, where the god resides. From here, the player, or "god," heads to the battlefield.

The first stage is Fillmore.

The stage structure is exactly the same as the SNES version, so those who played back then will immediately remember it. The controls are almost the same as those of the SNES version, so players will be able to feel the nostalgic feeling of "It was just like this! The action of the Super Famicom version is the same as that of the Super Famicom version, but the action of the Super Famicom version is the sword.

The action in the SNES version was relatively simple: swinging a sword, jumping, using magic, etc. "Act Raiser Renaissance" adds elements such as defense, stepping, continuous attacks, and special attacks using button combinations.

Hint messages are scattered throughout the stages, allowing players to learn the controls little by little as they progress.

At first glance, some players may wonder if they will ever be able to master the new features, but rest assured that all of them can be triggered with a simple combination of buttons and the cross key, and can be performed intuitively. The following is a brief explanation of the various attacks.

The ▲↑ + attack launches an overhead thrust! In addition, ↓+attack while jumping enables attacks on enemies near your feet.

Let's see how Editor A plays in the video below.

...... Oh, I'm dead.

If you're not careful, you can easily die in this game. Sentor is strong!

However, after repeating trial and error several times, you should be able to find a clue to the strategy.

At the end of a barrage of attacks in this game, if the player attacks while holding down the directional key, the action of rushing in that direction will be triggered. Taking advantage of this performance, we attacked again!

It was an easy win! It feels great when the plan works out perfectly!

▲Match the timing of the lightning bolt from the spear, and use the thrust action to get behind the enemy. ......

▲Try to beat the back of Sentor, who is unable to move due to his attack motion, to a pulp!

The BGM can be switched between the arranged version and the original version!

The BGM was composed by Yuzo Ancient, who created many masterpieces for the SNES version. This time, Mr. Ancient re-arranged all the songs and created 15 new songs for this title.

In addition, it is possible to switch to the BGM of the SNES version as an option, so you can switch to the BGM of the SNES version according to your preference. You can enjoy the game with a fresh mind, or play it while remembering how you felt back then! The game is a must-play for all fans of the SNES version.

The story is enlivened by attractive characters!

One of the unique elements of "Actraiser Renaissance" is the enhanced characterization. The characters, such as angels and villagers, who were drawn with small dots in the SNES version, are now beautifully illustrated.

▲Angel, who naturally looks up to humans. He is a lively character with a constantly changing expression.

Since that time, Angel has had a reputation for his foul mouth, but in this work, his facial expressions in the illustrations are also exquisite. The synergy between his foul mouth and facial expressions makes him seem even more hateful, which is very enjoyable.

In addition, new "heroes," new beings who cooperate with humans, have been added in this work.

▲Phyllotos was a lord who once ruled Fillmore and had been sealed away for hundreds of years.

The "heroes" present in each stage of the game will fight alongside the angels to protect the earth. I'll explain in detail later.

Graphics are also provided for the first man and woman born.

The first couple is a beautiful man and a beautiful woman!

The interaction between the expressive characters makes the story more enjoyable.

Additional elements make the game hotter and deeper!

There are many additional elements in "Actraiser Renaissance.

One of them is the "Demon Expression Device. In this title, the cause of the generation of demons is the "Demon Expression Device".

In the SNES version, demons' nests were destroyed by inducing humans to destroy them, but in "Renaissance," God descends and adds an action stage in which the "demonic manifestors" are destroyed.

The Fillmore's manifestation vessel was easy to destroy, but it is said that it will become more difficult as you advance to the next stage.

The aforementioned "heroes" are also active during the "invasion of demons" stage.

Demons invade the temple one after another!

In the "Demon Invasion," demons emerge one after another from their lairs and attack toward the temple. This is a situation with real-time strategy elements. In order to prevent the invasion of demons, players need to place forts and fences in the city, build factories, and stockpile supplies.

It is difficult to see, but a great battle between heroes and demons is being waged from the angel's perspective.

In this mode, the "hero" plays an active role as a ranger, and the player must designate the "hero's" destination and defeat the attacking demons.

The player can also attack using "miracles" such as fire and lightning. Enjoy the thrilling battles of attack and defense.

In the SNES version, miracles were mainly used to develop the town, but they also seem to have a great effect on demons!

So, how was our first impression of "Actraiser Renaissance"?

It is both nostalgic and fresh. Such is "Actraiser Renaissance". How can we revive and revitalize - indeed, "renaissance" - the games of the past? It may be said that this game is one of the most important games that provide an answer to this question.

Game Information

Actraiser Renaissance

Genre: Action RPG + Creation (city building)

・Models: Nintendo Switch / PlayStation4 / Steam / iOS / Android

Release date: August 24, 2021

Price: Nintendo Switch / PlayStation4 / Steam 3,520 yen (tax included)

　　　　App Store / Google Play 2,440 yen (including tax)

Publisher: SQUARE ENIX Co.