Angels of Death Review – Switch

RPG’s, as a genre, have a serious issue with range. Just thinking about RPG’s has you thinking about high-fantasy adventures like Final Fantasy, Dragon Age, and Dragon Quest, right? If you’re looking for a sci-fi RPG, you might have a few options open to you.

BUT, if you’re looking for a horror RPG? That’s where your options start getting pretty narrow. So, I give credit to Angels Of Death for trying to rectify this problem. While there’s a lot to like conceptually about the title, most of the final experience falls apart in the actual playing of it.

First and foremost, you should be aware of the technical issues with this game. It’s an RPG Maker release, and while that doesn’t necessarily reflect poorly on it’s overall quality, it should help to set your expectations.

Second, there’s an area later on in the game that remains untranslated into English. Maybe this issue can be addressed in the future, but for now it’s still a problem. For years, this game was an obscure cult hit only available to play on PC. Perhaps this marks the beginning of trying to get the game to a wider audience.

So, what is Angels of Death? It’s a Horror RPG in the traditional 3/4ths overhead model about a young woman trapped in a strange location where she’s forced to overcome obstacles, flee and hide from killers, and solve puzzles. The premise is solid, and at a glance seems to be exactly what the RPG genre needs more of.

The story is interesting, unique, and compelling to a degree- enough so to see you through the game’s 8-10 hour play time. Once you get to the main twist of the game, involving one of the killers Rachel (the protagonist) encounters, and a pact formed between the two of them, the game gets its hooks in, and you’ll find yourself playing despite its flaws.

As you can most likely guess by my tone, those flaws are substantial. From top to bottom, every aspect of this game just screams amateur. The visuals are on the lower end of what can be done within RPG Maker, and likewise with the sound design. There’s nothing there that’s going to keep your eyes or ears focus and engaged, so all that’s left is the game design and writing. Well…

The most interesting aspect of the game design is the killer interactions on each floor. Having to run and hide is an interesting mechanic that’s not often present in RPG games. I wish these segments were better fleshed out, and were part of a better game overall.

And last but certainly not least, there’s the writing. To begin, the English to Japanese translation isn’t the best. At times, the game can read like a bad scanlation. Furthermore, the storytelling, pacing, and plot just don’t hold up when compared to other major releases and indie titles alike. There’s a disconnect between the heavy subject matter, and the lack of skill with which it’s conveyed to the player.

I’ve played worse indie-tier games and RPG’s in the past, but that doesn’t mean Angels Of Death is good. At best, it’s worth a play-through for the sake of experiencing a genre rarely explored in RPG’s. Other than that, there’s just not a lot there that’s worth your time and money. Perhaps the developer’s next release will be a better, more-refined experience.

Author: Mike Murphy
Mike Murphy is a freelance writer/artist based in Portland, Or. In addition to handling game reviews, he also writes comics, novels, and short stories. For more information feel free to check out chibicomicspdx.tumblr.com or twitter.com/chibi_mike.

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