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Honestly, you won’t believe the development talent behind Redemption Reapers

Metal Gear, Fire Emblem, Okami, and more – Redemption Reapers has some serious development pedigree behind it.

Redemption Reapers is out now, promising an exciting tactical RPG with an engaging story and spectacular cast of characters. But as good as the game looks on its own merits, you won’t believe the team behind it.

Staff with career credits working on Metal Gear, Fire Emblem, Okami, and more classic games are all present on the credits of Redemption Reapers. As such, what started out as an exciting looking team-based RPG has us eager to learn more.

You can watch the final trailer for Redemption Reapers here!Watch on YouTube

But first, Redemption Reapers is a top-down tactical RPG where you take control of a party of five unique characters from the Ashen Hawk Brigade as they overcome steep odds in their journey. Redemption Reapers takes place in a dark fantasy world, so they’ll have to carve their way through the legions of Mort to protect citizens of the land, all while uncovering the obscured past that has led to a world in disarray.

It’s these five characters that you’ll be spending most of your time with throughout the game. Sarah the Mercenary, Glenn the Knight Captain, Lugh the Assassin, Urs the Barbarian, and Karren the Hunter each have unique weapons and skills that they bring to combat, as well as their own backstories that add depth to each member of your party. On top of all that are specials, unique hard-hitting attacks that require strict activation requirements to pull off but can decimate enemies if used correctly.

Characters talking in Redemption Reapers
During missions, your party will discuss what's going on, providing context to the battles.

Each character can take up to five weapons and two accessories at one time, which allows you to swap out your gear depending on what enemy you’re about to face off against. Each weapon type has specific qualities that you’ll need to take note of.

For example, daggers can be used with greater frequency than other weapons and have greater accuracy. On the other hand, a Halberd has a high critical hit rate. Smart players will have a horde of useful weapons on hand to suit the situation.

The story and direction of the game was handled by Hiroyuki Kobayashi, known for their work as a producer on Ender Lilies. This was a 2D dark fantasy RPG that was beloved by those who played it, thanks in large part to its exceptional story and world-building. If Redemption Reapers has a narrative nearly as good as Ender Lilies, then it’ll be grand.

That’s not all though! Responsible for Scenario writing is Tomokazu Fukushima, who you may know as a recurring name on the Metal Gear series for their writing and research. With the pair working together on Redemption Reapers, you know for certain that there will be interesting twists and turns throughout the game.

What about the gameplay itself? Well, as a TRPG you take control of your party and take part in tooth-and-nail fights with horrific enemies through a turn-based system. You’ll have to manage action points, skills and recovery options while taking out as many enemies as you can. As such, a slower thoughtful approach to combat is necessary if you want to do well.

Gameplay of Redemption Reapers
Classic TRPG action, who doesn't love that?

Fans of TRPGs will be delighted to know that Masayuki Horikawa is a game designer on this game, formerly having directed Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance. As such, you can be certain that the combat and balance of each encounter will be fine-tuned to a high standard. If you consider yourself a fan of party-based RPGs, this should excite you.

The Mort as an antagonistic force is incredibly daunting, requiring tactful strategy and appropriate countermeasures to take down. Thankfully, Redemption Reapers allows you to level up your characters, upgrade your skills, plus equip and upgrade weapons and accessories. You’ll want to pay special attention to the skills you enhance, as not only are they crucial for surviving as you progress through the game, but they also allow you to customise your personal playstyle.

If this all sounds a bit too overwhelming, then you’ll be happy to hear about Spirit veins that are sparsely spread across each map. These restore a hefty amount of HP when touched, plus replenish the number of elixirs available, making them incredibly useful in deadly battles. That being said, they disappear once touched, so you’ll have to think carefully about who will use a spirit vein when you find one.

Screenshot of Cinematic from Redemption Reapers
What's the deal with the Ashen Brigade? You'll have to play to find out!

Finally, if you watched the trailer above, you surely would have noticed the stellar musical score that went alongside the action. There’s a reason that it’s so good! Rei Kondoh, a composer who has worked on Okami, the Bayonetta series, Fire Emblem Awakening and Fire Emblem: Three Houses is bringing their talents to Redemption Reapers for an astonishing orchestral score.

The game is out on Steam right now, and already people are flocking to it for a glimpse and the mystery and heart-gripping excitement behind Redemption Reapers. If you’re like us, you’ll be rushing over to join them and see if the star-studded cast of the development team has produced a real gem here.

Redemption Reapers is available on Nintendo Switch, PS4, and PC. You can download the game on Steam here!