First unveiled in a September Nintendo Direct, Actraiser Renaissance for Nintendo Switch is a remake of the 1990s hidden gem ActRaiser on the 16-bit Super Nintendo (SNES).
The Basics, Much Like Before
Just as in the SNES original, you play as a god that looks over six lands. There are two distinct types of gameplay: Hack-and-slash style action stages and a town-building simulation mode. In the action stages, you take human form as you use your sword (and magic attacks) to fight through a variety of enemies…including a large boss at the end of each level.
In the simulation mode, you direct your people (who worship you at a shrine) to make new roads, houses, fields, and more. You can use miracles to fulfill the people’s requests. For example, you may use lightning to clear out overgrown trees, use the sun to melt ice or dry out swampland, or make the wind blow to allow people to use their stagnant windmills.
The simulation mode initially has monsters (you fight them off by controlling an angel equipped with a bow and arrows), and the object is to lead your people to seal each monster lair. But this mode is generally more peaceful and relaxing, and it provides a nice change of pace from the action stages.
What’s New
The action levels have been redesigned, boss enemies don’t follow the same patterns as on SNES, and new mini-stages have been added for each time you seal a monster’s lair. Your player also has several new moves, including a rising strike, a backstep, an overhead slam, and a thrust attack.
Actraiser Renaissance has more emphasis on plot…and lots of dialogue. Some original storylines have returned, but they are fleshed out and go into much more detail. I was happy to see that the runaway boy Teddy from Bloodpool has returned, and he still gets homesick when you deliver him some of his mother’s fresh baked bread.
Also, each town now has a “hero,” although some of them don’t seem like heroes initially. But many of the new storylines in each town revolve around them.
But the biggest change in Renaissance is the addition of settlement sieges, in which hordes of enemies come to attack your town (for no apparent reason). You can place forts at strategic locations, deploy palisades, command your heroes to guard certain spots, and use miracles (lightning, etc.) to help the fight. But curiously, the angel can not shoot arrows to help out during sieges.
The sieges provide a strategic challenge to the game. Unfortunately, they occur a bit too frequently for my tastes. They break up the the semi-peaceful simulation mode with more tense battles. While I don’t necessarily dislike the sieges, they are my least-favorite aspect of the game.
There is also some other new content at the end of the game, although I won’t spoil it in this review. But I was pleasantly surprised by the addition.
Graphics, Sound, Controls
The graphics have obviously been updated quite a bit from the SNES version, but they’re mediocre (at best) by modern standards. The pre-rendered characters look awkward and stand out (and not in a good way)…particularly against darker backgrounds. If you’re in a dark cave, why should bright lights be reflecting off your helmet? 😂
The music in the game is incredible. Heavenly, even. There are remastered versions of the great SNES tunes, along with some new songs as well. In addition, there’s even an option to switch to the SNES version of the songs, which is a really cool feature.
The controls are simple, straightforward, and solid. The new moves are easy to pull off, and I have no complaints about the controls.
A Class Act
ActRaiser Renaissance may have a bit of filler that extends the game (it took me about 25 hours to complete the game), but it’s enjoyable from start to finish. Even the sieges grew on me as I progressed through the game. I still prefer the original ActRaiser overall, but this remake gets a big thumbs-up from me. 8/10
Buy Actraiser Renaissance digital code at Amazon