Death end re;Quest

“Though Death end’s engaging narrative pushes me to reconsider my skepticism of games whose titles include semicolons, this Switch port’s monotonous combat system, cookie-cutter progression mechanics, and serious technical failings keep me from dumping this aversion altogether. For fans of top-notch visual novels willing to tuck in for the hours of tedium much the rest of the game amounts to, I can wholeheartedly recommend Death end re;Quest — just not on Switch. To all others: steer clear of this one or, if you can’t resist experiencing this odd series for yourself, nab this on PS4 or PC and dodge this technical travesty.”

“The port performs well, and I'd wager for 90% of users the state of it will be enough. It's just disappointing that it launched in such a barebones state. ”

“Death end re;Quest is not a terrible game, but it certainly doesn't do much to stand out from a crowded and trope friendly glut of JRPG titles. The battle mode plays like a game of pool and has a lot of interesting features, but the writing is tired, the characters are overly sexualized and mentally deficient as always, and the game is set in a bland world with little detail or points of interest. Death end re;Quest is another game for fans of long dialogues leading nowhere.”

“Death end Re;Quest is good mix beetween an original J-RPG and a visual novel, with two different heroes.”

“Death end re;Quest's haunting atmosphere pairs up well with the dread-inducing story, making for a worthy experience.”

“Fans of Compile Heart/Idea Factory will find a darker take on the old formula. Death end re;Quest has its best moments when it tells its gripping mystery story during the visual novel segments. The grim tone is undermined by anime tropes and fan service, though. Pacing problems and mediocre JRPG elements drag down the narrative, but at least the billiard-esque combat system is fun.”

“Death end re;Quest proves it can tell an engaging and darker story in an RPG/visual novel, even though it doesn't do too much to make it stand out above the rest”

“Death's End re;Quest has an interesting story to tell, but sometimes struggles with the ways it tries to tell it.”

“Death end re;Quest is far from perfect, with pacing and creative choices dragging things down. However, a simplistic, yet appealing combat and well-delivered character-based narrative make this a journey RPG fans can sink their teeth into. It may not be for everyone, but it has merit.”

“Death End re;Quest combines a well-constructed JRPG with a visual novel that results in an experience of varying quality.”

“Death end re:Quest is not for everyone. Many people will be made uncomfortable by its moe aesthetic. However, if you have similar experience with games such as Danganronpa, Doki Doki Literature Club, or anime such as Magical Girl Site, Made in Abyss, or No Game No Life, then you will not only be able to tolerate Death end re;Quests aesthetic, you might even enjoy it, and that leaves you free to experience the incredibly ambitious and innovative game underneath.”

“The visual novel side of the game is definitely the strongest part, and it’s a shame that the RPG sections aren’t quite as engrossing. ”

“Compile Heart set out to prove they could do something different by making Death end re;Quest, and they absolutely succeeded. Unfortunately, the interesting ideas at the heart of the game are undone by the groan-inducing and lengthy dialogue that often tries too hard to be taken seriously. Edgy writing aside, Death end re;Quest has marvellous gameplay that kept me glued to my controller. It's a strong package for JRPG fans, but you might end up wanting to use that skip button during cutscenes.”

“With it's disquieting atmosphere and horror-fueled setting, Death end re;Quest is one of Compile Heart's most intriguing titles to date. However, much like other entries under the Galapagos RPG brand, it occasionally feels like the core gameplay plays second fiddle to everything else.”

“As far as new IP’s go, Idea Factory has provided a solid entry and deserve credit for trying something drastically different from their previous works. ”

“Death end re;Quest doesn't always hit the nail on the head, but when it does, it's bang on.”

“Death end re;Quest tries to be more than the sum of its parts, yet fails to achieve it. The story could've been interesting with less mystery or at least thrilling if it had a large enough budget to give some of the dead ends/deaths animations/scenes. Sure, several people probably don't want to see a cut girl sliced in half or killed a number of ways but anything is better than just explaining how they die a multitude of times. Combine this with an extremely linear world and relatively bland combat and you have something that just doesn't stand out in any way.”

“Death end re;Quest retains Galapagos RPG’s will to innovate with each new game, this time with better execution overall. However, it’s still a budget RPG and the lack of investment holds it back from being the great narrative experience it aims to be. Nevertheless, the good combat system, compelling design, and a scenario that's much deeper and more interesting than usual have the ability to hook the player despite the title's flaws.”