Some will undoubtedly love this - and we are among those folks - others who like the tactical gameplay aspect of an SRPG, though, will be disappointed that they have to wait so long between encounters to get back into the thick of action. In some ways, Stella feels a bit like a visual novel, or something similar to Tears to Tiara II, in which its gameplay-to-dialogue ratio is easily a fifty-fifty split at times. It starts off promising enough, hitting the ground running and getting folks into combat and the story quickly, but after that players may find themselves wading through dialogue for upwards of thirty minutes before engaging in another battle and this is rather commonplace throughout the entirety of the adventure. Unfortunately, Stella falls victim to pacing issues. Still, it’s ultimately how these characters develop and interact with one another that really builds a story that surprisingly feels unique despite looking a bit by-the-numbers on paper. In fact, nearly all of the usual JRPG tropes are present and accounted for here: the amnesiac protagonist, the heroine with a mysterious power, a diabolical villain hellbent on conquering the world for her own selfish gains…it’s all basic stuff.

Unfortunately, all the best translators and editors in the world can’t undo how certain personalities have been crafted by the writers, and to that end, there’s no denying that Stella can get a little trope-y at times. From a pure prose and grammatical standpoint, the team behind bringing this title West clearly loved the material they were given to work with and poured their hearts into making it the best experience possible. Characters feel alive and dialogue knows when to be serious and when to pull back and offer up something more lighthearted. Sure, there’s the tried and true themes of love, loyalty, friendship, honor and perseverance in the mix, but the aformentioned more complicated matters make Stella a deeper game than many - and it’s an overall better experience because of its willingness to explore such a myriad of very human feelings and struggles.Ī lot of Stella‘s story will be so well liked, however, because of the localization work that has gone into the whole thing. While on the surface its story is one about evil witches, good witches and a boy struggling to figure out why he has no memory, there are tones of prejudice and xenophobia beneath the superficial layer. At its core, though, Stella Glow‘s tale has a lot of subtle themes going on. This dynamic makes for some interesting encounters later in the game, as that relationship evolves and turns into something more akin to good versus evil. Unlike many titles where the villain enters the story and immediately has it out for the protagonists, Hilda somewhat accidentally befriends Lisette and Alto and even spares them to some degree in the beginning. Hilda, whom is a witch, stands opposite of Lisette and Alto throughout the game - though she is introduced to our two heroes in an interesting way. It’s not the largest roster of heroes ever seen in a JRPG, but there’s a quality to them that isn’t regularly achieved.įor the sake of not spoiling the story, we’ll only briefly talk about the game’s antagonist and a few plot-points. In fact, Stella Glow‘s entire cast is likable, thanks to some sharp writing. Both Alto and Lisette are fantastic characters, not just because of their well-developed backstories, but because they are incredibly likable. Because these two are the primary protagonists, a good deal of time is spent showcasing their interactions, while also looking at their individual histories and motivations.

The two are an inseparable duo, frequently complementing each others’ strengths and weaknesses.

Along for the ride is our co-lead Lisette, the daughter of the lady who found and took Alto in to raise him. Not having any memories of his life prior to just a few years ago, when he was taken in and raised by a family in the village of Mithra, Alto is on a quest to find out about his past. The leading man of Stella Glow is an amnesiac boy named Alto. Fortunately for fans of the genre, ATLUS and imageepooch’s latest title, Stella Glow, is not only a homage to titles that paved the way for its existence, but a well-designed experience chockful of content and charm.

Sure, there’s Fire Emblem every so often, and then a one-off title like Mercenaries Saga 2 here and there, but that’s about it. Despite being a genre that rarely produces bad games, Japanese SRPGs are frustratingly few and far between these days.

Stella glow keith