Square Enix is full of surprises lately. It’s keeping busy by branching out into all kinds of unique projects. For instance, it hasForspokenon the way, an isekai-style action RPG taking a young woman from New York City and tossing her headlong into a fantasy world. At the same time, it’s experimenting with tactics again in the form ofTriangle Strategy,a project largely influenced by the developers ofOctopath Traveler.Even so,Square Enixstill managed to surprise fans by bringing back an old classic:Actraiser Renaissance,a SNES title that made a name for itself by fusing two totally different genres together.
InActraiser,players take the role of a divine being called the Lord of Light who sends an angel and an animated statue to protect mortals from a legion of evil monsters. Players control the statue in action platforming sections, while they control the angel in a series of tower defense sections. These two genres are certainly very different from one another, butActraiserearned fans by masterfully weaving the two together.Actraiserdidn’t spawn a long-lived franchise in spite of its success, soActraiser Renaissanceoffers a rare experienceto play a 1990s classic that’ll appeal to fans of city-building and tactics as well as lovers of the eternally popular platforming genre.
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Actraiser Renaissance’s Combination of Genres
Platforming is crucial to saving the world ofActraiser Renaissancefrom the demonic Tanzra. During these sections, players control the statue animated by the Lord of Light and fight Tanzra’s minions on foot. The statue’s sword skills are vastly expanded inActraiser Renaissancecompared to the original games, and there are lots of new spells that he can cast to destroy the forces of evil too.Action platformers such as Metroidvaniashave keptActraiser’s style of gameplay very popular. Fans of these game genres will probably appreciateActraiser’s spell system and many boss battles.
Actraiserdiversifies its gameplay by interspersing city building segments with the platforming. Occasionally, players take control of the Lord of Light’s angel, expanding mortal cities by destroying buildings or obstacles with the Lord of Light’s powers, then choosing new buildings to place. OnceActraiserplayers construct their cities, they have to defend these cities from Tanzra’s army in real-time strategy segments. Both well-timed miracles and intelligently placed structures are crucial to fending off Tanzra. WithActraiser Renaissancesuddenly on the market,Triangle Strategyisn’t the only tactics gameSquare Enix has to offer, butActraiser’s tower defense style definitely sets it apart fromTriangle Strategy.
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Actraiser Renaissance is Truly Reborn
Admittedly,Actraiser Renaissanceisn’tthe most famous Square Enix titlein the company’s history. Even so, it’s very significant. WhileActraiser’s platforming and tactics seem like they could be incongruous with one another, reviewers have historically agreed that both sides of the game are solid, and neither side of the game suffers from its contrasting genre. Not every game succeeds at throwing multiple genres together in this way, which makes the low profile but critically successfulActraiserworth trying.
Reviews seem to indicate thatActraiser Renaissanceis a strong title served well by its upgrades. Fans should bear in mind that Square Enix could decide to reignite the franchise ifActraiser Renaissancegets enough strong reviews and sells enough copies. Although anActraisersequel with no city-building elements released in 1993, the choice to focus on remaking the originalActraiserrather than reviving the two games together suggests Square Enix sees value inActraiser’s dual genres. In a time where the game industry is increasingly enthusiastic about remakes and franchise revivals, a new line ofActraisergames would hardly be out of place. For now, it’s hard to say for surewhat Square Enix is planning, butActraiser Renaissanceremains a major gain for fans of platformers and city builders alike.
Actraiser Renaissanceis available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, and Switch.
