One of my most anticipated titles of the year is Reyantis. Getting asked to see a build of the game and to be able to talk about it, is an amazing experience. I remember being so impressed with the trailer that showed up in the Nintendo Direct last year and anxiously wondering if we would even be able to get it in the West since it was only in the Japanese Nintendo Direct. NIS America took over the localization and publishing of the game here in the West. After this preview, all I can say is thank goodness the game is coming out here too!
The World Of Reynatis
Reynatis is set in Shibuya in the year 2024. The key difference between this version of Shibuya and the real world is the presence of magic. Wizards—people who can wield magic—exist, and their powers have made society uneasy. Some factions strive to regulate magic to keep wizards’ potential in check, while others view such control as oppression and believe wizards should be free to use their abilities without restriction.
Amid this tension, we meet the two main characters. Marin Kirizumi, a 19-year-old wizard, dreams of becoming the strongest wizard in the world. For Marin, strength equals freedom; he believes that if he is powerful enough, no one will be able to limit his abilities or dictate how he lives. On the other side is Sari Nishijima, a former police officer who discovered her magical powers and joined the M.E.A., a government agency dedicated to controlling wizardry.
The game alternates between the perspectives of both characters as it explores the conflict between wizards and society. This clash is also reflected in the gameplay, which features two distinct modes. In “Suppression Mode,” players can explore the city of Shibuya while concealing their magical abilities. “Liberation Mode,” on the other hand, allows full use of magic, revealing the wizard’s power but potentially attracting unwanted attention.
Dance Of Wizardry
If wizards who are not a part of the Magic Task Force are seen in the street, they will have people alert the government to their presence. If you are a wizard who is a part of the M.E.A., you will be able to still speak to people in Liberation mode. There is an app called the IWD or Illegal Wizardry Dispatch. This is the app you will use to find side quests and other information.
There is malice for wizards throughout the town of Shibuya. By doing side quests and helping out the society, that malice level goes down. This removes the taint that the common person has for wizards. When you lower it enough, you can find Wizart in Shibuya. Wizart is a mix of words, wizards, and art. It has properties to add magical abilities to wizards if you examine it as a wizard.
Combat is a dance between the Suppression mode and the Liberation mode. You use Suppression mode to dodge attacks and absorb magic from enemies. You are then able to use Liberation mode to throw that magic energy at your enemies and utilize your magical skills. You get a score after each battle that judges your performance based on a variety of factors. A higher score gives you more items and experience points. A lower score gives you less.
There is a way for common people to gain magical abilities. If a human takes Rubrum, a drug that is starting to get rampant in Shibuya, and absorbs Wizart, they will gain magical powers. If they continue to use magic once the drug wears off, it makes them lose their cognitive abilities and they turn into just a husk of magical abilities.
Living In Shibuya
In Reynatis you have to make sure to keep your stress tempered. If you gain too much stress, you lose the ability to be in Supression mode. Reducing your stress is like reducing stress in real life. Eating good food and petting cats are common in reducing stress in Shibuya. FURYU has made this Shibuya extremely accurate to the real-world Shibuya in a variety of ways. First, the design of the town is accurate. Second, the development team made it a regular occurrence to go out to eat in restaurants and take pictures of menus and foods you can find there. Each food item in the game is a real item of food you can order in Shibuya.
There is a collaboration storyline with another famous game that takes place in Shibuya, The World Ends With You. You get to meet characters from that game in Reynatis. The NIS America team elaborates that the World Ends With You collaboration is substantial and has a bearing on the story. There are even story updates that come after the game’s release for free. Nine content updates will give more details to the story, characters, and world of Reynatis.
I am super excited to eventually get my hands on the game! There are only English subtitles when it comes to how you can experience this game in the West when it comes out.
Reynatis comes out September 27th, 2024 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and PC.