With the resurgence of dungeon-crawling RPGs like Class of Heroes, it’s no surprise that more titles in the genre are making their way back into the spotlight. Tokyo Clanpool is one such game from the Compile Heart PlayStation Vita library that was once exclusive to the Vita, but thanks to the efforts of EastAsiaSoft, the game is now headed to the PC.
Game Name: Tokyo Clanpool
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch, PC (Reviewed)
Developer(s): Compile Heart / Idea Factory
Publisher(s): EastAsiaSoft
Release Date: December 19th, 2024
Price: $39.99
In the futuristic setting of Tokyo where Tokyo Clanpool takes place, a mysterious tower has emerged, threatening the city’s safety. As the newly appointed Prime Minister of Japan, Natsume Kanuuki, it’s up to you and your party of Diet Dolls to uncover the truth behind the tower by venturing to its peak. Along the way, you’ll battle countless monsters, climbing higher and higher to save the world from impending domination.
The Good
Tokyo Clanpool dives straight into its story and quickly transitions to combat. Staying true to classic dungeon-crawling RPG traditions, the game is presented in a first-person perspective. A map occupies the bottom-left corner of the screen, gradually revealing itself as you explore each floor. I found myself addicted to uncovering every part of the map, often spending extra time clearing it before heading to the arrow that marks the path to the next floor.
The art in Tokyo Clanpool is stunning. Each character is uniquely designed, brimming with personality that shines through their artwork. I especially appreciated the inclusion of chibi designs alongside the main character art. These chibi forms are featured in battles, where their animated skill usage adds charm and character to the gameplay.
The map puzzles in Tokyo Clanpool are intricately designed and quite satisfying to solve. While they’re not overly difficult, they can sometimes become frustrating—especially when you’re hunting for a specific switch and forget about the drill’s ability to bash through walls.
The game also introduces Digisuits, which are customizable outfits you can equip to your characters. Beyond altering their appearance, each Digisuit changes a character’s stats, effectively shifting their class. Additionally, there’s a gear system, allowing you to equip two hand slots and three armor slots per character. With all the treasure scattered throughout the game, I often found myself revisiting the equipment screen to ensure my team was outfitted with the best gear possible.
It’s worth noting that attempting to clear an entire section of a dungeon in one go isn’t always practical. Thankfully, the dungeons are packed with teleporters that make backtracking much easier. And if your battery reserve allows, you can use your app to return to your main hub for a breather.
The Bad
Tokyo Clanpool remains uncensored except for one notable omission: the Ether Induction minigame. In the original PlayStation Vita release, players could choose to enable, disable, or have the minigame auto-succeed. However, in the GOG build I played, the Ether Induction minigame is completely absent and automatically skipped without any option to toggle it.
Early on, the random encounters at the beginning of floors and dungeons are a great way to level up your party. However, as you progress, you’ll encounter the same enemies repeatedly, forcing you to fight them over and over. Thankfully, the game includes a handy “repeat last moves” button that lets you quickly execute your previous actions for all party members, making these battles less tedious.
That said, the encounter rates can sometimes feel overwhelming. There were moments when I just wanted to explore and chart the dungeon, uncovering its secrets without being interrupted by enemies every few steps. A slightly reduced encounter rate would have made the exploration much smoother and more enjoyable.
There’s also the bit where the Tokyo Clanpool won’t be available for sale on Steam, due to the game being “Too Sexy.” So, if you want to give this game a go, you’ll have to do so on GoG.
The Verdict
Tokyo Clanpool was a lot more addictive than I was expecting. The combat and charting maps were fun, and the social mechanic gave a lot of risk and reward incentives. I do think having a way to turn off random encounters would be nice to have but it isn’t the worst. There is some lewd artwork but not a lot, so if you want to play this game for that artwork, you are going to have a bad time.
Tokyo Clanpool will released on December 19th on Nintendo Switch in Asia, and GOG. It will be released on Nintendo Switch worldwide later.
Review Disclosure Statement: Tokyo Clanpool was provided to us by eastasiasoft for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.
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Summary
Tokyo Clanpool brings an addicting playstyle to a familiar formula of Dungeon RPGs.
Pros
- I just want to chart everything.
- Art is beautiful
- Digiskin system adds party variety
- ENGLISH SUBTITLES for the first time
Cons
- Random encounters can get annoying.
- Doesn’t have a lot of artwork
- Ether Induction minigame missing.
