SHINING RESONANCE REFRAIN
Definitely telling tales, but many movements short of a true symphony
There’s something so comforting about JRPGs. The convoluted yet predictable backstory, the flashy spells, the improbable outfits – it can be like climbing into a warm bath. And what would a relaxing dip be without a bath bomb? To supply the fizz, here your party fights with musically-inclined weapons called Armonics and, after enough successful blows, you’ll be able to trigger a musical interlude granting you a number of buffs to really make combat sing. It’s a shame, then, a game so tuned into music makes some tone-deaf choices with its soundtrack. The instrumentals you hear 90% of the time are forgettable, overproduced ditties full of synthesised noise. The vocal lead tracks, sadly saved for a few choice cutscenes, preserve the original Japanese lyrics (less jarring than you might think) and come as a breath of fresh air.
There’s still a satisfying groove to be found, as you dish out light attacks on e, guard breaks on w, and special attacks from i, while the rest of your party is guided by AI and whatever tactics you advise. As you tuck into everyone’s special abilities, fights can become cacophonous. That said, it’ll be a few hours before Refrain allows you to participate in a jam session. The first five hours are bogged down with tutorials covering everything from the game’s unique features (which you absolutely need) to how to exchange currency for goods and services. This isn’t helped by the extended exposition dump that eclipses the end of the game’s first hour.
MIC DROP
You play as Yuma, a sad anime boy who harbours the soul of the Shining Dragon within him. In a pinch, he can transform and wreak draconic havoc on your foes. This overpowered lizard is balanced by his slow movements and the fact that you can lose control over this form if you allow it to run out of MP, which keeps things interesting (wrangling a berserk dragon is less fun than it sounds). Because of this power, Yuma finds himself surrounded by highly capable warrior women… who naturally all pine for his wimpy affections.
Refrain toys with social mechanics, allowing you to arrange to meet up with party members during down time. These scenes are sweet, displaying more heart than a lot of character interaction within the main plot. But beyond that, it’s difficult to ignore the element of wish fulfilment at play. That, coupled with the fan-service costumes for your female party members, may well leave you longing for that bath to wash away your sins.
VERDICT
“WRANGLING A BERSERK DRAGON IS LESS FUN THAN IT SOUNDS.”
This JRPG needs a few more lessons before it’ll be concert ready. Lacking the tightness it needs, it’s not quite the rising star it hopes to be, but it’s still endearing. Jess Kinghorn