Lost Sphear

Since finishing Lost Sphear, I can't stop thinking about it. The game does not break the mold by any means — in fact, it attempts to fit the mold of the 90s JRPG — but it does excel in certain facets. While aspects of its gameplay do falter, I never felt discouraged from pressing forward and uncovering the mystery behind the lost phenomenon. Lost Sphear is a beautiful game that even the newest JRPG player can enjoy.

Tokyo RPG Factory plays it safe in this follow-up to I Am Setsuna, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

No summary available

I’ve certainly enjoyed my time with the game, and I think it’s worth playing. But I know deep down that in a few years I’m far more likely to replay Chrono Trigger for a twentieth time than I am to come back to Lost Sphear.

The folks at Tokyo RPG Factory clearly have a passion for recreating what made classics in the genre so appealing. Although they haven't quite got the magic formula down, Lost Sphear is a competent JRPG that can easily consume dozens of hours of your time.

Lost Sphear may not be the vastest or most extraordinary RPG on the market, but it's a very well made game that is sure to deliver a very enjoyable thirty hours or so.

Lost Sphear takes a little too long to really get going. Dungeons are tiny, its characters paper-thin, and the story far too predictable in its overuse of already overused plot elements. It’s a JRPG that struggles to add anything of value, perhaps to the point of reminding us why the natural evolution of the genre happened in the first place.

Even if it falls short of becoming a worthy successor to the likes of Chrono Trigger, Lost Sphear really does capture the essence of classic role-playing games in a lot of ways. When it's not bogging itself down in overwrought mechanics, this RPG really can spark a sense of nostalgia. Its writing, environments, battle system, and music all evoke the best moments of bygone days. And even if it doesn't quite hit the heights it aspires to, it does a fine job of rekindling some fond memories.

Lost Sphear is a loving memory of classic JRPGs, but lacks soul.

Perhaps even worse is that Lost Sphear doesn’t have much to say, other than how remembering our past is just as important as enjoying the present. I love Tokyo RPG Factory’s admiration of the past, but Lost Sphear offers little for both longtime fans of the genre and casual passersby. If a taste of the past is all you need, however, then it will surely be your companion on that trip down memory road. Just don’t be looking for anything more than that here.

Most people probably won’t mind Lost Sphear’s nostalgia tinted approach to game design, but there’s surprisingly little to write home about. Despite a rather intriguing premise, the characters come across a tad too bland, while the quest itself is too linear. It’s hard to knock it too much, but after the thoughtful journey at the heart of I Am Setsuna, this is a pretty average showing and certainly not a fresh take on the JRPG.

A disappointing sophomore effort from Tokyo RPG Factory, Lost Sphear proves relying on nostalgia alone doesn't make a great game.