It’s a surprise that it’s only now that the franchise has gotten a proper video game adaptation in the form of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: ISEKAI Chronicles, an action RPG for consoles and PC.
That’s because the Slime Isekai franchise is over a decade old at this point given that the original web novel series began back in 2013. While you can argue that it was the anime that made the series explore in popularity, even that adaptation premiered back in October 2018 – nearly six years ago.
Technically, this isn’t the first video game entry in the series as ISEKAI Memories was released on mobile a few years ago. Still, for fans who prefer a proper single-player experience, ISEKAI Chronicles is the way to go.
Interestingly, ISEKAI Chronicles was released recently without much fanfare. As such, even some fans may have missed its launch earlier this month. So, if you’re a Slime Isekai fan who didn’t get the game at launch and are wondering if it’s worth a buy, here’s what we think.
Isekai Chronicles’ Gameplay Loop
Most titles in the anime video game category are arena fighting games; think Demon Slayer’s The Hinokami Chronicles and Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash. Instead of going in that direction, ISEKAI Chronicles is an action RPG that features a mix of gameplay elements for an intriguing core loop.
The meat of the gameplay is the action-heavy combat system. Take note that this isn’t a 3D action game as its exploration and combat encounters are done in 2D sidescrolling form. While this means the game’s levels aren’t as immersive as games with 3D environments, the game’s look should still appeal to fans.
As you explore the 2D levels, you’ll come across enemies which will activate combat encounters with them. In combat, players control Rimuru along with two other party members, with two more acting as support with some helpful abilities.
Combat abilities are as you’d expect, with Rimuru having a light attack, a skill, and a powerful ultimate ability that needs a charge to activate. Rimuru can also jump and dodge which are important to do when facing off against difficult foes.
While in combat, players can also switch between party members, meaning players can use a skill as Rimuru, and while that’s recharging, switch to an ally to continue the attack. This is important to do as each combat encounter gives you a rating (with S being the highest) depending on the combos landed. This mechanic is rather reminiscent of the one in Devil May Cry 5. Players are also incentivized to get higher ratings for better rewards and more healing. That’s because after each encounter, the party will be healed so they can proceed to the next.
Outside the main combat and exploration part, players must build up the village via the game’s city-building mechanic. How it works is that players get rewards whenever they clear combat encounters, with levels also featuring treasure chests with loot. These rewards can then be used to build all sorts of buildings.
As the game progresses, the village can become quite sprawling, complete with buildings that feature elements from modern Japan courtesy of Rimuru’s knowledge from his past life. Of course, these buildings aren’t just visual dressing as they also give Rimuru and the party members buffs for combat.
Given this, the game’s loop is quite clear. The goal is to clear levels to gain rewards so that more buffs can be gained via buildings. Once stronger, players can proceed to clear more difficult levels.
Doing so also progresses the story which is essentially a sped-through version of the anime’s storyline, presented in a visual novel style. In fact, after a quick recap of how Rimuru was isekai’d, the story progresses to some later arcs, meaning those who haven’t watched the anime might find it hard to follow.
On the flip side, this makes the game a nice experience for fans who are already intimately familiar with the anime’s story. The game’s story essentially lets players re-experience the anime’s plot but with more interactivity. Of course, fans are also treated to some original storylines from the series’ original author.
Does it All Come Together?
ISEKAI Chronicles’ core loop can be quite a compelling and addictive one, especially as it scratches that itch of becoming more powerful that many players enjoy. What’s more, seeing the village become bigger also gives an extra sense of satisfaction.
It also helps that the combat is quite fun. Sure, it’s not the most complex combat system, but it is satisfying to chain long combos to get that S Rank. Plus, the game also has a skill tree for party members so players can choose the abilities or buffs that they want that can fit their playstyle.
While it can be fun, it can also be quite dull at times given how repetitive some of the level and combat encounters are. The fact that the combat is also fairly simple means you’ll likely need to be a fan of the series to be properly engaged with the exploration and fights.
When it comes to mechanics, the combat is solid, but it just isn’t as smooth as I like, specifically when it comes to switching between characters. That’s because moving to another character causes a split-second pause, meaning the flow of combat can feel choppy at times when switching.
There’s also the fact that while the city-building mechanic is nice to see visually and provides useful buffs, those are pretty much all there is to it. It doesn’t feel tacked on mind you, but it would’ve been nice to see some more complexity from it.
Because of these issues, playing the game can feel like a slog after a few hours in, especially for those who aren’t exactly big fans of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. It doesn’t help that the fast-forwarded story isn’t the most engaging for non-fans. As such, this game seems to be made mainly for long-time series fans.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: ISEKAI Chronicles Final Verdict – 7/10
In many ways, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: ISEKAI Chronicles is a fun game as its combo-focused 2D sidescrolling combat is fun, and it’s supplemented by a nice city-building mechanic that makes for a compelling gameplay loop.
This game is far from perfect though as the core loop can instead feel dull for some players. Some issues with the fairly simplistic combat and city-building mechanic also get in the way of the experience.
Still, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: ISEKAI Chronicles can be an engaging experience, though it’s one that we can only really recommend to existing Slime Isekai fans. For those who aren’t fans of the franchise yet, it would be better to give the anime a watch before trying this game out.
[This review was made via a PS5 code provided by the publisher.]