Shrine’s Legacy Review

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Honestly, as a gamer, I think Chrono Trigger is *the* defining 16-bit RPG. It’s had such a huge impact that tons of newer games try to capture that same SNES-style action RPG feel – and honestly, it’s a formula worth copying! It’s just that good.

Shrine’s Legacy is the next game to be showcased. It’s the first release from Positive Concept Games, and the team has been working on it for a long time.

I’ve tried many RPGs similar to Chrono Trigger and the Mana series. Shrine’s Legacy definitely takes inspiration from those classic SNES games, but it also includes some smart puzzles reminiscent of the Zelda games.

Shrine’s Legacy does something many indie RPGs inspired by classic SNES games don’t: it creates a world with a lot of different feelings and tones. It perfectly captures that old-school feeling where you could go from a serious, dramatic moment to something silly and funny very quickly.

Creating an action RPG that *looks* like a classic SNES game is challenging enough, but truly capturing the *feeling* and emotional depth of those games takes it to another level.

A Big World With Big Feelings

I’ve always been a huge fan of JRPGs, particularly the ones from the 16- and 32-bit generations. What really drew me in was how those games built and presented their worlds.

JRPGs aren’t just about big, dramatic moments; they often quickly shift between a wide range of feelings. Shrine’s Legacy captures this emotional rollercoaster really well.

The story jumps between different settings and moods, reflecting a vast world with important lessons about staying humble, taking responsibility, and the value of friendship.

At the beginning of his journey, Rio is a typical hero in a role-playing game. He’s about to face a huge challenge – defeating the villainous Aklor and saving the world.

This journey begins a collection of related stories, like Rio’s close bond with his childhood friend Mala, and his responsibility to safeguard his community.

You’ll encounter charming characters like a cat courier, go monster hunting, explore dangerous caves, and experience many similar adventures. It really embodies the spirit of classic, open-road RPGs from that time.

The game’s atmosphere and settings change quickly, reflecting a vast world with important lessons about humility, responsibility, and friendship. This approach really shows how much the developers value and respect classic games.

Taking A Cue From The Masters

Shrine’s Legacy clearly draws a lot of influence from games like Zelda and Chrono Trigger. You can see this in its combat, how the game world is built, and especially in the design of its dungeons.

The dungeons are spacious and offer a good balance of fighting, puzzle-solving, and discovery. Occasionally, you’ll encounter random enemies blocking your way, and you’ll need to defeat them to proceed. While this isn’t the most exciting feature, it’s functional and fits the gameplay.

Besides combat, dungeons also feature puzzles. While many of these puzzles use familiar ideas, they’re still enjoyable. Personally, I never get bored with classic challenges like redirecting beams of light with mirrors to unlock new areas.

The dungeons are rather large, and use a nice mix of combat, puzzles and exploration.

Shrine’s Legacy features a wonderfully memorable musical score. It evokes the charming melodies of classic SNES games and isn’t afraid to be bold and dramatic.

The music is incredibly diverse, blending various genres. It effectively mixes grand, heroic sounds with lighter, more humorous themes for different characters.

Sprites, Fights, And 16-Bit Vibes

Okay, so this art style isn’t exactly groundbreaking in the indie world, and honestly, that makes sense. A lot of us who make games now grew up playing stuff that *looked* like this, so it’s had a huge impact on how we create things now. It’s a big influence for a reason!

Shrine’s Legacy has well-drawn sprites with smooth movements, and the backgrounds look great. While some tiles do appear repeatedly, that’s common for this type of game.

The game features lovely details like swaying grass and flocks of birds, and the magical effects are visually impressive. The world is large and beautifully designed, moving the story along at a good speed.

The combat system is typical for action RPGs, featuring attacks, dodging, and magic. I was initially concerned there wouldn’t be a dodge ability, since it isn’t available until several hours into the game.

Without the ability to dodge, fights feel simplistic. The gameplay mostly involves repeatedly pressing the attack button, and it’s made worse by uninspired animations that make everything feel rigid and clunky.

Fortunately, magic is a useful addition, and some of the spells are visually impressive. However, the biggest issue with the combat system is how restricted player movement feels.

The combat feels clunky and frustrating, even when fighting weaker enemies. Relying on repeatedly attacking and occasionally dodging isn’t very effective and leaves you feeling vulnerable.

This Jewel Was Meant For You

As you play Shrine’s Legacy, you’ll find jewels you can equip. These jewels give your character and weapons special abilities and bonuses.

The game has a cool idea and offers a wide range of jewels to collect. However, the complicated system for equipping and using those jewels makes it less enjoyable than it could be.

You can only change jewels at save points, which is a bit strange because you can’t do it directly from the game’s menu.

Fortunately, the game saves often, so failing isn’t too frustrating. However, all the loading can interrupt the flow, and that’s a problem for a game that’s meant to be quick and exciting.

The inventory is well-designed and easy to navigate. Switching between pages is quick, and it includes a classic element often found in old-school role-playing games.

A good game should have you swimming in items by the mid-game – ideally, you should have nearly 100 of everything. If you don’t, the game designers haven’t quite hit the mark.

This game doesn’t obviously borrow from other titles, but players who enjoyed its inspirations will discover a charming and engaging action RPG.

Closing Comments:

Shrine’s Legacy is clearly inspired by classic 16-bit RPGs from the Super Nintendo era, mixing Zelda-like puzzles with action combat. Thankfully, it builds on those influences instead of just relying on nostalgia. While the combat can feel a bit rigid and the magic/jewel system is overly complex, Shrine’s Legacy is still a great choice if you’re looking for an action RPG with a retro feel.

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2025-10-06 19:16