Pop starts take center stage in Japanese RPG

Positive messages: 2 out of 5

Positive role models: 2 out of 5

Ease of play: 3 out of 5

Violence: 2 out of 5

Sex: 2 out of 5

Language: 2 out of 5

Drinking, drugs, and smoking: 1 out of 5

Consumerism: 0 out of 5 (Are products/advertisements embedded? Is the title part of a broader marketing initiative/empire? Is the intent to sell things to kids?)

GAME DETAILS

Platforms: Nintendo Wii U

Price: $59.99

Developer: Nintendo

Release date: June 24, 2016

Genre: Role Playing

ESRB rating: T for fantasy violence, language, suggestive themes, use of alcohol

Parents need to know that “Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE” is a Japanese turn-based role-playing game. Players control well-meaning teenage characters who join with supernatural creatures called “mirages” in order to fight evil monsters in another dimension. Combat involves melee and magical attacks but no blood or gore. Fallen foes simply disappear from the battlefield. The kids are also seriously obsessed with — and in some cases want to be — pop music stars, and engage in typical teenage activities like shopping, texting, and flirting. Some female characters dress provocatively, with bouncing breasts and deep cleavage. Dialogue includes occasional instances of profanity — including the word “s—t” — and one character appears drunk.

WHAT’S IT ABOUT?

“Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE” tells the story of Itsuki, a Japanese teenager, and several of his friends. These kids have the power to ally themselves with mirages — warriors from another dimension who can imbue certain humans with powerful weapons and skills. They use their newfound abilities to fight evil mirages who have taken possession of human celebrities as part of a nefarious scheme that’s slowly revealed as the story progresses. Play is split between the human world in Tokyo, where players visit real world locations such as the Shibuya shopping district, and a completely different world called the Idolosphere, a dimension composed of labyrinthine dungeons patrolled by evil mirages and populated by secondary characters. Combat is turn-based; characters take turns attacking, using items, and employing special skills that can be combined with other characters’ skills to create combos called sessions. After each battle, characters earn cash that can be spent on new items and gear, experience that helps them gain levels and learn new skills, and “performa,” which can be used to create new weapons in a ritual called unity.

IS IT ANY GOOD?

If you love traditional role-playing games and have an appreciation for Japanese pop culture, you’re probably not going to play many games more entertaining than this one. The story is loaded with teenage friendships and melodrama and borrows liberally from Atlus’ popular “Shin Megami Tensei” role-playing games in its themes and tone. There’s also a healthy dollop of the Fire Emblem franchise (hinted at in the #FE part of the game’s title), noticeable in some of the mirages as well as a couple of recognizable musical phrases.

But what will keep most people coming back night after night is the game’s intricate turn-based action and imaginative Idolosphere design. And combat is never dull, thanks to a progression and upgrade system that makes it feel like players are learning new skills every two or three battles. Had Atlus done a better job of localization — the entire game is voiced in Japanese, and the characters’ cult-like embrace of pop celebrity will seem on the verge of zealotry to many Western players — “Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE” might have had even broader appeal. As is, the niche audience at which it’s targeted will have little reason to complain.

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Common Sense Media is an independent nonprofit organization offering unbiased ratings and trusted advice to help families make smart media and technology choices. Check out our ratings and recommendations at www.commonsense.org.