Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten is a fairly typical Japanese RPG prequel to Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception. A young warrior named Oshtor sets out on an adventure to find out the secrets of his family’s history after meeting a mysterious girl. Despite its eastern-inspired fantasy world and decent plot twists, the game manages to stand out from the pack.
Throughout the title’s 40-ish hours, Oshtor meets plenty of likeable characters and, even though the narrative does slow to a crawl at times, there’s an element of adventure. In most cases, getting to your final destination feels quite rewarding because there are many large environments to explore, each filled with enemies and treasure chests.
The turn-based combat system isn’t bad, but it’s difficult to identify the hook in Monochrome Mobius. Its ‘action ring’ determines turn order and potential bonuses, while each party member has their own abilities and magical spells. While the tutorials emphasize the importance of the action ring, the mechanic doesn’t really shine through.
By using specific commands at the right time, you can manipulate the ring, causing your characters to deal more damage, or to take more turns. In practice, it’s hard to read the action ring, and it’s better to just be efficient with your existing turns rather than trying to play along. A missed opportunity never stops feeling like a missed opportunity in this system.
Monochrome Mobius is a mostly typical JRPG with a low-budget presentation and slightly flawed gameplay. There are a lot of problems in this game, but it feels like a heartfelt effort.
Pros:
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Good story beats.
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An endearing cast.
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Battles based on turns are okay.
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Adventures to enjoy.
Cons:
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At times, pacing induces sleep.
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3D visuals are rough.
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Undercooked combat system.
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It’s a bit grindy.
It’s a 6 out of 10.
