Rhapsody: The Marl Kingdom Chronicles (Switch) Review
Release Date: August 29, 2023
Publisher/Developer: Nippon Ichi/NIS America
Platform: Switch (reviewed), PlayStation 5
Price: $49.99
Rhapsody: Marl Kingdom Chronicles is a wonderful and yet confusing thing. I never knew the original game, first released on PlayStation 1. Rhapsody was very unique, as it was a very light tactical RPG, with battles lasting a couple minutes maximum. It was appreciated by younger players as a great introduction to the basics of tactics and RPGs, as well as those who just wanted to have an easy to play, lighthearted game with a fun, unique story. The biggest catch for the game was that cutscenes frequently broke out into full musicals, with characters dancing around the screen and singing their emotions and thoughts to each other. It was a cute little game that got a decent following in the USA, but warranted two sequels that were never released in the West. Marl Kingdom Chronicles is therefore a perfect game for anyone reminiscing about their love for the original game. The titles are all part of the same chronology, with Rhapsody 2 taking place about twelve years after the first. Rhapsody 3 is actually bite-sized bits of side story, some of which hearken back to the original title.
This is where my confusion set in, but I don’t discredit the release here. Like the trailer below says, Rhapsody 1 is an “old story” that the characters have heard before. This is time for the new tales. As the “Marl Kingdom Chronicles,” this release does not contain Rhapsody 1. You can still play Rhapsody 1 on Switch, via purchasing Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 3: La Pucelle: Ragnarock/Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure for $39.99 (on sale as of this writing for 25% off). Previous players will have no problem, but the game starts out on the foot of the daughter of the Queen, the previous game’s hero, and many people comparing the daughter to the mother and their contrasting adventures. It also doesn’t help that the third game is a remix of sorts, telling side stories, with some of them being from the first game. A wonderful reminiscence for those who played the original, but a lot of research for those who don’t know. It’s like watching Avengers: Endgame without Infinity War. You see what’s going on but don’t know how it got there. Back in the day when they were originally released, you’d understand this, but as a package deal called “The Marl Kingdom Chronicles,” you’d want it to have ALL the stories. This is the last I’m gonna talk about this point, though, as it shouldn’t affect the ending score. If you want the whole story you can Wikipedia it or buy the original game as well.
Rhapsody’s sequels drop the tactical RPG style for a more traditional RPG approach. Battles involve basic turn-based actions, where you put in actions for your whole party then enact them. It’s neat when two actions that don’t affect each other can happen simultaneously, adding a bit of excitement to the battles. Rhapsody 2 has multiple characters to control, while 3 goes for a more automated approach as the “puppets” kind of run themselves. The games have big, chunky sprites with highly animated faces and designs. The second game (where I did most of my review) is broken into easy chapters, and tends to fall along the ideas of love, friendship, and staying true to each other. It’s very well presented. While there are some filter options to play with, I dislike anything other than default. There’s one mode that’s supposed to feel like a CRT display, but I see a line diagonally across the screen every time I move, and the other one feels like it just muddies the display. There are random battles as you go through the very straightforward dungeons (think as simple as Final Fantasy 13’s “hallways” but in sprite form. I regularly felt overpowered by the enemies at the start, but leveling up scaled perfectly and I felt like I was mopping the floor with the basic enemies by the time I found the area’s end boss. If I was still getting hurt, a few circles and random battles popped me up to enough power.
During battle, you can use the puppet characters, which frequently act like magic or summons. They slowly fill a musical meter, and once it is full enough you can use super powered attacks that usually can wipe out an enemy force. If you are really struggling, running around an area and charging this before a boss battle can really turn the tides. Like I said, the scaling works wonders, but at times I felt like it got a little repetitive with the summon spamming the same patterns on the same enemies. However, this is an easy access, lighthearted game for newbies to the genre, kids, or people actually wanting an easy story and game cycle.
Rhapsody: The Marl Kingdom Chronicles is a great and affordable two-pack of games for fans of the original to finally get to see what happened in Japan after the series stopped coming to the states. NIS America does a great job of not only keeping old games alive, but bringing over new things that some have never had the chance to try. If you are wanting to reminisce and have new experiences, want to introduce someone to RPGs, or just have a “chill” RPG game, Rhapsody: The Marl Kingdom Chronicles is a great place to start. If you want to have the full experience and have never seen the first game, though, it is worth dropping in on Prinny Presents Volume 3 first to experience the series from the start.
Pros:
- “New” game experiences for people who loved the original but never had a translation
-Easy and relaxing RPG style
-Colorful and fun, with a unique musical score style
-The game was ported with love and care, with cute and fun English voices available
Cons:
-While simple on purpose, gameplay can get repetitive
-Rhapsody 2 and 3 eschew the tactical gameplay of the first, so they have similar storylines but different gameplay.
-I again say, this doesn’t effect the final score, but it’d be nice to have the trilogy in the pack, even if it were at a higher price. Maybe a deluxe edition or DLC option?
Special thanks to Nippon Ichi/NIS America for providing a copy for review!