Libra: Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? (Switch)

Libra is our “first impressions” series. These are generally spoiler free, but may reveal some base plot points and mechanic details.

RPGs based on an existing anime have a tendency to garner a mixed reception. Those that are fans of the source material are typically more partial to it, while newcomers have to be impressed the old fashioned way. Today’s topic, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon (or Dan Machi in Japanese) seems to be following that very same trend – at least based on my initial hours of play. There are some things I’m really enjoying, and other things, well, not so much.

The Gist

Bell is a young adventurer that is dead set on one goal – becoming stronger. His heart is bigger than his brain, however; at least in the early stages of the game. Bell finds himself completely overwhelmed and has to be rescued by fellow adventurer, Ais. This is where the game begins to differentiate itself from the actual anime a bit. In an interesting twist, the player gets to experience events unfold from the perspective of Ais.

Fans of the anime will recognize Ais as the beautiful swordmaster which Bell falls in love with after she rescues him…twice. Just like the anime, Bell is tasked with earning enough of Ais’s respect that she eventually decides to train him. Both warriors set out to become stronger and make their respective familias proud. “Familias” are guild-like groups which are dedicated to goddesses and have chosen to live in the earthly world of Orario.

Infinite Combate is a truly engaging RPG in terms of story and creativity. In the important area of character development, this game has easily claimed the top spot over other previously released, anime-based RPGs of 2020. Unfortunately, combat has been fairly underwhelming, so far – it’s not bad, but it’s extremely generic for an action RPG. Melee has a tendency to feel a bit clunky, and spells are somewhat obsolete because most enemies can be defeated simply by spamming basic attacks.

The art style is also a bit of a head scratcher. The anime features beautiful, hand drawn cel-shading while the game jettisons it in favor of bland, chibi-styled 3D rendering. It’s not terrible, but (in my opinion) signals that some aspects of the game might have been rushed a bit. I honestly believe I could provide a review of Infinite Combate right now if not for a yearning to see how the romance mechanic may – or may not – add depth to an already entertaining story. Either way, it has been an interesting addition and I’m hoping it’s worth the effort to continue to explore the complexities of anime love.

+

• Engaging story
• Top-notch character development
• Interesting romance options

–

• Simple, clunky combat
• Bland art style

Come back soon for my full review!