Atlus has announced that 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim will be heading west to PS4 on September 8, 2020. The latest game from Vanillaware (the developer behind Muramasa: The Demon Blade, Odin Sphere, and Dragon’s Crown), 13 Sentinels shifts away from the studio’s typical fantasy setting and jumps into a futuristic Japanese one. It released last November in Japan, but delays brought on by the COVID-19 outbreak delayed localization efforts.

To that end, only Japanese voice-overs will be available at launch. A free patch will add an English option sometime after launch. To make up for that, pre-orders of 13 Sentinels will include an exclusive artbook. Should you go the digital route, a digital artbook will be available to download from the PlayStation Store. The game will be available for $59.99 via either option.

A new trailer reveals some of the story details and introduces us to the various characters populating this futuristic title. It seems like a rather serious game from the way the dialogue is presented. Everything is rendered in the lovely 2D style that Vanillaware is known for. It honestly makes me wish we could see Muramasa on a modern console.

If you’re unsure about 13 Sentinels, Atlus would like to remind you of the accolades it received in Japan. IGN Japan ranked it as the sixth-best game of 2019. Weekly Famitsu listed it in 10th place for “PS4 Must-Play Titles” along with giving it an award for “Best Scenario” and “Best Adventure.” That’s certainly some high praise.

13 Sentinels breaks up its top-down mech action with character interactions and short cutscenes. It could almost be compared to the Persona series, save for the fact that it’s not an RPG. It could be considered a kind of “best of” for Vanillaware’s previous games, containing inspiration from basically everything the studio has worked on prior.

I’ve got to say, I’m very enthused with the art style. I’m willing to give the game a shot based on that alone. It’s very rare that we get to see completely 2D games anymore, so anything with pixel art intrigues me. Couple that with an anime-themed Doomsday story and I’m all in.

Source: Atlus PR