I recently got a chance to play Vixen 357 on the PlayStation 5 Pro, thanks to a review code provided by Ratalaika Games.
You can find my gameplay video, as well as my impressions, below:
Pros:
- Cinematic presentation.
- Long and epic battles.
- Added quality of life features.
Cons:
- None.
Overall:
Vixen 357 is a turn-based strategy game that was released for the Sega Genesis in 1992. The original only came out in Japanese. Thanks to Ratalaika Games, the game is now officially available in English on modern platforms.
For its time, the game is quite cinematic with an anime-like intro. Not to mention that there are battle animations that play out every time an attack in initiated, showing off two giant mechs dueling it out. These animations can be turned off at any time if you get tired of them.
In terms of gameplay, you move around your mechs, which are called Vectors, in grids. Once you get a ship, you can transport and heal your mechs in groups.
Each mech pilot and mechs have different stats and abilities. Not to mention that you also have to take into account the terrain as it can limit movement while providing buffs and debuffs.
Vixen 357 is brutally difficult, especially in stage 14. To make matters worse, the permadeath feature means that you can soft lock your progress if you lose enough of your team. Fortunately, the new version comes with the cheats, including invulnerability. There is another cheat where you can drop the final boss’ HP to 1, which saves you from an extremely long fight.
Overall, Vixen 357 is a great turn-based strategy RPG featuring a dark and cinematic story. The added quality of life features open the game up to more causal players, while the original difficulty is still there for those who want to authentic brutal experience.
If you are a fan of turn-based strategy JRPGs, then Vixen 357 is a must play.