Even if it can get a bit repetitive, God Eater 3 is creative action RPG that is perfectly at home on the Nintendo Switch. The premise is an interesting evolution for the series, the downtrodden characters are easy to sympathize with, and the combat is both fun and rewarding in short bursts.
God Eater 3
Developer: Bandai Namco
Price: $60
Platforms: PS4, Nintendo Switch (reviewed), and PC
MonsterVine was provided with a Switch code for review
When I reviewed God Eater Resurrection back in 2016, I was impressed with its gloomy atmosphere and memorable characters. God Eater 3 has a similar spirit to Resurrection in that way, hitting you right off the bat with an even more hopeless world than before. Unfortunately, it also carries over the somewhat repetitive nature of Resurrection.
You start God Eater 3 as a child in handcuffs. After being turned into a God Eater (a person capable of wielding the deadly God Arc weapons), time flashes forward, where you’re now a young adult in those same handcuffs. Instead of being part of a proud organization or scrappy team of pals, you’re a prisoner to the government who lives only to kill the monstrous Aragami that have ravaged the planet. Because of your biological makeup, you can survive the deadly ash-storms that Aragami thrive in, making you into perfect tools.
The only people that care about you are your cellmate team members, as the guards and officials couldn’t care less about your life. This makes the main team incredibly sympathetic right from the beginning, as they’re a tight-knit group of oppressed individuals who want nothing more than to live. More kind characters are introduced as time goes on, and many of them are strong as well, but the start of the story is particularly strong from an emotional standpoint. The introduction of Phym, a mysterious young girl, makes your team even more emotionally engaging.
God Eater 3’s gameplay is quite similar to previous entries, as you spend most of the game embarking on missions that revolve around slaying weak and strong Aragami alike. Combat is your standard action-RPG fare, though your God Arc weapon can devour pieces of dead enemies to use as materials to upgrade your equipment. You use a melee weapon, a gun, and a shield in combat, all of which can be upgraded, implanted with new skills or replaced with shiny new weapons built from gathered materials. It’s like Monster Hunter in that improving your loadout is always an enjoyable goal between missions, as you’re constantly unlocking new blueprints with improved stats and designs.
“Playing a few missions here and there is the best way to play the game, as playing for too long gets pretty tiring.“
The other most unique part of combat is the “Engage” mechanic, which links you and a teammate together to do bonus damage and other beneficial effects. You can change these bonuses, as well as your party’s skills, while you’re away from a battle, which provides a good amount of customizability for your specific gameplay style.
The mission-based structure makes God Eater 3 easy to play in small sessions, which is great for two reasons. Firstly, the game gets repetitive quickly. Playing a few missions here and there is the best way to play the game, as playing for too long gets pretty tiring. Secondly, this structure is perfect for the pick-up-and-play nature of the Nintendo Switch, making it a perfect fit for the console.
The visuals of God Eater 3 are sufficient, with the Switch version looking adequate and running smoothly all-around. The designs of the numerous Aragami you battle are the visual highlight of God Eater 3, as their intricate gothic designs are incredibly creative and a morbid pleasure to look at. There’s a lot of room to get creative in avatar customization as well, meaning you can make your ideal self easily.
The Final Word
It can get repetitive, but God Eater 3 is an overall strong action-RPG that’s best played in short bursts. It has an immediately interesting story, memorable characters, and impressive enemy designs. If you’ve enjoyed previous God Eater titles, God Eater 3 won’t disappoint.
MonsterVine Review Score: 4 out of 5 – Good
