VARLET: When Persona 5 inspiration becomes a chore simulator.
With large shoes to fill, VARLET, developed by Aquria and released by Furyu, entered the JRPG scene. Crymachina and The Caligula Effect, developed by the Aquria studio, were games that dabbled with intriguing concepts but frequently left you unsure of whether you were playing or merely waiting for anything to happen.
Furyu, known for publishing The Alliance Alive and The Legend of Legacy, has experience with niche role-playing games and frequently collaborates with NIS America. However, VARLET‘s physical release in Japan, which includes full English, is a daring self-published step that is uncommon for Furyu.
The promise is there, but you might not get very far before realizing you’re in for a boring trip. It’s like somebody gave you the keys to a car but failed to fill up the gas tank. Still didn’t get the idea of how this game is going to turn out? VARLET sticks closely to the Persona 5 formula: existential struggles at night, school life during the day.
With a plot that promises reflection and moral complexity, you take on the role of a student juggling friendship, personal struggles, and supernatural clashes. Theoretically, players who enjoy narrative-driven JRPGs will love it. In reality, it’s more akin to being ensnared in an endless manga panel marathon. The conversation never stops.
You’ll be hitting the X button like a frantic gamer in need of help after hours of play. And no, you cannot use a single button hold to skip this dialogue, unlike in Atelier Ryza or One Piece Odyssey. The game anticipates that you will endure each excruciatingly long dialogue. Although the plot may have some validity, your patience has already lodged a formal complaint by the time you can do anything in the game.
Explore school hallways, move across surrounding areas, and take part in a variety of side activities in VARLET‘s gameplay, which is typical of JRPGs. However, the game’s charm begins to show in the side activities. These duties frequently feel more like chores meant to penalize your free time than like important content.
Run an errand there, pick up an item here, and then repeat the process. Even socializing feels like a second work because of the slow pacing and heavy language, despite social links’ attempts to liven up the experience by allowing you to engage with companions in a Persona-esque way. VARLET divides exploration, fighting, and narrative into discrete sections where you must perform tedious activities as you wait for the tale to finally give you a break.
The turn-based combat system makes an effort to set itself off from its clear Persona 5 influences, but ultimately fails. There is no strategic complexity, environmental connections, or significant positioning when players select from assault, defense, or skill options.
VARLET‘s battles are monotonous and uninspired, in contrast to what the new JRPG games are offering, where you can strategically position your group around the battlefield. There aren’t many puzzle components; thus, fighting is more of a series of predictable motions than a test of strategy or skill. Battles are more of a check-the-box requirement than an engaging gameplay loop, as they are functional but rarely interesting.
The narrative-heavy design adds to the blandness of the combat. Even the most straightforward interactions feel tedious because you spend more time sifting through conversations than organizing assaults. The enemy’s actions are predictable, and there isn’t any actual tension.
In contrast to other newly released JRPGs, where character abilities feel meaningful and fighting flows organically with story events, VARLET simply makes you tap buttons while you cry quietly inside. To put it briefly, you’re not going to find the tactical depth or dramatic battle flare you were expecting.
VARLET‘s XP accumulation is standard: level up, finish tasks, and destroy monsters. The worst part is that grinding XP doesn’t feel satisfying after spending the last 30 minutes listening to dialogue. It seems required.
You’re frequently repeating the same acts for incremental stats, thus side quests don’t really help break up the boredom. Due to this lack of motivation, advancement appears sluggish and mechanical. Yes, you advance in level, but the joy of getting stronger is overshadowed by hours of reading material that you didn’t want to read in the first place.
VARLET is capable but not particularly striking in terms of appearance. The locations are detailed, the character models are tidy, and the aesthetics of school life are handled well. Like a well-executed Instagram filter, it’s visually appealing but unmemorable.
Although they are functional, combat animations don’t improve on the fundamental turn-based structure of battles. The graphics lack the impact and flair that would cause you to pause and remark, perhaps saying something like, ‘Wow, the game is beautiful to look at,’ especially considering its close comparison to Persona 5. Although you will appreciate what you see, don’t expect the kind of cinematic awe that will cause you to overlook other shortcomings.
A similar, yet unremarkable, pattern may be observed in audio design. The ambiance is formed by background music, which never demands attention. Extended dialogue further detracts from the useful but repetitive nature of voice acting. Although they don’t thrill, combat sound effects offer feedback.
To put it briefly, the music accomplishes its goals without ever taking center stage. VARLET‘s audio just exists; it’s good, yeah, but forgettable, unlike a strong JRPG that might employ sound and music to make combat or story events memorable.
The JRPG VARLET is having trouble keeping up with its own aspirations. Its goals are turn-based combat, school-life exploration, and a rich narrative, although it doesn’t respect your time or attention span. The game was inspired by Persona 5, and it reflects it in a bad way.
While side activities and fighting feel monotonous and uninspired, progressing feels like an endurance test due to the heavy, unskippable speech. The game’s self-published Japanese physical version with English support is a rare gift for collectors, and Aquria and Furyu have produced a well-executed visual and aural experience, but the gameplay loop is far from ideal.
The majority of players will probably feel stuck in a loop of reading, mashing X, and enduring boring turn-based combat, but fans of meticulous, story-heavy JRPGs might find some moments of fun. In the end, VARLET‘s attempt to capitalize on the Persona 5 craze highlights the dangers of copying without originality.
Although the game has potential, its focus on repetitive tasks, excessive chit-chatting, and uninspired combat prevents it from being enjoyable in any significant way. In this instance, VARLET might be best enjoyed as a manga or anime, as you can at least jump to the important sections.
