90
Battle system aside, Radiant Historia is such an amazing masterpiece of a game, one that is made even more masterful by a remake that almost invalidates the original, that it becomes easy to overlook a busted battle system that, in all honesty, should have been replaced in a remake so well done as this one. If your Nintendo 3DS is collecting dust, it is time to bust out the Swiffer, clean the old girl off and buckle up for one of the greatest adventures ever to appear on a portable system.
80
If you missed playing its DS version back in 2011, take this as an opportunity to change your own timeline and experience it now! [Issue #33 – May/June 2018, p. 68]
90
The additional content may not be substantial enough to entice seasoned players, but it adds to the complete lore, so hardcore fans may find it still worthwhile. Not to mention that the game adds at least 10 hours to an existing 40-60 hour playtime. Newcomers and veterans who want to relive the excellent story, time-travel mechanics, and combat system will find Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology to be worth their… time.
9
[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
7
Radiant Historia's graphics, music, and especially the story are all top notch, making it one of the best games on the 3DS. However I cannot give it anything higher than a 7 due to the insane amount of backtracking that you have to do in order to get the True Ending which was added in Perfect Chronology. You are essentially required to play the game twice in addition to a new character who helps you do so after getting the normal ending. I feel like this game borders on being a visual novel more than it does an RPG at times and I recommend switching to easy mode afterwards to skip all the battles since your party will be at its max strength anyway. Despite this design flaw, it is a really special game. Stocke is a remarkable protagonist who knows when to shut up (I wish the other characters in this game did too); to go back and do the right thing is something we've all wanted to do at least once, and his journey is heartening and unforgettable.
9
a great rpg you probably never played
my review was short and sweet and i just need 75 characters
Radiant Historia
3DS
Released On:
Feb 13, 2018
Metascore
Generally Favorable
85
User score
Generally Favorable
8.6
My Score
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
85
98% Positive
43 Reviews
43 Reviews
2% Mixed
1 Review
1 Review
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Feb 12, 2018
92
At the end of the day, whether you’re taking a nostalgia trip back in time to revisit this classic or if you find yourself in Historia for the first time, it’s definitely worth playing.
Feb 19, 2018
90
This is an intense, clever, thoughtful and intellectually challenging JRPG that should remind people that when it comes to this genre, visual presentation and even the gameplay itself aren’t the drawcard. It’s that story that counts, and Radiant Historia manages to achieve something truly remarkable in giving players a time travelling plot that is genuinely interesting and worthwhile.
User score
Generally Favorable
8.6
85% Positive
115 Ratings
115 Ratings
10% Mixed
14 Ratings
14 Ratings
5% Negative
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
Nov 4, 2024
10
Just replayed Radiant Historia Perfect Chronology again on my 3DS recently and is still as amazing as I remember. This is definitely my favorite 3DS game and a easy 10/10 masterpiece. The writing is topnotch something you rarely see nowadays and even back then it was among the best written stories. The character interactions feel so genuine and so well executed. The time travel is extremely well done something what is hard to do considering how easily you can create plot holes with such a story device. The writers created many rules to overcome time travel plot holes and retcon's down the line. In my opinion this is the better Chrono Trigger and is a shame that Atlus still didn't Remastered or Remade this masterpiece. The gameplay is also very unique with only enemies having a grid base system and the fact that you can move enemies around and it gives so many options in battle and all battles are fun. I hope to see this game one day on modern platforms but for now I can only review this 3DS version. This game is a easy 10/10 and a recommendation from me to any JEPG fan, please if you never played this game play it, now!
Apr 25, 2024
10
Radiant Historia es un RPG impresionante en todos sus aspectos. La forma en que cuenta la historia es muy original y única. Los personajes y la historia son interesantes y con buen desarrollo, la mecánica de combate y exploración es muy buena, la música y el apartado artístico son preciosos, y técnicamente es perfecto. No puedo decir nada malo porque en mi opinión no lo tiene, siendo mi juego favorito de 3DS. Si te gustan los RPG es imprescindible.
Feb 5, 2018
90
The core game here is already so strong and so engrossing that more content is good no matter how necessary it might be. I’m thrilled Radiant Historia is back on a modern system, especially since the new release is now the best, definitive way to experience a masterful RPG.
Mar 17, 2018
85
Many remakes and remasters fall short of reaching the success of their predecessors, but Perfect Chronology is not one of those. While the new content is mostly optional and the aesthetics virtually identical, the experience of the first Radiant Historia is preserved the way it should be, with the gameplay tweaks benefiting the overall experience.
Feb 18, 2018
82
Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology is a massive RPG for a handheld console with a serious and involving story that'll keep you hooked as you travel back and forth in time to unlock each new event only to finally reach the plot's satisfying climax.
Feb 13, 2018
80
Plenty of experimental RPGs failed miserably in the attempt, but Radiant Historia is one of the success stories. It held my interest just as well now as when I played it on the DS, and experiencing the new content was quite enjoyable. Hopefully the audience it didn't quite find in its initial release learns about it now, particularly the many outside North America who can now experience it without importing, and I give Atlus kudos for another top-notch title brought out of Japan.
Feb 6, 2018
60
The new difficulty options, bonus dungeon, voice acting, and new character portraits feel peripheral to a game that remains largely intact.
May 12, 2022
10
I greatly recommand this excellent J-RPG. Good writing, good narration et really good gameplay.
Mar 20, 2022
10
Atlas are very hit and miss for me. From the amazing Catherine, to the amazingly overated let down that is Persona 5. I got the demo simply because I recognised the title. I saw Atlas and thought oh no, another J borefest. I really loved everything I saw and found the battle system very enjoyable. It looks and sounds fantastic. I think the DS version looks a bit better though. The DS portraits look a lot better. I wish people would stop rating games beard on their opinion of the company though. Not liking a companies practices does not make the game bad. If a supermarket sells amazing steak but you hate the supermarket, would you give the steak a 1 star review?
Feb 10, 2026
7
Radiant Historia's graphics, music, and especially the story are all top notch, making it one of the best games on the 3DS. However I cannot give it anything higher than a 7 due to the insane amount of backtracking that you have to do in order to get the True Ending which was added in Perfect Chronology. You are essentially required to play the game twice in addition to a new character who helps you do so after getting the normal ending. I feel like this game borders on being a visual novel more than it does an RPG at times and I recommend switching to easy mode afterwards to skip all the battles since your party will be at its max strength anyway. Despite this design flaw, it is a really special game. Stocke is a remarkable protagonist who knows when to shut up (I wish the other characters in this game did too); to go back and do the right thing is something we've all wanted to do at least once, and his journey is heartening and unforgettable.
May 24, 2018
1
Sub-par and unnecessary remake of the DS game. Atlus just wants to make quick money off of small-brained fans of their branding and total newcomers to their games instead of making new games.
