Review: GrimGrimoire OnceMore

destructoid.com:

Since I first played Muramasa: The Demon Blade on the Nintendo Wii, I’ve made it a personal mission of mine to play every Vanillaware title I can on as many platforms as I can. That’s how I ended up owning three copies of Dragon’s Crown, and two copies each of Muramasa, 13 Sentinels, and Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir. I just can’t get enough of their games. With consistently outstanding visuals and excellent gameplay, I have yet to be disappointed by a Vanillaware title. In fact, after playing through GrimGrimoire OnceMore, I’m not sure this developer is capable of making a game I won’t like.

GrimGrimoire OnceMore (PS4, PS5, Switch [reviewed])Developer: VanillawarePublisher: NIS AmericaReleased: April 4, 2023MSRP: $49.99

Set in a world that is definitely not Harry Potter but also not not Harry Potter, GrimGrimoire OnceMore follows the exploits of Lillet Blan, a new student at Silver Star Tower. It’s the former home of the Archmage, who many years ago was defeated by…sigh…Gammel Dore, who turned the tower into a magic academy. Lillet is there to learn from the great magicians housed inside, but her arrival coincides with a secret plot that seeks to wreak havoc on the school and its teachers. On her fifth day of lessons, tragedy strikes, and Lillet is thrown into a time loop that has her reliving her first five days at the school, giving her a chance to get to the bottom of this murderous mystery.

To keep her teachers and fellow students from meeting an early grave, Lillet will often have to defeat them on the battlefield. In each of GrimGrimoire OnceMore’s chapters, you’ll attempt to lead Lillet to victory in 2D real-time strategy battles. If you’re coming to this straight from 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, know that the RTS