Open the grimoire once more in 2023
The latest from Vanillaware has a western release date. GrimGrimoire OnceMore arrives for PlayStation 4, PS5, and Nintendo Switch on April 4, 2023.
This remaster of Vanillaware’s PlayStation 2 game GrimGrimoire updated the resolution and screen ratio, while also adding some new gameplay features. New and improved mechanics have been added to its magical school RTS battles, too.
The setup of GrimGrimoire OnceMore is that you’re Lillet Blan, a new student at Silver Star Tower, training to become a great magician. But as mysteries and secrets are uncovered, Lillet will have to fight using her familiars to uncover the truth.
It’s a bit of a strange set-up, but looks absolutely gorgeous in motion. I’m personally pretty interested in this just to see the RTS development of Vanillaware’s from years past. The studio is well-known for its 2D action games, but 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim also took on a strategy approach and knocked it out of the park, becoming one of my favorite games of 2020.
Play it one more time
Seeing more of Vanillaware’s back catalog get the remaster treatment is certainly exciting, too. Between 13 Sentinels and the Odin Sphere remake, I’ve been drawn back into the studio’s work. So getting to see another piece of its history updated for modern consoles is a delight.
With English and Japanese voice options, new spells to wield, and more to explore, there’s a lot to like here. GrimGrimoire is charging into a heavily packed 2023 launch lineup, for sure. But with April looking particularly thin if you’re not a Dead Island fan, I think there will be some time found to play through this one.
