The Hundred Line: Last Defence Academy

We covered a preview of this game back in February, and due to a deluge of games it's taken a while to get to a review proper.

The good news is that all those initial good vibes carry through to the full game, which is a wonderfully character driven affair that mixes the best of the Persona series with the visual-novel storytelling sensibilities of Danganronpa. No mean trick to pull off on paper, but the game manages to balance intense storytelling, great characters and excellent RPG mechanics to create what will be, in time, considered one of the great tactical RPG's of our era. 

Let's step back and remind ourselves of what's happening here. 15 students are tasked with defending their school for 100 days against vile creatures intent on ending them. Can everyone make it to the end of the line and learn the truth about these attacks, or is it curtains for all involved? The fist ever collaboration between Kasutaka Kodaka (Danganronpa) and Kotaro Uchikoshi (Zero Escape) the pair apparently put it all on the line - reputation, time and finances - to create what they felt would be the ultimate adventure title. Safe to say they've done a damn fine job and if the online feedback is anything to go by, they've cemented themselves as masters of their craft.

So what works? Let's start with presentation. It's lively and fun with great character designs that stick with you. Animations during dialogue scenes keeps everything feeling fresh, and you'll feel like you're genuinely engaging with these characters (thanks to the excellent vocal talent), even trapped as they are behind the screen. The battles are cleanly presented, with clear objectives, upgrade paths and attack options. If you're at all familiar with tactical RPG's, you'll find this a doddle to pick up and play. For those that are new, it's easy enough to grasp, so you won't feel overwhelmed. 

Battles are easy to follow and look great

Since I've already gone over the basics in my previous article, let me post it here to save my fingers;

You're given the power to activate your "Hemoanima", a blood based power activated by stabbing yourself in the chest. This allows you to take the battle to the invader via a grid system that uses action points to dictate your available options in terms of attack, defence and special abilities. Win/Lose conditions are outlined before the fighting begins so that you can work on your strategy, the grid squares are coloured to show areas you can move to (green) and those you can attack (red). You're able to save unused action points for the next turn, which again has to play into your strategy as you need to keep the field clear of minor enemies (which will swarm you if left unchecked) and leaving enough room to go after the main threat. Once the baddie is on its knees, you can choose which character will deliver the killing blow, the side effect of which is an upgrade to their Hemoanima abilities. 

These decisions will upgrade your characters and grant them abilities, so decide quickly who you want to work most closely with and make wise choices so that you aren't overwhelmed later in the game. There's lots of variety here too, whether it's a character on a motorbike (giving them greater mobility) or utilising a character that can increase her attack power after each successive kill, making it a solid tactic to have her take out the fodder before throwing her at the boss fully charged. It's smart.

Combat is well animated, with beautifully framed shots of the characters as they release their voltage attacks, all as smooth as you like on Steam Deck. 

Amen to that, sister!

Despite many of the characters arguably being tropes, the game is full of great dialogue, arguably some of the best characterisation from either contributor and that's a high bar already. Each of your classmates is memorable, funny, sad and worth saving. The strategy element may only take up the minority of your game time, but it's all vital to moving things along. Unlike last year's Goblin Slayer game, where the story was slow and the strategy elements were very basic, The Hundred Line sparkles from the moment you pop it on. Takumi Sumino is a likeable protagonist, with enough personality to make him more than just a placeholder for the player, but with enough dialogue options to make him your own. Mysterious Sirei is a typical advisor-type, ostensibly helping but clearly keeping vital information out of the reach of our team. It adds a nice bit of tension to the game and provides a driver for you to explore the alleged 100 endings that drip feed details on every replay. 

Character designs are dark and beautiful

If there's a downside to the interactions, it's that not every line is read aloud, but that would be rather demanding, and we get enough that we understand the character and hear them in our head while reading.

I mentioned Persona earlier, and the similarity here is in the calendar - you'll have free time between attacks and it's up to you in both how and with whom you spend it - your choices will unleash new skills and forge new bonds via a Social Link system. You can indulge in VR battles and even explore the grounds, an act played out in a board game setting. In these events, you're presented with a board populated by points that are differentiated by colour to determine risk - you'll be able to pick up items, take on enemies or engage in an interlude that will gain or lose you something based on the outcome. It's a nice way to present exploration, with fast-travel points revealed when you get far enough. However, you'll have to judge the risk against the reward, which can be severe. The random nature of the board means that even if things are going well, it can turn sour quickly with a character taking huge damage and setting you back. It certainly adds to that tension I spoke about earlier. 

So between the combat, story and presentation, this feels like a bravura performance from the creators involved. It's disheartening to hear that they had to risk so much to bring the game to an audience that's been starved of truly great titles of late, but fingers crossed the gamble pays off for them. If you haven't picked this up already based on hype, take it from us that it's well deserved and a great game to dive into.