There’s a slight blurriness to the Nintendo Swap debut model of final yr’s Stay A Stay remake. The picture high quality simply isn’t the best, however it’s hardly a dealbreaker. On the time, my thought was that whereas the sport’s attractive utilization of Sq. Enix’s HD-2D engine would flourish on stronger {hardware}, it was hardly sufficient of a problem to inform people to attend on potential ports.
Oops, proper? Right here we’re, lower than a yr later, and now you can take a look at this daring and surprising remake of a beforehand Japan-only JRPG on not simply Swap, however PC and PlayStation consoles as properly. What we’ve got been given with these ports is the best-looking and smoothest-running model(s).
I booted up Stay A Stay on my Swap on considered one of my two TVs, and my PS5 on the opposite, and the distinction was larger than I might have anticipated. I’m not speaking in technical phrases right here – I’m no Digital Foundry! – however from a purely beginner perspective, I can safely say Stay A Stay on PlayStation 5 is crisp sufficient by comparability that you simply’ll doubtless be impressed, too.
However then I obtained to pondering, properly, Stay A Stay could look greatest past Nintendo’s bounds, however is that sufficient to suggest portable-loving avid gamers skip the Swap? It’s true, it is a terrific sport for on-the-go classes; it’s easy sufficient at its core which you could dive proper again into considered one of its a number of story eras for a couple of moments whereas on breaks and commutes. (The fight, whereas neat, is hardly the deepest within the style.)
That’s the place the Steam Deck is available in, proper? I don’t personally personal one, however from what I’ve researched, the PC model of Stay A Stay is mainly ‘PS5 with extra choices’, and the sport is verified for Steam Deck compatibility. Impulsively, I’m pondering it’s downright inarguable that this nifty role-playing sport is healthier than ever in 2023.
So, that’s cool. However how is the sport itself? For those who’re solely simply now trying into Stay A Stay, know that it’s an HD-2D reimagining of considered one of Sq.’s stranger titles. The unique got here out manner again in 1994, and it stars a gaggle of heroes from separate factors in our world’s timeline – from Prehistoric Instances, to Historic China, to the Wild West and Edo-period Japan, on to Current Day, the Close to Future, and lastly the Distant Future. (There’s an eighth, within the Center Ages, however you unlock it afterward.)
After you’ve performed every hero’s episode, together with the Center Ages unlock, a remaining chapter binds all of it collectively. It’s a bit like Octopath Traveler – the inevitable trendy comparability – however… cheekier? Quirkier? There’s lots of silliness in right here, although there are some prime bits of well-earned drama as properly. The tone ranges drastically between eras, so that you’re sure to seek out no less than a pair you like; I can’t stand the writing within the Prehistoric chapter, for instance, however I like Edo and the Close to Future.
Battles play out in grid-based fight; each time you progress somebody an area, the enemy items’ personal flip timers cost as much as the purpose that finally they’ll assault. It’s nothing excellent, however then, it’s a pumped-up rendition of one thing novel and distinctive from 29 years in the past. For a (far) extra detailed overview of Stay A Stay, swing by our unique evaluate.
I nonetheless pinch myself that Stay A Stay obtained a remake. The old-school Sq. fan in me wonders what else we would see in HD-2D within the years to return. For now, I’m pleased to have replayed this unusual and fascinating traditional with shinier graphics and silky-smooth efficiency.
Model Examined: PlayStation 5
Disclaimer: Assessment code offered by the writer Sq. Enix.