Akatsuki: Lord of the Dawn (PS5) | REVIEW | Auto-Battler Meets Medieval Military SRPG!!!

Akatsuki: Lord of the Dawn, is a casual strategy RPG auto-battler with rogue-lite features. It comes to us from indie friendly publisher EastAsiaSoft at the usual budget pricing. This miniaturized medieval SRPG has all the hallmarks of a larger, more prestigious game, but features that familiar EastAsiaSoft indie aesthetic. Though it features pint-sized pixel characters in a scaled-down world torn apart by war against and evil demon lord it is robust in both it's replay value, and party management systems. Something that may or may not appeal to diehard fans of the genre?

As Ark, a king appointed inheritor to his late father's role, you must embark on a mission to help the remnants of civilization deal with the leftovers of the demon lord's army. In your quest you must not only fight with an army of your own by your side to rid the land of these vile creatures, but you must also work for those in need to better society, and better equip your army with the best equipment while constructing material lucrative farming sites on the various islands that you travel to. In doing so you gain the materials necessary for quest completion, and for use for your own party's needs. Leaving the bulk of your actions centered around a repeat combat session loop that utilizes cooldown skill cards, and Mia's signature healing skill. 

In the way of party management you will find that you are initially given 5 free party members each with a base skill that can be activated on cooldown when out on the battlefield through tiled island access. Party members take on the usual RPG class roles with some being more of an offensive, defensive, assist oriented, or ranged class type. There's also a hierarchy of party recruit classes for each class that will become available as you level up your recruits, each of which are obtainable using the gold currency you earn by completing main quest objectives and guild side quests. 

In total you can have up to 15 party members per party, but it's only the top five that come with the skill cooldown cards for use in battle. For those looking to have backup parties for specific occasions this can also be done through party management, thus allowing you to pick which party to take into battle under the lead of Ark. In tandem with the base party member assignment you will need to upgrade, and level up each recruit using gold to do so. This opens up class specific buffs as well as improves upon base unit stats per level increase. In each party member's menu you'll also find two slots of equipment, one for a weapon and another for a shield, armor, or ring. These too act to buff party member performance.

From the hub world to the battlefield, and back again exists the cycle with which you'll progress the plot and farm for resources needed to pad out your parties. The hub world itself consists of an island specific display with tiled areas of interest that can be explored, or constructed on after you have battled successfully on them. Usually when first making it to a new island you'll get acquainted, through conversation, with the locals in need. This sets off a series of main quests ultimately leading to the next island when you've completed your tasks.

It is through this tiled map display that you'll also gain access to a series of menus that include all the crafting, recruiting, and kingdom plotting needed to create a lucrative farming experience that pays on a daily and nightly cycle for deeds rendered. You'll find a special skill tree in this menu system tied to the upgrading of crafting and farming efforts as well as skill trees tied to class performance, and formation tactics. Each of which requires the gathered resources and gold to improve upon and make use of. 

Alongside the crafting and land management you'll doing guild side quests which will reward you with class level up currencies, gold, materials, and special equipment rewards for basically killing certain monsters or farming/crafting a set amount of resources. Between the battling, party management, and land management you'll have a lot to tend to as you go about upgrading everything as the world and threats around you grow increasingly more formidable in kind.

The battle, the crux of combat, has you and up to 15 party members out on a side-scrolling battlefield exchanging blows on the regular like an auto-battler as you select cooldown skills when available, and apply Mia's healing skill when it's up for use. Initially going in you can choose from only one party formation tied to the DPad buttons allowing for Mia's healing benefit. By playing, and upgrading to a point you'll eventually unlock the other three formations with their own unique gameplay bonuses, and be able to switch between them with a pressing of a DPad direction. Battle, in essence, is a streamlined affair that's all about staying alive long enough to clear out the enemies, so that you can use the resources gained to complete main objectives as well as guild quests. 

The Verdict ...

Akatsuki: Lord of the Dawn, is a micro-management heavy strategy RPG game with an auto-battler spin. With the sum of it's parts it manages to create an addictively rewarding gameplay loop that will have you invested for hours. It is made to be a more casual experience though, more akin to the Survivors-like genre. The probability of failure is almost zero, because of this, unless you get intentionally careless. For what it costs you'll be getting much more than your money's worth in return. It's a game that is highly addictive, and quite hard to put down.