is a Japanese

role-playing video game A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...

developed by Studio Saizensen and published by FuRyu, developer of ''

Unchained Blades ''Unchained Blades'', titled in Japan, is a dungeon crawler role-playing video game developed by Japanese developer FuRyu for the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Portable video game consoles. It was released in Japan on July 14, 2011, and in North ...

'' and ''

Last Bullet A last is a mechanical form shaped like a human foot. It is used by shoemakers and cordwainers in the manufacture and repair of shoes. Lasts typically come in pairs and have been made from various materials, including hardwoods, cast iron, and ...

''. It was released in Japan on November 7, 2013 for the

Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generatio ...

and

PlayStation Vita The PlayStation Vita (PS Vita, or Vita) is a handheld video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on December 17, 2011, and in North America, Europe, and other international territo ...

. Due to the expiration of ClariS's music license, the game can no longer be purchased digitally on Nintendo 3DS since May 30, 2018.

Gameplay

''Exstetra'' is a traditional

in the vein of the ''

Tales Tales may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Tales'' (album), a 1995 album by Marcus Miller * ''Tales'' (film), a 2014 Iranian film * ''Tales'' (TV series), an American television series * ''Tales'' (video game), a 2016 point-and-click adventure ...

'' series, except with a turn based battle system. Characters are able to transfer energy between one another via kissing. EXS energy is obtained by defeating monsters, and is used towards special techniques. Players are also able to upgrade their weapons and armor by 'enchanting' them, and abilities become stronger depending on how many times the gear has been enchanted. Enchantment stones are able to be purchased, but can also be obtained from defeated enemies.

Story

The game's overall theme is "saving the world with a kiss". The main character, a male teenager called Ryoma, has the ability to "kiss", and, in effect, " absorb" energy from enemies, and use that energy to create "miracles". The game's setting has been described as a combination of an otherworldly fantasy land that was abruptly fused with one more like a "modern-day

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

", with the game depicting the repercussions of such an event.

Development

The game was first announced in a May 2013 issue of ''

Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...

'', as a new role-playing game by FuRyu, the creators of the game ''

''. The game features artwork from '' Shining'' series artist

Tony Taka , also referred to as just , is a Japanese manga artist, video game artist and character designer. Biography Upon graduating from art design college, he first began working on advertisement designs, but in 1998 subsequently changed careers to ...

and '' Star Ocean: The Last Hope'' artist Enami Katsumi, and the main theme by ''

Kingdom Hearts is a series of action role-playing games developed and published by Square Enix (originally by Square (video game company), Square). It is a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company and is under the leadership of Tetsuya ...

'' and ''

Radiant Historia is a role-playing video game co-developed by Atlus and Headlock for the Nintendo DS. It was released in Japan in 2010 by Atlus, and in North America in 2011 by their subsidiary Atlus USA. An expanded remake for the Nintendo 3DS, titled ''Ra ...

'' composer Yoko Shimomura. The game's theme song is "With You" by

J-pop J-pop ( ja, ジェイポップ, ''jeipoppu''; often stylized as J-POP; an abbreviated form of "Japanese popular music"), natively also known simply as , is the name for a form of popular music that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1 ...

music duo ClariS. Originally scheduled for release on October 17, 2013, due to delays the release date was postponed to November 7. In September 2013,

Xseed Games Xseed Games is an American video game company founded by former members of Square Enix USA. It later became a subsidiary of the Japanese game company Marvelous, providing the localization and publishing services for video games and related mat ...

commented that the game was an unlikely candidate to be translated into English.

Reception

Four ''

'' reviewers gave ''Exstetra'' scores of 8, 8, 7 and 7, for a total score of 30/40.

References

External links

* {{in lang, ja 2013 video games Nintendo 3DS games Nintendo 3DS eShop games PlayStation Vita games Role-playing video games Video games developed in Japan Japan-exclusive video games Bishōjo games FuRyu games Single-player video games Studio Saizensen games