Asdivine Dios

Over the years, Kemco has evolved since they arrived in the video game industry. However in the last decade, they have thrived in the mobile game space publishing RPGs. One series in particular that has done quite well is the Asdivine series by developer Exe-Create. In 2015, Kemco and Exe-Create released their newest game at the time in the series for Android and iOS devices: Asdivine Dios.

A Deity and His Spirits

The story of Asdivine Dios is one that will feel quite familiar to those who have played similar games in the past, such as those in the famed Final Fantasy series. You play as a deity named Izayoi, who’s sole existence is to protect the land of Asdivine and the humans that live there.

As time has passed, a negative energy unknowingly created by the humans – known as the “Murk” – has grown to the point in which it has corrupted both plants and animals into deadly beasts. Izayoi sets out with his trusty Spirit companions on a journey to stop the land from collapsing under the Murk.

Dios is a Japanese role playing game, or JRPG as it’s more commonly referred to. You’ll find many of the classic tropes of a JRPG in this game. From the good vs evil story, to the campy dialogue, all the way to the eye-catching manga-art style. Dios doesn’t try too hard to stray from the tried-and-true formula, which means true fans of the genre will appreciate what Dios has to offer, while others may not.

Together Now, in Unison!

You might have guessed it, Dios uses a turn-based combat system when faced with a battle. You’ll have your standard attacks, items, and special skills that are unique to your characters. As you level your characters up, you’ll learn even more powerful skills. You’ll also be finding new weapons and equipment along the way that you can equip that help with buffing your team.

What really separates Dios from other games in the series is the Unison system. It’s when two characters combine either two skills or two types of magic to create much more powerful effects. You’ll have fun experimenting by combining each character and their skills with another. These are crucial during boss battles as they deal heavy damage.

Standing Out from the Crowd

What this game has a tough time doing is standing out from the hundreds, if not thousands of cookie-cutter JRPG games on the market. The Unison system is unique to the Asdivine series, but not JRPGS as a whole. I found myself wandering around the world map looking for new, exciting activities to do but they are all focused around the main story.

One side activity that is available that you may want to give a try is the Coliseum. You’ll be able to face increasingly harder enemies from your adventure that will offer great rewards. This offers a bit of reprieve from the main story line, but it’s not much. If there were more activities like this, it would absolutely add to the game’s depth.

Now the art style within Asdivine is in line with the rest of the series. You may see some blurred sprites during battle, with it being worse on some platforms. That being said, the colors are vibrant and each monster has a unique look.

One struggle I was having was with the Japanese to English translation of the game. In some paragraphs; words and apostrophes would be missing and the incorrect capitalization was used. While you can still get the general gist of what they are saying, it’s a bit distracting. If you combine this with the overall tacky dialogue between your Sprit companions and Izayoi, it can be a tough read in some parts.

Pros

• Fun Unison combat system that is unique to the Asdivine series
• Tactical, turn-based combat
• Lot of equipment and weapons to find, use, and synthesize

Cons

• Blurry sprites during battles on some platforms
• Incorrect translation from Japanese -> English
• Not much to do outside of the main story