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The studio gained a cult following thanks to games like Odin Sphere and GrimGrimoire with their high-resolution 2D artwork and aptitude for telling a great story. This timeless art design continues to this day and their most recent title 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim has gained the studio a more mainstream following. As a studio with such a good pedigree, all of Vanillaware’s games are great this list aims to rank the best.

6 Fantasy Earth Zero

Release : 2010 Platform : PC

As the studio’s first title Fantasy Zero Earth is arguably their least known. It’s also an online-only free-to-play MMORPG that was developed under their former studio name Puraguru. Moreover, its development is now handled by a completely different studio named SoftGear.

At the time of its release, Fantasy Earth Zero was considered overly ambitious, and there were problems at launch. As a result, it’s critically the studio’s worst even though critics were still complimentary of the game’s art design and gameplay mechanics.

5 Muramasa: The Demon Blade

Release : 2009 Platform : PS Vita and the Wii

Action RPG Muramasa: The Demon Blade takes inspiration from classic 2D side-scrolling beat-em-ups while also implementing an RPG system. As always, Muramasa has Vanillaware’s distinctive art design and storytelling.

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The game takes place during Japan’s Edo period while it also adapts the Japanese Folklore and mythology creating an intriguing world with a gripping storyline. Furthermore, the soundtrack is outstanding featuring some of the studio’s most emotional scores to date.

4 GrimGrimoire

Release : 2007 Platform : PS2, PS4, and the Switch

Taking inspiration from the Harry Potter franchise, GrimGrimoire is a real-time strategy RPG based in a magic school called the Tower of Silver Star. The protagonist Lilet is stuck in a five-day loop as she tries to prevent an attack on the school. Despite taking inspiration from J.K Rowling’s wizarding series, GrimGrimoire is a dark and original title with stunning visuals and accessible combat.

Each time loop will reveal more about the school, its inhabitants, and the reasons behind the attack. It’s a complex premise and it served as the basis for the time-traveling storyline in Vanillaware’s 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim. GrimGrimoire is getting a remaster set to be released in Japan in July 2022 and with the success of 13 Sentinels, it’s likely the game will reach Western shores later this year.

3 Odin Sphere

Release : 2007 Platform : PS2, PS3, PS4, and PS Vita

Released in 2007, Odin Sphere is less complex than GrimGrimoire which was released the same year as it features classical beat-em-up style gameplay mechanics. the game maintains Vanillaware’s approach to visuals, storytelling, and epic sound design.

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Odin Sphere features an almost Neverending Story-like narrative that focuses on a young girl named Alice reading a book in her attic. There are 6 intertwined stories each with lots of content and a compelling world that will keep the player hooked for hours. In 2016, Odin Sphere was remastered and released on the PS4 as Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir and is the best version to date thanks to its HD visuals, improved combat, and sound design.

2 Dragon’s Crown

Release : 2013 Platform : PS3, PS4, and PS Vita

Just like Odin Sphere, Dragon’s Crown features some light RPG mechanics, but the combat is deep but accessible and satisfying. The heavily stylized characters have raised some eyebrows with their depictions of overly muscled men and women with oversized chests but with Frazetta’s fantasy works as an influence it shouldn’t come as a surprise to those that are familiar with them. The gameplay is fantastic whether one is playing in its single-player mode or as part of a multiplayer team and next to Streets of Rage 4it’s one of the best co-op beat-em-ups available on any system.

1 13 Sentinals Aegis Rim

Release : 2020 Platform : PS4 and Switch

As something of a sleeper hit in 2020, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim exceeded even the publisher’s expectations when it became difficult to find physical copies of the game upon release. It became Vanillaware’s biggest success and with a port landing on the Nintendo Switch, the game’s well-deserved success looks to continue.

13 Sentinels features a non-linear time-traveling story as it’s set in a world that’s being attacked by Pacific-Rim-like Kaiju. Players follow the stories of 13 teenagers during different periods in their lives in a visual novel-style adventure game. The combat uses a real-time strategy system that’s similar to GrimGrimoire and just like that game, doesn’t crumble under the weight of a deep narrative that is set in different timelines.

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