• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Miitopia | Review Thread

Robin64

Member
CNCXF4V.png


Grab the demo from the 3DS eShop if you haven't, your progress carries over if you get the full game. Anyway, with it out tomorrow, I guess reviews can start appearing now.

MetaCritic Page (67)
OpenCritic Page (68)

----

Japanese Nintendo - 9 / 10 (Import Review)
Miitopia's great strengths don't lie in its (lack of) fundamental gaming mechanics but in its absolute quirkiness. The game is TOTALLY out there: from noses that sneeze at you, Mii eating burgers, the Tank class firing another Mii out of his/her turret and then the ‘weapon' falling out with their teammate, Miis missing a turn by laughing in battle and just so much more that I'll let you discover for yourself. Both the graphics (there's stereoscopic 3D!) and soundtrack are absolutely superb and both compliment the game's amazing humour. Miitopia -like Tomodachi Collection- really sees Nintendo take their comedic escapades to a whole new level.

Polygon - 8 / 10
Anyone who can't stand the Mii characters might be put off by Miitopia, just on the basis of its stars. I'd urge those people to reconsider that impulse. Yes, it's imperative to find Miis cute and charming in order to really get into this game — and, frankly, how could you not? — but there's something just as clever underneath the silly script and Mii matchmaking. This RPG won't revolutionize the genre in any sense, but as a breezy riff on a familiar formula, Miitopia is a pure delight.

Cubed3 - 8 /10
It may not be for everyone, but for the more creative of players, Miitopia is a dream. It's genuinely funny, utterly engrossing, and worth the asking price just to see yourself striding valiantly through a forest with Professor Layton, Judge Dredd, and Lady Gaga in tow.

God is a Geek - 8 / 10
A full game of Miis had the potential to be just plain annoying, but I'm pleased to report that I have never been more wrong. The child-like nature of the humour to the way it's all framed exudes a playful nature that's missing from so many titles these days. There's a deceptive amount of depth to the systems at play here that you may not really understand how until you're into double digits of play time, and that's a milestone that just breezes by, despite the sheer quantity of times the game asks you if you'd like to take a rest.

Nintendo Life - 8 / 10
It's a fitting celebration of the Mii concept, perfect for short bursts of play, and an absolute riot with the right group of Miis — if you've ever wanted to take your friends on a grand adventure, complete with silly cosplay and relationship drama, this is a perfect way to do it. Its streamlined take on the genre won't be for everyone, but for players willing to relinquish some control and trust in their Miis, Miitopia is a wonderful ride.

Hobby Consolas - 7.7 / 10 (Spanish)
Miitopia has been created to make the most of Tomodachi Life's world, although distances itself from the second to have its own personality thanks to resulting mix of Mii, social relations and RPG elements. It's a cool title that will revitalize your Nintendo 3DS this summer.

Destructoid - 7 / 10
With the easy 30-hour campaign behind me, I'm having a great deal of fun with the post-game content. There are new maps to unlock, new classes to discover, and daily quests I can conquer. I could easily stop playing now and dive into something a bit meatier, but the pleasant nature of Miitopia, as well as seeing so many poorly recreated famous faces in random roles, is a curio that deserves to be kept in my 3DS until I see it through to the very end.

The Sixth Axis - 7 / 10
I wasn't expecting to like Miitopia as much as I did, but it certainly had me hooked until the end. It's deceptively long despite its rather basic premise and while the first two thirds are somewhat restrictive, the final third is when the game really comes into its own and shows off its true potential with compelling mechanics that are surprisingly deep. Miitopia is an odd duck for sure, but one that is very hard to put down once the hooks are in.

Nintendo Insider - 6 / 10
Miitopia will win you over with laughter, but not in the same baffling ways as Tomodachi Life once did. There's little chance that you will play a wackier game this year, but Miitopia‘s undoing lies in how quickly repetition sets in. Quirky but lacking depth, there's untapped potential for a grander adventure if Nintendo choose to revisit the idea.

wccftech - 5.5 / 10
I like Miitopia, but I can't really recommend it to anyone. Maybe people who still regularly play Miitomo (do people still do that?) but other than that... Just, don't bother. It's a game that plays itself, and you're supposed to derive your entertainment from simply watching things happen. It's a struggle to suggest this even to younger gamers - I can see what Nintendo wanted to do here, but Miitopia is honestly a flop.

App Trigger - 5.5 / 10
No amount of bizarre mash-ups and almost-inappropriate jokes can save Miitopia's repetitive gameplay loop from itself. The early hours of the game are worth the laughs, but laughter quickly turns to tedium and frustration as the game wears on. Despite the enormous potential of the ideas behind its job and relationship systems, Miitopia falls short in almost every department except quirkiness. At least the screenshots will be a good laugh.

Nintendo World Report - 5.5 / 10 (Import Review)
Miitopia is ultimately just alright. What drives the experience are its charm and presentation, which continue to be entertaining throughout. Miitopia falters partially with its sense of progression, and how the gameplay is handled. You are stopped more than once and forced to build anew from scratch. Next to that, it turns out that Miitopia is extremely linear as you observe stages and don't really do much else.

Metro - 4 / 10
Nintendo is clearly not aiming the game at existing role-playing fans, but those that would normally never play traditional video games. But we're not convinced that sort of person really plays a 3DS (or 2DS) anymore. And even if they do they're not idiots, just inexperienced.
 

RedToad64

Member
I am really looking forward to getting my hands on this game. Having something like this that is just silly and doesn't take itself seriously is exactly what I need right now.
 

Broken Joystick

At least you can talk. Who are you?
Thought the demo was great. Made my party developers from Nintendo (Iwata, Miyamoto, Aonuma etc). It was hilarious.
 

Ninja Dom

Member
I played through the demo and it was quite charming. I enjoyed what I played.

I'm not at all happy about having to change your entire party a couple of times in the main game though.
 

kubus

Member
Recently beat the Japanese version (took me 43 hours, did not expect the game to be so beefy lol) and while the gameplay loop becomes very repetitive quite early in the game, I still loved it. The story gets pretty fun in the last leg of the game, and I hope reviewers played until the end to give it a fair score.

Edit: My thoughts on having to change your party multiple times in the game:

The first time it happens, it's reasonable to be pissed because it really feels like a bullshit move, like "padding" the game, rendering all the time and money you spent on your characters for nothing, etc. But ultimately it makes sense and once you start preparing for the moment, it gets better. The reason the game keeps taking away your Miis is because it's the only way you can really see all the content the game has to offer. There's about 10 classes available in the game, but if you stick to the same party of 4, you're missing out on a lot of content because ultimately the best part of the game is the interactions between Miis and those are dependant on classes and personality.

You could argue that the game should just let you make new characters whenever you want and change up your party on the go, but let's be realistic: are you really gonna switch out your Lv 15 Knight for a Lv 0 Nobody? By forcing a character / level reset, the game allows you to experiment with all the fun options of the game, and bring more Mii into the game as well. And of course, it's not like those characters that are taken away will never come back.

tl;dr: I didn't like that my Miis were taken away at first, but I appreciate it now because ultimately it makes the game better.
 

Weebos

Banned
Very interested in this game, the demo was excellent.

I am planning on waiting for a sale, but if reviews are good and the game is long enough I might just dive in.
 

Linkura

Member
My copy is on its way. I was going to pass until I played the demo and loved it. Hopefully someone has claimed the ot?
 
Had my eye on this game since it was announced for Japan since I liked the concept, was happy to see it get announced for the US. Really enjoyed the demo, it's silly and light and fun in all the right ways. Hoping the full game keeps things that entertaining the whole way through.

I've seen some people complain about the party reset stuff, but honestly I'm looking forward to throwing together a few different groups of Miis throughout my adventure so I can get some fun variety going. Don't mind it at all.
 

McDougles

Member
Now that the embargo has actually passed, our App Trigger review has a score of 5.5/10.

App Trigger said:
No amount of bizarre mash-ups and almost-inappropriate jokes can save Miitopia’s repetitive gameplay loop from itself. The early hours of the game are worth the laughs, but laughter quickly turns to tedium and frustration as the game wears on. Despite the enormous potential of the ideas behind its job and relationship systems, Miitopia falls short in almost every department except quirkiness. At least the screenshots will be a good laugh.
 

JoeM86

Member
My friend's review

Nintendo Insider - 6/10

Miitopia will win you over with laughter, but not in the same baffling ways as Tomodachi Life once did. There’s little chance that you will play a wackier game this year, but Miitopia‘s undoing lies in how quickly repetition sets in. Quirky but lacking depth, there’s untapped potential for a grander adventure if Nintendo choose to revisit the idea.
 

Yukinari

Member
Was never going to be Tomodachi 3.

The only joy i get out of this is probably watching Vinny play it but otherwise ill pass.
 

kubus

Member
some new reviews:

Polygon - 8 / 10
Anyone who can’t stand the Mii characters might be put off by Miitopia, just on the basis of its stars. I’d urge those people to reconsider that impulse. Yes, it’s imperative to find Miis cute and charming in order to really get into this game — and, frankly, how could you not? — but there’s something just as clever underneath the silly script and Mii matchmaking. This RPG won’t revolutionize the genre in any sense, but as a breezy riff on a familiar formula, Miitopia is a pure delight.

Destructoid - 7 / 10
With the easy 30-hour campaign behind me, I'm having a great deal of fun with the post-game content. There are new maps to unlock, new classes to discover, and daily quests I can conquer. I could easily stop playing now and dive into something a bit meatier, but the pleasant nature of Miitopia, as well as seeing so many poorly recreated famous faces in random roles, is a curio that deserves to be kept in my 3DS until I see it through to the very end.
 
Metro GameCentral - 4/10

In Short: Not much more than an expanded StreetPass game, and while the Mii integration is cute the shallow gameplay is just frustrating and dull.

Pros: The use of Miis is great, and the whole concept has plenty of potential. Animation and cut scenes can be very funny.

Cons: Very little gameplay of any real depth, with shallow combat and exploration that almost runs on autopilot. Extremely expensive given the lack of interactivity.

Score: 4/10

Jenkins compared it more to the StreetPass games which have less depth, like Quest, which is a shame if true. The score and conclusion isn't surprising if you look at previous StreetPass game reviews like the one for Garden (Squad and Mansion reviewed favourably): http://metro.co.uk/2013/08/06/stree...-mansion-review-strangers-on-a-train-3912845/
 
Miitopia is a charming game with lots of personality but it's essentially an RPG where the exploration is automated. After the 2/3 hour mark you've seen everything the game has to offer and you're left with a boring repetitive adventure that goes on for 35 hours.There is appeal to be found but I can't suggest picking it up.
 

mollipen

Member
I know but what I mean is embargos can't possibly be enforced when anyone can just walk into a store and grab the game legally.

At the previous magazine I was working at, Nintendo embargoed us on talking about some of the built-in features of the DSi when they brought it to show us—a piece of hardware that had been out since the previous year in Japan already.

And embargoes on the English-language version of games can absolutely be enforced, especially if you want to work with said company again. That's just how things go if you want to receive a copy of them for preview/review purposes.
 

kubus

Member
Miitopia is a charming game with lots of personality but it's essentially an RPG where the exploration is automated. After the 2/3 hour mark you've seen everything the game has to offer and you're left with a boring repetitive adventure that goes on for 35 hours.There is appeal to be found but I can't suggest picking it up.
Eh, depends on how you look at it. Yeah, the "select level > battle monsters/open treasure chests > sleep at Inn/eat/buy stuff > repeat" gameplay loop stays the same for the entire game, but the Miis in your party are frequently swapped around, the enemy designs are varied and really fun and the story becomes a lot better during the final third of the game and even has a pretty kick-ass solution in my opinion.

It falls flat as a RPG but as a Tomodachi Life-ish Mii style game with RPG mechanics I found it pretty good. I had a lot of fun seeing my Miis unlock new skills, some crazier than others, and the skits are pretty dry. That said I have to admit I often multi-tasked while playing the game because, yeah, the trudging through levels becomes quite boring after a while and I wish there was a bit more interactivity to engage the player more.

It's a fantastic game to put your friends (or any character) in and post screenshots on Twitter. Just the sheer randomness of some of the situations you can put the Miis in made the game enjoyable enough for me to justify the purchase. But if that doesn't appeal to you, I can see how the entire game becomes a drag to play through.
 
Eh, depends on how you look at it. Yeah, the "select level > battle monsters/open treasure chests > sleep at Inn/eat/buy stuff > repeat" gameplay loop stays the same for the entire game, but the Miis in your party are frequently swapped around, the enemy designs are varied and really fun and the story becomes a lot better during the final third of the game and even has a pretty kick-ass solution in my opinion.

It falls flat as a RPG but as a Tomodachi Life-ish Mii style game with RPG mechanics I found it pretty good. I had a lot of fun seeing my Miis unlock new skills, some crazier than others, and the skits are pretty dry. That said I have to admit I often multi-tasked while playing the game because, yeah, the trudging through levels becomes quite boring after a while and I wish there was a bit more interactivity to engage the player more.

It's a fantastic game to put your friends (or any character) in and post screenshots on Twitter. Just the sheer randomness of some of the situations you can put the Miis in made the game enjoyable enough for me to justify the purchase. But if that doesn't appeal to you, I can see how the entire game becomes a drag to play through.
I really liked the Mii implementation and thought the presentation as a whole was outstanding and varied, I just didn't like the core of the game. It certainly has its merits though!
 

kubus

Member
I really liked the Mii implementation and thought the presentation as a whole was outstanding and varied, I just didn't like the core of the game. It certainly has its merits though!
Fair enough! It definitely is something that probably would've made a big difference in the reception if the developers had put a little more effort into it.
 

JonnyKong

Member
Can somebody who has played this tell me roughly how many miis I'll need? I've imported around 15 celebrities to my console so far, is that enough?
 

Linkura

Member
I fucking knew it was going to get hammered in reviews for the price. It really is overpriced, but I enjoyed the demo way too much not to pick it up.
 
Can somebody who has played this tell me roughly how many miis I'll need? I've imported around 15 celebrities to my console so far, is that enough?
You don't really need to plan ahead to bring any Miis except for the one that represents your main character. You can pull them from any valid Mii QR Code (including Miitomo), your 3DS Friends List, your Mii Maker (and you can send your Streetpass & Spotpass Miis there from Mii Plaza if the creator has sharing on), your Tomodachi Life save (even if you no longer have Tomodachi Life, your 3DS remembers your Miis anyway), and you can pull even more off the internet while you're playing the game. I did the demos on the fly and it worked out well. Of course, I've been putting all the Gold Pants (Nintendo Spotpass) Miis into Mii Maker this whole time, have a bunch of friends, and played Tomodachi Life, so I have a lot of Miis that are raring to go.

15 should be more than sufficient if you want to just cover your immediate party members to get through the story, but if you want to re-cast every person in the game (including NPCs), you'll want to cast a wider net.

As for the reviews, eh. Seems like a lot of confirmation bias either way you're already predisposed. I have been hoping for this in English since the Japanese release and am just relieved that we're getting it. Like other similar "oddball" titles, it is very much a "you'll know if you're going to enjoy playing it right away" kind of game. For anyone that is fence sitting, I highly recommend giving both demos a quick whirl to grasp the humor and gameplay style. As much as I'm sad that I missed out on the Prime Day price error, I'm glad that more people will play Miitopia now. Can't wait for the mail tomorrow!
 

BooJoh

Member
For anyone who's interested in this but hasn't played the demo, you might as well play the demo since it has a good chunk of content and the save data carries over (not sure if that works with physical copies or not.)

Can somebody who has played this tell me roughly how many miis I'll need? I've imported around 15 celebrities to my console so far, is that enough?

You can search Mii Central ingame to get a random selection or find many popular characters. You can also create your own or find them online or from your friends list.

I've got an imgur post with 42 assorted Miis I've prepped for sharing in the OT. Feel free to use any you want.
 

TheMoon

Member
For anyone who's interested in this but hasn't played the demo, you might as well play the demo since it has a good chunk of content and the save data carries over (not sure if that works with physical copies or not.)

You can search Mii Central ingame to get a random selection or find many popular characters. You can also create your own or find them online or from your friends list.

I've got an imgur post with 42 assorted Miis I've prepped for sharing in the OT. Feel free to use any you want.

hit it!

OT: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1412556
 

ASaiyan

Banned
Miitopia is a charming game with lots of personality but it's essentially an RPG where the exploration is automated. After the 2/3 hour mark you've seen everything the game has to offer and you're left with a boring repetitive adventure that goes on for 35 hours.There is appeal to be found but I can't suggest picking it up.
Eh, depends on how you look at it. It falls flat as a RPG but as a Tomodachi Life-ish Mii style game with RPG mechanics I found it pretty good.
This was my only concern after having a blast with the demo. The last game I purchased like that was the original Pokemon Rumble on WiiWare. I had a lot of fun with the hour-long demo, and then after purchasing the full game quickly realized that that was about as much fun as the game had to offer before it got incredibly repetitive and boring.

Anyone else who's played through Miitopia have any comment on this? I don't know who to believe, lol.
 
Top Bottom