Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers finally gets an international release with a fully translated version of the previously Japan-only release. This RPG from Nippon Ichi Software promises us to take us back in time. The Tick-Tock Travelers subtitle does, in fact, allude to the fact that one of the main mechanics in the game is based on time travel.
Great tool for story-telling
Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers tells the story about Sherry, a young girl who needs to unravel the mystery behind strange events in her home town of Clocknee. Together with her friend Pegreo and a time-traveling robot named Isaac she sets out on a great albeit a bit campy adventure. As the town of Clocknee is celebrating the arrival of the new Millenium, time stops and with it halts the whole town. To make things worse, animated hostile machines start appearing everywhere. Since most of the townspeople seem to be frozen in time, you are mostly left on your own and your two companions to figure out how to reverse this strange occurrence.
If the future seems to stop, the past might be the best place to start looking. After you find out your robot friend Isaac is actually a time machine, you try to influence the past to make time progress again in the present. As Doc Brown from back to the future warned us, a small change in the past might affect the future a whole lot. This idea is the perfect set-up for a very story-driven RPG.
Classic JRPG
I remember a time when JRPG’s where a whole different thing as opposed to what we knew as RPG in the west. Nowadays, each new JRPG that gets a release internationally has to have some western friendly elements. I personally like my JRPG’s pure. Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers fits right up in my alley. Pure turn-based classic JRPG gameplay with loads of menuing. I know some people are put off by these types of games but I personally like them a lot. I could actually say that Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers is the current-gen perfect introduction to the genre. Just like Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger where my introduction to JRPG as a kid, this game might open up a whole world of epic JRPG fun for a kid these days.
Simple but effective
The mechanics used in Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers are very well introduced and are easily understandable for first-time dabblers into the world of JRPG. The battle system and the upgrades system used in this game get explained gradually throughout the first chapters. Each newly introduced element is put to practice for a while before another thing is added into the mix. This makes for a fluent experience and nowhere during my playtime did I feel confused. The menu not only looks stunning but is also perfectly made to get around fast. The basic attack, skill, defend or flee system is simple but effective. Earning experience gets you upgrades and collecting enough wisdom upgrades skills. Your robot friend Isaac has an extra system where his gears can be upgraded to add even more bonuses to the overall stats of the party.
Protect Isaac
In Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers, you need to keep Isaac save at all times. Since he is your ticket back to the present it’s only logical he needs to survive. Sherry and Pegreo might faint during a battle without any consequences. On the other hand, if Isaac faints, it’s game over. This mechanic of protecting Isaac at all costs makes you think about your actions more. Mind over matter is a reoccurring tip during the loading screens and shouldn’t be taken lightly. Although Destiny Connect is certainly not a hard JRPG by all means, you still need to think about what action best suits the current situation. With turn orders on screen, it’s best to find the best sequence of actions in order to be victorious.
Graphically back in time
As the game and the somewhat simple combat system might already take you back in time, the graphics surely will. Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers looks very cutesy but more PS2 era cutesy as opposed to what is currently more the standard. I immediately had a strong Kingdom Hearts feel when I started playing this. The exaggerated models look great but the world around them felt very “start of the Millenium”-like for me. In the beginning, it didn’t bother me as much but after a while, I grew tired of the same dull and blocky looking backgrounds.
Conclusion
Destiny Connect: Tick-Tock Travelers is a nice entry-level JRPG. The game feels most suitable for a younger audience. The overly cutesy characters and wacky adventure might not appeal to a more mature audience. The 20-hour campaign seems ideal as an entry into the genre but won’t be satisfying enough for any die-hard JRPG fan. I fully recommend this game for anyone who wants to try out a JRPG but would leave this one alone if you already have some experience with the genre and look for more suitable alternatives.
