Illusion Connect Review

Defend the World from Nightmares

Players lead teams of anime-inspired heroes against nightmares that threaten the world in SuperPrism Technology’s Illusion Connect. New heroes join the fight as you play through levels of real-time combat in this tactical RPG and strategy game.

Illusion Connect aims to impress from the title screen to the actual gameplay. The game jumps into high gear with its tutorial that really helps players learn the core mechanics of the game. Players who do not want to play through the tutorial can skip it.

Real-Time Combat and Strategy

Fans of the Mega Man Battle Network series and indie favorite One Step From Eden feel at home with Illusion Connect’s combat. The game uses a 2.5D grid style similar to Battle Network. Players place their heroes on the board to combat enemies. The player has a physical avatar on the board who can attack. If the player character dies, the battle is lost. If the enemy leader dies, then the player wins.

Battles happen in real time and players must decide what strategy to use in combat. Some characters, such as the stylish starter hero Nina, can attack three enemies in a straight line. Others provide support with healing and buffs to attack and defense. Players place their heroes on the board one at a time. A cooldown takes place after a hero is set, meaning players need to strategize about when and where they want to send a hero into battle.

Combat takes place in real time with characters and enemies automatically attacking each other without any prompt from the player. This makes battles streamlined, letting players enjoy fast-paced combat while still actively taking part in the battle through strategy. Illusion Connect keeps its gameplay fresh with tactical gameplay while letting players enjoy stylized anime fighting.

Female Characters That Actually Look Real

Anime fans tired of unrealistic female body depictions can rejoice! SuperPrism made a game where the anime-style female characters are not drawn with improbable proportions and breasts the size of watermelons. Compared to many other games of its kind, Illusion Connect uses a subtle, tasteful aesthetic for its female characters, with only a few having more “risqué” designs. The lack of hypersexualized designs lets the player grow to care about the characters for their personalities and abilities instead of their looks.

Build your Base and Team

Summoning heroes is a core mechanic of Illusion Connect. Players receive several free summons during the tutorial. Afterward, players earn tickets through missions, events or real-world currency. Tickets are used to summon playable characters. The lowest grade, R characters, are the most common while SR and SSR characters are harder to summon. R grade characters can be leveled up to SR and SSR over time. The variation of characters and their abilities in combat makes each summoning feel worth your time and effort to pull stronger characters.

Players also get to renovate their own estate by purchasing furniture and upgrades. This gives them boosts in other aspects of gameplay. A light I purchased increased the amount of experience I earned. This provides players with the chance to decorate their own mansion while boosting themselves in combat and other parts of the game.

Great Characters, Lackluster Story

One of the best surprises of Illusion Connect was the character interactions. Early into the game, players meet their starter heroes Saya, Nina and Victoria. These three, along with a few support companions, serve as your main group throughout the story. The characters have a family dynamic that, like their designs, loses the sexual innuendos typically attached to female characters in anime-style games. The character interactions help make up for the less than stellar story.

Illusion Connect’s story isn’t bad; it’s just generic. It’s a basic mix of “Chosen One” anime protagonist leads a team of magical heroes to stop evil forces and save the world. If you’re a fan of high-stakes anime, then it’s easy to overlook the remixed tropes. A lack of paywalls makes the story a great experience overall.

Tactical RPG With Class

Illusion Connect has items or currency that players can purchase with real-world money. The game dodges the bullet of pushy advertising that always forces a pop-up deal onto your screen. Many RPG or summoning-based mobile games tend to slam players with a bunch of notifications or deals the moment they log in. Illusion Connect gives players basic messages on updates and upcoming events or deals without overwhelming advertisements. Its polished look and feel make it a heavyweight player in the mobile market. Mobile strategy RPG fans should definitely download Illusion Connect.