Aeon Avenger

If you’re planning on copying a particular game, you might as well aim for the best. While Aeon Avenger may look like a pretty standard Japanese RPG-adventure, its time-travelling premise calls to mind the superb SNES classic Chrono Trigger, and we can imagine many Square Enix fans making a purchase as a result.

Unfortunately, Aeon Avenger doesn’t possess the same high quality as the 16-bit masterpiece from which it takes its inspiration, but it does offer an above-average role-playing experience on your Android device.

Set across several different time zones, the storyline of Aeon Avenger is one of its strongest elements. The plot is packed with usual juicy ingredients of vengeance, injustice, betrayal, and sacrifice.

While it never really gels as cohesively as it perhaps should, the ability to play as characters separated by hundreds of years and visit locations in different eras lends the game a unique edge over rival Android RPGs.

It’s also worth noting that the English translation is pretty decent - there are a few painfully awkward sentences thrown in for good measure, but on the whole the text manages to communicate the story effectively, if not spectacularly.

Like so many traditional Japanese RPGs, Aeon Avenger features exploration sequences peppered with turn-based combat. These battles occur randomly and without warning - when you’re trudging through a hostile environment you have no idea when the next scuffle is going to happen.

Your characters gain experience points from successful skirmishes, and you can level-up their capabilities to gain enhanced statistics and additional skills. You can also upgrade their equipment to ensure they have the best chance when facing the game's wide selection of enemies.

While Aeon Avenger isn’t the most detailed JRPG we’ve seen, it does a good job of replicating the appearance of a classic 16-bit title. The variety in the locations is impressive, and the hand-drawn character portraits add an additional splash of visual splendour. The biggest drawback in terms of presentation is that the monsters you face in battle have no animation, and look like cardboard cut-outs as a result.

Given that it offers several days of play, a decent control system and appealing visuals, Aeon Avenger is an easy recommendation for RPG-lovers. It may feel like a weak facsimile when compared to the true greats of the genre, but it'll keep you glued to your phone for long enough to justify the modest financial outlay.