Another Eden Begins Switch 2 Review: Masato Kato's (Chrono Trigger) JRPG is only half-convincing

Another Eden Begins is built upon the foundations of Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space, an RPG that originated on mobile devices and over time evolved into a much larger project. This new version is not simply a port: it takes the first part of the original adventure, reconstructs it as a standalone experience, and brings it to Nintendo Switch 2 with a redesigned structure, a revised combat system, and a fully voiced story. The project is developed by Wright Flyer Studios, while the script and direction are handled by Masato Kato, an author linked to hugely important RPG productions such as Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, and Xenogears.

The underlying idea remains that of a JRPG strongly tied to time travel, capable of traversing different eras and building its adventure around a very diverse group of characters. 

The Story of Another Eden Begins: Aldo, Feinne, and a Journey Through Time Across Past, Present, and Future 

The story of Another Eden Begins revolves around Aldo and his sister Feinne, whose lives are turned upside down by the latter's abduction by the Beast King. The pursuit leads Aldo into the Moonlight forest, where a space-time event suddenly catapults him approximately 800 years into the future. From here, a journey through past, present, and future unfolds, in search of his sister and the answers that connect seemingly distant eras, characters, and events.

The game thus constructs a narrative of mysteries, adventure, and encounters, progressively expanding its universe through a very numerous cast, with characters to meet and unlock, and personal stories that contribute to enriching the experience.

Personally, Another Eden Begins deserves praise on a narrative level. We are not facing a revolutionary story, but it is well-developed, manages to keep interest alive, and makes good use of the time travel theme. The presence of so many characters, an already characteristic element of the series, adds further depth and makes the narrative journey enjoyable to follow. In short, in this respect, the game fully hits the mark.

Gameplay: Turn-Based System, Another Force, and Character Synergies — Deep but Demanding

Another Eden Begins offers a typically JRPG turn-based combat system, simple in its basics but capable of becoming quite deep once you truly get to know your party. The choice of characters, abilities, and especially their synergies becomes fundamental for building an effective team, while the Another Force system, once enough energy is charged, allows you to unleash a long sequence of consecutive attacks and turn the tide even in the most challenging encounters.

The great variety of the cast thus encourages experimenting with different formations, trying to make the most of each party member's characteristics. Added to this is a gradual progression based on ability points, which allows you to improve character stats, attacks, and capacities without immediately turning them into war machines. True growth requires time, combat, resources, and a good deal of grinding.

And it is precisely the gameplay, personally, that convinced me the most. The turn-based system is fun and, above all, becomes very satisfying when you learn to correctly exploit the combinations between characters. I also liked the progression: it's linear but far from trivial, and every improvement requires time and dedication. Another Eden Begins doesn't offer immediate progression, but precisely for this reason, it makes it much more rewarding to see your group become, step by step, stronger and stronger.

Technical and Sound Department: Graphics Too Close to Mobile, Linear Level Design, and No Italian — But Yasunori Mitsuda Saves the Soundtrack

And this is where the first real sore points arrive.

Let's start with the visual department. Personally, I'm not a big fan of the chosen art style, but the main problem, especially considering 2026 and especially considering that we are talking about Nintendo Switch 2, is that visually I expected something much more ambitious.

The new version supports resolutions up to 4K and a framerate up to 60 fps, but beyond the numbers, what I see on the screen doesn't give me the feeling of a game truly designed to exploit the possibilities of the new console.

As far as I'm concerned, much more could have been done. The style can be appealing, absolutely, but personally, I find it too close to a production I would have more easily accepted on mobile. On Switch 2, with all the limitations that can naturally exist even on this machine, I expected a more evident qualitative leap.

Another sore point is the level design.

The maps are often too linear, and exploration fails to deliver that sense of discovery that I personally look for in a JRPG. Too often, the path simply becomes going from point A to point B, with little freedom and few opportunities to truly get lost in the game world. 

However, there's another sore point that, personally, I'm encountering a bit too often lately in the games I happen to review: the complete absence of the Italian language.

Another Eden Begins comes with English, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese, but does not feature Italian localization.

And for a game that relies so heavily on story, dialogue, characters, and narrative construction, it's a significant omission. Potentially, this is a title that could interest many players, but not everyone has sufficient familiarity with English to fully enjoy an adventure so rich in text. 

The sound department, on the other hand, is decidedly more convincing. The music accompanies the adventure well, the sound effects do their job, and overall, the audio component manages to create a good atmosphere. The presence of Yasunori Mitsuda and Procyon Studio also represents an important guarantee on the musical front.