The Longest Five Minutes Review (Switch)

Remember when Frieza said he was going to destroy Namek in Dragon Ball Z in the next five minutes, but then it took about five thousand hours? The Longest Five Minutes starts at the final boss battle when Flash Back gets amnesia, and then he spends the next five minutes remembering his adventures.

 

It doesn’t take itself seriously, but it’s up for a good laugh. It runs with how silly anime and games can sometimes be, but it feels like more than just a parody. Sure, our resident Bard actually has aspirations to be a rock ‘n’ roll artist, but the characters are charming and your adventure will take you all over the JRPG globe – casinos, mountains, caves, villages with inns and the like await, and it initially feels very much like an RPG inspired by games of old. It has its own unique flavour thanks to its concept, and I spent an enjoyable five minutes* with the game. *May be inaccurate.

 

the longest five minutes review

 

It’s less narrative-focused and more pun and fun-focused, and so while it doesn’t have the same weight, it is a breezy, entertaining adventure.

You can breeze through this one with little challenge, and buying new weapons and armour are meaningless due to the flashbacks. You’re thrust back into a previous memory, but it’s not in chronological order, so you’ll be equipped with different gear and stats each time. There’s absolutely no need to grind, and you’ll be able to quickly batter anything in your way with just the basic attack ability. Never did I worry that I might fall in battle, and it wasn’t too long until my five minutes were up.

 

the longest five minutes review

 

Tackling your way through various JRPG tropes, you’ll find yourself travelling to a variety of places as you complete several quests. Each flash back has one main quest and two side quests, but no quest lasts very long – you have a battle to get back to, remember? It’s like a normal JRPG sped-up, because you have no time to waste. It’s less narrative-focused and more pun and fun-focused, and so while it doesn’t have the same weight, it is a breezy, entertaining adventure.

 

the longest five minutes review

 

It’s fun, but there’s little depth to the gameplay and story, and it relies too heavily on making jokes.

With the tropes in place, The Longest Five Minutes does its best in replicating the visuals and sounds of early day RPGs too. Lively sprite work packs personality and the characters in particular are pleasant, and the retro-inspired soundtrack does the job, although it ultimately has little impact.

 

The Longest Five Minutes has an incredibly cool concept, and its execution doesn’t fail, but there’s little to remember here once your adventure comes to an end. It’s fun, but there’s a lack of depth to the gameplay and story, and it relies too heavily on making jokes. It’s hard to recommend at full price, but it’s worth giving a go down the line. If anything, I’m very surprised that this is a full price title, and it’s a shame because I think it could’ve flourished had it cost 30% or so less.

Spread the love!

Related post

This will close in 0 seconds