Look, let's be honest—Tokyo Game Show 2026 held in September was an absolute war zone for upcoming domestic subculture titles. Among them, the one generating the most palpable buzz was the new RPG Astraea Oratio (hereafter Asora), developed by Dynamis One and published by NC. Sporting a distinct art style heavily influenced by 90s Japanese animation and fronted by a colorful roster of magic-wielding heroines, the title grabbed everyone's attention, drawing enough eager gamers at the convention floor to max out the organiser's official 120-minute maximum queue time.

A playable demo was available back then, but we finally got a proper, extended chance to dig into the game. Running from October 2 to 6, a mobile-based global closed beta test let us experience new content firsthand. Going hands-on with Asora revealed a title that carves out its own niche by pairing retro-soaked visuals and storytelling with surprisingly sophisticated, combo-driven turn-based combat. The developer managed to strike that sweet spot of evoking nostalgia without ever feeling painfully dated.

The most striking takeaway from this test is the sheer quality of the art direction. Rather than lazily relying on pretty character models to do all the heavy lifting, the title weaves a unified narrative about secret urban mages and the ordinary chief who looks after them, instantly pulling you into the world. This charm shines brightest right from the opening main story chapter, "Tokyo, Civil Servants, and Mages."

In the game, the lead character is an actual civil servant in the real world who is so devoid of ambition that they hand in a resignation letter and check out mentally. However, summoned by Chief Ai of the Special District Bureau—an outfit tasked with managing mages—the protagonist is dragged into an unexpected journey. The prevalent blue-tinted backdrops subtly reflect the lead's rather bleak, melancholic state of mind while consistently depicting a hidden other-world resting right beneath our reality, making it effortless to slip into this unfamiliar setting.

The distinct personalities of the cast also shine through clearly. Every playable character in Asora is a mage. They are bundled into three-person clans, yet each member maintains a sharp, identifiable theme separating them from their peers. We have Chikage, a Tokyo University student radiating a cold demeanour; Akina, who relies on alchemical magical tools; and Erin, a magical-girl archetype who accidentally awakened latent arcane powers.

These themes aren't just superficial lore notes. Chikage specializes in defensive skills forged from solid ice, while Akina chucks Ramune bottles packed with explosive pyrotechnic force into battle. Erin rolls out explosive magic highlighted by pink visual effects matching her hair colour. A character's thematic identity is tightly welded to their combat strengths, and skill animations strictly adhere to these motifs. It makes for an absolute spectacle to watch while ensuring you understand precisely what each unit brings to the table.

Alongside the aforementioned opening arc, two additional story episodes dropped during this test. One is "The Sparkling Days of Minato Ward Mages," following the chaotic misadventures of schoolgirls crossing paths at Minato Junior High, and the other is "The Night of Shinjuku Ward's Vanished Mages and Ghost Hunters," which tracks the supernatural escapades of the Ikebukuro Ghost Story Research Lab after a routine paranormal report spirals into a runaway labyrinth mystery.

The general storytelling cadence heavily channels the vibe of 90s Japanese animation. From chunky character designs featuring big round eyes to nostalgic touches like girls plotting to swap their school uniforms for bunny suits, or a seemingly demure maiden harboring a soft spot for B-grade splatter flicks, the game is stuffed with throwbacks. The opening sequence spotlighting main characters on their school commute, the classic broadcaster disclaimer stating "This program is brought to you by the following sponsors," and scene transitions reminiscent of classic anime "Eyecatches" all demand a second look.

This setup aligns neatly with Asora's self-proclaimed genre label: "Shin-denki" (Neo-denki). Popularized from the 90s to the early 2000s, Neo-denki is a sub-genre of urban fantasy where ordinary protagonists stumble upon bizarre entities, get dragged into strange incidents, and discover hidden supernatural spaces lingering right behind daily life. True to form, inserting a mysterious key left behind by the chief instantly peels back the facade of an empty school rooftop to reveal a massive, hidden swimming pool.

Beyond these structural nods, Asora enthusiastically litters retro props throughout the entire experience. Feature phones wielded by characters, old-school videotapes, fat 4:3 cathode-ray tube televisions, gacha capsule machines used for summoning pulls, and lonely typewriters all make appearances. By layering Neo-denki tropes, nostalgic narrative pacing, and vintage everyday objects, the studio clearly hits its target of sniping straight at player nostalgia.

While eras feel somewhat scrambled—such as seeing the lead holding a smartphone while stumbling into another world—these scenes communicate that the game world isn't a straight 1:1 copy of modern reality. Instead, it plays out as an alternate setting where the 80s and 90s weirdly coexist, allowing disparate time periods to mesh without feeling jarring. That encounter with a space that feels simultaneously familiar and alien runs deep into the core of the world-building and narrative.

Finally, let's dive into the combat mechanics. Asora deploys four-character squads in a turn-based framework heavily reliant on real-time execution. Instead of trading polite, alternating blows like standard traditional RPGs, the core loop revolves around reading the flow of battle to squeeze out as many advantageous offensive windows as humanly possible.

First off, parrying incoming enemy strikes carries immense weight. Whenever a telegraphed enemy strike prompts a parry window, a judgment gauge flashes at the bottom of the screen, demanding precise button timing to pull off a 'Perfect' deflection. Failing to parry results in hefty HP losses, and settling for a mere 'Good' rating is far less forgiving on health pools than nailing the 'Perfect' timing. Nailing those timings proves slightly punishing at first, but mastering it is essential for survival.

Of course, certain incoming onslaughts entirely bypass standard parry logic. For unblockable attacks, players must lean on Tag Defense skills—such as those deployed by Chikage and her ice shields—to bleed off incoming damage. Meanwhile, Astaroth—a boss featured in the high-difficulty "Score Trial" challenge mode—unleashes attacks that can exclusively be shut down by bringing specific characters equipped with suppression skills.

Attacks requiring these special counter-tactics are color-coded in advance using yellow, red, or purple indicators. Matching icons flash at the bottom of the screen to signal which party member fits the bill. You cannot simply mash buttons; reading enemy behavior beforehand and executing reactive counter-play forms the crux of the tactical depth. Crucially, both enemies and players can push targets into a "Break" state, generating high-stakes tension as you hunt for moments to whale on opponents without letting your own squad buckle.

On top of that, attacks don't simply stop after a single strike; you can keep chaining moves until your squad's Action Points run dry, and you even have options to claw back extra AP. When paired with "Domain Declarations," which reset skill cooldowns and hand out bonus offensive opportunities, things get wild. Properly timing a Domain Declaration after spending a chunk of your AP lets you string together jaw-dropping combos that deliver massive damage alongside sheer tactile satisfaction.

Characters in Asora fill diverse roles and elements, forcing players to constantly rotate squad compositions depending on the threat. Stages packed with unblockable threats demand at least a couple of units boasting defense skills, while other modes test your roster's suppression chops. Simply hoarding high-rarity units won't cut it; building a versatile stable across different roles to match specific combat encounters is mandatory.

Naturally, the progression loop features a robust suite of farming activities. There is the Score Trial mode where pushing boss levels yields growth materials, quests that drop grimoires and stelae, and simulation rooms built for targeted resource farming. Pushing characters into mid-to-late game tiers spikes material requirements aggressively, though story chapters during this test could be consumed back-to-back regardless of quest grinding progress. Expecting players to chew through the narrative first and then grind out side activities for upgrade mats seems to be the long-term live-service trajectory.

All things considered, Asora's maiden global closed beta test walks away with a very respectable passing grade. The studio laid down a rock-solid foundation backed by gorgeous retro art direction and compelling narrative hooks, while successfully carving out a unique identity through combat blending real-time twitch execution with combo finesse. The fact that the game demands varied squad compositions, keeping niche characters relevant and out of the dustbin, is a brilliant health indicator for a subculture title.

A few rough edges remain, such as tiny UI elements that make reading incoming enemy move queues harder than it needs to be. If the team addresses these pain points using player feedback harvested during this beta, the title stands a brilliant chance of cementing itself as a polished masterpiece by launch day. Adieu, mates!