Dislyte (Mobile) Review

Developer: Farlight Games

Publisher: Lilith Games

Release Date: May 9, 2022

Platforms: Android, iOS

Overview: Dislyte is a stylish free-to-play mobile RPG where mythological figures duke it out to prevent the end of the world. The visuals far exceeded my expectations and the soundtrack is unlike anything I've heard from any other mobile game. Scratch that, from pretty much any other game I've played. It pains me to say it, but Dislyte is reaching for Persona levels of soundtrack quality. I haven't even begun to mention the surprisingly competent turn-based combat system!

This game has blown me away on many levels, but when I look past all the shiny paint, there's some rust that begins to show through. One major issue was that the game is only playable vertically, which was a bit uncomfortable and awkward. A lot of the problems come from the restrictions of being a mobile game, and finding the mysterious perfect balance of monetization.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0hGORCEd9s&ab_channel=Dislyte

Story: The futuristic dystopia of Dislyte came into being after a structure known as, The Miracle, came out of the ground and bestowed superpowers onto the human population. These superpowered individuals are known as Espers, who are constantly either fighting other Espers abusing their powers or the Miramon, creatures that are summoned endlessly by Miracles.

The story the player follows is that of the popular rock duo Brynn (Valkyrie) and Sieg (Siegfried). One night during their show, a powerful Miramon destroys the venue, and the two stars escape. After being pinned down in an alleyway by members of the Shadow Decree, Brynn awakens to her powers. Sieg then knocks out Brynn and allows himself to be captured. Brynn awakens inside the Esper Union, where she begins to form a party to rescue Sieg.

The plot isn't all that interesting and the writing doesn't help alleviate the lack of anything noteworthy happening. The game has voice-over, but most of the time it sounds really flat and boring. Overall, the story is not a memorable experience, but that clearly wasn't the focus of the developers.

Gameplay: The gameplay of Dislyte consists of turn-based combat using a speed system to determine the move order. The player can have up to 5 Espers participate in an enemy encounter, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Espers all have assigned roles they can act as in a party, such as Support, Fighter, Disabler, Controller, and DPS. They're also attuned to different elements and may receive/give more or less damage depending on who is giving/taking damage, much like Pokémon. One major issue was that the game is only playable vertically, which was a bit uncomfortable and awkward.

Being a Free-to-Play game, naturally, there are Gacha elements and certain hurdles that could be cleared easily using purchases from their store. In order to take action in the story mode or during Trials, the player needs Stamina. Once Stamina is depleted, the player will have to wait to play the game again unless they purchase more Stamina. After clearing the Story Mode, the focus is then shifted to PvP and resource farming Trials, where Pay-to-Win becomes a whole new monster. Not a fan of Gacha games, Dislyte had a limited lifespan for me personally, but the presentation is the reason why I'll keep checking in periodically.

Presentation: Finally we get to the area of the game that really puts this game on a pedestal. Dislyte gives most console games a run for their money in terms of the art design. The cyberpunk dystopia inhabited by mythological beings fresh out of an Urban Outfitters is genius! The character designs are fairly intriguing since the devs had to ask themselves what this particular diety would look like in a cyberpunk setting.

I cannot gush enough about how amazing the soundtrack of the game is. The entire time the player is navigating through the game's interface, songs are being played from Disltye Xhz Radio. The Funk-Pop and Underground Electronic music is delightful, and many times I just let the game spin a few tunes before I started playing the game. Heavy Rock and Cinematic Hip-Hop are primarily used for battle themes. I really wish more turn-based games followed Dislyte's example and just go crazy while making the soundtrack.

Final Verdict: 6/10

Dislyte doesn't re-invent the wheel for any aspect of their game, but the presentation tries really hard to mask how bland the game truly is. The soundtrack breathes life into pretty much everything in the game. After getting past the early game, Disltye shows its true Gacha colors where wanting to even play the game cost a bit of money unless you want to wait for hours to enjoy a decent gaming session.

I mostly enjoyed my time with the game. The story and characters were dull, but the combat was decent. With the ultra-super amazing music being injected into everything, the game was a lot more fun than it should've been. For a mobile game, this is an easy recommendation.