Even though there aren’t quite as many tactical strategy games on the eShop (and not quite enough in the mold of the X-Com series) as I’d like, there are quite a few. The fact that they range from more elaborate to more stripped down, and more newcomer-friendly to outright difficult as well is great, but I am always eager to check out new options in the space. Reptilian Rising most definitely checks the box for some unique ideas with its heroes from history, general elements, and some of its flow, but also struggles with some very janky visuals and pacing issues.

Starting with what works, the developers deserve some credit for the time-spanning collection of heroes you’ll be able to summon the further you go. Pulled from the historical record and myth, they do help the game impart a little personality and novelty to the units you’ll be commanding, even if pretty minor in some regards. Throw in a pretty colorful and very neon-tinged 80s vibe to the presentation, and I’m also on board. In terms of tactics, the addition of the time gates and a few other elements do add a layer or two of strategy to things as there isn’t necessarily a single clear path to victory. Should you focus on summoning help, suppressing enemy reinforcements, or collecting character-enhancing crystals that will periodically drop onto the board? Some character upgrades can help with collecting loot, but are you willing to sacrifice something more useful for combat to get them? These are good questions to have to ask yourself.

The problem is that despite the promise you can see, it’s hard not to focus on some problems it runs into. I think the game’s visuals can at times be almost bafflingly awful, especially when you get close up to the figures. It isn’t crippling, but the degree of how muddy some of the textures are is just odd to see in this day and age. Another problem is that the variety of choices you have in battle tends to make them take a pretty long time. First from you making decisions, second from the controls for implementing your plan being a little cumbersome, and last from the pacing of things like transitions. For each set of turns time slowly gets gobbled up, making progress in the campaign slow, and the general experience suffers. Despite some cool ideas there are simply tighter, more satisfying, and more polished options for genre fans out there than this.