Mercenaries Blaze: Dawn of the Twin Dragons is a Japanese tactical RPG with all the tropes and conventions of the genre, borrowing heavily from classics like Tactics Ogre and Final Fantasy Tactics, but without possessing the narrative/artistic qualities of the said titles.

A robust Class System :
The standout feature of Mercenaries Blaze is undeniably its impressive class system. With seven distinct classes for each character, the game provides an extensive array of skills that you get to keep even if you switch/evolve classes, progressively turning your party members into very powerful units.

Charming Sprites and Character Design :
The character design is spot on, and reminiscent of classic J-RPGs, each class is visually distinct and has its own old school sprites which is a plus.

Branching Storyline and Replayability:
Mercenaries Blaze has a branching storyline with two main paths, offering the chance to shape the narrative at some point. The inclusion of a new game plus enhances replayability.

Lackluster Environments and Maps:
The game falters in the visual department when it comes to environments and 3D maps. They're in 3D, mid/late '90 3D, the lack of detail is jarring and detracts from the overall experience, no proper textures, just a mishmash of pixels, we're at years light from the gorgeous, hand-drawn 2D maps of Fellseal.

A bland soundtrack :
Mercenaries Blaze's soundtrack fails to leave a lasting impression. The music is serviceable but lacks the memorable tunes that often elevate the atmosphere in its illustrious inspirations.

Balance Issues and lack of a tactical layer :
The early maps are a breeze, but the difficulty spikes sharply towards the end, exposing some serious balance issues, this is especially true in the "Knight" path. The combat system, though functional, lacks the depth and complexity found in more established tactical RPGs, resulting in a somewhat basic and generic experience : Buffing, healing, attacking units from behind, tanks, squishy mages...The usual.Items are also rather overpowered, what's the use of a spell caster if you can get nearly the same spell effects by simply using an item (available to all characters and fairly cheap) ?

Generic Story and Writing :
The narrative and writing are serviceable at best. The story leans heavily on clichés, if you have played some J-RPGs, then you have 'seen it', it's good enough to keep you playing, but barely. There are obvious issues with the localization and be warned that the writing leans heavily on the left/wokeness side of the political spectrum.

Grindy Gameplay:
The game is grindy, which may be a turn-off for some players, but it's a staple of the genre.

Despite its numerous shortcomings, Mercenaries Blaze: Dawn of the Twin Dragons stands out as a decent (if unpolished) tactical RPG and I felt like I had my money's worth after completing the game once. The series have potential, with enough improvement on the technical side, better writing and a more distinct identity, this could turn into a successful franchise, it's hard to recommend it openly, but fans of the genre may enjoy it if they tone down their expectations and treat it as a low budget homage to classics.