I sat down to play Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE without fully understanding what it was. We’ve known a Shin Megami Tensei / Fire Emblem crossover was coming for years, but it took putting my hands on the controller to actually comprehend the extent of it, and to realize why this mix is such a good fit.

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“ For Fire Emblem fans, this is a fun, weird way to see some of your favorite characters.

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“ Exploration consists of open world areas inspired by real parts of Japan.

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In case you’re as out of the loop as I was, here are the basics: Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is essentially a Shin Megami Tensei game in terms of mechanics. Instead of demons (or, for spinoff fans like myself, Personas), your characters are joined by Mirages, which, in keeping with this crossover’s nature, are Fire Emblem characters. The protagonist, Itsuki, is joined by Fire Emblem Awakening’s Chrom, for example.These Mirages can be good or bad, and the more nefarious of them have been pulling people into an alternate dimension called the Idolosphere (a concept that immediately reminded me of Persona 4’s Midnight Channel). Mirages are looking to steal humans’ Performa, the creative energy that fuels us all. It’s up to Itsuki and his friends to save the world.Mechanically, the game leans heavily into its Shin Megami Tensei roots. Battles are turn-based, and skills are the same elements SMT and Persona fans know and love -- Agi (fire), Bufu (ice), Zio (electric), Dia (healing), and so on. The Fire Emblem component comes from the Weapon Triangle, which allows you to know which weapons target which weaknesses -- perhaps an enemy is weak to a spear or axe or bow & arrow, and you can choose a physical attack or skill to target that weakness. As a nice easter egg, you’ll also hear a familiar Fire Emblem jingle each time you level up.The battle system is enriched by Sessions, which are attack combos. While your party will always consist of three characters, as you continue to recruit additional members throughout the game, you can swap different people into your party during battle at any time without losing a turn. By targeting an enemy’s weakness, players can trigger a Session that allows them to chain together an attack from each of their party members, including those who aren’t currently active. Sometimes this simply leads to a follow-up attack or two, but if you’ve assigned skills carefully, it can mean stringing together devastating 10+ attack chains. Of course, enemies can trigger Sessions as well, so bosses can initiate equally brutal combos that will destroy your party if you’re not careful.For Fire Emblem fans, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE is a fun, weird way to see some of your favorite characters. Each party member in the game has a Carnage Form, which mixes their look with that of a Fire Emblem character. Itsuki, for example, looks like a mix of himself and Chrom during battle, while party member Tsubasa takes on the look of Caeda from Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon. This mix works surprisingly well, combining Fire Emblem’s aesthetic with a slightly softer, Persona-inspired look.Exploration in Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE consists of open world areas inspired by real parts of Japan. My demo included a section where we ran through an alternate version of Tokyo’s famous Shibuya Crossing, replacing the iconic 109 store with a fictional 106 version. While exploring, you may see greyed-out humans wandering through the city reminiscent of those affected by Persona 3’s Apathy Syndrome. These are humans whose Performa has been stolen, and they suffer from exactly the fate you’re trying to prevent the rest of the world from experiencing.Like Persona 4, every dungeon you explore in the Idolosphere is themed, with each inspired by a different form of entertainment. One dungeon I saw during my demo was themed around photography, for example, while other dungeons revolve around fashion, television, and more.I only played around an hour of Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE, but I definitely left wanting to see more. With no concrete Persona 5 release date announced and likely months to go until Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse heads West , this could be a great way to scratch that JRPG itch on a console this summer. If nothing else, you could always play using the Persona and SMT-inspired Carnage Forms while you wait.Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE will launch exclusively for Wii U on June 24.

Andrew is IGN’s executive editor of news and has too many Persona toys on his desk. You can find him rambling about EarthBound and cute animals on Twitter