This feels much closer to the original idea the first game was trying to come up with, and while I like the original it doesn't really focus that much on the social aspect like this game does. It shows more of Nicole's sociopath nature and how it affects those around her. I enjoyed how the endings felt more like a proper ending to each of their routes compared the endings in the first. The Ari routes in particular are definitely the best written here, as it's easier to feel bad for depressed co-dependent lesbian compared to some of the other people you fuck over in the other endings.

Remember kids, satire is based in reality.

Essentially, this is just more Class of '09, and I'm definitely not complaining. With the ending count sliced in half, each of the 7 routes have a lot more content in them, so while the game initially seems shorter, I actually spent more time with The Re-Up than the original. It's got tighter writing, less repetitive jokes, improved characterisation and a variety of societal topics to comment on.

The first game, while covering a variety of issues, dedicated multiple endings to the same general topic. The Re-Up's routes, however, are all distinct, and the game covers topics that the original didn't. We've got abusive and/or toxic relationships, selling crack, and the like. I feel like the shock value was boosted too. I genuinely had a pit in my stomach witnessing some of the endings.

I didn't talk about the protagonist, Nicole in my Class of '09 review, so I'll do so here. Nicole is fantastic. A heartless, apathetic narcissist who is endlessly entertaining to watch. As a product of a traumatic childhood, we can understand that she's a pretty horrible person, but it's also hard to completely blame her for being like this. She wasn't born this way, nobody is. It's her environment, the constant moving and being unable to make meaningful friendships, her abusive mother, etc. There is just barely enough here to know that even someone like Nicole can improve. Will it happen? I'm not sure. But I think its possible.

Of course, Class of '09: The Re-Up, like the original, is a black comedy first and foremost, and it somehow manages to retain the momentum and joke quality that the first game had, perhaps even better. But even when everything is put through the apathetic, comedic lens of Nicole, the reality of its events still shine through as a reminder that everything displayed is stuff that happens in real life. We can simply play the game and laugh at the silliness of it all, but we can also see the reflection of our world inside it. While I, naturally, find the game funny, it also invokes a strange feeling every time I remember this is stuff real people experience. Shit, even I've witnessed similar things, albeit not nearly as exaggerated. I'm sure some of you have too, so I think treating these games SOLELY as "haha offensive game funny" is just a tad disingenuous.

Also, without spoiling what happens, the ending cutscene was very confusing. There is discussion about it online, so I'll definitely be going through all that but its giving me heavy ARG vibes, so I don't know what's up with that. I'm down for another one of these games if that is what's being hinted at, though perhaps with a switch-up to the formula to avoid getting stale. Regardless, I'm already very into this so I'm interested in whatever SBN3 cooks up next. And if this is it for Class of '09? I'm more than happy.

Class of '09: The Re-Up is a worthy follow-up. It improves on pretty much everything that the first game built up. If you didn't "get" the original, you won't like this one either, though if the first game spoke to you, you gotta check this one out.


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I wish these games had a larger online presence. I can barely find videos and whatnot about them, so writing these reviews is almost all I can do which is lowkey a bit frustrating.

This game got me through a tough time in my life... by making me worse!!!

To sum up my feelings about the game: "I love fake people, I love games, I love drama, music means nothing to me. I'm not a chill guy and if you fuck with my friends I will help you do it. I would betray any of my loved ones at any time and I would not hesitate to hit them with a car."

The only OELVN that I will look the other way with when it claims to "not be like other visual novels". Genuinely wish it wasn't advertised like that though LMAO

The Boondocks for white people. Hell yeah, a true high school experience filled with drugs, weird teachers and rejections up the wazoo. The dialogue's clever and comedic while still portraying true emotion at times, the voice acting is really well done and the artwork isn't really sickening, especially if you play it for 3 hours straight (or maybe I'm just used to anime girls, not sure). The endings are really dark but are somewhat still comedic with the end-content (always check ur phone after a playthru). I highly recommend this if you want a good visual novel to just laugh at.

This game isn't perfect.

But I'm giving it a perfect score anyway. I haven't gotten as much emotional enjoyment out of a game's story in so long. Nicole is a very interesting character in this one, and to be honest all of the students are.

Love it - support the kickstarter.