Well damn, they did it.
I dunno how, I really wasn't expecting this to be anywhere even halfway decent after the meanspirited mess of the first game. I bought it, all the same, because I love the concept enough to want to like what it does, but I was so sure it'd leave me just as muddled as Overdose, desperately wishing for a game that could've done what it set out to do better.
And here it is. They did it. They delivered on every bit of promise the first game held. The combat is much better, the side content is actually meaningful, the dungeons are genuinely fun to navigate and have some really neat ideas baked into them, and the music is every bit as stellar as the first game, with not a single dud track in the entire thing.
But it's the writing where this game truly shines. The first game was so meanspirited and hollow, punching down at every opportunity. Caligula 2, meanwhile, is written with so much empathy, with one of the sweetest, most well-considered arcs about gender identity I've seen in a game, and a main cast that I came to truly adore. Sasara, in particular, turned out to be my favorite in the group, with the conclusion of her story helping me come to terms with the somewhat recent passing of a family member. I can't say how much I appreciated that all, really.
Hell, it's so good that it retroactively makes parts of the first game better, calling back to it in ways that drastically up the emotional stakes here and toy with audience expectations really cleverly.
Right through to the last dungeon, I was so ready for the game to fumble something, for it to really remind me why the first game never worked for me. But that never happened. Everything it did was just fantastic, right up until the end.
What a lovely, special game. I can't believe this comes from the exact same writer and director as the first game, but what an incredible example of listening and swearing to do better by the people you've hurt. What an amazing turnaround, truly.
I dunno how, I really wasn't expecting this to be anywhere even halfway decent after the meanspirited mess of the first game. I bought it, all the same, because I love the concept enough to want to like what it does, but I was so sure it'd leave me just as muddled as Overdose, desperately wishing for a game that could've done what it set out to do better.
And here it is. They did it. They delivered on every bit of promise the first game held. The combat is much better, the side content is actually meaningful, the dungeons are genuinely fun to navigate and have some really neat ideas baked into them, and the music is every bit as stellar as the first game, with not a single dud track in the entire thing.
But it's the writing where this game truly shines. The first game was so meanspirited and hollow, punching down at every opportunity. Caligula 2, meanwhile, is written with so much empathy, with one of the sweetest, most well-considered arcs about gender identity I've seen in a game, and a main cast that I came to truly adore. Sasara, in particular, turned out to be my favorite in the group, with the conclusion of her story helping me come to terms with the somewhat recent passing of a family member. I can't say how much I appreciated that all, really.
Hell, it's so good that it retroactively makes parts of the first game better, calling back to it in ways that drastically up the emotional stakes here and toy with audience expectations really cleverly.
Right through to the last dungeon, I was so ready for the game to fumble something, for it to really remind me why the first game never worked for me. But that never happened. Everything it did was just fantastic, right up until the end.
What a lovely, special game. I can't believe this comes from the exact same writer and director as the first game, but what an incredible example of listening and swearing to do better by the people you've hurt. What an amazing turnaround, truly.