Nights of Azure 2 is a sequel to the very gay Nights of Azure, and while I don't think there is as much gay romance going on compared to the first game, Nights of Azure 2 has plenty of fan service. Azure 2 also got a revamped combat and servant system along with a whole new map to explore.
Gay romance is always quite hard to determine due to Japanese culture, and while a lot of games certainly flirt with the idea, not a lot of them are set in stone quite like the first Azure game. Azure 2 kinda upped the fanfare and sexiness of yuri action, but largely it feels like it's a step back from the romance angle that was seen in the first Azure game. This change in romance and sexual appeal isn't inherently bad, but it certainly feels like Al, the main protag, is more of a self insert compared to Arnice. On top of that, not much romance is going on compared to appreciation. Simply put, Azure 2 is more like a harem anime and Azure 1 is a romantic drama. Due to this, we aren't given enough time with the main protag and the other girls to really appreciate their dynamic and due to a time limit in the main game, we have to choose carefully we go after.
The combat and servant system is also fairly different, and I don't think it's one for the better. For the most part you use your based sword combos and honestly that's enough to get you through anything this game swings at you. The game also offers you different combat options through servants, but due to also making servants more limited and with added utility, it's never wise to go with two combat servants compared to one's that help you explore more. On top of that, servants level up along side you, and have their own associated level. Due to this, largely you will end up getting rid of any combat servants simply because it requires less backtracking and their levels will fall so far behind they aren't worth taking anymore. In fact, a lot of the game;s problems are pointed solely on the servant level up system. If you take in a weak servant, they die easily and thus you don't have proper back up for a fight, on top of this combat remains stale because you are more likely to have servants that are useful for utility and not combat, and it's just kinda an endless cycle that loops itself.
Trust me on this, you don't want to add more play time to this game due to the limited amount of maps there are. While at first it is a rather neat idea to have separate sections compared to the first's connective map, it soon gets apparent that the game uses certain levels way too often or locks things behind servant based powers in order for you to up your run time and make exploration feel more like a chore at the end.I really wish they added more to this games map, but as it is, even the two DLCs you get with the game don't even boost the count past 10. Don't get me wrong here either, it's not about the size of the maps either, they are all fairly big, but the fact that you only visit one a night and you explore the same ones constantly it just ends up draining you of wanting to play it.
Not that I don't want to talk about Azure's 2 good points, as it does introduce a nice cast of characters with some interesting designs, as well as a neat antagonist with their own love story akin to Arnice, but it's honestly such a little part of the game that it feels like your reward at the end of a punishment. Heck, the biggest reason I kept going with this game is because those story moments are genuinely good and I love seeing the cast of characters interact with each other. Nights of Azure has some amazing lore to it, and the fact it's kinda ruled by lesbians only fancies me more, but as it stands I don't think I could recommend this game to others that just don't care about yuri fan service.
Gay romance is always quite hard to determine due to Japanese culture, and while a lot of games certainly flirt with the idea, not a lot of them are set in stone quite like the first Azure game. Azure 2 kinda upped the fanfare and sexiness of yuri action, but largely it feels like it's a step back from the romance angle that was seen in the first Azure game. This change in romance and sexual appeal isn't inherently bad, but it certainly feels like Al, the main protag, is more of a self insert compared to Arnice. On top of that, not much romance is going on compared to appreciation. Simply put, Azure 2 is more like a harem anime and Azure 1 is a romantic drama. Due to this, we aren't given enough time with the main protag and the other girls to really appreciate their dynamic and due to a time limit in the main game, we have to choose carefully we go after.
The combat and servant system is also fairly different, and I don't think it's one for the better. For the most part you use your based sword combos and honestly that's enough to get you through anything this game swings at you. The game also offers you different combat options through servants, but due to also making servants more limited and with added utility, it's never wise to go with two combat servants compared to one's that help you explore more. On top of that, servants level up along side you, and have their own associated level. Due to this, largely you will end up getting rid of any combat servants simply because it requires less backtracking and their levels will fall so far behind they aren't worth taking anymore. In fact, a lot of the game;s problems are pointed solely on the servant level up system. If you take in a weak servant, they die easily and thus you don't have proper back up for a fight, on top of this combat remains stale because you are more likely to have servants that are useful for utility and not combat, and it's just kinda an endless cycle that loops itself.
Trust me on this, you don't want to add more play time to this game due to the limited amount of maps there are. While at first it is a rather neat idea to have separate sections compared to the first's connective map, it soon gets apparent that the game uses certain levels way too often or locks things behind servant based powers in order for you to up your run time and make exploration feel more like a chore at the end.I really wish they added more to this games map, but as it is, even the two DLCs you get with the game don't even boost the count past 10. Don't get me wrong here either, it's not about the size of the maps either, they are all fairly big, but the fact that you only visit one a night and you explore the same ones constantly it just ends up draining you of wanting to play it.
Not that I don't want to talk about Azure's 2 good points, as it does introduce a nice cast of characters with some interesting designs, as well as a neat antagonist with their own love story akin to Arnice, but it's honestly such a little part of the game that it feels like your reward at the end of a punishment. Heck, the biggest reason I kept going with this game is because those story moments are genuinely good and I love seeing the cast of characters interact with each other. Nights of Azure has some amazing lore to it, and the fact it's kinda ruled by lesbians only fancies me more, but as it stands I don't think I could recommend this game to others that just don't care about yuri fan service.
Wesker
2 years ago