Pro-tip: Look up nothing about this game until you’ve actually finished it. Very hard to not get spoiled.
I never understood the AAI1 hate in the fandom until finally getting around to playing this. Don’t get me wrong, I still think AAI1 is a decent (albeit somewhat forgettable) game, but this really does blow it out of the water in all categories so much that AAI1 looks a lot worse than it really is, AAI2 is just that good.
Some parts of cases 2 and 5 dragged on for me, but I think it wouldn’t feel that way if I had a way to speed up the text using the emulator, so I’m not going to fault the actual game. But otherwise… solid soundtrack & locations, memorable new characters, Kay is actually utilized and Gumshoe isn’t a COMPLETE punching bag, logic chess is a satisfying mini game I’d like to come back, and the way the story all ties together is beautiful. A common criticism of AAI1 is that it is emotionless and there’s no connection to any of the characters or plot… complete opposite here.
Also, is the Godot quote by young Raymond Shields present in the original Japanese or did the fan translators add that for giggles? Either way, I’m headcanoning that Diego met Ray at some point and cribbed that from him.
I never understood the AAI1 hate in the fandom until finally getting around to playing this. Don’t get me wrong, I still think AAI1 is a decent (albeit somewhat forgettable) game, but this really does blow it out of the water in all categories so much that AAI1 looks a lot worse than it really is, AAI2 is just that good.
Some parts of cases 2 and 5 dragged on for me, but I think it wouldn’t feel that way if I had a way to speed up the text using the emulator, so I’m not going to fault the actual game. But otherwise… solid soundtrack & locations, memorable new characters, Kay is actually utilized and Gumshoe isn’t a COMPLETE punching bag, logic chess is a satisfying mini game I’d like to come back, and the way the story all ties together is beautiful. A common criticism of AAI1 is that it is emotionless and there’s no connection to any of the characters or plot… complete opposite here.
Also, is the Godot quote by young Raymond Shields present in the original Japanese or did the fan translators add that for giggles? Either way, I’m headcanoning that Diego met Ray at some point and cribbed that from him.
Reviewed on May 28, 2023