As the young kids would say, “let the man cook.” But in this case, the kitchen is on fire, and the food has turned to burnt charcoal. Mizuki being the protagonist in the sequel was a highly anticipated change narratively, as I personally liked her despite the weird anime tropes attached to her character. However, my excitement quickly turned to disappointment. As a standalone title, the game is messy narratively. It prioritizes surprising plot twists over coherent storytelling and character development. The game's attempts to be clever with its plot often fall flat, leading to a lack of cohesion in the overall narrative.
The biggest issue is its obsession with "The Big Reveal," sacrificing what could be satisfying character arcs and self-contained storylines. The writers tried to balance the inclusion of beloved characters from the first game while making the sequel accessible to new players. This resulted in a disjointed narrative where no character arcs or threads from the first game are meaningfully followed up. Returning characters are retconned or subjected to bizarre creative decisions.
Mizuki, who was a promising protagonist that I wanted to really enjoy, ends up being flat and boring. She lacks the depth and complexity expected of a lead character following up from the first game. The game does her a disservice by not exploring her character development adequately, which is mostly caused by poor writing and a lack of meaningful progression in her story. Her role feels diminished, and she comes across as a one-dimensional character. In the original game, Mizuki was a compelling supporting character, adding depth to the story with her interactions and backstory. However, she feels like a shell of her former self. The writers missed an opportunity to delve deeper into her psyche and growth, which is disappointing for fans who were excited to see her take the lead.
The returning cast from the first game also suffers from poor treatment. Major characters in the previous game who had significant development and interesting arcs are reduced to mere shadows of their former selves. Their roles are either minimized or altered in ways that don't align with their established personalities. This flanderization is frustrating, as it feels like the game is ignoring the progress these characters made in the first installment. The new characters introduced in the game are a mixed bag. While some show flashes of potential, most are unlikeable and fail to leave a lasting impression. The game tries to make these new characters integral to the plot, but their development feels rushed and shallow. The villains, in particular, are poorly written and lack depth, making the big reveals feel underwhelming.
Once again, a big reason for this is the game's fixation on plot twists. These twists often come at the expense of character development, making it hard to connect with the new faces. Relationships that should be crucial to the story are either glossed over or handled superficially. The focus on surprising the player detracts from the emotional depth and complexity that made the first game so engaging.
The problems from the first game that I had with too much innuendo and anime clichés are also exacerbated, which makes it seem like the writer doubled down way too much. Here’s my tinfoil hat theory: I feel that the writer worked backward, starting from the big reveal and smaller twists into the actual core narrative structures. This is a huge gamble because it can seem so disconnected, especially as a sequel with already established characters.
Go play the game if you feel you want a watered-down version of the original game.
The biggest issue is its obsession with "The Big Reveal," sacrificing what could be satisfying character arcs and self-contained storylines. The writers tried to balance the inclusion of beloved characters from the first game while making the sequel accessible to new players. This resulted in a disjointed narrative where no character arcs or threads from the first game are meaningfully followed up. Returning characters are retconned or subjected to bizarre creative decisions.
Mizuki, who was a promising protagonist that I wanted to really enjoy, ends up being flat and boring. She lacks the depth and complexity expected of a lead character following up from the first game. The game does her a disservice by not exploring her character development adequately, which is mostly caused by poor writing and a lack of meaningful progression in her story. Her role feels diminished, and she comes across as a one-dimensional character. In the original game, Mizuki was a compelling supporting character, adding depth to the story with her interactions and backstory. However, she feels like a shell of her former self. The writers missed an opportunity to delve deeper into her psyche and growth, which is disappointing for fans who were excited to see her take the lead.
The returning cast from the first game also suffers from poor treatment. Major characters in the previous game who had significant development and interesting arcs are reduced to mere shadows of their former selves. Their roles are either minimized or altered in ways that don't align with their established personalities. This flanderization is frustrating, as it feels like the game is ignoring the progress these characters made in the first installment. The new characters introduced in the game are a mixed bag. While some show flashes of potential, most are unlikeable and fail to leave a lasting impression. The game tries to make these new characters integral to the plot, but their development feels rushed and shallow. The villains, in particular, are poorly written and lack depth, making the big reveals feel underwhelming.
Once again, a big reason for this is the game's fixation on plot twists. These twists often come at the expense of character development, making it hard to connect with the new faces. Relationships that should be crucial to the story are either glossed over or handled superficially. The focus on surprising the player detracts from the emotional depth and complexity that made the first game so engaging.
The problems from the first game that I had with too much innuendo and anime clichés are also exacerbated, which makes it seem like the writer doubled down way too much. Here’s my tinfoil hat theory: I feel that the writer worked backward, starting from the big reveal and smaller twists into the actual core narrative structures. This is a huge gamble because it can seem so disconnected, especially as a sequel with already established characters.
Go play the game if you feel you want a watered-down version of the original game.