This game has been review bombed by people who don't like it's localization team. I think some honest reviews for the actual game itself instead of its localization are needed, so here goes. Bad: This game is shades of Suikoden II, to a fault. It took the best and worst from Suikoden I and II, and put them into a world that is partially 3D and partially 2D. Runes are now Rune Lenses, Nanami is now Lian, Vikki is now Carrie, etc. The combat is very much like Suikoden, except the turn order is more reminicent of DnD, and the combat is much slower to execute. Most of the minigames are stripped down versions of their Suikoden II counterparts, devoid of their interesting mechanics. Finally, the story is very Suikoden II-like, but with an E(veryone) rating instead of T(een), which is a dubious choice as war story without the horrendous consequences a war inevitebly results in makes war seem fun and breezy. It feels like a Saturday morning cartoon story. All character deaths have happened off screen, and those characters weren't even given names. I haven't even seen a nameless NPC die yet, not even a grunt with a helmet on, a la Star Wars. Good: I'm thoroughly enjoying the game. It's not a perfect game, but it does scratch my old Suikoden itch. I'm finding the characters to be mostly entertaining and likable. I've seen reviews argue that the characters are forgettable, and lots of them are, but no more than were in Suikoden. How many people really remember Chuchura, for example? The leveling system is ripped straight out of Suikoden, and that's for the best, as its one of the few examples of a JRP respecting its player's time (which really makes the slower combat stick out like a sore thumb, sadly). This game is fun, not profound. Localization thing: There are some moments of oddly worded choices, but it's better than Suikoden I and II's. I have no political agenda, so I'm not up in arms about it. I think most of the game was kept faithful, though a bit cheesier.
I have no prior experience with adult games, and would not have bought this if it weren't for the reviews making me think there may be more to this one. I'm glad to proclaim that they were right. I expected this game would have an ok story and characters with some medium level of depth, but really meant as sex objects, and that it would be pointless fun meant for playing one-handed. Even if it's the best adult game ever made, what more could I expect out of the much lampooned adult games genre? What I got was a visual novel that seemed at first like a modern version of a campy 90's teen drama, but quickly began showing that while it had humor (lots of humor, and most of it great), it also had deep and meaningful characters with stories each their own, and yet all tied together. This game can hit you emotionally if you let it. Some of the "scenes" feel campy, yes, but many of them feel quite meaningful. The story covers some very adult themes outside of sex, and can be considered a bit dark at times. At other times it's lightheared and funny. It has an excellent soundtrack that occasionally becomes repetitive, but mostly hits the right notes at the right times, and gives the game a lot of life. Gameplay is very simple; read dialogue and choose responses. Play some mini games and do some minor scavenger hunts (neither of which are required). The mini games are mostly pretty decent, and the scavenger hunts are just to collect extras. I don't love either of those in my games, but they were bearable here and I didn't feel like I was really missing out on anything important when I failed on any of them. So, this was my long way of saying that this isn't a sex game in visual novel form, this is a great story in a visual novel that also includes sex. I can't wait for Season 3!
If this game had been developed by almost anyone besides CD Projekt, the reviews would be positive. Not overly positive, due to bugs and design systems that aren't fully fleshed out, but still quite positive. Instead, the ambition of the developers was too big to be executed on completely, and due to the hype machine, it resulted in promises being broken. A shame that people got so emotionally invested in the imaginary version of the game, because the real version of the game isn't quite as good, but is still very good. First of all, Night City is very well done. It's graphically beautiful and there's a good amount of side content available, if you're just looking to have fun with the gun/sword play. There are also some interesting and some funny side quests. They're not as well done as Witcher 3's side quests, with the twists and turns of story that those included, but they're still typically entertaining. I hesitate to say too much about the main story as I'm not finished with it yet, but it is both cliched and entertaining. Yes, it's possible that it can be both, and it is. Playing the game feels a lot like being part of a cinematic experience. Now, on to its unrealized potential. The game feels like it tried to marry Mirror's Edge with the Grand Theft Auto series and landed somewhere in the middle, without fully tying the two together. As I said, it feels cinematic, and it is a success as a cinematic expeience, but to create that type of experience they had to sacrifice on player agency. You are able to pick your origin, sort of like in Dragon Age: Origins, but DA:O had more engaging origin stories, and a lot more content within and specific to those origins. I think they tried to make a game unlike any they had made before, and fell short of what they expected of themselves. I think they ran out of time and money and had to rush it out. I think the game is full of unfulfilled potential. And I think it's still a pretty darn good game, and quite fun!
