While Sakura Gamer wasn't anything too special, Sakura Gamer 2 actually surprised me... it's an actual improvement over the first game?!

For one, the game actually paints Nekohime as a likeable, and even relatable protagonist. The premise this time is that she and her friends attend those weird anime conventions and sell their visual novel games. The problem is... Nekohime is very bad with crowds, and experiences a great deal of stress. And... I can relate to that. I myself am not good at socializing. I was always the quiet kid who almost never interacted with others because of anxiety of being judged and such. I don't think it's quite the same in this story, but it's similar enough. This makes Nekohime a far more compelling character who has some depth to her.

Next, the main conflict of this game is far more memorable. This is where I get into light spoilers, and I will make the story analysis section bold, so you can easily skip it... probably. The gist of it is that there are actual threats to Nekohime and the gang, and some interesting topics regarding indie dev and the state of visual novels.

STORY ANALYSIS (spoilers here):
A girl accuses the main characters of selling such content without shame, and actually making profit. Of course, this rubs off Nekohime, though that girl also manages to embarrass herself in the process. Suki argues that... well, sex sells! So true, Suki. So true. It's kinda ironic if you think about it, since the game isn't shy of interesting CGs itself. The devs must be aware of that. That girl can be confronted about why she is the way she is, and we learn that she also tried to make a videogame but it wasn't succesful, so basically it's jealousy that perverted games are more successful than others. That's another interesting aspect - some indie games just don't take off. Games like Airscape - The Fall of Gravity, which had a good deal of promotion, but it didn't become a massive success the devs hoped for (this isn't exclusive to indie developers, but can be excruciating for smaller teams). There is actually another threat, but it's not as interesting, and I think I've spoiled enough.
(SPOILERS OVER)

A silly H visual novel that brings up interesting topics of discussion? In my opinion, this definitely elevates the read above average, along with better characterization of the main protagonist and her growth. If you don't mind some of the game's imagery, I can actually recommend reading this. Maybe I praise it too much and it's actually not that special, but I definitely believe that the writing is far better, more interesting and actually memorable, compared to the predecessor. An actually decent read.