this definitely feels like a bit of a watered down experience in some ways but in the end this is just a massive warm cozy concentrated chunk of imas content
in exchange for having nearly 30 idols, there's some pretty clear concessions that were made. firstly, this is really not a replayable game. there's a single story route and it always plays out the same way, and it's loooong. too long, probably. and if you were hoping for a story where your favorite idol played a key role... you're not getting it. it's all about kohaku, the one new character. any other given character's role during the story is pretty much for the sake of kohaku. this can definitely be a bit of a bitter pill to swallow for what's supposed to be a special anniversary game where on top of your favorite 765pro idols, you can finally manage characters from other branches in a console release
on that note, this game doesn't have you create your own unit to manage. instead, your unit consists of all 29 idols in the game. rather than choosing your favorite idols to focus on, it's necessary to balance the entire cast. because if you don't... you'll very much regret it in time
all the game's issues came to a head for me about halfway in, when there's literally several hours straight of kohaku cutscenes, and hearing every line of dialogue out of my favorite characters' mouths be about how they were worried about kohaku became grueling. and then immediately after that, the game introduces a massive difficulty spike in the form of medley lives. suddenly you needed to have half the cast live-ready at any given time, and there was little room for error. all the commus where i hadn't chosen the best response started to add up, meaning my crew was unequipped to handle the tasks ahead. i'm sure this was very deliberate when the game offers stat boosting items as paid dlc via the shop
i was almost prepared to just give up on the game after hitting that wall, but i decided to start over using a commu guide. which wasn't necessarily an easy decision considering it took many many hours to return to the point i was at
after breaking through that wall, though, i found that the game hid any depth the simulation component had until late-game. it's still very reduced compared to some previous entries, but there's still more freedom for strategy than the insanely rigid first half of the game would lead you to think. in fact, once it opens up, it suddenly becomes really easy for anyone who knows what they're doing
the game's presentation is absolutely gorgeous, and if it weren't for my firm belief that the original kubooka art is the absolute peak of the anime aesthetic, this is the best the series has looked by a mile. it's honestly almost worth the price of admission to just look at it all in motion (including the decade+ old ancient dialogue animations the 765 idols still have)
song list is honestly a bit on the weaker side, just for the lack of variety. every idolmaster series brings several of its main themes, in addition to one of the 5 or so new songs being a main theme, meaning a lot of the song list is extremely similar traditional-style idol songs. on the other hand, this helps a new surf rock or gothic track stand out in a very positive way. still, it would've been nice to have more genre variety in its picks from returning tracks
despite any complaints, this is a game i kept wanting to go back to that kept having more to offer. it's just densely concentrated idolmaster, stretching far as the eye can see. getting to interact with some of my favorites from other branches (the deremas picks in particular were spot-on for me. if only shiki were in it...) in a new way, returning to managing 765 idols, and seeing all the cross-branch interactions really were always a joy, and it felt practically un-ending. and i haven't even touched the dlc!!
so, i'm sure this is a disappointing release for a lot of longtime fans in some ways, and i don't really think it would sell newcomers on the appeal of the franchise. but as someone who followed the series from the sidelines since the beginning, there's just something very irresistibly warm and inviting about this game
in exchange for having nearly 30 idols, there's some pretty clear concessions that were made. firstly, this is really not a replayable game. there's a single story route and it always plays out the same way, and it's loooong. too long, probably. and if you were hoping for a story where your favorite idol played a key role... you're not getting it. it's all about kohaku, the one new character. any other given character's role during the story is pretty much for the sake of kohaku. this can definitely be a bit of a bitter pill to swallow for what's supposed to be a special anniversary game where on top of your favorite 765pro idols, you can finally manage characters from other branches in a console release
on that note, this game doesn't have you create your own unit to manage. instead, your unit consists of all 29 idols in the game. rather than choosing your favorite idols to focus on, it's necessary to balance the entire cast. because if you don't... you'll very much regret it in time
all the game's issues came to a head for me about halfway in, when there's literally several hours straight of kohaku cutscenes, and hearing every line of dialogue out of my favorite characters' mouths be about how they were worried about kohaku became grueling. and then immediately after that, the game introduces a massive difficulty spike in the form of medley lives. suddenly you needed to have half the cast live-ready at any given time, and there was little room for error. all the commus where i hadn't chosen the best response started to add up, meaning my crew was unequipped to handle the tasks ahead. i'm sure this was very deliberate when the game offers stat boosting items as paid dlc via the shop
i was almost prepared to just give up on the game after hitting that wall, but i decided to start over using a commu guide. which wasn't necessarily an easy decision considering it took many many hours to return to the point i was at
after breaking through that wall, though, i found that the game hid any depth the simulation component had until late-game. it's still very reduced compared to some previous entries, but there's still more freedom for strategy than the insanely rigid first half of the game would lead you to think. in fact, once it opens up, it suddenly becomes really easy for anyone who knows what they're doing
the game's presentation is absolutely gorgeous, and if it weren't for my firm belief that the original kubooka art is the absolute peak of the anime aesthetic, this is the best the series has looked by a mile. it's honestly almost worth the price of admission to just look at it all in motion (including the decade+ old ancient dialogue animations the 765 idols still have)
song list is honestly a bit on the weaker side, just for the lack of variety. every idolmaster series brings several of its main themes, in addition to one of the 5 or so new songs being a main theme, meaning a lot of the song list is extremely similar traditional-style idol songs. on the other hand, this helps a new surf rock or gothic track stand out in a very positive way. still, it would've been nice to have more genre variety in its picks from returning tracks
despite any complaints, this is a game i kept wanting to go back to that kept having more to offer. it's just densely concentrated idolmaster, stretching far as the eye can see. getting to interact with some of my favorites from other branches (the deremas picks in particular were spot-on for me. if only shiki were in it...) in a new way, returning to managing 765 idols, and seeing all the cross-branch interactions really were always a joy, and it felt practically un-ending. and i haven't even touched the dlc!!
so, i'm sure this is a disappointing release for a lot of longtime fans in some ways, and i don't really think it would sell newcomers on the appeal of the franchise. but as someone who followed the series from the sidelines since the beginning, there's just something very irresistibly warm and inviting about this game