This review contains spoilers
Whereas I felt the first game was a good mystery that nonetheless found its greatest strength in the cast, this feels like a game that basically sacrifices everything for The Twist.
Now, I'm torn over the Twist. I think it's incredibly gutsy and impressive technically, and no matter how mad I am I have to admit Uchikoshi has got me beat fair and square.
But it's also... not actually relevant to anything in the game? Yes, it is important to the secret ending with Shigure, but structuring your entire game for a payoff in an obscure meta-fictional side ending is a very clever trick but not amazing storytelling. I think perhaps if they'd pushed it further, it could've been more meaningful, but as it is it feels both like the Twist eats up too much of the story and also is completely irrelevant to it.
Aside from that, I didn't really care for the new characters. Ryuki and Tama were entertaining, and I have a soft spot for Kizuna and Shoma, but on the whole it felt like the game puts so much effort into characterising them but it's all quantity and no quality. They just... aren't fun. Mame and Gen I found especially one-note.
All in all, this game is an interesting experiment, and I have to respect it on that level... but experiments are not good storytelling.
With that said, this game feels like it does gradually improve on a few ideas from ZTD (not going to spoil that game but The Twist, as well as anachronic order), so maybe in another 5 years we'll finally get a game that fulfills this experimental promise and is actually good?
Now, I'm torn over the Twist. I think it's incredibly gutsy and impressive technically, and no matter how mad I am I have to admit Uchikoshi has got me beat fair and square.
But it's also... not actually relevant to anything in the game? Yes, it is important to the secret ending with Shigure, but structuring your entire game for a payoff in an obscure meta-fictional side ending is a very clever trick but not amazing storytelling. I think perhaps if they'd pushed it further, it could've been more meaningful, but as it is it feels both like the Twist eats up too much of the story and also is completely irrelevant to it.
Aside from that, I didn't really care for the new characters. Ryuki and Tama were entertaining, and I have a soft spot for Kizuna and Shoma, but on the whole it felt like the game puts so much effort into characterising them but it's all quantity and no quality. They just... aren't fun. Mame and Gen I found especially one-note.
All in all, this game is an interesting experiment, and I have to respect it on that level... but experiments are not good storytelling.
With that said, this game feels like it does gradually improve on a few ideas from ZTD (not going to spoil that game but The Twist, as well as anachronic order), so maybe in another 5 years we'll finally get a game that fulfills this experimental promise and is actually good?