I played the Switch port of this and you can tell that it was a poorly optimised port of what looks like a budget Vita game, with slowdown and some weird graphical glitches here and there. It's still playable but it does have an impact on the experience unfortunately.
The game itself is alright. It's a nicely paced 25-30 hour JRPG that doesn't waste the players time with fluff. The dungeons are very SMT/early Persona like, basically corridor/hallway like in design and unfortunately don't really deviate enough with puzzles or memorable gimmicks so they can drag on a little. The music for the dungeons is incredible though, each with their own unique song that gains lyrics whenever you enter a battle which is a nice touch. They could've done with having longer loops as they can get repetitive but the songs are all really good.
Now where the game really shines is in its characters, story, and setting.
As someone who fell in love with the concept of a digital world with Digimon, seeing something else explore that with the addition of virtual idols is right up my alley. Basically people who are done with their real life are drawn into Mobius, a virtual world, after they hear a virtual idol singing. It's a place where people can be whoever they want and abandon their trauma. The Virtuadolls take away their negative energy in hopes of making them happy and it's a really cool concept.
What's also cool is its wonderful cast of characters, each with their own stories where you can delve into their trauma and find out why they are the way they are. These characters all deal with something that is bound to be relatable to someone out there. Eating disorders, abusive parents, bullying, suicide and more are all tackled as you dive into character episodes and it's great to see a game tackle these issues. I can't say it handles everything perfectly (there are some scenes that poke fun at obesity which feel out of place for example) but I did find myself relating to a lot of these characters and the problems they faced in their lives and that is what makes this game special. Kotono has become one of my favourite characters of all time because of how much I could relate to her specific issues.
And it's not just your party members you can bond with for these episodes, Overdose lets you bond with the enemy Musicians you fight throughout the story and while some of these characters can be extremely difficult to stand at first, the game does an excellent job at explaining what their trauma is and even allows them to show a lot of growth for their actions which is really well done to pull off.
There will be moments that might test your tolerances to certain subjects but if you can make it through then there is a memorable cast to be met.
Overall The Caligula Effect is a flawed new ip but one whose concept lays a fantastic foundation to build off. The characters carry a slightly messy jrpg experience but if you can stick with it, then you will find something to love about it!
The game itself is alright. It's a nicely paced 25-30 hour JRPG that doesn't waste the players time with fluff. The dungeons are very SMT/early Persona like, basically corridor/hallway like in design and unfortunately don't really deviate enough with puzzles or memorable gimmicks so they can drag on a little. The music for the dungeons is incredible though, each with their own unique song that gains lyrics whenever you enter a battle which is a nice touch. They could've done with having longer loops as they can get repetitive but the songs are all really good.
Now where the game really shines is in its characters, story, and setting.
As someone who fell in love with the concept of a digital world with Digimon, seeing something else explore that with the addition of virtual idols is right up my alley. Basically people who are done with their real life are drawn into Mobius, a virtual world, after they hear a virtual idol singing. It's a place where people can be whoever they want and abandon their trauma. The Virtuadolls take away their negative energy in hopes of making them happy and it's a really cool concept.
What's also cool is its wonderful cast of characters, each with their own stories where you can delve into their trauma and find out why they are the way they are. These characters all deal with something that is bound to be relatable to someone out there. Eating disorders, abusive parents, bullying, suicide and more are all tackled as you dive into character episodes and it's great to see a game tackle these issues. I can't say it handles everything perfectly (there are some scenes that poke fun at obesity which feel out of place for example) but I did find myself relating to a lot of these characters and the problems they faced in their lives and that is what makes this game special. Kotono has become one of my favourite characters of all time because of how much I could relate to her specific issues.
And it's not just your party members you can bond with for these episodes, Overdose lets you bond with the enemy Musicians you fight throughout the story and while some of these characters can be extremely difficult to stand at first, the game does an excellent job at explaining what their trauma is and even allows them to show a lot of growth for their actions which is really well done to pull off.
There will be moments that might test your tolerances to certain subjects but if you can make it through then there is a memorable cast to be met.
Overall The Caligula Effect is a flawed new ip but one whose concept lays a fantastic foundation to build off. The characters carry a slightly messy jrpg experience but if you can stick with it, then you will find something to love about it!