I fairly loved BLUE REFLECTION: Second Gentle when I reviewed the Change model again in 2021. I gave it a 7.5/10, stating that, “..the touching story and fluid fight system are compelling sufficient to drive you thru.”
However I did so with little information of the franchise’s bigger universe. Second Gentle was the sequel to a recreation I hadn’t performed, and I’d by no means labored by way of the varied spin-offs, both. If it’s the identical with you, that may now be corrected with BLUE REFLECTION Quartet for Nintendo Change and Change 2.
4 titles comprise the compilation: 2017’s BLUE REFLECTION, 2021’s BLUE REFLECTION RAY anime collection, the BLUE REFLECTION SUN mixed-media challenge launched for cell/PC throughout 2023-24, and the aforementioned BLUE REFLECTION: Second Gentle, which was beforehand the one entry to have a Nintendo launch. Followers at any degree can now play by way of all 4 titles in a single bundle, however ought to they?
To reply that, let’s take a look at what the collection is about. The video games on this bundle are JRPGs of various levels. The solid of younger, feminine characters reside in a world that’s dying, and so they fight this by turning into Magical Ladies and utilizing their newfound particular powers to counter the enemies. Not like with most JRPGs, nonetheless, the story is closely character pushed. It’s as a lot about relationships, discovery, and therapeutic as it’s about saving the world.
BLUE REFLECTION and BLUE REFLECTION: Second Gentle do one of the best job of conveying these themes. Every provides turn-based fight centered round a timeline that signifies when your social gathering members and the enemies will assault. The longer you wait to assault, the extra highly effective the assault will be or the extra assaults you possibly can execute uninterrupted, relying upon which you utilize. Your assaults also can debuff or decelerate enemies. And with a number of individuals within the battles, it turns into a sort of managed chaos that’s enjoyable to push by way of. Second Gentle’s fight system and normal exploration are extra refined, however that’s to be anticipated from a sequel.
Between battles, you spend time exploring the ladies’ social environments—Hoshinomiya Ladies’ Excessive College in BLUE REFLECTION and a mysterious summer time college on an deserted island in Second Gentle. Each places supply quite a few methods to construct relationships, drive the story, and put together for the battles forward.
Having now performed BLUE REFLECTION, I’m really sort of glad I performed them in reverse order. I had no idea of the place the narrative was heading (or from the place it got here) when taking part in Second Gentle. That made for an attention-grabbing run. And I loved the story in BLUE REFLECTION now as a result of I knew to what it was main and was concerned about seeing it get there.
RAY and Solar are much less concerned. RAY is mainly only a one hour recap of the anime that you just sort of simply stroll by way of. It’s attention-grabbing for story growth, however not crucial to the collection. Those that are actually within the lore ought to as an alternative seek out the total 24-episode anime collection.
SUN does a bit higher. It modifies its cell origins for consoles, and options expanded character interactions and improved fight, the latter of which is now primarily based on the Second Gentle battle system. Its episodic launch method on cell does generally come throughout as disjointed right here, and the introduction of a central male character sits at odds with the opposite video games.
A pair dozen new character occasions have been added, and the unique launch’s epilogue and prologue successfully tie it in with the collection. The most effective half for followers, although, is that it’s obtainable in any respect; the unique cell/PC launch’s servers have been shut down.
All 4 video games look fairly good on each the Change and Change 2, and so they carry out effectively; nothing right here will tax both system. Additionally they gained’t tax your mind. The fight, though participating, is rarely very troublesome, and character administration is kind of fundamental in comparison with most different JRPGs at your disposal. I’ll evaluate the expertise to a mash-up of Atelier type fight with Persona type character and story development.
That story facilities round highschool ladies coming of age on the sting of an apocalypse, however they nonetheless have loads of time to work by way of some fairly heavy points and emotions. And since they accomplish that with magical woman trappings, quite a lot of JRPG followers will doubtless ignore BLUE REFLECTION Quartet.
That’s honest, I suppose, however unlucky. Though I can’t get behind each recreation on this assortment, BLUE REFLECTION and Second Gentle are well worth the worth of admission. And if you happen to’ve already performed the latter, eight new characters and a few high quality of life enhancements incentivize a second playthrough. Spend a while with these younger warrior girls and you might discover you’ve extra in frequent with them than you’ll’ve thought.
