Written By: JP Developer: IDHAS Studios Platforms: PC, Mac and Linux Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance, Drama Release Date: October 31, 2013 Official Website | Earlier this year I reviewed Rising Angels: The Red Rose from IDHAS Studios. It was an average title that was ultimately the sums of its choices. Clearly it was also not the title KomiTsuku, the mind behind IDHAS, wanted to release so he went back to the drawing board to revamp the entire series. Rising Angels: Reborn is what it says on the tin: a retcon of the RA universe with a new main character and a larger integration of IDHAS' other stories and ideas. The game also hopes to not only connect with the larger EVN community, but also bring in science fiction fans as much of the plot can be traced back to that genre in particular. As a faction within English Visual Novels, Science Fiction is seeing something of a growth spurt with not only Reborn but also Touhou Mecha and the upcoming Sunrider project to boost its recognition among the throngs of bloody mysteries and otome. But the ultimate question is still the ultimate question, 'Is it good?' Breathe easy Chief. Despite some missteps, it's good. |
Story
The plot line is immediately a step up from Red Rose as the stakes are clearly higher and for most of the game it does deliver on the promise. I though Man of Steel was decent, but if you've followed me long enough this year then you know one of my biggest gripes was that it fatigued the audience with action scenes. What I felt the movie needed was more tension and Reborn delivers on that end very well. While there are quieter moments and time spent developing Natalie and the rest of the cast, the threats that pile up never seem to stop hanging from over their heads. This sense of atmosphere keeps the sillier moments from overtaking the larger narrative and keeps the focus on it rather than romantic moments.
And this is important because romance was billed to be a vital part of the game. In fact, Komi himself protested my lack of inclusion of this very game because it was supposed to have an storyline based on the otome genre and guess what got left on the cutting room floor? Yup: the otome story line. Not that I'm complaining as any more story lines would've put the brakes on the story rather than enhance it. One romantic route does remain and that is between Natalie and the ship's security officer; a dragon girl named Zuri. And while I enjoyed the entire cast, Zuri sticks out as the one with the most developed character. Her back story is not only explored, but is integral to Natalie's development as well. It also help that she kicks all sorts of ass during the game proper and we see her go through a full range of emotions.
At the same time most of the rest of the cast also gets a good amount of time on the threshing floor, but the two characters that benefited the most from Reborn are Sol and Kika. In Red Rose, these two were especially annoying with Sol being completely unlikable and Kika being mostly obnoxious. Here they are fleshed out well enough so that while they maintain traits they have in RR, it doesn't derail them and most of the time it improves the story.
For everything it does right though, Reborn does have two major issues in the story. The first is that a lot of stuff happens off-screen. Some of it you do understand and enough is implied to keep the story going smoothly. However, there are several key moments that happens off-screen that the audience NEEDS to see to connect the dots with certain characters. Because that doesn't happen, there are several plot holes, especially in the third act, that are explained via plot convenience. It becomes more and more distracting as the game goes on and there really is no reason why it had to happen this way.
The second major flaw is the story line that leads to the final choice of the game. After all is said and done, the last thing that is needed is a message about power and corruption and yet the final choice hinges on power and corruption. This is a theme lightly touched on throughout the game, but in the final moments it feels like there's a rush on to hammer it home. Ultimately, it very well may lead to the sequel but it feels tacked on just to have another thread in the narrative.
Overall, this story isn't breaking new ground in science fiction but it is a well told story with an enjoyable cast. The tension keeps you moving and by games in your are invested in the different endings. Despite some missteps, it is worth the read.
When Could You Play Linkin Park on a Flute?
Presentation & Gameplay
That was a choice I didn't think work out fully as intended. See, you can only see the gallery and the database from the pause menu in the game proper. It isn't something you can click into from the main menu. So unless you are paying attention, chances are that you'll miss the entire Extras menu. It's just a case of bad placement, but it is still a nice feature.
The art itself is decent with the sprites a bit cleaner and more streamlined. CGs are mostly a mixed bag as some are solid and others could've used a bit more strength in body structure. It's hard though to enjoy it because many scenes have between four and five sprites on screen and things can get crowded fast...especially considering two cast members have prominent wings and one is several feet taller than the others.
As for gameplay its a mixed bag. The choice tree works here pretty well, but there are bugs in Reborn. Most have been fixed and the ones that may pop up can be ignored. Luckily there is also an autosave feature here that was very well for capturing the key moments.
Together We Can BE Justice! (Some Of You Will Get that One)
Replay value
Overall
Final Score
7/10 | + Fun Story with a Developed Cast + Zuri Kicks Ass - The Amount Of Story That Happens Off-Screen Is Baffling - Some Bugs -The Last Choice Isn't Necessary |