Konae's Investigations

Before I go into talking about this game, I want to take a look back at this post. I apologize for taking over half a year, Marrend, but things have finally come full circle.

This has been an interesting session for me. I enjoy sequels because I like to see how developers have refined their games over time. I started with Matsumori Days. I thought the game was average at best. Then I went on to Arbiters from Another World, and every problem I had before has been cleared away. I thought to myself, "You know, if Konae's Investigation is just like this, I'll be a happy camper." And now here we are: Just finishing Konae's Investigations. So what do I think?

While it may be just a demo, this game has the potential to be the best of the series!

Right then, onto the game-specific talk:

First off, I want to say that I'm pleasantly surprised at the setting. Thinking about the setting of Matusmori Days, I suppose it shouldn't be THAT surprising, but to see events take place in a modern setting was definitely a good idea. This immediately gives the game it's own identity and feel.

To reflect the modern times, the characters don't have any spells! Gasp, that means that Konae and Idane have to have skills that are representative of the times! Unfortunately, that's not quite enough, as both skills are essentially just copy/pasted of each other, with Idane's skills having critical properties. However, Tetsu's skills were definitely the most interesting, as they had useful properties. Again, unfortunately, even if he wasn't only in the party for all of two minutes, the game still boils down to, "Spam strongest attack,"

Enough background was given on Konae and Idane to establish their backstories and characters. My biggest complaint would be that the two of them are literally carbon copies of each other. If I hadn't looked in the manual, I'd have said they were twins. They are the exact same, from their personalities to even their appearances. I definitely think that needs fixing.

Also, the story needs a bit more of firm context as to why the pair were at the factory anyway. "A scoop," isn't really good enough. Even something simple like, "We got a tip that someone is doing something really bad here," would be enough.

The character's skills need to be diversified more. You're on the right track, more than any game of yours I've played so far. Try giving Konae a skill that hits all enemies, or Idane a skill that buffs the party. If these two are good partners, their skills should reflect that.

Seeing the returning characters was a treat. I can't wait to see what they do.

Overall, this has made me pretty excited for the final thing. I really want to see what happens next.

Am I reading this description right? This is supposed to be the FINALE of the series? Oh man, now I'll be REALLY mad if you don't complete this game.

EDIT: A few things I did forget to mention:

I don't want to say the mapping was bad, per se, but it certainly wasn't good. I think the worst offender is the level design of the 2nd area. Why can you just walk in, turn right, and fight the boss of the area? ESPECIALLY since I have to fight the basic enemies in order to level up to beat the boss? That's bad design, there's no two ways about it.

Another thing I liked was something I forgot to mention in Uchioniko: The prebattle quotes were a very welcome touch. It adds just enough character moments that I really appreciate.