Arcadia Fallen II

The first Arcadia Fallen was a fun little visual novel, but the sequel really stands out. An interesting an unpredictable story, complex characters, and lovely art. I very much enjoyed my time with it and plan to play through again with different choices when I can find the time.

Having just binged through the game, I'm left with bittersweet emotions, and so to process them I decided to write a review. I definitely enjoyed my time with the VN, but there are several issues which persist across both instalments of this series that the devs and writers would do well to address if they want to make the third chapter (as seems inevitable) exceptional. POSITIVES: -[b]The artwork.[/b] Gorgeous character designs are what initially caught my eye and made me buy the game. A couple of additional 'full art' moments like in other visual novels wouldn't go amiss, but the character designs themselves are great. It's a pretty game. -[b]The narrative is a step up from the first game[/b]. I found myself getting bored and lost at times with the first game because the pacing was non-existent and the sense of threat and conflict lacklustre until suddenly everything erupted at the end. This time, there is a much more consistent sense of antagonism from very early on, which made the story much more engaging. The pacing was much improved and the start of the climax at least was satisfying because the sense of setting was excellent, and the sense of upheaval in that setting therefore became more poignant. -[b]The worldbuilding is stellar[/b]. I love how the narrative builds upon the seeds sown in the first game, with new revelations and twists that are really rewarding for people who played both. The different strands of magic feel better explained here than in the original because of the academic context. And then what the narrative does with the world was really intriguing. If any one element captured me, it was the stellar worldbuilding. It really does feel like a living, breathing world. -Similarly, [b]I was much more enamoured with the characters this time around[/b]. The same satisfying formula as the first game - the ability to guide and change the supporting cast towards their future - remains here. The voice acting is great across the board. Perhaps it's just because the vibes of both games lean towards cosiness more than providing a thriller, but I really appreciated how you can 'redeem' characters who seem nasty at first by getting to know them more. I also felt like most major characters had enough depth beyond their initial appearances to make them interesting. More than that, the way the relationships grow and the banter changes between characters felt more authentic here than in the original, partly because these characters [i]have[/i] known each other for a while instead of being forced together by circumstances and then being immediately chummy. -[b]Ragnar[/b]. What an adorable character. I did like the non-human character from the first game, but the fact I can't recall her name right now itself demonstrates how she didn't leave much of an impact on me. I don't think I'll be forgetting this adorable dragonlet any time soon though. His voice actor deserves a medal. ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: -[b]The puzzle elements.[/b] On one hand, I appreciate that we get these at all, but on the other, the pipe puzzles here were a step down from the alchemy in the first game. Other than maybe the last one or two, the puzzles were so mindlessly easy that they felt more like a chore to tick off before we get more story than a refreshing change of pace. Most have multiple solutions, none of which are tricky, and which therefore aren't satisfying to crack. The first game's alchemy system was better in this regard because of the satisfaction of experimenting with different recipes to fill the recipe list. -[b]Underwhelming romance elements[/b]. Buyers expecting a more immersive dating sim experience will likely be disappointed. You get a couple of cute moments with your chosen character, but little beyond this. It leaves you wanting more - more interactions, more time spent with the character you're romancing, more time to see the relationship grow beyond just one or two incidental cute tangents. -[b]Replay value.[/b] The routes provide negligible narrative changes - the mender route, which the player is implicitly encouraged to choose because Soren and Nina represent the other two major ones, barely factors in at all. The first game, similarly, didn't leave me with any desire to immediately replay where other visual novels have had me immediately dashing to see the story from a different angle. If you're going to offer the illusion of different routes, you have to make the differences more worthwhile. The price is probably a little too high for an experience you only need once. -[b]Musical anonymity[/b]. The music isn't awful by any means, but it does blend very much into the background and rarely if ever changes from the sort of whimsical mysterious vibe it's going for. -[b]Some odd narrative decisions.[/b] The opening scene with Soren and Nina sets expectations that they are going to be the primary supporting characters integral to the plot and your character's involvement in them. Except we barely get to interact with either of them in depth and they are immediately replaced by other characters as the main drivers of the narrative. It also introduces the theme of mages not being able to choose their futures, which is relevant to the wider narrative, but with which neither character engages with after this moment. -[b]Poor climax[/b]. For the second game in a row, I feel let down by the narrative's ending, though the reasons here are a little different. In the first game, [spoiler]my main problem was that all the major conflict escalated suddenly and way too quickly, and was similarly resolved with abrupt ease. Perhaps it was because I'd chosen all the most altruistic dialogue options, but it felt like the narrative was afraid to introduce anything that might potentially be stressful, to the detriment of its sense of threat and conflict.[/spoiler] I'd like to think that throwaway line by a certain returning character is the writers poking fun at this point of complaint and acknowledging the weaknesses of the ending. The problem is, this game's ending is no better, and honestly might even be worse if largely because the narrative is otherwise so much more engaging, and therefore the disappointment generated from its failure to stick the landing is greater. There are several, interconnected reasons why the ending just doesn't work: [spoiler][list] [*][b]Protagonist passivity.[/b] The game starts singing your praises about how much of a hero your MC in the second half, and then denies them the opportunity to demonstrate that special heroism by not allowing our character to have any impact on the major crises introduced by the narrative. Partly because... [*][b]Most major and interesting conflicts go unresolved.[/b] The civil war is still going on, largely unimpacted by our heroes' actions. The consequences of the dragon's rebirth are felt because of how the game sets things up, but the game ends before anything can happen here. Gripping plot facets, left unanswered. It does not feel like the story's natural end. The major antagonist is defeated not because of anything we as the player do - Elias gets the fight, and then Sullivan is killed by the dragon leader, robbing our heroes of the chance to defeat the person who has caused all their troubles throughout the narrative. [*][b]Rune ruins Chapter 12.[/b] What's the point in the final check-ups on all the other characters if we're going to have Rune magically appear beforehand and just tell us what happens to them? Chapter 12 slams the breaks on what was otherwise a well-paced narrative, cutting the story off before it feels like it's reached a proper conclusion. [/list] [/spoiler] Overall, I'll probably be getting the third game if/when it's made - the world is excellent and I want to know what happens next. Hopefully next time I'll be able to enjoy the narrative all the way through, including to the very end.

just like the first one, this game is amazing, cute and romantic romance options, easy to follow story, addictive, great storyline, characters, lore, everything really. buy this game.

I love Hannah so much, but I really wished this one had a "top" female romance option for us lesbians such as Victoria from the first game.

好玩的，玩了1之后马上来玩2了。只是我以为1里面恋爱元素少这一点2里会改善一下，但感觉还是差不多……只有几个恋爱场景。还有就是像1一样结尾有点突然，但总体代入感还是很不错的，[spoiler]hyben死了之后hannah唱歌那里[/spoiler]给我看哭了

My favorite visual novel! It is truly a great one, specially if you played the first one and get the references and lore.

Really great Game, thank you for this Story! Can't wait for new advantures in Arcadia Fallen III ;)

it's very sweet; reminded me of college lol