Arcadie II: Cold Lands

Good

Haven't felt this betrayed since Dragon Age II. 10/10 game

I've played 2 routes so far, and I love it! Especially Stan's best ending. What can I say, I'm a sucker for angst and the forbidden lovers trope. My only critique of the game is that the ending was building towards something, but then it just... wasn't, which made it feel slightly abrupt. I understand that it's hinting at a third game, but I still felt that it lacked a sense of finality. Other than that, I really enjoyed playing it. The world-building was really interesting, and the music was a nice touch which helped with the immersion aspect.

I really enjoyed the game, and all the routes kept me on the edge of my seat—especially Stanislas’s and Cyril’s. With Cyril, I thought, “What on earth could possibly go wrong between the MC and him?” Apparently, everything! But aside from that, I really had a lot of fun reading it, though I also agree with those who say it feels like a step down compared to the first game. Let me explain: there’s much less character customization through choices, your choices have much less impact on the plot, the story is very short, and even the love scenes—especially Will’s—felt rushed to me, as if the author didn’t really want to write them. I really missed the stats, and I felt like I was reading a story that was following a predetermined path. Sure, creating an interactive story like this can’t be easy, and I understand the need for simplification, but I can’t help but hope that the third game will be released and will be more like the first one—even if it takes longer to come out. I’d rather wait longer for a high-quality game than the other way around. So I’m still hopeful.

Cyril, my beloved. Highly recommend this if you love political intrigue and good romance. The writing and prose are beautiful. Can’t wait for the third installment.

From the background art to the thought out dialogue, Arcadie II: Cold Lands is everything you'd want in a CYOA game. Some CYOA games focus on one single event and make you feel like you've sat down for nothing, but Arcadie does a great job of keeping you engaged the entire time. Other CYOA games I've played have made me not want to keep replaying it over and over again, but this is one that I'm actively working through over and over to get each ending, and I find myself interested each time through. I'm invested in the romance and the friendships, as well either being the best leader or the worst. Overall a great political storyline that has me yearning to write a book from all the choices I've made from the first game to this one. If you're reading through reviews to figure out if you should buy this game, do it. Give it a shot, because I guarantee you'll be as engrossed as I am!

None of the routes ended how I expected which was fun and slightly traumatizing lol. Amazing game! 100/10 Hoping for more in the future!<3

once i started playing, i found that i couldn't stop. this is a visual novel with a gripping narrative and exciting romance that had me kicking my feet at certain parts (i romanced stan, for the record. horrible decision on my part as the queen, but i stand by it) typically i write these reviews with stark pros and cons, though i don't exactly have enough complaints to do so. sure, the ending was somewhat abrupt, though many stories are when they are to be followed by a continuation. it's also not visual, unlike every other visual novel i've played. it would've felt more familiar to have the character sprites onscreen while they spoke, but since i still could pull up their appearances whenever i forgot, it wasn't really an issue for me. i can't speak to the replay value, as i've only played through once. however, there are certainly many choices the player can make that would drastically change the outcome, even if they were to do the same romance route. i found the frequency of the choices to be refreshing, as it completely pulls you in and immerses you in the world and conversations. overall, i'd give it a 9/10 or so. just as gripping as any book i've read and loved, with the added bonus of being interactive fiction (which just so happens to be my favourite thing)

The music is 10/10! The story feels quite different with Second Born, but still very nice in its own way. The commanders (RO) were simply good and helpful persons when you are fighting for your life in the first game, now you are settled and they can show more personalities in this game. [spoiler] It is fun and at the same time quite unnerving that Arcadie is a country filled with paranoia. [/spoiler] The game is on the short side, though. Look forward to the next game.

Love the writing - It's a joy to read. Another mayor plus point: save an reload <3