[b]Note:[/b] Thanks to an awesome friend, I had the chance to play this. ^^
[h1]The action continues in this alternate post WWII Japan. :o[/h1]
[h2]Introduction[/h2]
[i]Rose Guns Days -Season 2-[/i] is a kinetic, alternate historical visual novel developed by 07th Expansion and published by MangaGamer. As the name states, it's a continuation of the first season (my review of it can be viewed [url=https://steamcommunity.com/id/skyeraye/recommended/4017960?snr=1_5_9__402]here[/url]). Since there may be spoilers from the first season, I recommend that either you play the first season or read my review of it before reading this review. The story starts off right where it last ended in season one, with Rose running for her life as Leo and Wayne stay behind to give her time. Fortunately, Rose and the others get rescued, and then they begin to make plans to take back City 23, their hometown, from Caleb's control. After the events in that story arc are concluded, there is a new story arc that takes place one year after, with new problems arising. Will Rose and her comrades take back what's theirs and protect their city?
As for the gameplay, the story is linear, so no choices are presented. There is some gameplay in the form of gun fights, just like in the first season. The controls work the same, and you can choose whether to participate in these fights or have the game auto battle for you. No CGs are present, but there are plenty of great anime-styled sprites and blurry backgrounds as well as a varied soundtrack and sound effects. At the time of this review, no Steam achievements or trading cards are available, but the game does count towards a user's global total.
[h2]Review[/h2]
I absolutely loved the first season, especially with that cliffhanger. Probably goes without saying that I couldn't wait for season two, and I enjoy Ryukishi's writing a lot ever since I played his first [i]Higurashi[/i] game. Thanks to a wonderful friend, I had the chance to play this and as soon as I could, I got around to this, so I can share my thoughts. XD
[h3]Story and Gameplay[/h3]
With the story, I like how it picks up right where things ended in season one. It can be a bit confusing if you didn't play the previous game, so it should probably go without saying that it's best to read these stories in chronological order. The action is crazy exciting, but it soon dies down after Rose and the others are able to escape from the predicament they're in. I like how the story progresses here, and how Rose realizes (both within herself and suggestions from those around her) that she needs to become a true leader or as Lee Meijiu of the Chinese faction would say, "to become a dragon". There's such a strong transformation within Rose, but parts of her still remain true to her core self. Within this second season, there are two story arcs going on. The first one revolves more around Rose as the main character (although the others do step into the role occasionally) and how she deals with Caleb and his ambitions for ruling City 23. After that conflict is resolved, we move onto events that happen a year later when Rose and the others encounter an amnesiac girl who's on the run. Then the POV switches between Rose and the girl (who ends up having the name Zel due to her amnesia). Even though the city is more peaceful, there are still conflicts going on and even Rose might not be able to trust those who were once her allies. Although there isn't as much action going on, the story pulls you in and there are definitely unexpected surprises. As for how it ends, compared to the first season, it isn't as action packed, but rather, it leaves a feeling of some sort of conspiracy, so I'm excited for the third season. :o
Regarding the gameplay, the gun fights are just as much fun, and there are no new mechanics. No tutorial is present, though, so if some time has passed from when you finish the first season to this game (which is what happened to me), then you may need to relearn how the controls work. For me, it didn't take much time. I will say that I felt that the gun battles in this season were tougher, and since you can't choose difficulty levels, you may have to be quick with your reflexes.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3780416474
[h3]Art and Music[/h3]
Because this is a continuation, the art style remains the same, with the sprites being in the anime style and the blurry backgrounds. Since there is a new story arc, a few new character sprites are introduced, which I thought was a nice touch. Also, we see Rose and the others, and they definitely have a more authoritative aura. I would have liked if there had been CGs or whatnot, but that's a minor nitpick.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3780416909
As for the music, the tracks are the same as in the first season. Even though I'd normally make a wish for new tracks, [i]Rose Guns Days[/i] was originally one longer visual novel before it was split into several seasons (four, I believe). Anyway, the tracks vary from action-packed to the more emotional ones, and yes, there's even that one track from [i]Umineko[/i] that I adore. :D
[h2]Conclusion[/h2]
Would I recommend [i]Rose Guns Days -Season 2-[/i]? If you're a fan of Japanese visual novels, like Ryukishi's writing, and/or played [i]Rose Guns Days -Season 1-[/i], you should definitely pick this up. For the asking price, it's worth it, especially if you want to replay the story at some point and get better scores with the gun battles. The story length for season two feels about the same as in season one, so there are enough events to keep you on the edge of your seat without it feeling overwhelming. Goes without saying that I'm excited for season three. ^^
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