Review of Secret Game ~Killer Queen~
| Subject | Secret Game ~Killer Queen~ Secret Game Killer Queen for Nintendo Switch |
| By | Helpfulness: 4 Vote: 5PhantomSonzai on 2021-06-18 last updated on 2022-05-02 |
| Review | [Update: This review is somewhat outdated. After finishing the final game in the series, Rebellions: Secret Game 2nd Stage, I realize that I may have been a bit too lenient with a lot of the flaws of this game simply because it was an improvement over Killer Queen. Unless you are very dedicated to this series, I would recommend just playing Rebellions and leaving it at that.] ~Full Review~ Secret Game is a remake of a 2006 doujin VN named Killer Queen. If you've seen my review of that version, then you'll know that I didn't like it very much (I gave it a 2/10). But I had heard good things about this remake, so I decided to give it a try. After finishing it, my overall opinion on it is rather mixed, but I feel more positive than negative towards it. I'll clear this up now. To call this a remake isn't entirely correct. Secret Game is split up into four routes (plus an additional one in the PC version), each following a different heroine. The first route shares a lot of similarities with the first route of Killer Queen. It has a similar cast, and the events that occur are similar as well. However, there are still plenty of differences, such as characters being introduced early, or the ending being basically completely different (plus the fact that the actual text is 100% rewritten). The remaining routes are completely different from the original. So it's more like this just shares the same premise and characters, but the story is completely different. That said, there have been a few small adjustments to the death game itself. (Spoiler for the first hour)Instead of the collars exploding, characters are now executed by the building's security systems (this was presumably done due to PS2 censorship laws) and (Spoiler for the first half of Route 2) there are now "extra games" hosted by a pumpkin mascot named Smith. Most of the time, these give players an alternate way to remove their collars (although occasionally they just feel like filler). I'm not a huge fan of the first change I mentioned (I think certain moments of KQ are more powerful due to the simplicity of it), but I liked the second one (in most instances). The cast has been improved when compared to Killer Queen. Souichi is still rather bland, but he gets a few scenes that made me like him more than I used to. (Route 4 Spoiler) There was a scene near the end (that was also apparently in the original) that made me greatly rethink my opinion of his character as a whole. Given that there are more routes in this version, there are more heroines. Sakumi is still very bland, but she reacts a lot more to the situation around her. She's also less annoying, which is nice. Reika was a character that had effectively no screentime in the original, so this version fleshes out her character over the course of her route. I like her internal battle of whether to trust Souichi or not, and I also like her dynamic with him (it's probably the most natural feeling romance in the game, although it's still not amazing). Nagisa is... suprisingly similar to how she was in the original. Her backstory gets fleshed out a lot more but it doesn't have a huge bearing on how I feel about her character. (Route 1 Spoiler) The reveal that she's working for the organization is done much better in this version. Karin was extremely one dimensional in the original, where she had hardly any characterization whatsoever, and while I feel that dedicating the first half of Nagisa's route to her worsened the romance between Souichi and Nagisa overall, it made Karin a much better character. And finally, Yuuki, who I found far more bearable in this version for whatever reason, (Spoiler for Killer Queen Route 2) there's also no romance between her and Souichi in this version, which is a VERY welcome change. (Massive Spoilers for both Killer Queen Route 2 and Secret Game Route 4) Yuuki is no longer evil in this version, and the game plays on your expectations by making her show up near characters who have died, and overall just making you suspicious of her throughout the entire route. I really like this change. While it removes one of the best parts of the original, the fact that the game intentionally plays on the expectations of returning players makes up for that in my eyes. The last character I feel the need to talk extensively about is Tezuka. (Spoilers for Killer Queen Route 2) Back in the original, he was made immediately unlikable by kidnapping and raping Yuuki during Route 2, but in this version, he does no such thing and remains an honestly entertaining character throughout. The remainder of the cast is a mixed bag (although basically all of them are a significant improvement over their KQ counterparts), I like Takayama, Hazuki and Fumika, I'm mixed on Gouda, and I dislike Nagasawa and Urushiyama. I would say the overall presentation has been improved, although there are still aspects that are below average. I've heard very negative opinions of the sprites, and while they're not great, I do think they're a big step up from Killer Queen. The quality of the CGs has gone up for the most part, but there are some (particularly during Routes 3 and 4) that don't look good at all. The backgrounds are mostly the same as Killer Queen's (I think?) but with some minor tweaks and new backgrounds added here and there. The music is the biggest improvement to the presentation. Tracks are reused from Killer Queen, but the placement is a lot more varied. No longer will "Hard-Boiled" be playing 75% of the time. There are a small slection of new tracks as well, most of them being pretty good in my opinion (Only Now and Calling are both great). So far it may seem like I've been mostly positive, but there is a major flaw of Secret Game that drags it down a lot, and that is the pacing. This is probably the worst pacing I have ever seen in a VN. You could cut 50% of the narration in this game and it would make absolutely no difference, because the narration feels the need to constantly repeat things over and over again. Scenes flow very slowly even without this repetition, so having it there makes the game slow down to a snails pace. I know I complained about the pacing in my Killer Queen review, but I would much rather that over the pacing in this My ranking of each route is: Episode 1: 4/10 Episode 2: 5/10 Episode 3A: 7/10 Episode 3B: 4/10 Episode 4: 6/10 In regards to the sexual content, given the content that was in the original, you might be surprised to find out that Secret Game originally had none whatsoever. There was sexual content added to the PC version, but I can't comment on it (I did take a look at one scene out of curiosity, but I can't read Japanese so I can't give an opinion on it), something I need to point out though is that these routes were clearly not written with these scenes in mind, leading to them being forced in wherever they could fit (what I'm trying to say is that the placement is godawful and takes away from the story). Going off other's comments, this doesn't seem to have the extreme content that Killer Queen had, which is good. The PC version also adds an additional route (Episode 3B), which I'm mixed on, and removes the BET system from the console version. The BET system is a mechanic that allows you to bet in game currency on what characters you think will survive each route, and I personally think it's reason enough to recommend the console version over the PC version (although the console version is missing the really funny omake from the PC version). I could write about my thoughts on the ending as a whole, but to avoid spoilers, I'll just say that it was a satisying climax that was a huge improvement over the original ending in my opinion (which didn't really give any sense of closure, if anything route 1 of KQ had more closure than the actual ending). The final route overall had a very different feel to it, focusing less on the death game itself and more on the characters and overall plot. It's not perfect, and the execution is quite messy at times, but I was satisfied with how it was wrapped up. The one spoiler aspect I feel the need to comment on is (Major Spoilers for the Ending) the fact that the BET system in the console releases is a trap all along. It gets you a bad ending and locks you out of getting all the content altogether. It's an interesting way of punishing the player for their actions and it amazed me when I realized it. Overall, Secret Game is a significant improvement over the original, although it still has glaring flaws that make it difficult to recommend. I would recommend it if you're looking for a VN that is basically what it says on the cover, no other genres such as sci-fi mixed in, or if the premise sounds interesting to you. Just don't go into it expecting an absolute masterpiece. |
| 4 points |