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Review of Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm - EXTRA2

SubjectAo no Kanata no Four Rhythm - EXTRA2
Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm - EXTRA2 - 18+ Edition
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iron-felix on 2023-06-05
ReviewOne of the few things that intrigued me about Extra2 is how high its rating is. Currently, this game occupies the 21 spot. Above Ever17, Sengoku Rance, two Majikoi games, and even the original Aokana. Remarkable, isn't it? But, does E2 really deserve to be this high?

Yes. A hundred times yes.

Coming into this one, I had several preconceptions:

1) This is a Misaki-disk. I considered her to be the heroine of the original, so I would likely enjoy this one too. Although I have to remark that too much fanservice tires me out;

2) This is a kinetic novel, meaning I won't be making any choices the entire game. That's usually a negative for me;

3) This one is probably a sort-of After Story thing, meaning there won't be too grandiose of a plot;

Now, let's go over them one by one and compare with what I think now.

First, I really enjoyed Misaki here as well. She was pure kino before, but the writers decided that the story can proceed from where we left off and gave us a whole new spin on her, FC, Masaya, and all the other characters. I really appreciate this choice.

Second, despite the fact that my entire job this game was to click through dialogues, I wasn't bored. Moreover, I did feel intrigue and uncertainty. Especially when it came to FC. Of course, the original had very limited choice in it as well, but E2 completely removes player agency while also keeping you on your toes.

Third, I was dead wrong. E2 is not just a "happily ever after" game. E2 is a whole story. It doesn't stop where the original did. Things continue to develop. The struggles kept coming. Relationships kept evolving. FC kept being exciting. E2 also introduced perspectives of other characters, which was absent in the original. And, unlike Steins;Gate 0, I think they were relevant, interesting, and very fitting.

Overall, E2 made use of everything good about the original. Call it concentrated Aokana. Yet without the player agency. I was on the edge of my seat when the game wanted so. I feel very good having played this and would definitely recommend it. A bit of a shame though that I can only recommend it to Aokana fans, as the sequel is inseparable from the original.
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