Blue Reflection: Second Light - PlayStation 4 Review

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Maybe memories...

• System: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch
• Publisher: Koei Tecmo Games
• Developer: Gust, Koei Tecmo Games
• Release Date: November 8, 2021

• Pricing: $59.99
• Rating: T
• Genre: Action, Adventure, RPG
• Players: 1
• Official Website: https://blue-reflection.com/secondlight/us/

Blue Reflection: Second Light Launch Trailer

Who it Caters to

Blue Reflection: Second Light, the second entry in the Blue Reflection saga, is a game catered to all those who enjoy a good mystery adventure. Well, those who enjoy a good mystery adventure starring cute girls in a very fantasy anime world. Although it can be taken as a standalone title, it's recommended for you to play Blue Reflection first, as this sequel has a lot of connections that are hard to explain—yet the game does a great job at simplifying things—to those new to the Reflectors and their crusade to protect the world.

What to Expect

If you have some experience with Gust games, then you totally know what to expect from Blue Reflection: Second Light. This is the story of a group of girls that suddenly wake up in an abandoned school. And not just that; the school is on a small island in the middle of the ocean, surrounded by an area infested with demons! Ao is the only one who still remembers some things about her life before appearing in this school. Kokoro, Reina, and Yuki, however, are still amnesiac. Why are these high school girls here? Why did they lose their memories, and how can they regain them? And, more importantly, why can they transform into magical girls?! All these mysteries will be solved, not without several RPG mechanics like turn-based battles, bonding events, and a lot of crafting!

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Visuals

It's not perfect, but Blue Reflection: Second Light looks remarkably good for an anime game. The girls' character design is lovely, and the Reflector costumes really stand out. Environments, however, are bland at times due to the very nature of the game. After all, these girls live in a deserted school...but it wouldn't make sense to be a full-size school full of empty rooms. Also, this school is the only thing on this island, so it's more of the same. As for the enemies and how the Heartscape looks, most of them have simple designs that appeal—maybe too much—to symbolism. Don't get us wrong, the level design is okay for the most part, but it's so linear that it leaves very little room for creativity. All in all, Blue Reflection: Second Light is an okay anime RPG from a visual perspective. Just don't expect anything over the top.

Sound, Music

The first Blue Reflection game had a wonderful soundtrack, and we're glad to say that this sequel has nothing to envy its elder sibling! The vibrant strings and piano melodies give the game the right feeling when exploring, but everything gets more trippy and modern when exploring the Heartscape or battling against these monsters. In our "What to Expect" section, we talked about how Blue Reflection: Second Light is a very Gust game. Well, that also goes to the OST! If you're a fan of the music of, for example, the Atelier series, then you'll love how Blue Reflection: Second Light sounds.

Gameplay

At the start of the game, the protagonist is a girl named Ao Hoshizaki, who gets transported in a ver Isekai way to a school in the middle of nowhere. There, she meets other 3 girls who have been living in this school for several days now, unaware of why they're there and lacking all memories from their lives before this event—well, that's partially true as they still remember their names... All these girls have been added to a group chat by a strange entity called ReSource. In this chat group, ReSource tells the girls to stay in the school for safety reasons...but this wouldn't be a fun RPG if they were to just sit there and do nothing, right? Soon enough, Ao and her new friends will learn that the only way to regain their memories is to explore a place they call Heartscape that appears next to the island. The Heartscape basically represents someone's memories, and that's how you can learn more about these girls and their lives. The thing is, all of them have something in common: they are Reflectors!

Reflectors, simply put, are magical girls who fight against evil to protect us. That's all we can say, though, as giving you more info would be to spoil the game's story. When exploring the Heartscape, you can go the stealth route and just gather resources while avoiding the demons or fight them in turn-based battles. Battles are not that hard, but they can get quite challenging if you don't know what you're doing or are underleveled. Battle mechanics are interesting, though. Every turn, you earn Ether Points that allow you to use different skills. The first turn, you're limited to 1000ep, then 2000ep, etc. It's up to you how to use your Ether, or if you rather control the whole party or just your main unit. After a few turns, your party members can automatically transform into their Reflector versions, becoming more powerful but also gaining access to more powerful skills. There's also a fourth party member that acts as a supporting character, entering the battle if someone dies, as well as a One-on-One system and a Knockdown mechanic. Of course, it's not the most complex battle system in the history of RPGs, but it works.

Still, this is not a game about battles alone. You can spend time gathering resources in previously visited Heartscapes and then cook and craft. Bonding with the girls is also possible thanks to the dates and requests, or you can just dedicate your life to constructing several facilities around the school that will make your girls happy will boosting your characters in battle!

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Honey's Gameplay Consensus:

Blue Reflection: Second Light is perfect for those who like light RPGs combined with a somewhat dramatic mystery. It also has an all-female cast, so this is a perfect choice if all you need in your life are cute high school girls in skirts or swimsuits. With challenging turn-based battles, dates with adorable girls for all tastes, and some mysteries regarding the end of the world and the tragic lives of the heroines destined to save it... Blue Reflection: Second Light is definitely an interesting choice for all anime gamers!

Honey's Pros:

• A beautiful sequel to Blue reflection.
• You can either dedicate yourself to become more powerful, or just chill with your girl friends on a lonely island.

Honey's Cons:

• Jack of all trades, master of none... that sums up how some will feel about the combination of genres.

Honey's Final Verdict:

Maybe the Blue reflection anime we had this year wasn't that good, but Blue Reflection: Second Light is a game that all those who enjoyed the first game will love at first sight. We had a blast playing it, from intense battles against giant demons to lovely dates by the ocean in this eternal summer! If you too want to give this one a try, just go for it! Blue Reflection: Second Light is now available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC (via Steam) and Nintendo Switch.

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