Post by Tross on Apr 1, 2014 19:36:48 GMT -5
When I first heard of this game, I wasn't the least bit surprised that a creative Japanese mind could conceive of something like it, but I was intrigued that a publisher would be willing to localize such a title, and I still am. That said, hats off to Atlus for going through with it. For the uninitiated, the short answer is that Conception II is an upcoming jrpg/bishoujo game, due out on April 15 in NA, for both major handheld devices. Here's the vita trailer:
Because it's probably a good idea to address the elephant in the room, no, the protagonist does not have sex with the heroine of his choice, but the "classmating" process, as it's referred to in the game, is definitely symbolic for such, and some intimacy is implied between the two characters. That said, the concept is not nearly as X rated as it could have been. The star children are not human, but are elite warriors summoned by the classmating process to assist the main character and the heroine he chooses to enter the dungeon with, and join the party in battle to combine their strengths, and effectively take the place of additional party members.
The end result is a game that's unusual, in a good way, with plenty to offer for both fans of roguelike jrpgs, and bishoujo games alike, but which does involve quite a bit of micromanagement of various party members, among other things. If the game sounds appealing to you, then it's highly recommended.
The next order of business is to determine which platform is the better choice for this title. Based on observations from the demo, which I've played simultaneously for comparison sake, I will give a rundown of my thoughts. If you own either system, you may want to check out the demo for it. Obviously, if you own only one if the two systems, but not the other, the choice of platform is made for you, so disregard this section. If you own both, but are unsure of which one to choose however, then read on.
I was surprised to find that both demos are actually fairly different. An anime FMV, opening intro cutscene occurs when starting up the vita demo, but it is absent from the 3ds version. The player is given an option to name the protagonist in the vita version, but not in the 3ds version. The vita version starts from what appears to be the beginning of the game, with another cutscene to kick things off, whereas the 3ds version launches right into a tutorial of the dating sim portion of the game. The vita's demo took longer to download, but for good reason. It's considerably longer. The 3ds demo launches into the dating sim portion right away, while the vita version lays down the basics of combat first, along with a great deal of story, and establishing the game's world and characters.
Both demos play out differently, and offer a different experience, so it may be worth checking out. The demo is a lot longer on the vita, and has the occasional save point. It offers a more in depth introduction to the game overall. It has more story stuff to get through first, but it explains more of the gameplay too, and offers more freedom to explore the game later on. The 3ds demo is great for getting a feel for the gameplay, along with the basics of the game's premise, so it's quicker to get a feel for the game in this version. However, there's no option to save in this one, until after the demo's completion. Based on the demos, here are my thoughts on the different versions of the game:
For graphics, the vita wins. The visual novel style dialogue sequences look washed out by comparison in the 3ds version, and the difference is like night and day in the rpg portion. The dating sim part has more cg rendered characters, but the vita version has a slight edge here too. The 3ds version has the option of 3D though, if played on a 3ds, and depending on your thoughts on 3D, it is a possible leg up. The 3ds demo had no anime cutscenes to compare with the vita demo, so I can't verify how they look, or if they're even present in the full version of the game. Both versions appear to be equal in the sound department. The 3ds version has a menu on the bottom screen, and seems to make better use of the touch screen. However, if given the choice, I say, go for the vita version. The 3ds version is no slouch though and is a great option for those who own a 3ds, but not a vita. The vita version is definitely the superior of the two, but it isn't worth investing in a vita for it, if you already own a 3ds.