I think I got the wrong version of Chobits
Robolife 2: Nova Duty's review
Developer: Barance Studio
Genre: Management Sim, JRPG
Reviewed version: 1.50
Censored: No (except on DLSite)
Patch Needed: No
OS: Windows
Language: English, Chinese, Japanese
Robolife 2: Nova Duty is one of the games I was looking forward to the most because of the huge impression its prequel left on me and how much I enjoyed playing the demo in the latest SteamFest. As high as my expectations were for this game, I never imagined I'd have so much fun playing it.
Story
The game puts you in the shoes of Hideki, an android lover whose life changes drastically after a runaway female android lands on him, and he brings her home to repair her and discover her origins.
It's similar to the prequel on the surface but adds some tweaks that make the game even more enjoyable. The humor in the game is even better this time, featuring nods to other famous series, knockoff characters, and a reference to The Shining I'll never be able to forget. Another change I liked a lot is that you can freely explore the three different routes without worrying about time limits, as long as you don't reach the point of no return in the Destiny route. It also has an epilogue that expands the story further and adds some extra character development.
Gameplay
The core components of the prequel are still here. You do different jobs to gain money and work experience that'll unlock new events, build new parts for Nova to improve her performance, and visit different areas of the town, all while keeping an eye on Nova's stability. Where it changes is that it adds some exploration segments and turn-based fights.
In some events, you explore different locations by following a marked path with some detours here and there until you reach the goal. Each step consumes one action point, and you may step on a trap, obtain an item, start a battle, or keep going as usual, depending on where you moved to.
The fights are turn-based and add some elements to make them different from the norm. You choose which skills you want Nova to use while keeping an eye on their countdown and how much they add to her Overdrive Meter since she gets a massive power boost once it's complete. Moreover, hitting an opponent with an attack of the same element as theirs cuts its power in half, and doing so twice completely counters it. You get different active and passive skills depending on Nova's parts. Each part has specific skills and can't be changed once you're exploring.
Audiovisuals
The characters and backgrounds look as great as they did in the prequel; they have vibrant colors and are very detailed. The best part is that the Live2D animation in the H-scenes spices them up a lot and makes them impressive. As for the soundtrack, it's alright and enhances the scenes it plays in, even if none of the tracks are memorable to the point they get stuck in your head.
Verdict: Outstanding
Robolife 2: Nova's Duty did what I never thought it'd be capable of, surpassing its already great prequel. Between its fun story, engaging gameplay, gorgeous art, and nicely-animated sex scenes, there's no reason not to play this one. That said, I recommend you play the first game first to get context about some characters and events, as well as a useful part for Nova.