Reminiscence Collectors Edition Part 2: Recollect
Entry posted by Clephas
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ReCollect is the direct sequel to the original game, based on a 'normal' ending where certain major events in Aki's, Accela's, and Kizuna's paths never came to fruition. In fact, it is based off of a romance-less version of Aika's path, as the events in the last part of her path (before the romance/lovers thing) occur immediately before the story begins. So, if you've played Reminiscence but not ReCollect yet, it would be wise to use the update patch to activate Aika's path so you can get to know the events leading up to this game.
In this one, a new Geofront arcology called Yamato is discovered... and I literally can't say anything about the specifics without ruining it for new readers, so I'll leave it at the fact that Hidetaka does get involved with the diplomacy between them and that is the core of the story.
While Hidetaka is somewhat disappointing in the first part of the VN (as a result of his actions immediately previous, he's managed to serious piss off his boss), once things get moving with Yamato, he shows his true colors quickly, being an odd combination of a natural intriguer and a good person at heart (a rare combination to say the least).
In Kazuha's path (decendant of Tae from Akatsuki no Goei), things move quickly from the serious part to the somewhat goofy part and romance parts. As a route, it is about on par with Rin's or Nozomi's paths in the original, meaning it is short and leaves you feeling like things are unfinished. Kazuha herself is a misanthropic loli (misanthropic to the core, as opposed to heroines who fake it), so her attitude doesn't change all that much toward Hidetaka outside a few select moments. I laughed at her path, but if you asked me if it was on par with the better paths written out by this writer, I'd have to say no firmly.
Suzuka's path is significantly different. Suzuka is the Grand Marshal of Yamato, a young leader who has grown up with the responsibilities of old-style royalty to her people (and with a sense of responsibility to match them). Her path is about as long as Aki's or Kizuna's paths, perhaps longer. It is also as much about the internal politics of Yamato and its other important individuals as it is about her, so the actual romantic element feels slightly forced. This path also has some objectionable material for those who dislike stories with violence and suffering, so prepare yourself in advance if you want to read it.
Overall, despite the depth of Suzuka's path, I felt that this VN lacked a lot of the depth it could otherwise have had. What it needed was a full second chapter like the original gives if you didn't choose Rin or Nozomi, and Suzuka's path doesn't really compensate, since I still think Aki's path is more memorable in retrospect. For those who are wondering, very little to nothing seems to have been added onto the second game, unfortunately.
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