Conclusion
If you’re someone who likes dungeon crawlers, unique battle systems, or interesting characters and themes, then I think this game is worth taking a look at. There are some good things to like here and the game is certainly worth a look, especially if it goes on sale. It’s far from perfect, but a game doesn’t need to be perfect to be enjoyable.
On the other hand, if you object to the BDSM theme, the fact that aspects of the game were changed during localization, or don’t like dungeon crawlers and grinding then I’d say to skip this one. Nothing anyone can say is going to change your mind regarding those issues. The game is what it is. While I can certainly understand the argument that NIS America could have taken the opportunity to restore the changed content in the Steam release, they chose not to. While I understand that the community has been rather vocal about this, at the end of the day the game still needs to stand or fall on its own merits. From a technical standpoint, the only thing I feel really detracts from the game is the lack of the audio during the motivation scenes. I can live with the smoke, but having just music during these scenes makes them feel… hollow. My overall opinion of the game is different.
I bought the collector’s edition for the Vita of this game knowing full well of the changes that were made. Like many people, my hope was that the changes made here would be a one-off thing. While we now know that wasn’t the case I still do not regret my decision to buy the CE, because it was a good game. It’s not perfect and not as good as it could be, but the battle system, story, and characters are still enjoyable. I even put in the extra effort and got the platinum trophy for the game. Yes, the changes detract from the experience, but they don’t destroy it.
I’m still happy that NIS America took the trouble to localize the game and that I got to play it. Yes, I could have imported a Japanese copy, but sitting down with a dictionary to play a game doesn’t sound like fun. I enjoy characters and story above all else so for me these things are key in consideration of a title. Heck, the only reason I haven’t picked up Criminal Girls 2: Party Favors is that I had other games that were higher on my priority list. The changes in that game did drop it down a few pegs, but it’s still a title I plan to pick up at some point. Whatever you decide to do regarding this game, do so because it’s what you want to do rather than what everyone says you should do. Do your own research and make a decision for yourself. You’re the only one that can definitively say whether or not a product is worth your time. Thanks for reading everyone and until next time!
