But for all the right reasons.
I played the fan translation of the PSX Popolocrois Monogatari a few weeks ago. I instantly fell in love and wanted more. Fortunately, it has a sequel that's also been fan translated! I booted it up twenty two (in game) hours ago, and I started to realize how bad PopoNo was. I saw these shortcomings because the sequel is so superior in most ways.
Let's start with the story. The bad news is that it feels less open world than before. The fast travel system is gone, and you're on a linear course. You can't randomly decide to return to Pasela if you need to talk to Guilda. The good news is, this isn't a big deal. Lots of RPGs are linear, and that line makes for a more compelling story. It's all gas; no brakes, and you'll be bouncing around the nether regions of the continent too often to return anywhere anyway. Exploring this new world gives a grander sense of stakes to the overall conflict. And, my goodness, is the story ramped up.
Poor Pietro endures so much more this time around. He deals with loss, his mistakes, and the pangs of a young heart. Narcia suffers through the unknown and the uncertain. And the other characters learn to adapt to themselves. This one seems vague, but PopoMo 2's cast doubles that of the previous game. Not everyone is made the same, but they're all welcome additions.
And the villains are all more evil than before. They all made an instant impact to the good guys. From the moment they first appeared on screen, you knew to hate them. They forced you to despise them. You felt an urge to loathe them. They were the perfect foil to the Prince and his cohorts. Most of them, at least. They can't all be zingers. 8/10
The gameplay is slightly different than before. Gone are the (obvious) grids, replaced with a generic circle range. So think more Valkyria Chronicles than FFT. At first, I hated it, but then I learned to press square and triangle to slide and rotate. It's a sideways change. The real additions come in the new skills everyone learns, and the way they can evolve. Pietro's Wind Slash turns into a move where he flings a dragon through enemies. This can occasionally mess you up, mind you, as the level also resets on evolution. This can turn a wide AoE spell into a single target one instead. So don't take on a boss just after Narcia's Healing Rains changes. It creates a lot of fun, exciting ways to engage in battle, and it makes you want to play with other characters. Sadly, there isn't anything else to do but battle again. The devs tried to add puzzles to the game with block pushing sections, but they are limited and don't add much. 9/10
The music is much of the same. It feels like there is more variety, which is another reason why the expanded world is welcome, but if you liked the tunes in game one, you'll like them here. I know I certainly did. 10/10
The visuals are also improved. I thought the character sprites looked off in game one, but the slight changes make them fit in better now. And, along with the new skills, all of them look different, too. No longer do Pietro and Narcia's wind moves look the same. PopoMo has shed its budget title looks. They did some really cool things with Jilva. Not only that, but the anime cutscenes are more modern. I liked the retro look, but I won't complain about '90s aesthetics. 10/10
Despite all that's been changed, the charm remains. The expanded world has allowed for so many dumb d-plots. My favorite was Elvis finding his brother. There are more important NPCs, a reward for exploring, and everything is adorable (until it isn't). I want to say it's the perfect length, but I actually want more! I don't know about replayability, but let's circle back in a few years. 9/10
I could reduce points for the oppressive encounter rate, but Pietro has a spell to remove those. And I think you're supposed to use it because the game is too easy in the late game if you're killing everything. Escaping also has a 100 percent success rate (but you lose gold).
I could knock off ten points because Gami Gami's infatuation with a fifteen-year-old girl is creepy, but he's an optional character.
Ultimately, the presentation combines with the charm of the game to create something memorable. And the plot has so many twists, turns, shocks, and amazing moments that it becomes magic. I don't know if I've seen any other game do the things Popolocrois II has done. I wanted to cry multiple times. Pietro's new baby sister adds a weird layer to everything that works for me. I felt a range of emotions I haven't felt in a long time. Queen Sania remains a vital pillar to the game. It's a story of young love that feels correct and not artificial, and for that alone, I want to sue Sony for keeping this from me for so long. 46/50.
There are a few things I missed that make me wonder if the game could reach 48, though. There are some optional scenes about random NPCs I couldn't find. Saving a mute, getting a band back together, and a few others. But the lack of deep guides around this game keeps them a mystery. And I didn't keep a save from before the point of no return... Sorry, Rena. But even without seeing those, Popolocrois Monogatari is one of the greatest games I've ever played. I've already slotted it in as my fourteenth favorite game. It is a must play in any form, and I can't recommend it enough. My only regret is that I've played it, and I can't go back, nor can I experience other games in the franchise.
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