Mystic Destinies: Serendipity of Aeons - Hikaru: Book II DLC

!!!DONT PLAY THIS ROUTE FIRST IT HAS SPOILERS FOR THE OTHERS!!!! This game is one of the best that I have found in a while. I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who enjoys visual novels and otome games. This one is worth the investment. The vastness of the world and the beings in it is incredible leaving room for so much more! There is so much effort in the writing and world creation and the characters within. I also find it enjoyable that all the characters have varying degrees of relationships that do not center on or revolve around the MC. Note: I personally didn't enjoy Hikaru's route as much as some of the earlier ones. I found him frustrating in the way he reacts to the MC though some of it is understandable since they're Teacher/Student at the start. Still, some of his actions didn't seem to make sense and neither did hers TBH. It was a bit better in the second part of the route. His route was where you finally find out about MC's mother and her past and it answers a lot of the questions you've been wondering through all the other routes. PROS: - Complex world and Lore - Huge array of characters beyond the MC and LIs - The routes are all separate with completely different stories~! - The sprites, BGs and CGs are GORGEOUS - The music is really really lovely! - Really good writing CONS: - The format is a little unusual and potentially confusing for buyers - Buying routes and epilogues separately can feel pricey (but gives you freedom of who you want to romance) - Route split into two different parts - Kind of comes off as the "True" route as a result of things that happen in the story - I'm not fond of MacGuffins as a plot device but can't be helped when dealing with Gods I suppose.

Book 2 isn't the satisfying end to the series that I hoped it would be. The romance between Hikaru and MC feels forced, rushed and not genuine. The antagonist gets away with everything she's done with no consequences which really pissed me off. [spoiler] Modern day Shizuka never gets found [/spoiler] which was MC's goal throughout all the storylines and it never gets solved which is the biggest let down of the entire game for me. At least the epilogue is included in Book 2 but I do not recommend it. Very disappointing with how this series ended.

[h1]Oh boy, where to start-! [/h1] [u]First[/u], this obviously ties back to Hikaru Book 1 review. Idk if this review even matters sincei assume anyone who buys book 1 will buy book 2 but hey, i'll get my opinion out anyway! [u]Second[/u], i really hate that we dont have a "information" or "neutral" option for reviews. I really dont want to vote this down, because its way to harsh as a judgement BUT [b][u]i also write this for people who might have second thoughts[/u][/b] -- [u]people who rather look at negative points instead of bottomless praise. To get to these people i'll give it a negative review, eventho it kinda hurts :([/u] [h1]Game overall: [/h1] - CS were good but i would have hoped for more (or i'm used to get more of them in other VN/Otome). -> the music loops seem to be a lot better in Hikarus playthrough. maybe bc he got some new tracks too. anyhow its not a negative point anymore! yay! + Other that that the game is unusually polished + i personally enjoyed a more western/realistic artstyle for once + and the writing was good (both in grammar AND storytelling) + the maincharacter is normal, in a GOOD way. She reacts grumpy when someone is rude, shes flustered if its the situation but shes not overly anything. The writing conveyed a fully fleshed charcter wich you shape with your reaktions one by one. I really enjoyed seeing this instead of one blunt character! (-? some of the options feel a bit wierd in how he reacts. Like some of tehm make sense later on / in retrospective but not all of them - its a really tiny problem tho) [h1]This particular Route: [/h1] +++ well well well now we actually get some real hikaru time - or this is what i thought. I mean the journey is cool, you get to meet up with basically now the most important people of the game [spoiler]hikaru, shizuha[/spoiler] and get to first hand unvail all the main secrets. Thats really cool - but it comes at downsides. As i mentiones in the book 1 review, theres barely no time with the main guy alone and if it is its always plot not personal development. Like sure, the second kinda ties into the first but not enough to get you anywhere out of the platonic radius. They kidna tried to break through with the thoughy scene before the sealing, but it wasnt enough. (and yeah i get that he wouldnt do much bc [spoiler]he was still in love with HER[/spoiler] but then - and i'm sorry - plan ahead better next time. You tell the story, and you need to make it so that in a romance plot actually romance happens.) +/- we are greeted with a lot of cool fight scenes and cool new music but in the end with the unvailing of all these secrets new chars and world building we learn the actually main part (the relationship) just is left behind, so that when it all raps up its really, really awkward. [b](the long story:)[/b] He was really cold and now they are really in love bc of suffering and their destined. --- a point the writers kinda acknowlegded in their ending(s) and epilogue as they talk about it feeling wierd and unsure etc. But even tho it "kinda" gets resolved in a (literally?) steamy scene it just doesnt really pay of. you dont actually see their relationship be there or grow. Just telling "they go on dates and hes percets", just showing they hug and hold hands and finally kiss (and more?) is not a relationship. What i mean is: yeah you have a romantic ending as they get together but it is an very unsatisfying one. Look at takumis route or maybe tatsuyas (or i'm inclined to say ANY of the others) wich had time to develop bc they had time to meet up and have interactions that made them get closer as persons, as partners and finally as lovers. You had 2 books (and a lot of stuff to fill all the gaps, i know!) but its really sad that the main point of it all suffered bc of it. [h1]In short: [/h1] Its an amazing climax and and amazing story and twist (only toped by the chaos route maybe) but the romance could easily have been the best of them all - yet it hardly lived uo to any of the others quality (bc lack of time presented). My heart is really hurting over seeing such great potential beeing swept away by something wich could very easily have been prevented. [h1]Verdict:[/h1] If you just want a "should i buy of not"? then let me tell you, [list] [*]you probably should, but dont do it for the relationship/romance. Do it for the conclusion the story, the secrets you want to know. Do it for the writing and game over all wich you probably grown fond of by now -- then you wont be let down (and maybe even pleased with some unexpected sweetness - bc if you expect nothing, all you get is better than what you expected, right? xD). [*]If you some how end up here tho and didnt like the main story... well then it should be a no brainer not to buy, ehh? ^^"[/list]