Brought into the world by Spike Chunsoft — of both Danganronpa and StreetPass Battle/Warrior's Way fame — Conception II: Children of the Seven Stars is a delightfully different affair. The generational suffix refers to its pedigree — a single, Japan-only PSP predecessor — but all you need to know about this standalone sequel is that it combines elements of dating sims and dungeon-crawling RPGs into a stylish, light-hearted, and charmingly scandalous love letter to both genres. It's not without faults, but it's quite a lot of fun, and the resulting mix will set hearts aflutter in both lovers and fighters alike.
Plenty of RPGs place players in the role of a special teenager with the power to change the world, and that's certainly the case here as well. Though you can name the protagonist whatever you wish, you'll also be known by the rather lofty epithet of God's Gift — a newly-minted Disciple at the prestigious Aterra Academy in Fort City, chosen by the Star God to save humanity from a plague of monsters spewing forth from the nebulous Dusk Circles springing up across the map. It sounds like relatively typical JRPG fare, but what sets Conception apart is the particular manner in which you'll be saving the world: teaming up with the seven strongest girls in school to create Star Children — adorably diminutive warriors of various occupations that accompany you into battle — through the suggestive and stupendously-named ritual of "Classmating".
Conception II inherits gameplay genes from both its parent genres, and is neatly divided into two complementary halves: dating sim-style conversational sequences and "Bonding Events" on the menu-based town map, and dungeon crawling in the Dusk Circle labyrinths. They're distinct but not disjointed — improving your relationships with the heroines via sparkling conversation and successful dates will directly affect your performance in battle, and the strength of the Star Children you collectively create, while progressing through the labyrinths and sealing away bosses will allow you to advance the storyline and in turn forge deeper connections with your classmates.
If you're familiar with the dating aspects of recent Harvest Moon, Rune Factory or Persona games, you'll have a good handle on how the corresponding concept plays out in Conception II — and if not, it's an excellent introductory example of how digital dating can be so oddly compelling. During Bonding Events — first-person conversations with one of the game's seven heroines — you'll select different dialogue choices (or perform other actions, such as gift-giving) to steer the conversation in a particular direction. Pick the conspicuously chivalrous, "best", and/or most appropriate option in a given situation, and you'll improve both your date's mood and your relationship. Saying or doing the wrong thing, on the other hand, can leave you on the bad side of one the most powerful girls in a school for monster slayers.
The Bonding Events are presented in a visual novel-like format that's fun and engaging for a number of reasons that sound completely silly until you've tried it and find yourself hooked: the feeling of being at the centre of the conversation, rather than the action, the slice-of-life character development that comes out of each scene, the potential for mischief with the wrong — or right — dialogue options (and the plethora of save files that allow for guilt-free experimentation), the undeniable appeal of being able to talk your way into irresistibility with don't-try-this-at-home ease, and the underrated thrill that comes from acting as the world's greatest listener. It also helps that, as with Persona 3 and 4's Social Links, these Bonding Events are equal parts dating and personal development; by spending time with each of the heroines, you'll see and help them overcome obstacles, realize dreams, and grow as people, in addition to (hopefully) growing fonder of your character.
One key difference between Conception II and most dating sims is that here, you're encouraged to forge a connection with each and every one of the game's seven female leads — the fate of the world depends on it, after all. The heroines represent a broad range of personalities and anime archetypes, and while you'll undoubtedly wind up with a favourite, they're all likeable characters in their own right. There's Fuuka, a friendly, down-to-earth girl with perma-headphones and a passion for swimming, Ellie, an energetic first-year, Chloe, a popular teacher at the academy who happens to be your best friend's older sister, Narika, a shy, hard-working class representative, Serina, a pint-sized third-year with a big heart and a pronounced Napoleon complex, Torri, an enigmatic girl with a mysterious past and monochrome style, and Feene, a kind, polite, and battle-hardened third-year photographer.
It's worth getting to know each and every one of them not only for the individual story arcs their events entail, but also because different heroines will allow you to create different Star Children through Classmating. By heading to the Church and clasping hands with one of the available heroines, you can channel your collective energy into a matryoshka (the charmingly thematic embodiment of an external Star Womb) and bring forth a new Star Child. The ritual takes the form of a stylized cutscene sequence with brightly coloured, silhouetted figures which give the illusion of neon-tinted nudity, but thanks to some liberal anatomical airbrushing it's as much 'Zero Suit' as 'birthday suit' in practice.
When the energy transfer is complete and your Star Child bursts forth from its matryoshka, you'll get to assign the new arrival to one of the game's many classes. Your options for a particular progeny are determined by its individual stat distributions, and range from RPG mainstays like fighters (Swordis), mages (Magicians), and healers (Clerics) to more specialized classes such as Archers, Lancers, Paladins, Grapplers, and Gunslingers, with plenty of wonderfully offbeat outliers like Blacksmiths, Gamblers, and Minstrels rounding out the bunch. The selection resembles the class-customization of Atlus' Etrian Odyssey series in both art style and variety, and allows for a huge amount of freedom when planning out your party. That becomes particularly important once you build up a sizeable stable of Star Children, because these close-knit siblings fight in groups of three, and particular class combinations can grant them uniquely powerful Team Skills.
Once you've got your affections distributed and your team assembled, it's time to turn the power of love into, well, power; you do this by heading into the Dusk Circles for some dungeon-crawling family bonding time. The Dusk Circle labyrinths — each named after one of the seven deadly sins — are randomly generated, multi-floor affairs which you'll explore in 3rd person. There are no random encounters to worry about — all enemies are visible on the field, and you'll need to make contact to initiate the battle — and as a handy, EarthBound-esque timesaver, low-level monsters can be instantly defeated just by running into them.
The dungeons themselves aren't actually very exciting — they're straightforward to a fault, consisting mostly of identical rooms and corridors that make their randomly generated layouts seem more like a cop-out than a compelling design decision — and the lack of a dedicated "attack" button to swing your sword or something similar makes engaging enemies an oddly unsatisfying act; it feels like you're tapping monsters on the shoulder rather than challenging them to deadly combat. Once you begin a battle, however, the Dusk Circles' repetitive hallways quickly fade into memory. Conception II's battle system is a blast, and several elements set it apart from other turn-based RPG romps.
First and foremost, position matters. Not in the sense of Fire Emblem's expansive fields, or even the first Persona's unit placement, but in the fact that your characters can occupy one of four different spaces on a Simon-style circle surrounding each enemy, and every foe has a weak spot that's vulnerable when attacked from a certain angle. A red arrow (as opposed to the usual blue one) lets you know exactly where these are, and striking from the right side will yield considerably more damage with even a normal attack.
Second, while battles are turn-based, the turn-order isn't set in stone, and the queue can change based on which actions you take. Moving behind a monster to attack might help target a weak point, for example, but it can also send that team to the back of the line, while in some cases staying put can earn you a second turn before the baddie even gets to move. Turn-order is also affected by an Ether Density gauge, which fills as you dispatch monsters or trigger certain skills; with each level, your party gets a significant speed boost, and when up against formidable foes, those few extra whacks can be crucial.
Finally, each time you land an attack, you'll help to fill your party's Chain Drive gauge. Once it reaches a critical point, up to three monsters will instantly become 'chained', greatly reducing their speed, preventing them from attacking, and earning you extra cash and experience points for every hit you manage to get in before they break free. Chaining can make a huge difference in battle, particularly when you're up against multiple monsters, and it comes with a nice risk/reward mechanic as well: the fastest way to fill up the gauge is by attacking from the clearly marked 'Danger' zones in which a foe is about to strike, while opportunistically targeting weak points nudges it along only very little.
All this is in addition to an elemental weakness chain, cinematic Seventh Burst skills that let the hero and heroine unleash beautifully choreographed destruction, and a Mecunite mechanic that lets a team of Star Children Voltron themselves together into powered up mini-mechs. In other words, there are plenty of ways to experiment in battle, and all the different options make the relatively constant enemy onslaught enjoyable, rather than arduous.
Your main goal in dungeon-crawling through Dusk Circles is to seal away the boss at the bottom of each labyrinth, but that's not all there is to do in Aterra's subterranean underbelly. You can also take on side-quests at the Lab in town, grind for experience in the Training Facility, or plunder several Sub-Labyrinths for rare items. And though you can keep up to seventy Star Children in your Dorm Room headquarters, at some point at least some of them will need to learn to leave the nest. You can grant any excess Star Children their 'Independence', at which point they'll pack up their bags and promise to write; in addition to sending you money from time to time, your newly independent offspring will open up new shops and expand the town map.
If Aterra feels too small for your amorous ambitions, you can always indulge in "Blindmating"; this is a local multiplayer version of Classmating in which you combine forces with heroines from another copy of the game, resulting in exceptionally powerful Star Children. It's a nice extra, though the concept seems almost tailor-made for StreetPass functionality, which is sadly absent. Though we were unable to test any for this review, both free and paid DLC packs are also planned, giving you the chance to dress your characters up in alternate costumes or beat the stuffing out of Danganronpa's Monokuma if you so choose.
Between developing the town, completing quests, levelling up your main character and seven different heroines, and birthing, naming, training, and tweaking teams of Star Children, there's plenty to keep you busy in Conception II. If you're the type of player that loves to customize, you'll be well catered for here, though the micromanagement is only ever as involved as you'd like it to be. Several surprisingly savvy auto-battle modes, a handy option to sort Star Children into recommended teams, and an easy "Equip Best" function mean it's also possible to focus on what you're interested in and more or less automate the rest — with the exception of the Bonding Events, that is. In Conception II as in life, there are no shortcuts to love.
Right from the start of its anime intro, Conception II is a seriously stylish game, sporting a slick, neon-infused aesthetic that's equal parts Persona 4 and Phantasy Star Online. The Bonding Events are presented from a minimalist, point-of-view perspective that keeps the focus on the heroines' impressive 3D character models, while the crisp, two-dimensional character portraits in cutscenes are animated in a slowly oscillating style reminiscent of Muramasa or Dragon's Crown. Even the interface feels fresh, with menus full of interesting geometry and background animations.
That said, it's far from flawless. The presentation is let down by a number of smaller issues, including mild but noticeable artifacting on the animated cutscenes, a consistent but less-than-stellar framerate in the dungeon-crawling sequences, and three-digit damage counts sometimes getting cut off at the edge of the screen. And while the heroines look stunning in the Bonding Events, the character models used in the labyrinths aren't quite as impressive, sporting rough edges and much less detail. The stereoscopic 3D effect is also limited to certain areas — labyrinth exploration and battles, Classmating, and Bonding Events all pop out in three glorious dimensions, while menus, maps, and character portrait cutscenes are left flat.
Another conspicuous presentation problem lies in the map placement. During the dungeon-crawling segments, you have two choices for displaying the map: as a sizeable box in the lower-lefthand corner of the top screen, or as an overlay in the centre of the top screen. Meanwhile, the touchscreen remains largely unoccupied, with only small status gauges at the top and a few shortcuts at the bottom. Not being able to place the map on the otherwise superfluous second screen is especially baffling given the screen-clutter on the other side of the hinge — between the Ether Gauge, floor name, and intermittent dialogue boxes relaying thoughts from your team, it's already a bit crowded up there, and the available map options feel either annoyingly large or annoyingly centred. In the end, we defaulted to simply switching the map off entirely between forks in the path.
Though the visual presentation is a bit of a mixed bag, Conception II's stellar soundtrack happily delivers on every level. It spans an impressive range of styles, from battle-ready J-rock and astro-arpeggiated electronica to sax-drenched, whispered-vocal jazz, and it's all held together by a female-fronted, synth-heavy space-age style that fits the game world perfectly. The menu music and battle themes — which vary based on the heroine accompanying you into the labyrinth — are particularly memorable, and the incredibly catchy post-Classmating chorus of "Congratulaaations / on your new arrival" is pure audio afterglow.
The English voice acting — there's no Japanese option — is also well done for the most part, though a fair few heroines sadly sound distractingly distant. Perhaps it's a function of the not-specifically lip-synced animations in Bonding Events; some of the mellower heroines have voices that don't seem to "keep up" with the speed of their on-screen mouth movements. Important cutscenes and longer Bonding Events are fully voiced, while shorter scenes utilize the Fire Emblem: Awakening technique of pairing quick audio clips with longer lines of written dialogue, to various degrees of textual and tonal cohesion.
Speaking of tone, as a final note — and as one might reasonably expect from a game with a central mechanic called "Classmating" — innuendo and light sexual humor run deep in Conception II. It's not five minutes from the title screen before the first reference to a heroine's underpants pops up, female characters discuss the relative sizes, shapes, and merits of one another's chests with a nonchalance normally reserved for weather chat, and a good portion of cutscene comedy revolves around Disciples finding themselves in compromising situations with students of the opposite sex. That's not to mention the blushing overtones of the Classmating ritual, which is as initially awkward for the game's protagonists as it is for players to explain to passersby who happen to catch a glimpse of the screen at the wrong moment. Still, while the visual metaphor is certainly clear, the sequence is evocative rather than provocative, and significantly more tasteful than anything in Senran Kagura Burst, for example. In the end, even with all the double entendre, the matryoshka-themed trappings keep things lighthearted; it's all delivered with tongue firmly in cheek, and as a result, Conception II is sillier than it is sexy, and humorous rather than hot and heavy.
Conclusion
With fun characters, unique and engaging combat, a cute central conceit, and an irrepressibly cool soundtrack, Conception II is a bundle of JRPG joy. A few issues with the presentation point toward porting pains — and perhaps to the Vita version's scandalous status as Spike-Chunsoft's true love — but they're minor faults in an otherwise impressive package, and shouldn't scare monogamous Nintendo gamers away from committing fully to this thoroughly enjoyable experience. A lovely spring fling for fans of both dating sims and dungeon-crawling alike.
Comments 63
My girlfriend has told me I am not allowed to get this game. I probably will anyway once the price goes down. Sounds very interesting, nice review.
Great review, thanks!
Similarities in the dating side to Sakura Wars on the Wii?
@Falchion
What she doesn't know, she can't overreact about.
Hurry up and release it for PAL
@Falchion I suppose a digital download on a secret sd card will do.
I am not getting this game, but I hope whoever gets it enjoys it
I'll be Downloading it come 12noon est been looking forward to this. Will tied me over till I DL both Kirby & Mario golf.
Wow this review hit fast!! I'll be picking my copy up here in about 2 hours. Great review as I should like it just fine.
Atlus has been the biggest 3rd party supporter of Nintendo's and that says something!
My copy is arriving in two days! I cannot wait!
@Falchion Seriously! That's the lamest thing I've heard. If she's worried about a game then maybe she's not the right person for you lol. That fighting game is way worse imo!
"Astro-arpeggiated electronica?" Clearly I have a lot to learn about music.
We finally get an R18+ rated 3DS game and it had to be a download only title in Europe/Australia.
As an JRPG fan, I'll get this eventually. I'm currently 70 hours into Bravely Default,, so I'm kinda looking forward to playing different styles of games on my 3DS.
@Zipmon Your reviews are always so detailed! I love the fact you get to review a lot of the Atlus game as I'm sure you like that as well?!
I'll take a shot in the dark and assume you will get the new Persona game as well?? Looking forward to that review hopefully from you!
Next question will be are we getting a Miiverse community for this? If they let us post pictures then we are all doomed!
@King47 @Spoony_Tech well i am okay with it as a have a few rpgs i have yet to finish. Pokemon Y, bravely default and SMT IV are all pretty much unplayed. If i wait long enough she will forget about and it will hopefully be $15-$20 cheaper.
@Falchion More then likely it will be. I also have a ton to play but that apparently doesn't stop me from buying Atlus games day one lol!
Lol, when I first played this demo, I was just sitting through the conversations with the girls with a deadpan look on my face as they blabbed on about shooting ranges and swimming clubs and junk... Then felt a little awkward with how the black and white haired girl was talking about making star children xp Though I admit, having it the other way around with a female protagonist would probably be a lot more akward lol. BUUUT, when I got to the actual gameplay, I was hooked! Altus really does make great RPGs, and this is a pretty creative concept Speaking of Atlus games, the pic of the the pink haired girl, protagonist, and the red haird guy, reminds me or Rise, Yu, and Yosuke from Persona 4 respectively I'm gonna be playing a lot of this in the next couple weeks x3
Both copies are currently crossing the Atlantic my way, of course due to region issues I guess it'll be the Vita version I'll be playing. Still haven't heard much about the differences between the 3DS and Vita versions (apart from the obvious ones).
@Falchion Yes, I kinda gotta agree with @Spoony_Tech (~_~; I don't mind my boyfriend collecting his skimpy little Evangelion figurines, or playing dating sims. It's just a hobby, so I don't think it's a big deal at all (^^;; Fanservice aside, anyone can enjoy a game just for its plot and unique quirks like this :3
@FX102A If you look at the forum topic for this game you will see a detailed review of both demos from a user!
@AkinaChan I bet if I really wanted this game i could convince her. But I am so back logged with RPGs I dont need another one right now. It looks good but i dont want to pay full price for it either.
@FX102A
Here it is. Look at post 47. https://www.nintendolife.com/forums/3ds/conception_ii_coming_to_na_in_2014_for_3ds
The map not being displayed on the second screen baffled me to no end as well. I never expected to prefer the 3DS version, but I did think the 3DS port would at least utilize the that system's strengths somewhat. The awful 3D and complete disregard for the bottom touch screen make no sense whatsoever to me.
Sold.
@FantasiaWHT -I immediately thought of Sakura Wars.
Well, I was interested in this game, but I have one major sticking point. That you send in small children to do the fighting. Yes, I get that they are magical mutants, but it just seems like it would have been better to have them be grown ups. Perhaps the girls themselves would be the combatants and they join you directly.
I've played dating sim hybrids before, the afore mentioned Sakura Wars and Rune Factory Frontier...but this game just seems a little too weird and the gameplay elements too segmented.
Will definitely pick up the Vita version for the best experience.
I can't help but feel like this game will be full of unapologetic objectification and sexism. Definitely not getting it, no matter how much I love jrpg's.
I'm really torn on getting this. I love Atlus like no other game company. But I keep hearing this game is very easy if you have any idea of what you're doing. Having played tons of difficult RPGs, I'm afraid the challenge just wouldn't be enough. I think I'll hold off for Demon Gaze for now and get this once it's perhaps cheaper. Then again, my complete Atlus 3DS collection will no longer be complete without this...
I'll be getting the Vita version if I ever decide to get this game, but it's great that Spike made a 3DS version for all those Ninty-only gamers out there.
Getting my copy here in a few hours. I wonder if I'll get any odd looks as I ask for my preorder, lol. Then again, I asked for a hentai-lite DVD from Tower Records back in 2001 with a straight poker face. XD
@FantasiaWHT Sakura Wars is the better game in my opinion though
Apprently everyone besides NintendoLife says this game is either average or mediocre...hhmmmm. I'm wondering if I should still get it. I'll go watch videos I suppose...
I really hope this does actually come to Europe. Even though it will probably make me very uncomfortable to play.
Amazing review and very interesting game.
Really hope it will get in europe ^_^ (but with no hurry, there are already too many games around for now @.@; )
Nice review.
My copy should be waiting on me when I get home today. I probably wont start it for a week or so though...Radiant Historia is much longer than i expected it to be >_>
I hated the DEMO.
I'm NOT getting this.
I love JRPG's and Atlus, but this, just no... boring...
>3> I'm getting it for the Vita cause....yeah I need to give my 3ds a break. The poor thing has more than 6 games to finish so I'm giving it a rest for now. My Vita needs more love than just watching Youtube on it.
@Sakura_Moonlight2421 Yeah, I got the Vita version too. Makes me feel better about owning it. Only the 3rd physical copy I own for the Vita. Plus lots of free PS+ games. 3DS well past 40 games now, so I don't feel to bad going Vita this time.
@Senario Thank you! Everyone else is bashing on me. But i only kinda want the game and now I can save up for tomadachi life or smash bros or old cheap wii u games. I feel its a win-win. Haha
The demo was fun, for what I've played of it. I've been following it for a bit, but it will be a while before I buy/get to it. After I beat Bravely Default, gonna focus on Etrian Odyssey Untold... and then maybe this or Soul Hackers.
im still waiting for mine to come in the mail
Really peeved at the fact you can't change the voices to Japanese. Fire Emblem, Virtue's Last Reward sound way better in Japanese, so I was hoping this game would allow it. Oh well, that's not gonna stop me.
Hmm I plan on buying a Vita next month, so maybe I'll wait to pick up this game on that instead.
Like most people in the US, I'll get this on my 3DS since I want more ATLUS on it.
XD
Really hope it sells better on the 3DS. We need more Atlus :1
I will be getting this game, like I pick up all of the Atlus's games.... Sigh, I might as well open an account with them and have money transferred directly to them. Strange that this game is getting panned everywhere, but this is the first review I saw that was an 8... I take it the others only like certain RPG's
@ricklongo my 3DS has turned into an RPG box, this is a crazy great system, probably the best portable I ever owned, content wise.
I was sorta skeptical about this game. After reading a few average-scored reviews (like on Game Informer) and seeing it's a dating sim as well as a dungeon crawler, I wasn't sure if I'd like it. Then I downloaded the demo and gave it a fair chance. Now, I have a save file stored on my 2DS and I'm looking forward to getting a copy sometime later. Definitely worth trying at least the demo if you're skeptical about it.
If this had come out earlier I probably would have picked it up. but I just have so much Backlogged now. I only plan to pick up 2 more games this year and alas this one goes to my waste side. This is one of those games that you will never see on sale anywhere so waiting for a price drop will be a waste of time. Maybe if it gets a price drop on the Eshop I will pick up but I don't think they will drop it enough for me to pick up. I just have to much to play and with the surprise announcement of Tomadachi Life it really just turned out to be a bad time at least for me. Mario Golf also fell off my Radar and I was excited for it over a year ago.
So which one should I get Vita or 3ds version?
Eh, saving my cash for Kirby. May snag this when the price drops. Good review as always guys.
Tried the demo and just didn't care for it at al. So looks like I will pass on this one and save my money for Kirby and Mario Golf.
"The English voice acting — there's no Japanese option "
Insta-NOPE
Oversexualization of females, and boob jokes at their expense I demand a female to review this game, just like Senran Kagura Burst J/k on that last part it was me trolling, but the first part is kinda real.
So many games to play, so little time
This and Senran Kagura Burst are on my radar, just got done with my second play through of Bravley Default, so decided to pick up where I left off in kid icarus uprising. But soon Mario Kart 8 will be upon us
@Spoony_Tech Thanks mate!! I've been super impressed with Atlus' 3DS output - I've racked up 100s of hours of playtime thanks to these games and loved it haha! And I'm absolutely looking forward to Persona Q! Super happy to see Persona finally making an appearance on a Nintendo console! =)
@1upsuper It definitely starts off easy, and it's nothing like SMT or Etrian Odyssey, but the challenge does ramp up as it goes. I was still really surprised not to see a difficulty select, though!
i checked when my copy will arrive in the mail, 4/24 estimate, might be worth the wait and i had pre-ordered it back in jan, 2014
I enjoyed the demo. May have to check out the full game down the road.
Played the demo. I'm not sure if it's really for me. (Now if it was a Persona game) At the very least the price seems kinda steep for what would be my entry to a dating sim style game.
That said I really liked the battle music, it's really catchy. Plus the game is more tasteful than I expected. Maybe if it appears in a sale I'll give it a twirl.
I played the demo, didnt like it a single bit. Lame conversations, I don't like the gameplay, and I find this idea of "making children" completely ridiculous. Mind you, I am a girl, the hubby has Senran Kagura which I like too. Not mentioning that Conception does not even have a retail version, I'll definitely pass.
Now if only you could be a girl, surrounded by guys....okay, actually that might be really awkward if your goal is to "Classmate" with them and they probably will talk about it...I might get this if the price drops enough. Nice review though, and two of my friends who bought the game really enjoyed it, though they were both a little uncomfortable since they are girls playing it.
@TreesenHauser Come on man, it's GI and you're a Nintendo gamer. You should know not to trust their reviews of Nintendo games.
@mamp Actually, the game is rather respectful. I've put in close to twenty hours and unlocked up to Serina and it's more just compromising situations than anything else. The only character that was in bad taste was the High Priest Mattero, and I don't trust him.
I'm loving this game, it's just so fun! Great discount on the eShop too, until December 26th.
@Falchion It's $6 right now on the eshop until November 13th.
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