I bought this game on the trailer alone and so far am very pleasantly surprised its not just a trashy visual novel. From the makers of the Atelier series I was not expecting much but the production value and maturity of the story are in a different league between those games.

The combat is simple and not too distracting since the main focus is the story and relationships you build. The character designs are very Moè but its not too fanservicey (no gratuitous panty shots) except for the transformations. But as a magical girl game you would want a little bit of fanservice in the transformations. There are numerous DLC costume packs coming out later with more fanservice if you need it as well.

I've seen the game compared to Persona because it takes place in a Japanese (all girl) high school and this Kotaku review sums up a lot of what I enjoy about the game. Would love to see Abby do a quick look of this in the future.

The voice cast is also one of the best parts of the game. The main heroine is Yuuki Takada (Aoba from New Game!) and many veteran seiyuu (Ayane Sakura, Ai Kayano,Marika Komatsu, Marika Kono, etc) you make recognize make appearances. (Sorry no Engrish Dub)

I will prob pick this up soon. I just ordered a PS4 Pro after my pc died.

I like GUST JRPGs

I've been kinda intrigued by this for awhile now, but the $80 season pass that's almost entirely costume DLC is a bit of a bummer.

yeah its kinda overpriced but you can pick and choose what you want for 5.99 apeice. I will pick up the ones I like when PSN has them on sale. If the DOA:LR costumes are something to go by, they go on sale every so often.

Magical girls really aren't my thing, but I'm all for more creepy anime bullshit on Steam, especially if it's actually any good.

What a time to be alive.

It's not very creepy at all. The stories revolve around what normal teenage girls have to deal with in high school. There are no upskirts or nudity in the game or massive boobs. Other than the transformations which can make you feel awkward if you aren't used to watching a magical girl anime, the game is pretty "normal".

There are a lot of creepy anime bullshit visual novels on steam but please do not compare this to that trash.

Two things changed my life:

• First, when a female friend listened to me describe my childhood love for Kamen Rider, Ultraman, and Space Sheriff Shaider, she concluded with "oh, it's like Precure, but for boys." You could hear my very being shatter that night.
• Second, Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Enough said.

I am at a point in my life, where I am opened to be surprised. Bring it on.

Not really my thing but that is indeed a good trailer!

Also, I've only played like 2 of them but the Atelier series games seem totally fine? Again, granted I've only played 2 so maybe I played good ones but I would at least be mildly interested in games from that team.

I finished it last spring and the story is not too bad and as JRPG go is quite original but it lacks a bit of variety. The dungeons and the quests are very repetitive and the quests can be a bit on the grind side.

The character design is excellent but it's from Kishida Mel and I'm a big fan.

Question for the OP: since when panty shots and fan service are a bad thing ? Some of us appreciate that can of things you know.

They are bad to the people who I am trying to sell this game to. The majority of the people on this site see any anime as creepy bullshit or pedophilia. So anytime anime is discussed they immediately dismiss it because of those tropes. This game doesn't rely on those tropes which makes it "safe" for those who are afraid of being labeled a weeabo.

I have nothing against fanservice or panty shots as some of my favorite anime feature egregious amounts of it. Its just a bonus that a good anime game like this can be made without needing to resort to it.

I was gonna let this one slide by because a cursory search for reviews left me with the impression that it was kind of shallow. Don't know whether I'm pleased or not that it IS actually good, because... I like money.

Goddammit, but this is exactly my kind of thing, though. "Sailor Moon simulator plus light Persona S-Link mechanics"? Yes, please. Looks like the right mix of heartwarming/genuine/ridiculous. And the specific mention of nearly nonexistent fanservice is a plus to me as well.

...Yeah, okay. Fine. Buying it.

@ikabubu: Damn, your friend sounds merciless.

@sungahymn: But she was... not... wrooooAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!

P.S. to be fair to @puchiko, count me in.

I sympathize how hard it is to "sell" anime to people who already stereotype it. Knowing that the term is just as broad as 'movies', and liking some does not imply liking everything. There were some visual-novels that I tried to convince people to try.

On top of that, the two experiences I mentioned made me more receptive to ideas I liked, packaged in ways I wasn't expecting.

@puchiko said:

Oh, relax. "Creepy anime bullshit" is just a tongue-in-cheek catch all term that I borrow from Super Best Friends Play to describe anime themes games, similar to people quoting Jeff saying "Anime is for jerks." But, I'm pro Senran Kagura, and I've often said on this site that the Steam release of Estival Versus back in March is my 2017 game of the year, so me being a self-defecating ecchi fan (albeit to a certain extent) is also a thing.

Interesting that you would frame "no panty shots" and "no massive boobs" as a positive. What a world we live in where a fella can't enjoy a bit of demographically targeted smut!

I'm joking. I know what you mean.

I'm halfway through the game so far (based on trophy data) and honestly I would have to say wait for it on sale. The game has everything I want (Magical Girls, Moe, Slice of Life, great Seiyuu) except a compelling story that pushes you forward. There is a lot of social grinding but you are at least rewarded with many in-game cutscenes. The fragment system and support system is not explained very well and can pretty much be ignored since the battles have been a cakewalk so far.

Also there are serious technical issues despite the world geometry being very simple in most dungeons, the framerate drops all too often. The steam version is apparently broke and unplayable after certain chapters. This game is also out on Vita so that would explain the low polygon count but even on my PS4 Pro the framerate can be bad in spots.

I don't regret my purchase and its still a fun game but know what you are getting into. If you are short on money, it will be on a PSN flash sale or steam sale within 6 months based on the history of Gust games going on sale.