Wasn't super big on the main game and I'm just as lukewarm on this DLC. The most impressive things about is how for $20, you are getting a pretty meaty amount of content that lasts about 8 hours. Kaito plays differently enough from Yagami, the former does play like Kiryu in a lot of ways.
With all that said, divorcing it from it's price tag and content on offer, it's nothing remarkable and in some ways worse than the base game. One big issue with the story is that the themes of Kaito Files is divorced from this spinoff series. What made the Judgment games interesting is that the plots in them dealt with an intriguing societal and moral dilemma and how the law deals with it when regulating that. Judgment was about a possible cure to Alzheimer's and Lost Judgment dealt with victimization.
Kaito Files' story is more black and white by comparison. I wouldn't mind this so much if the villain was fun to hate, I can't get my eyes off of him and was really attached to see his downfall but he turns out to be someone hiding in the shadows and most of the manipulating he does is just a bunch of casual conversations that don't amount to any kind of geniune misdirection. Jun is even a teenager yet he doesn't even try to make him and by extension the player feel that he's not that bad especially when you throw in later in the game he's supposed to be the "reincarnation of the devil". The final sequence in Chapter 4 before the epilogue was just ridiculous with the amount of monologuing there was when he could've been interrupted at some many points. Mikiko is sort of okay even if the story tends to make her capable by herself one minute and a damsel the next. The writers also put over her "looks" way too much and how much the men keep fawning over her. I can take certain amounts of this stuff but even my patience was tested.
The actual final boss is so ridiculous and stupid that it took my suspension of disbelief too far even for an RGG game. It felt like it was there because an epilogue with no gameplay with fail states would be too boring.
The pacing also isn't very good. With a heavy over reliance on the investigation sequences with Chapter 2 being especially ergregious with having one that goes on for a while then having a stealth section, then an investigation sequence then stealth just to culminate and Kaito getting caught in a cutscene that leads to a boss fight which then has him get tailed by someone who has nothing to do with the plot. I was almost considering stopping Kaito Files around this point.
The investigation sequences just seem to require more from the player by comparison to past Judgments almost to the point if I'm wondering why this wasn't a point and click adventure game.
The fights much like the base game are over way too quickly with lots of heat moves and even basic melee attacks that can level enemies and bosses' health quickly. The hardest combat sequence was a frantic button tapping QTE to finish off a boss fight...which the game never had up until that point and never does again after.
Some good things the story does is that the english voice acting is solid and Kaito is still entertaining. It's almost amusing how he and by extension me where just scratching our heads at all the weird stuff going on in the story. Jun is an okay character even if his knifephobia and him being all gung ho about joing the Yakuza can get a little obnoxious, he did grow on me the more the story went on.
The ending wasn't too bad but knowing how RGG games go, good endings usually don't last long even if it's been 3 years since this DLC came out and the last time the Judgment franchise has gotten an update as of writing.
Overall, while Kaito Files did drive me insane with over reliance on investigation sequences and bizarre pacing, it's okay. It being 8 hours is what prevents me from being harsher on it. It's value and content is the main thing it has going for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment