Blue Reflection was a new original series launched in 2017 for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and PC. The title was developed by Gust, best known for their Atelier and Ar Tonelico series, but it featured a unique setting compared to their previous work. While most of their titles focus on a fantasy or sci-fi environment, Blue Reflection opted for a modern school setting alongside a secret magical world to explore. It was in this second world that the main protagonists could transform into magical girls to fight off monsters and prepare for an impending threat that could potentially change the entire world. Of course, this is only true for the original, as the series would eventually transition into a full-on doomsday story arc shaped by a fictional global pandemic. Even with that shift, the titles remained true to their central theme—a focus on the daily lives and emotional challenges of the main cast.
Blue Reflection Quartet is the latest entry in the series, but it isn't a new title at all. In fact, it is a collection of the entire Blue Reflection series, featuring new adaptations of both the anime and the Japanese-exclusive gacha game. It also includes visual enhancements for modern hardware, quality-of-life updates, and additional bonus content for fans. At its core, the package centers around the original Blue Reflection and its console sequel, Blue Reflection: Second Light. Unfortunately, some alterations were made to the first title that not everyone will agree with, but Second Light has never been better thanks to the inclusion of new playable characters. For those who have already played the games, Quartet might not offer enough reason to return unless you truly love the franchise. However, for newcomers interested in trying it for the first time, this is the best way to do so—assuming you're comfortable with the handful of changes made.
For this review, I dove back into each title and went for 100% completion. Although the first game was still fresh in my mind from a recent playthrough, I didn't want to leave anything in Quartet unfinished. By the end of this long journey, I was left feeling a bit conflicted. This collection is filled with both highs and lows, though one title in particular makes it all worth it. The following review is split into parts, making it easier to read about the specific titles within the collection you care about. While Second Light features new characters, everything else remains mostly as it once was—except for a faster running speed, which greatly improves the painfully slow old-school exploration. But for more on that, here is the full review.
Blue Reflection
Blue Reflection is the first title released in the series and the beginning point of the Quartet collection. While players are free to start anywhere they like, this is a series best played in order since it tells one continuous story. Although the main protagonist changes across entries, the events of Blue Reflection set the stage for what is to come. However, there is also no denying that this is the weaker title of the original two main entries. It was the starting point, so that is understandable, but the improvements added to Quartet only go so far to bring it up to Second Light's standards. To be completely upfront, the only things that have truly changed here are the faster running speed option—which is very much appreciated—and the fact that any instances of partial nudity have been completely covered up. Otherwise, this is still the same title that released in 2017 on PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and PC.
Hinako's Journey
The game itself focuses on a young girl named Hinako, a former ballet dancer. After injuring her knee, her dreams were shattered and she was forced into early retirement. Now unable to face the fact that her previous life is over, she attends Hoshinomiya Girls' High School, where she is constantly reminded of who she used to be. However, when she finds herself pulled into a strange world known as the Common, she gains the powers of a Reflector to transform into a magical girl. With this newfound form, Hinako is able to move, run, and jump freely just like she used to, but there is a catch: the Common is filled with monsters that are the direct result of the negative feelings of Hinako's classmates. By teaming up with her mysterious new friends, Lime and Yuzuki, she is able to take down the monsters and restore her classmates' mental states. However, it is all just a lead-up to the true threat on the horizon—the Overseer of the World itself, a being known as Daath.
Daily Life and the Common
When it comes to gameplay, Blue Reflection is split into two parts. The daily life section sees Hinako exploring the school and talking to her classmates to help build relationships. Once relationships are far enough along, that character's fragments are unlocked, which then serve as equipment for Hinako and her friends to use. Each chapter also has a checklist of goals to complete to progress, but it mostly comes down to talking to characters enough to advance your relationship with them, or diving into the Common to take on enemies. While each character has her own personal story to discover, a lot of it is standard high school melodrama—something many of us might be able to relate to, though as adults, we realize it isn't as life-shattering as we once assumed. That isn't to say some serious themes are not on display here, but they are few and far between.
Following the daily life section, the Common is where the main action takes place. These self-contained areas consist of a few maps containing items to pick up and enemies to fight. Battles are turn-based, featuring multiple skills to select from and support abilities to use; however, combat is extremely easy. With leveling and stats handled directly by the main story and side quests, the characters are always at the level they need to be while progressing, and stat distribution is used to unlock new skills that make things even easier. While the early game requires a bit more strategy, it doesn't take long to devolve into a basic "use the strongest skill" style of play, where buffs, debuffs, and general support skills or items are usually unnecessary. Those who still struggle can always set the game to Easy Mode, which is perfect for RPG newcomers or anyone who simply wants to focus on the daily life aspect. Collected materials can also be used to craft usable items, but these are used more for completing goals to advance the story than for anything else. In short, despite being an RPG, the RPG aspects are the weakest part of the entire game, though the battle system can still be entertaining.
Quality-of-Life Updates and Censorship
When it comes to the updates, being able to run at a faster speed is a game-changing improvement. The original Blue Reflection had such a slow running speed that traversing the halls of the school was often painful. It was easier to fast-travel to nearby classrooms than to walk there yourself, but now that really isn't an issue. Of course, this faster speed needs to be turned on by pressing the D-Pad, but there isn't really a reason not to use it unless you enjoy the slower pace of the original.
In addition to this change, there have been some alterations made to the title, with a handful of specific scenes being censored compared to the previous version. While many of them can easily be missed, the biggest change noticeable right from the get-go, however, is the alteration to all bath scenes.
While camera angles were used in the original to avoid direct nudity—something very common in TV shows and movies—the water itself was completely transparent, and important aspects of the scene were on display. For instance, Hinako would relax in the bath and tend to her hurt knee. The camera would turn to face her back, and we could see her massage it. This has been almost completely removed, with the water now being solid in color and multiple shampoo and soap bottles blocking the view of her upper back. Of course, this has no impact on gameplay, but it is an obvious cut and breaks the realistic style the title originally had going for it. Another similar instance occurs during rainy days when the students' uniforms would become completely soaked. While the clothing still becomes wet, it doesn't have the same effect, which lessens the scene where the girls freak out and run back inside as the rain begins. All similar scenes have been censored throughout the entire game, and the few instances of characters being in their underwear has now been replaced with swimsuits—which happens during the few locker scenes.
Honestly many of these moments are a result of the player's choices at the end of the day, and can be completely missed if the "go to sleep" option is selected when Hinako returns home. I personally never selected the bath option outside of testing it for this review, and I stopped using the option that would lead to the locker room scenes once the dialogue started repeating. They are extremely minor parts of the game, with many of the main story scenes remaining completely untouched.
Overall, Blue Reflection is still a fun game, but it clearly will not be for everyone. It is a weaker entry in this collection, the battles are basic, and not everyone will relate to its story. However, it is the starting point, and some interesting pieces of information do come to light during the latter half of the game. The enhanced walking speed greatly improves the school-life sections, and players of the original will be happy to know that you can speed through text and skip scenes as well—though I wouldn't blame players for skipping this one entirely in favor of Second Light.
Blue Reflection Ray
Blue Reflection Ray was a 2021 anime that served as a direct sequel to the original Blue Reflection and a prelude to Blue Reflection: Second Light. It ran for 24 episodes, focused on a mostly different cast of characters, and provided a deeper look into the series' lore. With Blue Reflection Quartet, the anime has been adapted into video game form, though saying that isn't quite right. Despite the game's marketing suggesting otherwise, Ray is not truly an adaptation, but rather a recap episode that does a very poor job of bringing players up to speed.
While the anime was quite lengthy—with roughly 10 hours of runtime—this new version of Ray is less than an hour long when played to 100% completion. Like the original animation, the game puts players in the shoes of Hiori Hirahara and Ruka Hanari as they explore the alternate world known as the Common, but with a twist: they've had their memories sealed away and scattered throughout the world in the form of Fragments. Players simply need to walk around the multiple in-game maps to recover them. A handful are just simple pieces of dialogue, while "main story" Fragments display stills from the anime and attempt to sum up the narrative.
As someone who had never seen the series, I was lost and retained next to none of the information dumped on me, which ultimately led me to just go back and watch the show myself. It didn't take long to realize just how lacking this summary in video game form truly was, though it should be enough to jog the memories of those who simply haven't watched it since 2021.
Considering this Ray adaptation is more of an "extra episode" included with the collection as a bonus, one can't be too upset over how basic and short it is, but it definitely isn't what fans were led to believe. The "gameplay" it offers feels largely pointless, though thankfully you can increase your walking speed to progress much faster. With no battles in sight and only a finite number of fragments to discover, there isn't much reason to replay this section. Once you've completed it, there is pretty much nothing left it has to offer.
Blue Reflection Sun
Blue Reflection Sun was a mobile and PC game released as a Japanese exclusive in 2023. Serving as a prequel to Blue Reflection: Second Light, it brought together a cast of new characters alongside some returning favorites. It was also the first entry in the series that allowed players to step into the shoes of a male protagonist, who then supported the main cast of girls under his leadership. This version of the game never saw an English release however, and was shut down roughly a year after its launch.
The third part of Quartet is a remake of Blue Reflection Sun, featuring new story content that helps bring the overall narrative to a close. However, this is not simply the mobile game ported directly to consoles; instead, it is an edited version that focuses strictly on the main story, key fights, and side interactions with the main cast. It is honestly what more gacha games should be doing following their closure—especially when their titles are relevant to an overarching story—but it is something that is rarely seen.
A Darker, Post-Apocalyptic World
Following the events of Ray, and as a direct result of the original Blue Reflection's ending, the world in Sun is in a perilous state. Strange particles known as Ash have begun falling from the sky, impacting the world in a massive way. Monsters now roam free, and those who come into contact with the Ash run the risk of developing Ash Syndrome, which ultimately kills them. While some unlucky individuals transform into monsters themselves, a select handful become what is known as an Eroded—someone who can transform at will and use their powers to fend off the new threat. With a mysterious tower now looming in the distance—which connects the "real" world to the space known as the Common—even Reflectors can use their powers to combat the danger, though things are not quite that simple.
The Inclusion of Second Light's Combat System and General Gameplay
In the game, players take on the role of a young man simply dubbed "Leader." Unlike in the original mobile game, you cannot rename him, though this has no impact on the story. From there, Leader is put in charge of a squad of Eroded and sent on missions in hopes of returning the world to its former state.
During gameplay, players can fully explore the school building—which serves as the group's main base—and speak with the different girls who join the squad as the story progresses. Icons above characters' heads signify side stories that can be viewed, providing short scenes that offer a deeper look into each character's life. With the narrative now focusing on the end of the world, there is far less high-school-style drama than what was seen in the original Blue Reflection, with much darker themes on display. This is a world filled with death and destruction—a far cry from the original entry.
Outside of exploring the school to speak with the cast, Sun includes all of the key battles from the original mobile game. Here, the game adopts the Blue Reflection: Second Light battle system, though it simplifies things due to its linear structure. There is no grinding for levels or farming for better gear and items; instead, the game ensures your characters are always at the required strength to win each fight.
With this combat system, characters generate EP over time, with a set amount required to execute attacks. Landing successful hits creates combos and increases the overall recovery speed for EP. As battles progress, characters transform into their Eroded state, which further boosts their power. It is a bit annoying that these transformation sequences cannot be skipped, but the battle speed itself can be increased, and partner characters can be set to auto-attack for anyone who prefers not to command the full party. Battles are not overly difficult, but a support character can be used to heal your group or provide other perks if the going gets tough. There is also an Easy Mode for those only here for the story. Because the game dictates your stats in this version, you always have the necessary tools to win, though it might still take a little planning to come out on top.
A Decent Adaptation
While Sun isn't a "full game" in the same sense as Blue Reflection and Second Light, it is a decent adaptation of a mobile game we never received in the West. All of the customization and grinding elements have been stripped away, so it lacks the addictive loop of the original version, but the narrative itself makes it worth experiencing. Compared to the one hour of gameplay offered in Ray, this title takes around 5 hours to complete, including all side stories.
It isn't a long experience by any means, nor is it substantial enough to justify purchasing Quartet for this story alone, but it is a nice addition to the overall package. The visuals are a step back compared to the rest of the included titles, but the style itself still looks very nice. Even so, it would have been great to see the game fully remastered, but that unfortunately didn't happen. It also would have been nice if they had kept some of the original gameplay elements—such as character customization and extra battles—which would have given players a reason to return even after the story came to an end.
Thankfully the characters included in Sun have now been brought over to Second Light, so fans will still get plenty of time to use them following its conclusion.
Blue Reflection: Second Light
Blue Reflection: Second Light is the highlight of Quartet. While having the original Blue Reflection, the anime "recap," and the adaptation of Sun are nice bonuses that offer a good 30 to 50 hours of content on their own, Second Light is on a completely different level. Unlike the first game, it is a fully developed RPG adventure set within a unique world, featuring a greatly improved relationship system, standard level-up and customization mechanics, a home-base building feature, and dungeons to work through. Those who disliked the first game will find most of what they were hoping for here, though that doesn't mean it is completely perfect.
Trapped in an Endless Sea
The story in Second Light is quite a bit different from what came before. The game opens with a young girl named Ao dropping her phone before awakening in a strange school alongside a group of girls she has never met. While Ao can remember her life before coming to this place, the others have little to no memory of who they truly are. To further complicate matters, the school is surrounded by endless water with no visible way to escape—everyone is completely trapped.
However, after Ao arrives, strange areas outside of the school materialize, and further inspection leads the group to discover these lands are infested with monsters. Unknown to them, they hold the power of a Reflector, allowing them to summon weapons and transform into magical girls to protect themselves. Despite warnings from an unknown person texting their phones, the group continues investigating these new areas in hopes of getting to the bottom of their predicament.
Life Simulation Meets Dungeon Crawling
Similar to the first title, Second Light is split between life-simulation-style gameplay and dungeon crawling. Because the cast is trapped in a school, the standard "school life" aspect is missing; instead, the game doubles down on personal relationships and survival. With a more focused core cast, Ao is able to hang out and go on "dates" with each of the girls trapped with her, featuring well over one hundred scenes to watch.
When starting a date, there is a main destination in mind, but there are also countless smaller discussions that can be unlocked by exploring the school. These are denoted by map icons so they are easy to find, though they can be missed if you use the quick "skip to date location" feature. While it is a bit annoying that Ao walks extremely slowly during these dates, the inclusion of a faster running speed is a very welcome upgrade, even if it looks a bit awkward alongside the fast walking animation.
In addition to standard dates, characters can be spoken to as they explore the school—which now features a day-and-night cycle—and players can build various facilities in key spots around campus. While these facilities provide bonuses like stat buffs and new stores to purchase supplies, they also act as date locations to further advance character relationships. This goes hand in hand with a new and improved crafting system, which allows Ao to team up with the other girls to apply passive effects and bonuses to the items they make. Unlike in the original, these items are actually very useful in and out of battle and are sometimes key to survival.
Exploring Beautiful Heartscapes
Outside of the school, players get to explore many different Heartscapes, which are shaped by the memories of the main cast. These locations are simply stunning, featuring unique visual designs that make each new area a treat to explore, even if they are packed full of dangerous enemies and harvestable items. While most Heartscapes are three unique maps long, they contain multiple branching paths to discover. Some locations are also inaccessible until set conditions are met or specific items are crafted to clear the way. With memory fragments hidden throughout, the game encourages players to explore every nook and cranny, though a handy minimap keeps track of what lies ahead.
Fast and Chaotic Combat
When it comes to battles, Second Light features a mix of real-time and turn-based mechanics. Battles are initiated by either running into an enemy on the field or activating "stealth mode" to sneak up from behind and gain an advantage. Once in combat, a character's EP fills up over time, with attacks requiring a set amount to execute. Initially, characters can only store a maximum of 1,000 EP, but landing hits and pulling off combos greatly increases that limit. Eventually, thousands of EP can be stored for a single character and unleashed all at once by selecting multiple attacks in a single turn.
Landing combo hits also increases damage dealt, so keeping combos active and avoiding enemy knockbacks is crucial. This is where defensive skills and support characters come into play to prevent your combos from dropping. Players can either issue commands directly or allow the AI to take over for the other two party members, though even with auto-play enabled, manual commands can still be issued at any time.
The battle system is fast and chaotic, stepping things up even further during 1v1 duels. Here, each face button controls a different action—including dedicated counter and dodge buttons—allowing players to slash away with the attack button for extra damage. There is a cooldown between uses, making it a fast-paced system that demands precise timing to avoid enemy attacks. These 1v1 battles are triggered by knocking an enemy into a "break" state and can quickly secure a victory if you master the timing.
While it is possible to break Second Light and become overpowered, the combat system in general is well balanced and provides a nice challenge early on. Players can crank up the difficulty for an extra test, though newcomers might want to think twice before doing so.
Characters are highly customizable, featuring Talent passive abilities to unlock as players level up and complete side quests for bonus points. The Fragment system also returns, acting as equipment to boost stats and grant new abilities. There is a lot to dive into for anyone wanting to build a perfect party, and every system feels meaningful.
Quartet Additions
As for new content in Quartet, updates mainly come in the form of the faster run speed, the ability to skip cutscenes, and the inclusion of the entire cast from Sun. These characters unlock starting in Chapter 3 as part of the "Chest of Memories." While not physically present in the main story, they exist as memory recreations from another character's past and can be used as active party members. They do not gain Talent Points, so they lack deep customization, but they continue to improve throughout the game and can equip Fragments. They are mainly there "just for fun," but they allow for creative party combinations. Those who played the Japanese-exclusive mobile game will surely be happy to see their favorites return, while for Western players, it serves as a cool bonus that helps make up for their limited screen time in the Blue Reflection Sun adaptation.
Overall, Blue Reflection: Second Light is a fantastic game with only a handful of minor flaws holding it back. The repetitive nature of dates can feel like a bit much at times, but the characters are so lovable that you usually don't mind taking the time to meet with everyone. The stealth mechanic is also half-baked—mainly used for preemptive strikes—and thankfully, the few mandatory stealth missions let you skip to the end if you fail multiple times. Those wanting to save themselves the headache can just run headfirst into enemies from the get-go and move on.
Outside of those minor issues, the combat is easily one of the biggest highlights of the game, and the sheer amount of customization will surely make RPG fans happy. The beautiful environments are a major step up from what came before as well. Second Light really is everything the original should have been and more, serves as the true centerpiece of Quartet, and makes the collection well worth picking up.
Blue Reflection Quartet
Outside of each title, there are a handful of extras that are exclusive to the Quartet bundle. After progressing through each game, players can unlock and view illustrations and artwork, as well as take a deep dive into the series' story and characters. With timelines and relationship charts detailing every major event, players can learn a lot more about the overall lore—some of which isn't fully explained within the games themselves. These are nice little bonuses that help round out the overall package and are perfect for fans who still want a little more when the story finally comes to a close.
Should you play it?
Blue Reflection Quartet is not a perfect collection by any means, but it is simply the best way to get into the series. Despite the handful of edits made to Blue Reflection, the quality-of-life improvements help make the entire collection enjoyable, and the inclusion of Ray and Sun are welcome additions. While Ray is a bit disappointing—players will still need to watch the anime if they want the full story—Sun is nice little story and serves as a great lead-in to Second Light, which is the true reason to even consider this package. Second Light was already a solid JRPG, and it is even better now with the inclusion of new characters to play around with.
The PlayStation 5 and PC releases also support 60 FPS and higher resolutions, making each game look and run better than before, though the Switch and Switch 2 releases are unfortunately still locked at 30 FPS. The other downside is that the set does not include previously released DLC, which is a missed opportunity for a "complete collection."
When it comes to pricing, Quartet’s standard price is set at $49.99, whereas both Blue Reflection and Blue Reflection: Second Light retail for $59.99. While those individual titles do sometimes go on sale, spending $10 less to obtain both full games along with the extra content makes Quartet the ideal entry point for newcomers. That said, the added content might not necessarily be enough to justify a double-dip for longtime fans. Ray’s adaptation is less than an hour long and Sun can be completed in roughly five, which isn't a whole lot for those interested solely in those two inclusions.
That being said:
Overall, Blue Reflection Quartet is a great way to experience the series. While Second Light truly steals the show, having the original game alongside the remake of Sun are really nice additions. Sadly Ray’s adaptation isn't anything to write home about and a few cuts were made to the original game, but those are small flaws in an otherwise enjoyable package.
VERDICT: Recommended
Reviewed on PlayStation 5
Review Copy was Provided
Available On: Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and PC
Post a Comment