Poor Man’s Persona: An Insight into The Caligula Effect: Overdose
If you’re a fan of JRPGs and haven’t played The Caligula Effect yet, its latest release on PlayStation 5 might just be the chance you were waiting for. The game is set in a Metaverse world, which serves as an escapism from the real world, and throws in familiar elements such as schools, students, and social levels that are typical to JRPG tropes. However, The Caligula Effect manages to create its own unique formula by blending these elements together.
The Storyline and Gameplay
The Metaverse or “Mobius” is known for being built on an escape for reality and within this world are now 2 warring factions. As the protagonist you play as part of the go home club which is self explanatory and you will be fighting against those that are against it and wanting nobody to return to reality. The game does well in explaining everything, but at times, the opening feels a little underwhelming. While The Caligula Effect looks good, if you’re wondering if it’s a game that showcases the power of the PlayStation 5, then you might be disappointed. If there is a reason why I should play The Caligula Effect: Overdose on the PlayStation 5 over the PlayStation 4, please do share!
The saving grace of the game is undoubtedly its battle system, which is a hybrid between turn-based and real-time gameplay. Enemies can be seen and initiated by touching them on the screen. You are able to position yourself and your friends on screen before being able to go all in on your enemies. You can line up abilities before attacking, and The Caligula Effect has a nice feature which allows you to see these actions taking place before you actually act them out, giving you enough time to coordinate your other team members to attack while an enemy is most vulnerable. It’s a system that takes a bit of getting used to but when you pull it off, it gives you a huge kick of dopamine.
The Graphics and Sound design
So while the game looks fine, some parts definitely look better than others. The cutscenes during the opening feel janky at times, which can be very jarring when you get into the gameplay. However, the actual interface of the game is one of the most graphically pleasing parts of it. It looks as though it was created as some sort of art project in Adobe Photoshop and it is so smooth and well-done that it carries on throughout the whole game. But if you’re expecting English voiceover, then this game might not be for you.
Music and Sound design is good, and the game deals with themes such as mental illness, which it captures well. It’s just that you won’t find much emphasis on emotions, as you would expect.
The Verdict
Overall, it’s safe to say that The Caligula Effect: Overdose is a decent game. It isn’t going to revolutionize the genre, but it is still a fun, engaging, and well-balanced game that’s easy to get into. If you’re looking for a game that’s similar to Persona or Tokyo Xanadu, then you should give this game a go. But if you’re looking for something that represents the full potential of the PlayStation 5, you might want to keep looking.
A PlayStation 5 Review Code was provided by NIS America