Ikusa Megami Verita - Crossover was nice, but I still prefer Celica side.

Ikusa Megami Verita is a turn-based RPG and visual novel developed by Eushully. Released in 2010, it is a direct sequel to Ikusa Megami Zero, which we discussed recently, and it serves to combine the world of Ikusa Megami with that of Genrin no Kishougun into one cohesive experience.

The main difference here is that there are two protagonists for the vast majority of the visual novel. The first is, of course, Celica Sylphil, whom we got to know and love in the first game. The second is Loui Marcillen, a half-demon, half-human king who was the protagonist of Genrin no Kishougun.

Chronologically, this is positioned right after the end of Genrin no Kishougun 2, occurring just after Loui won the war but lost his wife, Irina, in the final moments to her sister, Ekria. Celica wakes up from her slumber and begins her activities again in a world that has changed significantly since she was last active.

Many ancient forces are on the move, and Celica must find a way to stop them before they overwhelm the world. This time, she is accompanied by Ekria, who is searching for a way to die to atone for her sister's death. Celica is unwilling to let her do so, and their relationship develops slowly over the many adventures they share together.

This, of course, puts Celica at odds with Loui and creates tension during the few scenes where the two groups actually meet while facing a common enemy. However, it never becomes too much of an issue because circumstances require the two to set their personal problems aside.

Ikusa Megami Verita features a massive cast of over 30 characters from both franchises. Most of them are playable in some form, which is quite a feat, but this also dilutes character focus since you can only field a few in battle. I always ended up preferring my usual team of Rita, Naberius, Celica, Ekria, and Luna-Clia.

Overall, I think Ekria was the star of this game. Her growth from a suicidal girl trying to atone for her sins to a self-sufficient woman using everything she has to support Celica was remarkable. Of course, Haishera is still present and remains an amazing character; I especially love her voice acting.

In terms of gameplay, not much has changed from the previous title. The same grid-based combat is present, featuring renewed yet familiar skill trees for all the characters. As before, I used Naberius for clearing mobs because she is just as strong in this game as she was in the last.

This time around, you distribute stat points for both Loui and Celica. Honestly, I found it extremely hard to use Loui effectively, as he always hit like a wet noodle despite the effort I put into his build. This made the segments where he was the protagonist quite difficult, as I had to rely on Karian to deal most of the damage.

The quality of the visual elements has improved significantly, moving from the old-school 800x600 resolution to a more modern 1024x576 (16:9 aspect ratio). The game engine also seems more stable, with fewer game-breaking bugs and several usability improvements. The art style feels more polished and detailed while maintaining the same distinct feel for the characters.

Overall, Ikusa Megami Verita is a great sequel with a solid storyline that is easy to recommend to anyone wanting more content in this fantastical world. The game is similar in size to Ikusa Megami Zero, requiring around 45 hours to complete if you focus on the story alone, and significantly more if you intend to complete everything.