Blue Archive is a mobile gacha game, but this review will not talk about any of the gacha aspects. Instead I will write some of my thoughts down about its story, characters and its presentation of the story through its use of visuals and soundtracks.
STORY
First of all I will talk about the story which just recently finished its “Part 1” in the English version of the game. It will also be free of any major spoilers and more of a basic overview and the way it is structured.
The story has players start out as Sensei, who is starting his work in Kivotos aka Academy City in which he’s working as the advisor for the Federal Investigation Club titled “Schale” to which he got assigned to by the currently missing general student council president. His job is to help the students living in the different districts in Kivotos with their life and support them as they grow up.
This mundane aspect of the story is definitely a big appeal and why it is so easy to connect to the characters, because Sensei is there for everyone, but of course it isn’t all just that and soon enough we learn about an organization which calls themselves “Gematria” whose goals aren’t quite clear, but one thing is clear – that they pose a danger with running experiments in Kivotos as well as summoning Monsters that pose a threat. There’s also a lot of tension between different districts and schools, and the story does like to dive into the politics of it. Even if a war breaks out or the end of the world is encroaching, Sensei will always be there for the students and guide them to a better tomorrow.
There is a lot of mystery and intrigue to the story which will always get you wanting to know more about the world itself too.
Most of the story is told through a visual novel style, but at times there are battle stages we have to go through. However, instead of these stages just being filler or it feeling like a chore, the game instead actually has the battles matter and even tells its plot through it – for example they might introduce a character during it or have events happen.
CHARACTERS
As great as the story is it definitely wouldn’t be able to get players this invested if it wasn’t also for the outstanding cast of characters of which we get a lot in the game thanks to all the different clubs and schools the characters attend. There’s a lot of variety and something the game excels at especially is to get players to care about them, because the characters feel real with unique personalities and flaws which makes them feel human. Everyone has their part to play in the story and to Sensei the students are everything to him!
Also speaking of Sensei, he is supposed to be a self-insert type character, but throughout the story he turns out to be so much more and is his own character despite having barely any dialogue; the choices he makes throughout the story MATTER and the story makes sure we understand this.
PRESENTATION
The art in this game is beautiful with each character of course having sprites, but what really makes it stand out is the sheer amount of CGs that are being used throughout the story. It does remind me in that aspect of Type-Moon VNs which are similarly loaded with beautiful art to enhance one’s reading experience even for more mundane scenes instead of just using CGs for big, exciting moments. They really nailed the visual aspect of the medium in Blue Archive and if anything surpassed my expectations!
This third PV for the game is a good watch to see the quality one can expect of the visuals throughout it.
Aside from the outstanding visual work the game’s soundtrack by its 3 main composers Mitsukiyo, KARUT, and Nor, elevate the experience all the more with fitting tracks to whatever situation the characters might find themselves in. This is also so important, because for the most part there is no voice acting outside of a few key moments.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
10/10 for the first part of the story which leaves players satisfied, but also excited for what more the story will offer in the future.
To me personally Blue Archive is more than just a gacha game and the love and effort which is poured into telling its story is something I have rarely experienced! If you have even the slightest interest in reading it I couldn’t possibly recommend it more, and it is also the perfect time to get into it with the first part of the main story being finished.
Currykaesu - Fair Curry Gamers 