Criminal Girls 2: Party Favors is the long-awaited sequel to Criminal Girls: Invite Only, a turn-based JRPG that first launched on the Playstation Vita back in late 2015. Unlike its predecessor, Party Favors sees the player in the role of a player-named, amnesia stricken ‘instructor’ from Hell that has been employed to ‘reform’ a group of delinquents for crimes they were destined to commit, had they not died. Unfortunately, one of the delinquents is actually a ‘convict’ (an evil spirit that could not be reformed), and the player must figure out who the real impostor is before reaching the top floor of Hell, and releasing the ‘real’ delinquents from their punishment.
Like its predecessor, Party Favors’ core game mechanics are based on grinding XP, finding treasure chests and exploring the numerous cell blocks that comprise the unforgiving environment called Hell. Along the way, the player will encounter purple, glowing orbs that double as infirmaries and portals. When used, the portal feature will send the player to the last portal (i.e. purple orb) activated inside the dungeon. The Infirmary doubles as a ‘save game’ location and a torture chamber to motivate party members if they don’t behave (more on this in a moment).
Combat relies on a turn-based system that uses a static playfield to represent the action. Like Invite Only, the player’s party (i.e. delinquents) are located on either side of the screen, while the enemies are shown in the center. Surprisingly, the delinquents now animate when they attack or cast spells.
The type of options that are available to the player during combat are determined by their delinquents’ behavior. A purple word balloon will appear next to party members, indicating their mood and/or requirements for combat. It’s important for the player to understand what each delinquent is saying. For example: if one delinquent expresses doubt by saying, ‘I’m tired’ or “Leave me alone..”, it’s almost a guarantee that they will perform poorly (i.e. inflict less damage than normal) or not respond at all. If these subtle changes in behavior are ignored, the game will become far more frustrating than it needs to be. Sometimes a delinquent’s behavior changes when they are injured during combat. When this happens, the player can press the Right Shoulder button to access the item menu. From there, health potions can be used to heal party members; antidote potions can cleanse poison; and Resurrect M items can be used to resurrect a fallen comrade after they die.
As mentioned earlier, the Infirmary is where the player can save their in-game progress; heal party members; buy/sell items; and torture party members using the ‘Motivate’ feature. After a delinquent is chosen for punishment, the player is shown their ‘girl’ of choice in a very provocative, near-naked pose. The player must manipulate a ‘brush’ by using the PSVita’s touchscreen to wipe body parts that are highlighted by icons. Once the torture process is finished, the delinquent will level up and gain combat skills based on the amount of torture inflicted. And this is only one of the many ‘torture’ mini games that can be played. Some of them involve tickling, shocking, and spanking the delinquents into submission. Yes indeed; it feels as odd as it sounds.
Ironically, Party Favor’s adult-oriented content is quite tamed in comparison to its more explicit Japanese counterpart. The Japanese release of Party Favors – especially during the torture segments – shows the delinquents tied up and being held against their will. The animation is about the same between the two versions with a few minor exceptions.
Criminal Girls 2: Party Favors is a fun RPG that doesn’t demand much from the player. When the player isn’t crawling through the various dungeons opening chests and following the main story, they’re punishing their inmates in the Infirmary. It’s a simple formula that seems to work well even though it caters to a niche market. This is one JRPG that is definitely worth a look.
Mike Pittaro
Platform: PS Vita
Developer: Nippon Ichi Software, Inc.
Publisher: NIS America
ESRB: M (Mature)
Price: $39.99
Criminal Girl 2: Party Favors Official Website:
http://nisamerica.com/games/criminal-girls-2-party-favors
| Review Score | |
|---|---|
| Graphics |  |
| Gorgeous 2D illustrations and graphics. | |
| Sound |  |
| Impressive sound effects and a memorable soudtrack. | |
| Gameplay | |
| Addicting and very challenging. | |
| Overall |  |
|---|---|
| Criminal Girls 2: Party Favors is a fun RPG that doesn’t demand much from the player. | |
