It doesn’t even feel like that long ago that I was playing The Caligula Effect 2 on my PS5 and now we suddenly get the same game on PC with all the added bonuses that come with such a port.
I reviewed this game back in October and while I was not a fan of the original Caligula Effect with its incredibly tedious quest system and poorly-developed storyline, I was very surprised with what the sequel had to offer. More of the same fun, turn-based combat, but somehow even better, an improved character equipment system, and a vastly more interesting storyline. It’s basically like a wannabe Persona, but actually with some good writing and gameplay to back it up – unlike most others that try to imitate that style. If you want me to go into further detail – do check out my full review for more in-depth coverage.
Anyways, I had fun playing through it on the PS5 and it is just as fun here on PC. I haven’t noticed any specific content changes, but I can report that the game itself runs much better. PS5 version was 1080p 60fps and here I am roughly half a year later playing the same game at 1440p 144 fps with no technical issues to speak of during my time testing it. Options-wise, you get resolution, a window/fullscreen toggle, and 3D scaling, texture quality, post-processing, and anti-aliasing sliders. Nothing too crazy, but definitely not bad, even if the game still looks like it came from a couple generations ago.
I also tested it on the Steam Deck and had no issues there either. In fact, this is probably a much better way to experience the game over the Switch version with its frame drops that reviews back during release mentioned. The PC version is optimized well and has some surprisingly solid keyboard and mouse controls on top of that.
Like, I still prefer a controller for a game like this, but I would have no problem using keyboard and mouse, it’s intuitive and works much better than some of the other JRPG ports we have been getting. Granted, it could still use some improvement by way of mouse input in menus.
So yes, The Caligula Effect 2 was a good pickup on PlayStation and now an even better pickup on PC. While a bit iffy in some areas, the game itself is pretty fun, with a cool combat system and a story that actually has some decent writing in spite of its edgy bits. The PC version runs just fine and has some serviceable keyboard and mouse controls on top of that. An all-around good recommendation for JRPG fans.
The Caligula Effect 2 retails for $50 USD on Steam. It is also available on PS4 and Switch.
I was provided a review copy of the game in order to write this review. Read more about how I do my game reviews here.
cublikefoot 