*Note: I received a free game code for the Nintendo Switch for my honest review of the game. This game is also done by Toge Productions who also created my favorite indie game this year, A Space for the Unbound.
If you ever played the first Coffee Talk game, you know a bit of what to expect in Coffee Talk Episode 2. In the first game, the story was set in an alternate Seattle where vampires, elves, and werewolves and various other fantasy creatures were a normal sight to see as they lived among the humans. You played as an unnamed barista at a late night shop called Coffee Talk who made their drinks and chatted with them while giving them advice here and there. The sequel brings you back to Seattle in that same coffee shop a few years after the first game.
The game plays over a series of days. Each evening you get your newspaper delivered with various headlines and then hear the door chime as a customer walks in. Coffee Talk Episode 2 is a visual novel like the first game and you will see some familiar characters from the first one as well. There are some new characters too and right from the start, the artwork is beautiful and charming drawing you into the cozy vibes of the story.
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| Lucas the satyr enjoys a cup of coffee. |
You can chat with the customers and they will order drinks. Sometimes they will tell you directly what they want such as coffee with honey in it. Other times, they will give a description with hints about what kind of drink they're looking for. It's up to you to figure it out as you brew the drinks and the artwork for making the drinks is lovely. There's no pressure as you make drinks, but when you get it right there's a nice conversation with them as they enjoy that first sip.
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| Brewing tea for our vampire friend. |
There are new tea blends that add gorgeous pops of color to the drinks. The artwork for the drinks themselves are wonderful adding the right touch of whimsy and that invitation to enjoy a warm comforting drink on a rainy night. As you discover each new recipe, they're added to your recipe book. There is also an endless option for the game where you can just brew drinks nonstop and discover some new drink recipes that way which is a fun way to experiment with creating drinks.
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| A lovely tea. |
The atmosphere in the game is very relaxed with chill lo-fi beats as the background music while the story takes place entirely in the cafe. Each character has their own little mini story as they chat with you and a couple of them connect a few of them together. Seeing familiar faces made me really happy, but it was great to meet the new characters. Their stories were interesting and I found myself invested in all of it because of the great writing that made me genuinely care about all of them.
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| Supernatural and human customers come to the cafe. |
There is an added mini game in the second game where a customer leaves something behind or they give you something to give to another. It adds a nice layer to the nuance of the interactions with the game. I liked the fact that all of the characters feel comfortable with your barista as they chat about things they're thinking about or just sharing how they're feeling. Brewing drinks for them is a nice element to those interactions. It was interesting to see how each person's stories played out and it was lovely to see familiar faces from the previous game.
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| Having a chat with a mermaid and an orc. |
Coffee Talk Episode 2 isn't a very long game, I finished it in a few hours. It doesn't really change much from the first game, but it still has all of the charm and warmth that felt like hanging out with a wonderful friend you haven't seen in a while. The artwork, the music, the stories, and the whole vibe is perfect creating an enjoyable experience.
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| The perfect drink for the game! |
*Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly is available to play on the following platforms: Steam, Nintendo Switch, Playstation 5, Playstation 4, and Xbox Cloud Gaming
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