Return to Paradise Heights
 
Publisher: Otaku
Cost: $34.95 US
Technical: Minimal.
Graphics: Good.
Music/Sound: Lousy. Voiceovers.
NPCs: Thin, barely believable.
Writing: Extremely MiSTable.
Plot: Fair.
Interface: Atrocious.
Sex: Ineffective.
Kinkyness: Mostly vanilla, some "heavy" S/M.
In Short: Improves considerably on the original, but still plays like a 
porno.
 
The original Paradise Heights was one of only two games that I felt 
justified in ranting about in my review. The sequel didn't have the same 
effect on me, but it's not on my recommended list either.
 
A few years have passed since the first Paradise Heights game concluded, 
and, to some extent, reality has set in. Misa has gone off to college, 
and she and Keigo have drifted apart. Keigo's uncle has suffered a 
decline in business, forcing him to cut loose most of his harem. As such, 
Paradise Heights has become just another Tokyo apartment complex. Kayo 
and Ayako are the only faces you'll recognize. (Kayo has assumed the role 
of Keigo's close friend and confidant.) Keigo still lives there, and has 
found a job at a toy company. Honest job, honest pay, no problems, right? 
Wrong. Someone is stealing trade secrets from Keigo's company, and the 
plot will lead Keigo will go through numerous sex scenes before the 
mystery unravels almost by accident, leading to a so-sweet-you'll-vomit 
ending.
 
Damn. Two paragraphs, and I've not only revealed spoilers, but slipped 
back into rant mode.
 
Foster gets an A for effort (Well, a B+ at least), because Paradise 
Heights 2 is a substantial improvement on the original. The graphics are 
much better- much less grainy, and no more monochrome backgrounds. Plus 
the action is not confined to just the Paradise Heights apartment 
complex. The plot is also much better developed and integrated with the 
sex, although it still feels tacked-on at times. 
 
Unfortunately, they haven't improved enough. Several of the original's 
flaws are still there. The writing tries to be good, but is ultimately 
cheesy and stupid. (So cheesy that I plan to do a full-acale MiSTing of 
the game, in text form. Anyone have riff suggestions?) The Plot is still 
ultra-linear, the interface still ornamental. Characterization is still 
subpar, though it doesn't reach the levels of thinness in the original. 
The game just isn't fun to play.
 
While a substantial improvement over the original, Return to Paradise 
Heights still suffers the same basic flaws. To say more then that would 
be redundant.
 
      -Craxton <craxton@erols.com>