Genre: Adventure Visual Novel
Developer: HuneX
Publisher: MangaGamer
Release Date: November 27th, 2024
Edited by AlexKnight2005
Steam Prison -Beyond the Steam- is an otome style visual novel from the developers at HuneX and published by MangaGamer. It is the sequel to Steam Prison, released five years ago. Unfortunately, I have not played the first game. However, the game includes a summary of events from the first game, so people will not need to play it to enjoy it. I wish for more visual novel series to do this, as some will find it daunting to play other entries first to enjoy a new game. Anyway, the game comes with two stories.
The first is the Cainabel story, which picks up two years after the end of the first game. It brings in two new characters with whom the heroine can end up engaged at the end of their respective routes. The second is A New Theory, which revolves around Sachsen, the hard-nosed leader of the Hounds, and is an alternate take on the original story. I will give as few spoilers as possible of both stories and give my thoughts on them both as the story, as much as the art, is the whole purpose of a visual novel and why we play them. There is also a minigame with chibis called Petit Prison. The minigame revolves around finding the differences between two pictures.
While the minigame was fun, it offered no unlocks or extra CGs. It just existed for something extra to do. In both stories, the romance routes felt very underwhelming. While they did make it so the character could end up married, it felt a lack of luster overall. Even the bonus episodes you can unlock felt this way. Now the stories, aside from the romance, are decent and enjoyable. Cainabel Story adds two romanceable routes in the two new characters, while New Theory only adds one. Between the two, you have over a dozen endings to unlock.
Cainabel Story finds Cyrus and her friends ending up in the desert city of Cainabel, where they meet one of the two kings, the new routes you can follow. They are two brothers, one younger and the other older, with vastly different personalities. One investigates their father’s death, the other focuses on securing the kingdom’s future. In New Theory, the game follows the previous game’s story with some changes. Instead of meeting Ines, Cyrus meets Sachsen on the story’s romance route and becomes involved with the HOUNDS.
The artwork and music choices were stellar. I especially loved the song from the opening; otherwise, the music was very pleasant to listen to. The character designs and background were genuinely remarkable to look at. However, with the lackluster romance and good story, more is needed to warrant the game’s price. I can only suggest that you consider buying the game if you find it on sale for 30 to 40% off.
Pros:
- Fully voiced
- It gives a summary of first-game events
- Fun minigame
Cons:
- Both stories seem short for the price
- Routes underwhelming
BoxCatHero gives Steam Prison -Beyond the Steam- a Drastik Measure of 6.8 out of 10.0 (68)
