Review: Time Princess - Saga of Viera Part 2

It's been over two years since I shared my review of Saga of Viera, the high fantasy visual novel from Time Princess. At the time, I was excited to see an enchanting fantasy story in the game but disappointed that none of the endings provided a resolution to the protagonist's plight. Since then, the Time Princess app has focused more on urban fantasy with stories that take place in darker worlds that focus on gruesome topics like murder mysteries in more realistic settings. I was beginning to lose hope that the game would ever return to its elegant historical and fantasy roots when out of the blue, they released the second part of this beloved relic. All long last, all of my gripes with Saga of Viera have been resolved, and I can celebrate it as one of the most engaging and aesthetically pleasing visual novels in the game.

In the second chapter of Saga of Viera, our heroine, Zoya, continues her journey right where it left off. She prays desperately for her life as the Sacred Tree is destroyed, seemingly sealing her fate that she will succumb to her family's curse of dying at the age of 25. Her journey to this unknown fate leads her back to the beautiful Elven Queen, who informs her that there may be a way to revive the tree if the last dragon can be found. Depending on the player's choices, Zoya embarks on a quest with either Reuel or Salvia from the first chapter, to recover a dragon egg. In both routes, she successfully finds the egg, and it hatches to reveal a baby dragon named Ray, who hides many secrets. After bonding with Ray, Zoya must make a difficult decision about whether breaking her own curse to save her life is worth sacrificing another in her place.

Salvia and Reuel remain the two primary love interests in this chapter. Since the developers of Time Princess are aware that most players have already maxed these characters out, they added Emilio as a third companion to provide an additional challenge to completing the story. Making Emilio a companion does not change anything about the plot. All it does is provide some extra work to complete the visual novel and the bonus treat of a fully animated model whenever his character has dialogue. I was extremely pleased with the additional character development for both Reuel and Salvia. After over two years, players can finally learn why Reuel does not have pointed ears despite presenting himself as a high elf. Plus, he finally has a satisfying romance route. Salvia is much nicer than she was in the first part of the game, making her an alternate option for a queer romance.

The first part of Saga of Viera provided beautiful fantasy and religious garb with long flowing robes and golden accents. The new chapter contributes three additional new outfits to collect. While none of them are nearly as stunning as the ones that were already part of the story, they do provide something new for players who already completed this story two years ago. One is a lacy white dress that matches Reuel's graceful elegance. Another is a majestic black robe that is as cunning and mysterious as Salvia. The third is a simple green adventure dress, which is reminiscent of Emilio design, providing a nice tribute to the newest companion. Though the new outfits were a nice touch, I still prefer the ones I collected from the first portion of the visual novel.

The long-awaited second chapter of Saga of Viera has blissfully reunited players with the enchanting fantasy visual novel they fell in love with. From the moment Zoya continues her journey, the narrative captivates with intriguing choices and unexpected turns. With the introduction of a potential resolution to her family's curse and the addition of Emilio as a companion, the game cleverly adds fresh challenges and character dynamics. Though the new outfits may not surpass the beauty of the previous ones, they still add excitement for those revisiting the story. All in all, this long-awaited installment stands tall as an exquisitely crafted visual novel, finally delivering the resolution and aesthetic pleasure fans have eagerly yearned for.