Part visual novel, part RPG, Loop8: Summer of the Gods is an interesting idea, but unfortunately a bit of a rut. It all starts well enough with the game’s protagonist, Nini, moving into a small town that is one of the few safe havens left on the planet. Mankind was driven to the brink of extinction by the constantly invading underworld creatures “Kegai”.
The atmosphere is surprisingly relaxed despite the imminent destruction looming over everyone. Instead of worrying about the end of the world, Nini plans to spend her days going to class and hanging out with her friends.But things don’t last long. Approximately every five days, an injured guy slips through the barrier surrounding the city and possesses someone. Nini’s Unique Demon Using his sight abilities, he must travel through the underworld and confront the demons.
You can even bring two friends along to help you fight. In this case, it is convenient to hang out. You don’t level up by fighting, but by getting to know the characters, they become stronger. This boosts your stats and unlocks new abilities that you can use during simple turn-based combat.
Nini can only be controlled during battle. Other characters make their own decisions based on their bond with you. Combat can get a little tedious as allies don’t always make the wisest choices. And even if your friends are killed, they won’t come back until the next time loop. This is why spending time with two or more of your favorite girlfriends is very important. Perhaps some of them won’t survive the summer.
When Nini dies, the gods will reset the world and start over at the beginning of August. However, the God-given blessings are still in effect, so we’re not starting completely from scratch. This gives you a little head start on your stats and allows you to get stronger with each loop.
A good time loop mechanism should provide enough variety to avoid repetition. Unfortunately, this is where Loop8 fails. You end up repeating the same conversation, but it’s not interesting enough to be worth it. It also doesn’t help that there are few enemy types and that most of the underworld is just towns with different color palettes. It’s frustrating to realize you’re not strong enough to beat the next boss yet and have no choice but to repeat the last few weeks.
