Not that long ago, every spare moment I had was spent playing Collar x Malice. There was this insistent need to go through every scenario and unlock all the endings. Once that goal was achieved, I felt sad. I needed more time with my favorite work husbands. Thankfully the Collar x Malice Unlimited fandisc was right around the corner to lift my spirits.
Playing through the brand new Interlude is the first step in enjoying your post X-Day life with the various beaus in Ichika’s life. And let’s face facts: the After Stories with Yanagi, Enomoto, and the gang are 95% of the reason why you bought this game. Going on dates, spending quality nights in, and talking about the future is just what every hard-working woman needs at the end of the day. Who doesn’t want to talk about these things while awkwardly snuggled up with a very attractive man next to them?
Otome games thrive on replayability. Every choice made in Collar x Malice Unlimited is the difference between a good ending and the best possible ending. My first choices for Enomoto unlocked that best ending, whereas it took two runs (and logging my choices) to finish my conquest of Yanagi. Some paths were more rewarding than others. Shiraishi’s path may not be my favorite, but it was the most rewarding and true to his character.
Every so often, completing an After Story would unlock a new experience for me. These new Side Stories were a welcome addition. I particularly loved Kazuki’s story. He was the one character from the original I wanted to know more about, and this “sequel” delivered. Yoshinari’s tale was cute, too. It felt more aligned with the overall story when compared to Minegishi’s, which was sort of shoehorned in. I’m sure there are some out there who ship that romance, it just isn’t for me.
On the flip side of all those happier narratives come the Adonis chapters. Exploring the “what if” scenario looks at Ichika Hoshino joining Adonis. These events aren’t my favorite part of the game, but do offer insight regarding characters we interacted with in the original. These chapters encourage several plays more so than the After Stories, since there are more scenes to experience than can be seen in a single run. Of the nine characters to investigate, it was only possible to view every interaction for three of them.
This fandisc is the perfect way to wrap up Otomate’s Collar x Malice saga. The After Stories and Side Stories alone sold me on the purchase. And honestly, any excuse to spend more time with characters I’ve grown attached to is a good one. Fans of the original game will not want to pass this up.
You can pick up Collar x Malice Unlimited when it comes to the Nintendo Switch on August 13, 2020.
