Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly is the second installment of the much-loved coffee brewing and heart-to-heart talking simulator, Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly. Dust off your coffee machine and put on your best expression to greet your customers.
The original Coffee Talk was my favorite game of 2020. I included it on KendaJaya’s list of the best titles of that year as a result of my effusive praise.
A sequel was announced in 2021, but its release has taken longer than fans would have liked due to sentimental considerations on the part of Toge Productions. Nevertheless, Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly is now available, and much like arranging a meet-up at a coffee shop, it is a welcome opportunity to catch up with old acquaintances and even make new ones.
Seattle, arguably the birthplace of social coffee in a public environment, is visited once more. Once again, the lives of humans, werewolves, vampires, barbarians, elves, and succubi are intertwined. This time, they are joined by Lucas, a satyr content creator who is one of those trendy social media stars, and Riona, a banshee struggling with an identity crisis while pursuing her ambition of becoming an opera singer.
Watch Gameplay of Coffee talk episode 2 hibiscus butterfly on YouTube below:
But the characters from the first game also return, as this is a sequel and not a jumping-on point for newcomers. For returning players, Episode 2 should make sense if you completed the character arcs in the first game with the greatest outcomes. For those who have not yet played the first game, spoilers are forthcoming.
Freya is currently on a book tour, so she is not featured in Episode 2. Instead, characters such as Lua and Baileys are granted additional time to plan their wedding. In addition to Gala, Hyde, and Officer Jorji, the new characters Lucas and Riona are given ample screen time. Characters such as Rachel, who is currently collaborating with Aremy Jendrew on a composition, and Myrtle, Aqua, and Neil (now known as Silver) are less common, but their stories require less time to resolve.
This time around, the storylines feel significantly more personal to the characters than applicable to real-world situations. I mean that the first Coffee Talk was not unwilling to broach sensitive topics such as racism, plastic consumption, overpopulation, and others. In Episode 2, however, these controversial topics are largely absent. The primary topics include constantly arguing while planning a wedding, which I can relate to completely, and a new direction for a content creators’ channel, which I have no experience with. Neither of these, however, lingers in my mind after the game has ended.
The writing of every character is flawless. Even in a visual novel, the characters’ personalities shine through. In contrast to the first game, however, the narrative is hampered by the meandering nature of the conversational topics and the absence of significant plot points.
Again, you can change the course of these tales. Not by using a conversation tree, but by being an excellent barista. Or a negative one if you choose that path. Coffee Talk maintains its identity as a visual novel combined with a low-key barista simulator. And when a consumer requests a drink, it is your responsibility to prepare the appropriate one. Or not.
Slight enhancements have been made by allowing you to keep your drinks menu open while you prepare the correct drink this time. However, there is still a great deal of guesswork, as consumers are not always forthcoming with their drink preferences. They would rather give you nearly cryptic hints as to what they want, then criticize you if you don’t get it precisely right.
The Hibiscus and Butterfly from the game’s title are your new cocktail bases. They permit the creation of colorful concoctions without revising what made the original game so captivating.
Choices in beverages are what lead to the desired conclusions. Coffee Talk Episode 2 has a much broader selection of achievements and endings to pursue, giving you the option of obtaining the finest ending for a character arc or even ensuring that a customer never returns. Additionally, each resolution has multiple conclusions, an increase from the previous iteration.
In Episode 2, an item drawer has been added for situations where you must send over items when serving drinks. Again, it is not always clear which item is required, and this additional mechanic is underutilized.
This is due to the fact that it is the only truly novel feature in Episode 2; everything else feels like an expansion of the first game. Endless mode returns, in which you make drinks for patrons without engaging in conversation, and there is a gallery of unlocked artwork. Tomodachill, Coffee Talk’s social media app, has been updated to include what are essentially tweets from the coffee shop’s customers, but these tweets also vanish each day.
A lack of significant new features is, on the one hand, an asset for Coffee Talk Episode 2. The simplicity and laid-back nature of the original game, which so many players adored, returns. On the other hand, it leaves us desiring a sequel to provide a bit more.
The first game’s soundtrack, composed by Andrew Jeremy, also known in-game as Aremy Jendrew, was a distinctive feature. Honestly, it was one of the greatest soundtracks of all time, so any successor will have a difficult task. The return of lo-fi noises in Episode 2 does not reach the heights of the first game’s soundtrack. However, I am certain that when it arrives on Spotify, vinyl, and other formats, I will be first in line.
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly is unfortunately inferior to its antecedent. It lacks the visceral impact of the original game, which left a lasting impression after completion. This reunion of old friends and acquaintances lacks the same spark as the original game, despite the fact that there are still some very poignant moments towards the end, depending on how you choose to play it, and additional endings are welcome.
Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly: Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly is the second installment of the much-loved coffee brewing and heart-to-heart talking simulator, Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly. Dust off your coffee machine and put on your best expression to greet your customers. – kendajaya