It’s time for a return trip to New Sieg to hang out with aspiring journalist Teuta Bridges and her colorful found family in new high-stakes situations with otome visual novel Bustafellows Season 2! But does the second season reach the storied heights of the first? Stay tuned for the next episode!
Bustafellows Season 2 is unquestionably a true sequel in every sense rather than the shorter, epilogue-style fan discs otome fans have grown accustomed to in recent years. So much so that I was surprised by the sheer amount of content the game throws at you. Suppose you’re someone who likes seeing your VNs through to completion. In that case, you’re looking at about a forty-five-or-so-hour playtime since you have to play through all of the character episodes to unlock the plot’s final portion, not even considering the many side story extra episodes that reveal themselves as you play. Bustafellows Season 2 is a time commitment, but the overall story and plot execution are worth it.
That isn’t to say that Bustafellows Season 2 is a flawless experience. While the plot is excellent and most of its colorful characters are pretty memorable, I admit that it takes a special type of person to fully enjoy this VN. To start, you shouldn’t overlook the fact that it’s a sequel. While one can technically play this game without having played its predecessor, I imagine some story beats and reveals hit harder if you have prior knowledge about events leading up to them.
The otome element might also be offputting to some because we’re already past the “Teuta picking a boyfriend” stage of the relationships. However, I appreciate the often-overlooked angle of Teuta and her love interests navigating already well-established romances, as it provides a realistic, emotional context not often seen in the genre. What’s more jarring to me about the romance angle is that you have to play through all the character episodes before unlocking the story’s final portion, which is bizarre for a sequel where returning players (like me) undoubtedly have their favorite character arcs already (like Shu or Mozu in my case). That isn’t to say any of the character episodes are weak or inadequate, as they all have great romance and plot moments throughout their lengthy runs. It’s just an odd storytelling approach.
At times, it also feels like the otome element takes a backseat to the crime drama, which could disappoint romance fans alongside those wanting more of the fascinating crime investigation procedural plotline the title presents without romantic distractions. Those disinclined toward the romance portions may be discouraged, as both romance and crime are both integral. Bustafellows Season 2 also doesn’t shy away from dangerous and triggering scenarios, either, which could also limit its target audience. While the game can feasibly appeal to both an otome audience and general VN fans looking for a good mystery, it primarily caters to the undoubtedly smaller crowd who enjoys both.
Still, while those weaknesses are apparent, I can readily overlook them because there are so many strengths in Bustafellows Season 2. The writing is high quality for both the romance and the criminal mystery drama. I appreciate the strong overall character focus in the narrative, amply displayed in how strong and determined a protagonist Teuta is and the memorable the cast of supporting characters. Their relationship dynamics together are engrossing and memorable. Bustafellows Season 2 feels like the second season of an episodic crime procedural that invests you in the plot, characters, and their interactions. Given the game’s obvious homage to investigative TV drama, that’s a massive compliment to its narrative execution.
You assume the role of Teuta when playing through episodes of Bustafellows Season 2, progressing along the story path until reaching a decision point. Some of these choices are simple binary decisions, while others are timed events where even choosing NOT to answer before the meter runs out can be a decision. You continue onward until you reach a branching endpoint based on previous choices. If an outcome isn’t the desired one, the game provides an impressively detailed story map alongside a jump skip option to utilize in replays to reach any decision points again quickly. The decisions aren’t clear-cut, so I ended up relying on these two gameplay features quite a bit.
I played the game on a docked Steam Deck with a controller and encountered no issues while watching for missing text or the like. I do admit that the default controller button layout took some getting used to compared to other VNs I’ve played, but I adapted eventually. The script’s localization is relatively sound, with only a few grammatical errors here and there in what is an extremely text-heavy and lengthy VN.
Visually, Bustafellows Season 2 is a vibrantly expressive game with some excellent character designs and art. I love how incredibly detailed all the artwork throughout was, and I enjoyed the effort that went into creating different CG illustration variations with the illusion of movement as scenes progressed. I did think that some of the character expressions in the CGs looked a little odd, but that was easy to overlook given the art’s overall high quality. The game places character sprites in different angles and positions to help scenes feel less static and adds spatial discrepancy as well.
Sound-wise, the music for Bustafellows Season 2 is impressive and very fitting for a given scene or particular locale. However, I did find the voiced ambient conversations distracting and too loud. I understand the concept of wanting to achieve that “lived-in city vibe” with characters having background dialogue. Still, the metropolis’s ambiance started competing for attention with the translated game script. I also give top kudos to the voice actors for bringing the characters and story to life, as the entire cast gives phenomenal and passionate performances. This title is another rare otome where the protagonist also has a voice actor, which helps further solidify Teuta as a standout character.
For this review, I was very vague on Bustafellows Season 2’s story because it’s such a pleasure to uncover, and I didn’t want to spoil it unintentionally. Suffice it to say, this game is a solid otome VN experience if you’re the right audience! Those who couldn’t get enough of the first Bustafellows will surely find something to enjoy here, and those who enjoy mystery crime dramas and romance should take a closer look. I certainly wouldn’t mind a possible third season in the future or even a localization announcement for the Nintendo Switch port of its connected Side Kicks! game. More of this story-verse would undoubtedly be a plus. Like the citizens of New Sieg, we can only stay tuned to find out what could be in the works!
