Gust is best known for its Atelier series of role-playing games, but one of its newer series gets the spotlight treatment in a new JRPG compilation. As the name suggests, Blue Reflection Quartet brings together four games in the Blue Reflection series, which includes a brand new, playable adaptation of an anime and an offline version of a mobile game on top of the two main releases. It’s a really cool release, and I love that the mobile game (Blue Reflection Sun) hasn’t been lost forever.
The original Blue Reflection has been updated, but it’s a remaster rather than a remake, and it does feel like a game nearly a decade old at this point. However, the new features, which include autosave, increased movement speed, updated character models, and better environmental textures, make it the definitive way to experience it. The combat system isn’t quite as fun as the sequel, but it has a great story and kicks off the series wonderfully.
The next chronological entry is Blue Reflection Ray, which adapts the anime of the same name. This unfolds through a series of cutscenes and memory fragments you can obtain. It’s fully exploration-based, so don’t expect any battles, but it’s really cool that they made a playable version of the story to ensure everyone can get its lore. There is some replayability as there are missable memories and trophies to grab for collecting them.
Much more in-depth is Blue Reflection Sun, which is a recreation of the mobile game’s story mode. It uses the combat system from Blue Reflection: Second Light, so it plays great and has been streamlined into 24 events. There are a lot of fun character designs, and it’s a neat spin-off entry to the series. Not really fully necessary to dive into, but the fact that Gust wanted to make sure this lived on forever is truly admirable.
The highlight of Quartet is the second main game in the franchise, which is 2021’s Second Light. This was a fantastic game upon release, and it is even better here with eight additional characters from Ray and Sun being added (also giving you a reason to check out those other games). It also features the same quality-of-life upgrades as the original game, plus the battle speed and the ability to fast-forward through events have been added (great if you are replaying). It’s a remaster done right in a collection that had a lot of effort put into it.
Blue Reflection Quartet (PS5) Review: Final Verdict
Blue Reflection Quartet is a fantastic way to jump into Gust’s underrated JRPG series. All four games are worth checking out, and the two new experiences are welcome additions that make this perfect for die-hard fans and newcomers alike. RPG lovers should definitely give it a chance.
- A compilation done right
- Blue Reflection Sun has been recreated
- Lots of quality of life upgrades
- Original game still looks a bit dated
- Ray is better as an anime
