👑Idle Calibur：Zero💕（选王之剑：零）

I really wanted to avoid giving this game a negative review, but it's hard to recommend in it's current state.

- A lot of things just have no information whatsoever. So you don't understand what the point of many things are. This is not an issue with the game being complicated, but rather an issue of information transparency.

- It's very laggy for a 2D game, and heavy on system resources. I get around 20% CPU usage, and 2gb ram used with ALL the performance tweaks suggested by the developer and having the game minimized. So the "idle" function of the game is no better than having a bit miner running in the background. Dev says he is trying to fix this but said it's hard cause of the game engine he's using. I didn't get what he meant until I looked at the game files, it's a Gamemaker MZ game, which is basically an incredibly bloated and heavy game engine that runs in packaged browser. His hands actually are quite tied here.

- First game is just better. More coherent and cohesive UI and graphics. Systems made more sense and were more enjoyable. The gatcha was better (characters actually had rarity, and had a point to them outside of just how they look). Most importantly the combat was way more fun to watch in Auto (first game was real time top down action). The army system was actually quite good. The skill system was nice, etc.

- This game just takes the first game, has a slightly better translation, better tutorial, makes it more polished/modern looking, adds a story, and adds a bunch of effects but at the expense of the above issues. Which is really unfortunate. Depending on what things you value here, this game can be considered a sidegrade at most.

- The character art is way better in this one. So if the waifu collecting/dating sim mechanics were what you valued most you might like this game more.

I loved the first game so I was really looking forward to this one, but all this game did was want to go back and play the first one. There is workshop, but it isnt real mod support since you have to go into the game files copy and paste the workshop files over still. First game was also like this. I personally don't mind this, the bigger issue is the lack of an English community and mods. First game ahd the same issue. Dev talks a lot about the changes being due to moving to newer technologies, I think he should have just stuck to the old stuff in that case. The first game was really good, just needed some polish and extra content.

Mr. Atara said it best with his review which i'll put here: https://steamcommunity.com/id/atara1/recommended/2919560/

TLDR: if you go into this game expecting the first one you are going to be disappointed.

The first Idle Caliber was a hidden gem—rough around the edges, but ultimately rewarding once you took the time to understand its mechanics. While it wasn't immediately clear what was going on when I first played, once I familiarized myself with the system, everything clicked, and the hours melted away.
Unfortunately, this isn't the case with Idle Caliber Zero.

One of my biggest issues is the user interface. It's a more modern, soulless design with plenty of sharp edges that feels like it was made exclusively to break free of any RPG-maker assets. On top of that, it frequently fails to function properly, especially in the main menu, which undermines the user experience. (To elaborate, i think certain menu options are bound to left and right click and i found myself constantly trying to close the different widgets before being able to navigate away)

The combat system has lost all of its originality. What was previously a chaotic auto-battler with no upper limit is now the same generic, soulless, turn-based RPG combat system featured in every dime-a-dozen RPG under the sun.

Another problem is the unnecessary tabletop RPG mechanics—such as dice rolls, saving throws, and success/failure checks—that complicate gameplay rather than enhance it. There's a way to implement this, I just don't think it has any synergy with what you have on the table already.

The inclusion of dating sim elements also feels forced and underdeveloped. The character "chats" appear to be AI generated using a server that was cobbled together. The kissing option is extremely unsettling, and the option to "sleep with" certain characters is disappointing—essentially just a single, sfw CG image paired with some brief dialogue. Despite some passable character designs, I simply don't feel any connection to these characters.

Then there's the day-one DLC, which is self explanatory. It consists of character wallpapers for the main menu. These are literally just paywalled wallpapers ripped from Wallpaper Engine. While the art is fine, it adds no real value to the game, and paying for it feels like a cash grab—which is overall just plain disappointing.

One of the features of the first idle caliber game that was praised by reviewers was the gacha system. Although it hasn't been removed, it has been completely reworked and it is no longer satisfying to roll for new characters. For each roll you get to select between 3 characters or the ability to re-roll which doesn't feel rewarding at all.

In fact, much of the game gives off the impression that it’s AI-generated—especially the scenic backgrounds, which can feel almost uncanny, as if the AI wasn't quite sure how fast a windmill should be spinning.

All in all, Idle Caliber Zero is a step backward from its predecessor. The game's design choices, frustrating mechanics, and lackluster content leave a lot to be desired.

Looking for anime-based games? Check out our Steam curator!

[Kawaii/RPG] A wonderful combination of TRPG/VN/Dating sim in a fantasy worldview. Various cute girls of stunning anime artwork w/nice animations, profound turn-based combat.

[RPG] TRPGや恋愛シム等の融合的なゲーム性で、独特のプレイ感がある。とっつきにくくはあるが慣れると楽しめるだろう。女の子の絵は非常に可愛く、ものによってはアニメーションもする。