The Caligula Effect: Overdose Reviews
The Caligula Effect: Overdose is still definitely a flawed, frustrating work. Its shortcomings are many, and might still be too intractable for some, but the refinements and additions have,for me at least, papered over the cracks just enough to make it worth putting up with. Patient and curious JRPG enthusiasts will find plenty to appreciate, if not necessarily love, if they try for a quick stay in Mobius.
The Caligula Effect: Overdose has great ideas that are often marred by uneven execution. But with its unique combat system, as well as exemplary music and illustrations, the negatives are outweighed by the positives.
If you can look past the many shortcomings of this imperfect game, then there's an experience here that contains some truly profound and meaningful messages. The unique take on traditional turn-based combat, the emotionally dark narrative, and the excellent musical soundtrack are the true rewards beneath poor dungeon design, an unimaginative causality link mechanic, and unclear objectives. The Caligula Effect: Overdose is a charming and worthwhile albeit niche JRPG as long as you go in with the correct expectations, given the game's low budget. Just know that this 2023 PS5 native port of the game adds absolutely nothing new to the 2019 PS4 version.
The lack of practical map can put you in a dead end. Initially, I wanted to give The Caligula Effect: Overdose a highter score because of an interesting combat system and nice graphics, but boring labyrinths, monotony side-quests and easy battles with ordinary opponents didn't let me do it.
Review in Russian | Read full review
The Caligula Effect: Overdose offers an RPG experience that pulls out a lot of great ideas but struggles to build upon dull storytelling and forgetful setpieces.
The Caligula Effect : Overdose is a decent RPG, with a lot of social link and an original combat system, but the exploration is poor and the global design is pretty weak and generic.
Review in French | Read full review
The Caligula Effect: Overdose is so saturated with bland content that the meaningful moments get buried. Attempts to perk things up with a new engine and extra content just end up on top of the pile instead of actually fixing anything.
In the end, there isn't much here that feels fully developed. While The Caligula Effect: Overdose has some interesting ideas, none of them really work. I suspect that after some time with The Go-Home Club, players will be longing to go home to the cozy comfort of a classic JRPG. Better to avoid this simulation from the start.
Overdose is certainly the strongest and most improved version of Caligula Effect out there, but I still have a hard time recommending it.
It's Persona, but not quite as good. In the end, I cant help but compare the two games. Its not going to replace Persona in your heart, but its a good sweetheart of a distraction in the meantime.
Despite being remade in a new engine in an attempt to adress its problems, The Caligula Effect: Overdose still fails to deliver a good experience
The Caligula Effect: Overdose is pretty much the same game, just with more content and fewer technical issues.
It may have its appeal to the public who, as a neophyte, look for an unpretentious JRPG, but overall The Caligula Effect: Overdose fails to do enough to stand out and be remembered.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The Caligula Effect Overdose is a mixed bag, a Japanese RPG filled with potentially awesome ideas and concepts that don't quite work or need fleshing out more.
The Caligula Effect: Overdose has a great combat system and an entertaining story, but poor visuals, a lack of meaningful choices, repetitive music, and a lackluster social system means this is a high school reunion you probably want to skip.
The Caligula Effect Overdose is plagued by strange design choices, poor performances and uninspired story and art direction, but is saved from a below-average mark by a good combat system.
Review in Italian | Read full review
The most irritating thing about Caligula Effect: Overdose is that in spite of me having been critical of it in my review, the fact that I did not enjoy it, or that I struggle to think of any positives, the game feels so middle-of-the-road that giving it any lower of a score would just feel unfair.
The Caligula Effect: Overdose is an okay RPG that will last you quite a while if you like the themes and concept presented. It certainly isn't the Persona-like game we were expecting so you may want to skip this if you were under the same impression as me.
It's worth giving The Caligula Effect: Overdose a chance to get into full bloom.
A competent if flawed JRPG that has a unique combat system undermined by poor localisation as well as just dull implementation. If you are after a Persona-like RPG you might get some enjoyment from this, but it's pretty generic fare.