The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart 2

Developer: TOKYOTOON | Publisher: TOKYOTOON, Fruitbat Factory | Release Date: 2019 | Genre: Casual / Adventure / Visual Novel | Website: N/A | Purchase: Steam

Nora Handa, the young man who found himself half-feline after an encounter with a princess from the Netherworld, is back in The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart 2. Life has been pretty eventful for Nora after his adventures in the first game, but as this game opens, we discover he is still stuck with his cat curse. Whenever a girl kisses Nora, he changes between human and feline form, which is a bit inconvenient, to say the least. This sequel takes place after the first game’s events but shines the spotlight on a brand new character and a few girls who played background roles in the prequel. However, all the characters from the original game are back as well, even though most of them take a backseat to make way for the new heroines.

For players unfamiliar with The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart, it is a visual novel in the coastal town of Sakuragabuchi, where the protagonist, Nora Handa, is a student. Nora was turned into a familiar after encountering a princess of the Netherworld and ended up with the princess as well as her two sisters pretty much taking over his house. This sequel takes place in the summertime and introduces a brand new character, Iris December Uncry. Iris is a princess of the cold and forgotten kingdom of Uncry. It is a place of eternal winter that nobody remembers due to a curse, and Iris is on a mission to change things around. Accompanying her is Noel the Next Season, her loyal servant who only communicates through pre-recorded words from a tape recorder. It doesn’t take long for Nora to become involved with these two and the sparks begin to fly. To make matters more complicated, Iris bears a grudge against the Netherworld sisters, as their family played a role in the curse of Uncry.

The story of Iris is just one of the paths in The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart 2. Players can also pick to become romantically involved with Nobuchina, the fierce daughter of a Yakuza family, Lucia, the oldest of the Netherworld sisters, and Euracia, the youngest of the Netherworld sisters. However, these paths are based on a decision made early in the game, and afterward, there are no more choices that can be made to influence the story in any way. Just like the original game, the stories in The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart 2 are goofy, charming, heartwarming, and laugh-out-loud funny at times. Nora has never been the brightest protagonist, and in this game, it feels like his feline side is taking over even more, frequently getting him in trouble with the girls. Unfortunately, as much as we enjoyed the different stories, this game has also been censored like the first. This means no nudity or sex scenes, which have all been ripped out. It also means that, just like the first game, it can make the story feel a bit confusing at times as you are never sure if Nora and one of the heroines ended up sleeping together or not.

Completing the main stories opens up a few extra stories for the heroines from the first game. These are obviously much shorter than the primary stories, but it’s nice to spend time with Patricia, Michi, Shachi, and Yuuki again. Even Iris and Noel have additional stories that are unlocked. Along with these, the game features a ton of “Mewsings,” which are short, humorous scenes featuring all kinds of wacky scenarios. In total, it took us close to 30 hours to complete all the different stories in the game and unlock all the achievements, which is similar to our playtime with the original game.

Visually, The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart look as good as the first game, which is no surprise as it re-uses many of the character sprites and backgrounds. There are plenty of new CGs, though, as well as some new locations. We were quite impressed by the number of sprites the game features, even for characters or creatures that only pop up once or twice. One of the routes even features an amusing driving section presented in full 3D. It’s optional, though, so you can just sit back and watch it unfold while listening to the music and the characters talking.

A lot of effort has gone into the audio, with a ton of music tracks and full Japanese voice acting for all the characters. The sound effects are all really good, along with a few that are intentionally bad for the sake of humor. The interface for the game is the same as the first, but considering how good it is, there’s not much that could really be changed. You can still adjust individual voice levels, pick the font and language for the subtitles, change the cursor, and much more. All the CGs, music tracks, Mewsings, and extra stories are also neatly kept in their own menus for you to peruse.

The censorship will obviously be a big issue for many players, but overall, we really enjoyed the game. It would have been better if players had been given the option to restore the cut content or at least censor it in a way that doesn’t make the story feel as disjointed, though. For the rest, the game still features plenty of fan service with swimsuits and skimpy outfits.

The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart 2 is one of those games where the overall stories are not that impressive, but the individual scenes and jokes keep things interesting throughout. It can sometimes feel a little random, but that’s part of the appeal. If you are a fan of the genre and can live with all adult content removed from the game, then you’ll have fun with The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart 2. Even if you are unsure, a demo is available on Steam to try out.