Games worth discovering

Chill out, chat, and brew some coffee in this relaxing conversation sim - Coffee Talk 2 Quick Review

1K View2023-04-19

PLAY IT OR SKIP IT?

Play it, especially if you’re a fan of cozy games. Coffee Talk Episode 2: Hibiscus & Butterfly is a sweet, slow-paced game that never feels stressful. It has plenty of coffee brewing, but the game’s main focus is on heart-to-heart conversations. There are some returning faces from the first Coffee Talk, but you don’t have to play the original to enjoy the sequel. It’s a game anyone can enjoy, whether they’re an experienced barista or a novice coffee brewer.

TIME PLAYED

I spent around nine hours with Coffee Talk 2, which was enough time to complete the main story and mess around in the game’s endless mode, which let me brew beverages to my heart’s content. It’s several hours longer than the original game, which I appreciate. The main storyline feels pretty substantial, and endless mode should keep me busy for quite a while.

WHAT’S AWESOME

• Great cast. Coffee Talk 2 is set in a version of Seattle that’s populated by fantasy creatures. Even though your customers include giants and banshees, they feel like real people with genuine problems. My favorite new character was Lucas, a satyr and social media influencer who wants to use his reach to help other supernatural beings. Not only do customers stop by repeatedly, but I could follow everyone on in-game social media, which made it easier to get to know the characters.

• Relaxing gameplay. Even though I couldn’t drink the warm beverages I brewed up in Coffee Talk 2, playing through the game was extremely comforting. After a few hours, a visit from a regular customer felt like seeing an old friend. The drink-making mechanics are simple, and there’s never any time pressure to worry about. Instead of stressing about serving customers, I could chill out and catch up with the creatures that stopped by the shop.

• Amazing visuals. The ‘90s-inspired pixel art looks absolutely fantastic, but it’s the background details that really bring Coffee Talk 2’s world to life. I loved seeing people walk by or watching rain fall through the coffee shop’s windows. Even the drinks I brewed looked amazing. The in-game recipes aren’t super detailed, but I’d still love to try making some of these drinks for myself at home!

• Branching storylines. Coffee Talk 2 doesn’t let you make a ton of path-altering choices, but your decisions still have an impact on the story. For example, one of my regulars asked me to pass on his contact information to another customer. Later on, I saw them meet up for coffee in my shop. Details like this made me feel genuinely connected to my customers. I’m excited to see where the story goes when I make different decisions during my next playthrough.

WHAT SUCKS

• Coffee Talk 2 gives you the option of adding latte art to drinks before you serve them to customers. No matter how hard I tried, I wasn’t able to make an appealing-looking beverage. The controls are fine, so this is definitely a skill issue, but I still wish I could figure out how to make my drinks look nice!

• Unclear orders. Some customers are clear about what they want, but others are incredibly vague. Sometimes, what you make varies based on the order in which you use ingredients, which meant I occasionally screwed up beverages even when I followed instructions to the letter. There’s no real penalty for failure, aside from some mild disappointment from your customers, but I still felt bad when I served the wrong drink. Thankfully, the confusing instructions only pop up in story mode; In endless mode, customers are generally pretty clear about what they want.

💬 Will you be brewing beverages in Coffee Talk 2, or will you be staying out of this coffee shop? Let us know in the comments!