Code: Realize ~Future Blessings~ Review: Slice of Life

 

Future Blessings is a "fan" disk"; basically additional scenarios and adventures with the cast from the main game. It is not a sequel per se, but you will want to have played Guardian of Rebirth first or the content in Future Blessings will not mean as much to you.
 

The main draw is a "White Rose" option that contains five "After Stories" - two to three hour long character arcs for each of the original cast members: Arsène Lupin, Abraham Van Helsing, Victor Frankenstein, Impey Barbicane, and Count Saint-Germain. They are self-contained stories that have no common route, choices or multiple endings, so they can be completed in any order. The stories all take place exactly one year after Guardian of Rebirth (the first game) and do a good job of further exploring the characters and their relationship with Cardia:

Arsène Lupin: His poker face makes it difficult to express to Cardia how he feels, and Cardia tries to unpack what her father Isaac means to her.

Lupin was too bland for my liking in the first game and still doesn't have much in the way of personality. I can understand people liking the every-man approach for "cannon" LI options but without any strong characteristics or conflict in his life the writers had very little to work with going forward, so Lupin's after-story ended up feeling artificial compared to the others. 

Abraham Van Helsing: Cardia and Helsing are both new to relationships and struggle to communicate effectively.

I get that the harsh Helsing was not to everyone's liking (which is great - variety is good), and him learning to open up is the natural course for his character development to take, but I wish they had eased into it more. He's like a totally different person now - super affectionate and bumbling. Cardia's sudden obsession with marriage was pretty pushy too and far from subtle. Although, I really liked how they handled Helsing's struggles with a relationship - how he showered Cardia with gifts not because she's a gold-digger or asked for them, but because he doesn't know how else to keep someone happy and doesn't understand the value of just spending time with someone.

Victor Frankenstein: He is confronted by Idea with a moral dilemma - to completely go against his nature (turn killer) for the sake of Cardia's well-being, or to keep to his morals and in the process risk Cardia's life.
 

Impey Barbicane: He bonds with Cardia over shared projects that may one day get them to the moon.

This is the only pairing with a relationship that is problem free. Instead the two work toward shared goals, play around, bond, and its pretty wholesome. Impey is one of the few to truly treat Cardia as his equal and actively involve her in his projects.
 

 

 Saint-Germain: He wants to free Cardia of her acid touch, but is afraid she will leave him (the only person who is not effected by acid) once she's normal and able to pursue other options.

I love that the writers dipped into possessiveness in a relationship with this one and explored the insecurities of the possessor. Instead of doubling down on his controlling behavior, Germain is forced to reprioritize when he realizes how badly he is jeopardizing Cardia's safety and pushing her away with his clinginess. Germain is never free of the desire to force Cardia into staying with him, but he learns to manage those feelings and not act on them. He starts putting more trust into Cardia.

There are three "Extra Stories" included; completely new character routes (not necessarily romantic) for Sherlock, Finis, and Shirley (new character). These side stories are set one year ago, during the events of Guardian of Rebirth, and are self-contained stories that can be completed in any order. There is no common route for them or multiple endings, but there are some choices. I really liked all three of these and could definitely see them as being an official part of the first game:
 
Shirley Gordon is the fun, female friend Cardia always needed and deserves. They have very complimentary personalities; Shirley being the rebellious daughter of a mob boss, a bit reckless and very animated, so Cardia has to reign her in or get dragged along. The two of them get the whole gang involved in a series of hijinks and a car chase with a tank. Everyone is given a new costume (including the dog) and a moment to shine in the spotlight. This is how you do a non-romantic side story; just some really fun stuff.

* Shirley Gordon's story is set sometime during the first game's common route, after the airship race but before the group goes to Isaac's laboratory.

Finis Beckford was one of my least favorite characters in Guardian of Rebirth. He spent his days obsessing over his father Isaac's plans, never living for anything more than what his father wanted for him. In his own route, Finis is able to grow past the need for Isaac's approval. By joining her brother Finis and Twilight, Cardia is able to offer Finis a sense of value and individuality that their father Isaac had never given either of them.

Finis's route was soo fulfilling that it should have been the true route of the first game. It redeems his character and wraps up the first game's main plot-line far better than any of the bachelor routes ever did. I personally think Cardia needed a brother far more than she needed a lover, and Finis certainly needed her.

* Finis is setup as an alternate story branch in the original game, taking place just after the eighth chapter when Cardia learns of her origins.

Herloch Sholmes was first introduced in Guardian of Rebirth as Lupin's arch-nemesis. Sholmes' route is similar to Van Helsing's in that it is more about himself than it is about Cardia, which kinda makes sense, because Cardia leaves Lupin's gang unannounced (for reasons) and is taken in by Sholmès and Watson. Two key villains from Van Helsing's route are even featured prominently within Sholmes' route. Everything eventually culminates in a Holmes vs. Moriarty showdown with all the danger and mind games you'd expect.

* Sholmes' story is setup as an alternate story branch in the original game, taking place just after the eighth chapter when Cardia learns of her origins.

For convenience there is a skip button that lets you fast-forward through text you have already read, making the common route much easier to play through a second time. The fast-forward option will stop automatically at new dialogue or choice options. If you happen to accidentally make a choice you don't like, a dialogue history menu allows you to rewind the game back to a specific point.

 

 

For extras you get the usual image gallery, BGM, and mini episodes with Delly (Delly’s Memory Trunk). New Delly's Room vignettes open up with every route completed for a total of eight parts. The snippets feature Cardia, Delly, and the dog Sisi as Delly adapts to his life with Cardia and company.

Story-wise, Future Blessings is not as grand as the first game but felt much more personal. If you're a fan of Guardian of Rebirth, then you won't be disappointed with the extras and after stories. The new characters were likable and the old ones were expanded upon wonderfully. 

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• Guardian of Rebirth: Literary Liberties