Thursday Short: My Thoughts on Season 2 of Star-Crossed Myth

So, if you’ve been around this blog for a bit now, you’ll know that earlier in the year we did a week’s piece categorically playing the visual novel game by Voltage, Star-Crossed Myth. A few months ago, the release of season 2 of the characters was announced and then made available to read. A couple days ago, Leon, the canon-route for the game, had his season 2 announced. Aptly named “A Promise of Infinity”, I also can’t resist any new story with one of my favourite characters from this game, so I downloaded and bought it. 

That said, I thought I’d jot down my thoughts on one of my favourite route’s season 2 story. That also said, this story had it’s debut a good while back, so, there are some spoilers in this post. 

Firstly, it is impossible to find walkthroughs for many of the season 2 routes (which sucks for me because I hate winging it). But the premise of Leon’s story is that he has a new mark in his eyes, and a Rift has opened up in the Heavens, named Heaven’s Rift. 

But I have to admit when I first finished this story, all I could think of was that the “Heaven’s Rift” was more indecisive than the Katy Perry song “Hot N’ Cold”. First, it’s like you can’t do this, but wait now you can! I will refrain from going into detail about really anything just because this is a dump of thoughts and the story is still fairly new. 

I fear that Voltage is announcing the end of the Star-Crossed Myth series to focus on other ventures, despite this game being one of the fans favourites (from my perspective). So, in a nutshell, a new mark appears on Leon, and this time it means bad news. He’s going to become the next-most-powerful god in the Heavens (i.e. the King), and now he must abandon love to be an impartial deity. The MC’s life is once again threatened, all the zodiac gods…well, I guess mind-slaves to the King? 

Basically, this is turning out to be the Infinity War of Star-Crossed Myth. Ironically, I’m just realizing the series is A Promise of Infinity. Everything bad that can happen does, and beloved characters are suddenly just gone. I just wanna point out Infinity War just about fucking destroyed me, so initially, I was nervous to see this happen. 

So much for not spoiling! So basically, shit hits the fan quite suddenly, and Leon is struggling to keep what he has left (you) safe in your apartment. That’s mainly the main setting of the story, and it circles back to the original opening art for the standalone app, where users would see Leon in mid-air with the MC. My main concern throughout this route was: he’s going to get you, he’s going to get you, GODDAMMIT LEON THIS ISN’T GOING TO WORK. 

Also known as, the King (who I will always call Legolas) will, of course, kick your ass. And he does. Very easily in fact. 

Yes. Our boy Legolasssss.

WHY? Well, MC apparently doubts her relationship. After all this fucking shit, NOW we doubt our relationship with Leon? I am not on board with this. Where’s Karno Leon, we should go save him! 

I will not spoil this part, as it’s integral to the story, however, this doubt leads to downfall where Leon (gasps) nearly loses the MC and is forced to take the position of Kingship. To do so, however, he must (as I’ve said) give up his love, and he does so in a beautiful way. He gives MC the stars in his one eye to save her. Evidently, these will contain all his “love” to the MC.

Don’t ask why it just is. I feel like we’re taking one step forward and two steps back. I felt like this dilemma was very forced because, first, to be a good god, you need to know the love which Leon eventually learns. It’s the arc of his story in season 1. Most gods in the Heavens (as seen in other sequel stories) don’t. They act superior, stuck-up and conceited. Hell, the goddamn current King (in some routes, I’m looking at you Scorpio), acts that way. 

To actually experience love is the only way to be able to give it back to the universe. So to have Leon “forget”, or turn his back, well, it just seems like his story became moot, and illogical objectively speaking. The original pre-MC Leon hated humans and thought they were scum, and that’s the Leon the King wants back. On a throne. With unspeakable powers. 

Let that sink in for a moment. Again this is just like Infinity War! A character who sits on a throne finally gets off the throne, and then shit happens. 

Conspiracy? I think yes!

So, MC wakes up in a hospital, and her family is surrounding her. One of the good moments in this story (albeit random as hell), was Leon getting to meet and spend time with the MC’s mother. It was sweet and kinda funny, so I have no complaints. But now she wakes up and she cannot remember Leon. She’s miraculously survived a horrific encounter and can now go home.

But something is still afoot Sherlock! 

MC begins throwing up, and weird things begin happening to her. She goes onto her balcony, just like the first prologue and wishes for something fantastic to happen, and suddenly, the zodiac gods appear saying that Leon’s “just like he used to be”, and that if she doesn’t come with them, he’ll never be the same. 

Oh, and she’s carrying “the love”. It was phrased oddly here, and I can’t remember the exact phrase, but I was just thinking “oh girl’s knocked up”. That’s the route we’re gonna take. So, MC is transported to the Heaven’s, very confused because well she can’t remember Leon right now, but as soon as she sees him, things are slowly clarified. 

Saving you. Because story! (I feel like this story could've used some Deadpool style fourth wall breaking). 

This is where it gets a little confusing, but because MC is carrying Leon’s heir, the “love”, this makes his love and relationship with MC mandatory, and Heaven’s Rift blesses their union. I won’t go into detail, but even if I could, I don’t think I could explain it…well. It was rushed, and hard to follow, but my reaction to it was “okay, I guess this works”. Deus ex Machina though, if you ask me. 

But! My favourite scene ever follows, which is the eleven gods spending quality time with MC, and Partheno trying to find her the right dress. This is the stuff I want, and need from these games. More just dumb nothingness, no plot-points, no real story. Just my favourite characters having a good time. But what are they preparing her for you may ask? 

Step aside Royal Family, the wedding I actually WANTED to watch. 

Leon and MC’s wedding. That and the cutest thing ever is seeing like all the gods freaking out over MC and how she’s doing while pregnant. Ichthys playing jokes to make MC laugh is the stuff dreams are made of. The ending was lovely, with the wedding, and I have to wonder if this makes MC queen of the Heavens, since now that Leon has a Kingly mark, and MC has one of Leon’s eyes, she has the lifespan of a goddess. 

As for the technical components? All in all the art was fantastic, and the story in some points really clever and endearing, but mostly? It felt rushed.

More aptly, it felt rushed and reused. I still loved it, so don’t get me wrong, but unlike Leon’s season 1 sequel, which I would read again, and again, I don’t think I would this one. It felt more like a wistful closing than it did the season 2 to a long series of a route. It was satisfying but lacked that “something” that made these routes special. I didn’t want an ending (LIKE IN INFINITY WAR), I wanted a nice story with a new obstacle to overcome. I’m not quite sure how they can move on from this point. 

So my rating? A hard 4 stars, but no more. Would I buy it? Meh? I did buy it but I doubt I’ll be revisiting it for another read. Still a good story though, but if you are going to get it, I’d wait for a sale. 

~Meghan