Collar x Malice - Unlimited -

Collar X Malice Unlimited is a fancy and fun expansion of the base story that gives players a chance to spend just a little more time with the cast of characters. The additional scenarios only build on the established relationships as they don’t overshadow the overarching plot. There’s a lack of tension in some areas, but if you’ve played the original this acts as a natural progression of the series and is just as brilliant in its own way.

I really wanted to like Collar X Malice Unlimited. In many ways, I actually really do. Ignoring the technical issues, it’s a very adorable follow-up to my favorite Otome game. It’s hard not to become enamored all over again with this setting and characters, and I really enjoy the small epilogue stories. The CGs in general are great, and if you’re a Collar X Malice fan this game is made just for you. But I can’t ignore the technical issues, and it negatively impacts the experience more than I’d like. I hope a patch comes out to fix this all up, preferably soon.

Collar X Malice delivers a dark and twisted thriller, filled with some of the signature elements that have made Otomate the best in what it does. The presentation and writing are absolutely some of the company's very best. While the heavy romance elements of its other games could be inhibiting to those outside its core demographic, this feels like the most inclusive of all of their titles, and one any visual novel fans could truly enjoy. This version brings the quintessential experience too. The extra side stories, and the alternative story are solid enough additions, but it's in the epilogues that this really shines. It's always wonderful to see a "What happened next" in games; addendums to the tales that deliver satisfying conclusions for each character, and that's exactly what's on hand here.