Review contains mild spoilers for Season 1!
STORY
The end of season 1 leaves us back at the start of the game - Camran adrift in space after being tossed out of an airlock by the sovereignty. The main character has learned a lot about his mother and father, while potentially warming up to his sisters. Season 2 starts off with Camran's crew being able to save him just in time for him to survive. We've learned that Agust truly doesn't care for his children anymore and this sets the tone for the second season.
Developer Perverteer has improved his penmanship, effectively being able to play out the different romances Camran can engage in within the crew. If you hurt a crew member's feelings or trust, it will come back to haunt you in this season. If you have a relationship with one woman, another might get jealous and vice versa. This is a crew where everyone - except 'Thim with a fucking h' - has a distinct personality. But even Thim, by the end of season two, opens up to Camran if (and only if) there is mutual respect. It's a sign how the writing skills and choices make the story bend to accommodate the player without losing sight of the main plot.
The prophecy is still the name of the game, as the aloof Eva is certain she has something to do with it. You will find out all about the prophecy by the end of season 2, but for the most part this season is about world exploration. You'll visit gorgeous planets, meet all kinds of aliens with varying personalities and they all work. The world Perverteer has built is one of my favorite in all AVN's, simply because there's a story around every corner. Even in the second season being 13 episodes in.
Whether it's learning more about the Twi'll, the Rhenkoy councils, what the confessor is about or whatever happened to that pesky simulation - season two has a ton of story building that eventually leads up to the prophecy, via all kinds of detours. By the end of this season, the prophecy does get tedious as a plot vehicle. Luckily, there’s more than enough story to get sidetracked by.
If you thought romancing your family was taboo, try discussing having babies together. It's exactly what TFTUV will let eventually you get into and while developer Perverteer has dealt with it before, those conversations also happen at the worst possible time for the crew of the Iron Bastard. The stakes are higher than ever, and then there's still the little matter of the cliffhanger of season two. This season will make you feel something.
PRESENTATION
Like in season one, the visuals of Tales From The Unending Void are gorgeous. The style is still a mix between realistic and doll-like aesthetics, but everything is done in a believable and natural way. For a game that focuses on alien races and places which don't exist, the game does a great job at confidently displaying all kinds of alien things that feel fresh.
Season two seems to focus more on visiting different planets and encountering species rather than a larger storyline on one planet. Whether it's Aretine, the deserted Taagmar or the dooming Petrarch, each planet has a distinct look and sometimes even color scheme which you will learn to recognize. A lot of detail and planning went into structuring the styles the way TFTUV handles it and it's great when you have so many races and places.
This season does feature a lot more intimacy and the ability to start different relationships with crew members. And yes, even be intimate with multiple crew members. You don't get to pick and mix just anyone, but there are a few adventures worth exploring that are not the galaxy. Notable mentions are for crewmembers Ziv, of a hermaphrodite species named Rhenkoy and her ward Raene, a human biological male who feels like a woman. Both members can mostly be evaded if you so choose, but exploring their stories and desires leads to content rarely seen elsewhere.
Perverteer's commitment to give almost each female crew member a scene with Camran each episode is amazing, because rarely is a crew member's story left out. Sure, Kit and Céline are still a little underdeveloped, but even Thim gets a few scenes that explore his story. If there's anything to complain, it's that there are so many wonderful side characters that don't return because there are so many characters. Even the team of antagonists have an interesting story to them, as you figured out with Kvi near the end of season one.
TFTUV is interracial, interspecial, interplanetary fun as you figure out what that robot's prophecy from season one actually means. It tries to go above and beyond and succeeds, although secretly we're hoping for a wrap-up of the Tvulosi family story so we can explore other stories. The team-up with Alorth for animations means this season also has animations, which is a nice bonus upgrade from the first season.
GAMEPLAY
Your choices in this visual novel still matter. Season two lets you import choices from season one and with that, you reap what you sowed. Cheated on a crew member? Face the wrath. Tried starting a harem in secret? Good luck keeping that secret. Killed an official in the first season? Don't be so sure people want to work with you. You never derail the storyline, but there are more than enough variants to make a difference.
For all the shenanigans that happen in this game, the Codex is still your go-to guide to remember planets, species and characters. Need a refresh on who Glixen was? Or what happened on Keplar? Find the Codex in the menu in addition to the Game Guide you get as a subscriber. In my talks with developer Perverteer, he recognized my need to keep summaries of each episode because there's just too much happening in TFTUV. So in addition to the Codex, this led to him creating 'Choices', a summary of each episode with your choices shown. Now of course I'm partial to this, but for a behemoth game like TFTUV, this easily lets you remember what choices you made along the way.
It's a visual novel, but your choices will decide who will apply for your bed and if you fall into a bed at all. Just know no woman is safe from Camran's space charm, so pick a target and find your way to her heart (or at least her bed).
OVERALL
Season two cements Tales From The Unending Void as one of the best VN's ever made. The writing respects the story, the scenes are gorgeous, characters are distinct and there's always one more itch to scratch. Although the prophecy is starting to drag a little, season three will be the finale for that arc. And by the looks of that new cliffhanger, things will be different. It's a tale to experience.
Rating: 9/10
Developer: Perverteer
> Click here to read the TFTUV Season 1 review! <
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