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"Other Age Second Encounter", otherwise known as OASE, is a entertaining work in the evolution of a small indie darling, "Zeiva Inc.", which mainly consists of Lady Zeiva, Mirage XXII/XXIV and Nitarou who specialize in making Japanese style Visual Novel / Dating Simulation games that are often parodies of the genre. While they've been producing games for many years now (releasing their first game in 2002 and also going by the hook, Orz Corporation, on other areas of the net), they have a rather small but dedicated following, and many of their earliest games are currently free to play. While I have played some of their other works, I chose to upload this video in conjunction with its predecessor, OA (Other Age). Their games are made using Flash / .exe (for Steam) and I certainly get those early Newgrounds nostalgia vibes from playing many of their titles. They sometimes collaborate with others such as Jesse Hodges and Nekomura Games. OASE is arguably their greatest game so far.

Released between 2007 - 2013 (but mainly 2010), OASE spent years in development while concurrent projects were also in development, and it combines elements of Puzzle, Adventure, Dating Sim, and Visual Novel games. It's essentially the opposite of OA: the game stars a male protagonist (The Prince), his mother (Queen Mirage XXIV), Nitarou, the women of "Genetic Glow" and "Imaginary Realm", and a slew of other minor characters such as the many "Dudes" who are integral to leaking the world's lore. It's not just a title of role reversal however; the scope of the game is vastly superior to the original and the years of gained experience show in every facet of the game from the drastically improved art which is unique and stunning in a sort of faux East Asian way (similar, but with some notable distinguishing elements), the better soundtrack, additional gameplay elements (lots of mini-games from stuff like whack-a-mole to fighting to fishing, etc. for added immersion), and dozens of endings (up to 60, which is pretty comparable to titles like "Princess Maker" and way more than average games of the genre) based on a preliminary questionnaire, location and event triggers, and answers/items throughout the journey.

It is a game by fans, for fans, as prior knowledge of previous titles (OA,GG,IR) is practically a must to enjoy this game to the fullest. Actually, many of their titles build upon each other or feature cameos to prior works and are not self-contained, which would be the main thing I consider a blessing and a curse. The goal of the game is simple: you play as the Prince of Zeiva Empire, an aquatic paradise, and summon the girl of your dreams through Chancellor Nitarou's "Luv Luv Nitarou Dynamite" to commemorate your 18th birthday (but also due to provocation from King Mirage XXII from Other Age). Like before, it hasn't been fully tested and brings attractive girls + others with various "quirks" instead. This doesn't mean love won't blossom, it just means... you gotta work harder, lol.

It is a little rough in spots as far as the writing, but fairly enjoyable, and the overlapping messages revealed through "puzzle pieces" really incentivize finding all the possible endings. Some things and conclusions are still fairly obtuse, but the game has multiple difficulties so you can play for the challenge, just for the characters and story, or something in-between, which is a great move on the part of Zeiva Inc. The two main criticisms I can lobby at the game is the lack of voice acting which is a common element to most of these games today (and something they experimented with in the past) and the high-ish pricetag of $20. On one hand, I get that this is very ambitious for the size of the team involved and that hard work should be rewarded (you DO get your money's worth), but on the other hand, it would've been much less obscure at a lower price point (like $10), so most only give it a glance on heavy Steam sales.

Runs in this game vary wildly in length, but can be anywhere from just a couple minutes (Mr. Anybody) to thirty minutes or more (the average long route of a prospective female). There are plenty of passwords along the way and lots of things to fill your gallery with, which is fun for completionists. The characters are fairly interesting if not stereotypical... I only wish there was more to them individually, which would've been easier with a smaller primary cast. The general story is a casserole of parody nonsense so you're really playing to learn more about the girls than any over-arching story or theme.

This is a video going through Aeza's scenario with additional footage and the secret ending on her route. You can get it at:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/400410/OASE__Other_Age_Second_Encounter/
http://www.zeiva.net/oase/buy.html

Enjoy.

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