Still can't decide which version to get.

[echoeagle3]

I hear the story in Gold is worse then the original but the gameplay and number of H-scenes is better in Gold. I do actually like story so Im kind of torn on what to do. Ive been looking up info about this but asking for more suggestions on which one can't hurt. Which would you recommend?

[Firehawk]

Depends really on which aspect you like more. Storywise, the original wins by a landslide. The series of events and how they are presented are actually interesting and make sense, unlike in Gold where it's pretty much just a sorry excuse for one that only exists for the sake of gameplay. Case in point would be how Arthur joins in either game. The original game has an incredible leadup to what and how it happens which makes it one of the best moments in the entire game. In Gold, it's basically just a "Hi, I'm joining the gang too, let's have fun." Painfully underwhelming to say the least, total buzzkill if I'm more honest. But I could also name Cook, Russia or any other power's first contact there, really since if you so much as glance in their general direction they instantly declare war without any context. It feels like the devs wanted it to fail.

The fact that Gold has more skits (yes, skits because they aren't even proper visual novel format and contain only a few minutes' worth of content each) is not a plus since they focus on quantity over quality. Some, like Yoshitsune's personal issue is somewhat amusing but that's the exception, not the rule. In a lot of cases, it feels like those skits are only there so you'd actually have a shot at remembering the name of the characters before throwing them into battle.

Speaking of battles, this is also a mixed bag. On one hand the addition of small gameplay elements make battles more fun. On the other hand, they also added missions where you don't actually know how many and what kind of enemies you'll face because they aren't on the board and only shop up if you keep advancing, which then will instantly result in a skill attack in the face. Marvelous design, really. It gets even better when you realize that unlike with skits where you get a warning that it will involve a fight, in these cases you won't see the number of enemies until you're well into the battle, sometimes not even then. I'm not gonna go into what my opinion is about the guy who came up with this.

As for the H-scenes, it's only better if you are a lolicon fetishist given the fact that at least half of the cast are straight lolis or look fairly close. There are those that actually look like adults or at least teenage girls, but they don't stand out as much.

I'd also like to mention that the soundtrack in Gold is a very bad remix of the original and sounds crappy in comparison. Try listening to each version to hear the difference.

Therefore, I say go for the original one. Gold fanboys would say their's is better because moar character (events) and better gameplay but don't let them trick you. It's far from better.

[Anonymous]

the previous guy sums it up pretty well. only played the Jp version of gold but still with limited understanding it seemed weird the progression of story but the combat mechanic was definetely better.

to sum it up basically you swap out the story and gameplay (From great and okay to Okay and Great respectfully) of the original and add more Quality H scenes and out comes gold

[Tiasmoon]

Story only seems weird because they expect you to have played the first game.

If you are a fan of one, you should buy both are they have different story and gameplay. (and H-scenes) They arent reworked versions but different games.