Whenever you’re dealing with a collection like this, it’s always a bit of a balancing act when trying to evaluate its quality when the individual pieces vary so wildly from one another. In terms of the Blue Reflection franchise, I actually started a while back with the latest game, which I wasn’t completely sold on, so it’s now interesting to have gone and backfilled quite a bit to see a more complete picture of it as a whole. All that said, the bookends of the original game and the latest one, both of which are more full-blown RPGs, stand in stark contrast to the two offerings in the middle, which may add context and depth to the package, but as games are clearly not on the same level.

Starting with what works, both of the RPGs in the series simply have their own sort of vibe, and while I wouldn’t say it clicked with me, the fact that their stylings are more uncommon could give them appeal. I’ll admit that the tendency to sweep in from low angles, and the specifics of some of the character’s outfits when they’re in their powered up state tended to feel creepy, sort of overshadowing the action and gameplay itself, but I’ll concede that same quality may actually draw people in, and for fans of the anime it would be par for the course. As I noted in my review of Blue Reflection: Second Light when I reviewed it, the game’s odd setting and the stories tend to be the driver of the experience, and I’d say the original game is consistent with that. If you’re looking for some teen drama to mix in with your battles, it may be your thing.

Unfortunately, the other two titles in the package are from the same universe, but feel like they’re just of a completely different stock. I suppose if you like the game world, but aren’t familiar with the anime, or are just a super fan who’d love to walk through it again, Blue Reflection: Ray could be of interest since it’s set up to sort of walk you through the world of the anime, though in a somewhat clunky and clumsy fashion. As I said, perhaps it could serve as a decent background on the world the RPGs come from, but I wouldn’t really consider it a game either. Blue Reflection: Sun at least has a little more to offer, and has never come to the West, but since it’s an adaptation of a mobile game it’s obviously at a pretty different level of quality and depth than its brethren. I suppose fans of the series should appreciate its inclusion as a curiosity they haven’t had the chance to check out before, but I’d say it’s more novel than essential. If you’re a fan of the series, or have ever wanted to get into it, this would seemingly be the best way to knock it all out in one shot, but it does feel more like a niche offering at the end of the day.