The Caligula Effect

 PlayStation Vita
The Caligula Effect Image
Metascore
58

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
7.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 21 Ratings

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  • Summary: Featuring a story written by Persona veteran Tadashi Satomi, The Caligula Effect takes you inside a digital prison filled with brainwashed high school students, evil musicians, and an all-powerful virtual idol.
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The Caligula Effect - Launch Trailer

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 22
  3. Negative: 8 out of 22
  1. Digitally Downloaded
    May 18, 2017
    90
    Boiling things right down, Caligula asks a question that’s really quite dear to my heart: “what if Hatsune Miku gained sentience and convinced us all that we would be better off living in a universe with her as queen?” I must admit that, were it me, I’d end up as one of the “villains” in this game, as I’m quite on board with that; but joking aside, The Caligula Effect looks, on the surface, like a bit of B-grade nonsense for a console well out of the mainstream’s attention. The great irony about that is that it’s far more pertinent and relevant, and asks genuine questions, about a topic that is going to be a significant sociological discussion point for generations going forward.
  2. PlayStation LifeStyle
    May 2, 2017
    80
    A lot of video games attempt to say something, but rarely do they manage to leave a genuine impact by the time the credits begin to roll. In just 20 hours, The Caligula Effect tells an uplifting story that revolves around inner strength and coming face to face with one’s shortcomings. It may suffer from some annoying load times and a frame-rate that occasionally makes characters look as if they were wading through water, but that doesn’t take away from the touching story that Tadashi Satomi has come up with.
  3. GameSpew
    May 22, 2017
    70
    The Caligula Effect is a difficult game to review, mainly because of how contradictory it can be at times. Its writing can make it seem leagues above most other JRPGs despite its low production value, yet many of its systems are too complicated to recommend, despite however deep they may be.
  4. GamingTrend
    May 2, 2017
    60
    The Caligula Effect offers a fascinating story inside of a huge virtual world. Filled with heavy concepts, writer Tadashi Satomi weaves a complex story about human suffering, artificial happiness, and the lengths people will go to find inner peace. While not nearly as developed or immersive as Persona 5, the game’s flashy graphics, star-studded soundtrack and solid story help to make up for what the game lacks in a depressingly shallow and unfulfilling social system, unclear objectives within dungeons and a rather tedious battle system.
  5. Push Square
    Jun 1, 2017
    50
    If you're a JRPG fan and can see past its dull dungeon design and grindy friendship system, then there is still fun to be had here, but you'll have to push through layers of tediousness to get to it. The Caligula Effect is a game with plenty of good ideas, but sadly, they're just not executed very well. It feels like developer Aquria has tried to implement so many ambitious concepts, but it doesn't actually take the time to flesh them out, and instead, repetition has been used to fill in the gaps.
  6. Gaming Age
    Jul 25, 2017
    42
    The Caligula Effect's combat is undoubtedly a major point in the game's favour, but when you stack it up against a forgettable story, terrible music, and a camera that doesn't want to cooperate, it's hard to say that it's nearly enough to make the game worth checking out.
  7. Game Revolution
    May 2, 2017
    40
    The Caligula Effect is full of promising ideas that are bogged down by poor execution and lackluster presentation. The game tries too hard to do too many things all at once, resulting in obvious compromise.

See all 22 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. He_Never_Helps
    Aug 1, 2017
    10
    i do NOT understand these reviews.

    Best combat engine freaking EVER. Imagine a Matrix rpg, a freez frame tactics kungfu movie. i liked it    i do NOT understand these reviews.

    Best combat engine freaking EVER. Imagine a Matrix rpg, a freez frame tactics kungfu movie. i liked it so much that i was level 19 before i finished the first dungeon...

    The writing is awesome. the story is wonderful, and more P5 than P5. The characters are solid HS anime kids with intense psychic pain drama. The graphics are solid PSV. I did get stuck in a wall once during a SICK intense hour long battle with an enemy twice my eye, but that was once in a dozen hours of turn based psychic powered brawling in an detailed, compact engine where you can time yr moves down the second, layering combos and juggles and psychic shields and counters.

    god i love these frkn fights. its tactics, but so cool looking (finally) and in a wide open 3d emvironment where u cn go where ever, in fight. so cool.

    My sole compliaint Is that the terciary npc students could be a little more human. theres a neat power up engine where u sovle the trauma drama of other chtacters, and its quite deep with the primary and secondary charcters, but the normies, of whom there are just hundreds and hundreds And while theyre neat enough, the conversations are a little mechanical and minimalist.. but still i love this sht.

    seriously, if u think u migt like it, if u liie tactics or psychological anime, you WILL like it. its a brilliantly written cinemtic tactics crawler with the story P5 should have had. cant wait for the inevitable big money sequel with the HUGE dev team this game deserves (and occasionally needs, but its a crawler, its gonna have moments where u say "hmmm...ive done this before" and thats why u need that fkn killer fight engine and awesome compelling writing) cuz this was clearly made by a small team.

    of super brain mutants who must have my baby. cuz im in love with the guys.

    THE NERD LOBBY SUPOORTS YOUR EFFORTS. Keep up the hard work, sensei tachi.

    10/10 would check page 26 again    … Expand
  2. superorbital
    May 11, 2017
    7
    A collusion of interesting ideas, fun game mechanics and ultimately fascinating characters that unfortunately never really coalesce into theA collusion of interesting ideas, fun game mechanics and ultimately fascinating characters that unfortunately never really coalesce into the kind of game that really shines. Soundtrack is pretty lit, though.… Expand

Trailers

Awards & Rankings

10
#10 Best PS Vita Game of 2017
8
#8 Most Discussed PS Vita Game of 2017
1
#1 Most Shared PS Vita Game of 2017