by Brandon Perkins
I have a confession to make: I don’t really care for coffee.
Sorry, I’ve tried. I really have. I can’t stand the taste, nor the texture. I’ve tried it black, I’ve tried it iced, I’ve tried lattes, cappuccinos, mochas, floats, and every other possible way coffee can be consumed… and it just doesn’t do it for me. If I need a caffeine hit, it’s gotta be a soda for me.
But you know what I do like? Slice-of-life stories. Ones where the ordinary is made extraordinary simply by the story being told. Know what I also like? Japan.
I adored the last two Coffee Talk games. In their own ways, they taught me a bit about coffee and what makes it special. This time, the franchise takes us to streets of downtown Tokyo where a new barista serves a batch of new clients… and their stories.
What Is It?
Coffee Talk Tokyo is the third entry in the eponymous cult visual novel series. Originally created by the late Mohammed Fahmi, the series and its developer (Toge Productions) have carried on its spirit: an experience where the fantastic becomes the ordinary, and the ordinary fantastic. It features the same beautiful pixel art and 90s anime aesthetic, along with the jazzy chillhop music of Andrew Jeremy.
What’s different, however, is the cast and location. Instead of playing as a mysterious (but benevolent) barista in a cafe in downtown Seattle, you play a mysterious (but benevolent) barista in a cafe in downtown Tokyo. Unlike the previous cafes, this one is located at the bottom of a high-rise and serves both hot and cold drinks (which is good, considering the game takes place in August during a heat wave) to a unique clientele of fantastical Japanese (and ex-pat) customers.
Over the course of a month, you will get to learn their stories, their struggles, their pasts, and their tastes…both the fantastical (the continued strife between Kappa and Water Dragons) and the mundane (dealing with disability). On top of all of it is a mystery involving a ghost girl who is trying to find her old idenity, and hoping to find enough closure to pass on.
Why Should I Care?
If you are new to the Coffee Talk series, here’s the brief: you play as a barista in a cafe who serves drinks to their regulars every evening. On top of that, you engage with your customers through serious conversation, develop new drinks (either independently or at customer suggestion), and keep tabs on their social media.
Unlike in the previous games, you will be serving both hot and cool drinks this time around. As mentioned earlier, the game takes place in August during a heat wave, so customers will frequently request colder drinks to both cool down and rehydrate themselves. The list of ingredients has also grown: in addition to the usual coffee, tea, and matcha (green tea), you will also use hojicha (known for its nutty flavor and reddish tint). Additional ingredients and toppings have also increased: on top of the usual soymilk, ginger and honey you will also have access to fruits such as mango and lychee, and toppings such as whipped cream and even ice cream (to make floats).
Then, of course, there are the characters. A constant companion this time around is Vin, who lives in your cafe and works for room and board. Vin is an individual with a harrowing past: some years ago, they were in a nasty accident that left them comatose and injured. Since then, they deal with chronic pain, chronic fatigue, and issues with their robotic prosthetics (because the company that made them went bankrupt). Others include a married couple (a British pixie male and a kitsune Japanese woman) and their adorably precocious daughter Erika-chan, a popular singer-songwriter at a career crossroads (and who also happens to be a Water Dragon), a retired Kappa salaryman trying to find his way forward, and numerous others (including some returning ones). A big draw of the Coffee Talk series is the characters and their stories, and this one doesn’t lack for drama.
What Makes It Worth My Time and Money?
Just like with the last couple of games, I found myself drawn into this ordinary yet fantastical world, with its ordinary and fantastical inhabitants. All of them are likable, unique, and genuinely enjoyable to speak with: Young Erika-chan is incredibly smart but struggles as a racially mixed child in a Japanese school. Yuki, the winter spirit who owns the restaurant across the street from your cafe, is a brilliant cook who is still dealing with grief over the death of her partner. And of course, there is Vin dealing with their oh so relatable struggles with disability (being disabled myself, parts of it were so relatable). The overall story of the ghost girl is not only compelling but also emotional… I actually cried at the end.
If I have one minor quibble, it’s with the actual customer orders: as was the case with the last game, your customers will occasionally give you vague orders that will require you to suss out what they’re looking for. Some of these are more difficult than others, especially when balancing bitterness and sweetness.
But that’s a very, very small quibble. Everything else is exactly as I love it about this series. Admittedly, I wasn’t too sure going in, considering the completely new cast, but I quickly found myself loving them as much as I loved the old ones.
I still don’t like coffee, but I can appreciate how it brings people together. That’s why I love this series.
Coffee Talk Tokyo
