Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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Did you ever wonder what would happen if you were the leader of your party in a J-RPG, giving commands to the party members in battles... but if they were very unique personalities who would not always obey orders, and who would just do what they want, using their preferred attacks instead, or doing some shenanigans on their own, and there would be dedicated mechanics centered around that? Enter Ivris the unusual powerful mage who's actually more interested in fighting with her fists, Luminous the archer who's actually more of an idol and who would rather sing songs in the middle of a battle like she's the Bard/Dancer class, Numero the mad alchemist taking every chance he gets to perform wicked experiments on the poor monsters mid-battle, and more! I won't spoil them all but each of the party member has their own quirks and twists, they each have their own class/job but at the same time it's unlike any other J-RPG, they won't just execute your commands because you're playing a game... No, this game actually provides the unique charm and emotion of a "realistic" approach of the kind of antics that would happen if you were the leader of a party of oddballs. And it succeeds...

This is the kind of game with a unique concept, that makes it worth playing despite the rough edges. While it is clear that this is a low-budget/niche game, it is all the more heartfelt and endearing. It is because of lovely and passionate initiatives like these, that I'm a fan of IF/Compa ever since Trinity Universe on the PS3 and then the first version of the first Neptunia game and then mk2 which collabed with many other studios. With each new release I can feel how these devs want to pay tribute to their beloved game studios with unique ideas and modest games made with a lot of heart. As seen most recently with Mado Monogatari Fia and the Wondrous Academy. Calamity Angels Special Delivery is no exception and delivers a genuine and heart-warming experience with an unparalleled comedy, making me laugh IRL many times from the kinds of crazy ideas and wonky humor that they thought up.

There are many unique Special Skill animations (that trigger upon specific requirements) and they're overall so crazy and hilarious, it's hard not to fall in love with the creators behind this game. Just to give one example among many, one certain character might smell treasure nearby in the middle of a battle, and because she's obsessed with treasure, she'll actually leave the battle in the middle of it, leaving behind a decoy plush of her, replacing her battle sprite..! But what's even crazier is that if you wait for a few more turns, she will actually come back... with treasure, and a rare item will be added to that battle's loot at the end..! Or there's the idol girl who will sometimes daydream in the middle of a battle, and depending on the daydream and how she's imagining the monster and its family, the result of the special skill will be different..! And of course the shenanigans of the mad alchemist in battle are always a delight... along with his repeated mad laugh that is genuinely hilarious! It's hard for me to resist the urge of spoiling more of those special skills because each of them was so memorable and amazing. The comedy really is the star of this game. Forget Neptunia's skits, this is the real deal.

With the game's unique concept and its humor, and the very "It's not always about saving the world!" aspect, I could really feel the fun that the devs had while making this game, and that's important to me! It is clear that it's not a game made for "profit"/business first and foremost. On a personal note, I felt that in a way they are continuing where Gust (Atelier) left off. The earlier Atelier games (Arland etc) were modest, light-hearted and passionate. Not to mention the distinct anime slapstick humor! I deeply miss those games. Somewhere along the way (and the acquisition by Koei Tecmo) it all changed and now the new Atelier games are more like "traditional J-RPG" and are designed to sell first and foremost, with incorporating world trends (quoting the producer), saucy character designs, etc (Yumia). So with initiatives like Calamity Angels Special Delivery, I'm actually finding back the spirit of the "old Gust" so to speak, with the light-hearted-ness and the funny battle animations, and overall with a modest yet tasteful game, that has some weaknesses, but which are precisely part of the game's identity and I appreciate them as such.

By the way I'm sitting at 89% trophies and for those who would be interested, the trophy for completing the monster encyclopedia is missable and you'd better save before the Socia battle because she's apparently summoning a minion at some point and I apparently missed it because I finished the battle too fast lol.

Not game of the year material or anything but a very pleasant surprise and just the kind of initiatives I want to support the most!