There’s something special about relaxing in a coffee shop. In a world that’s full of noise and a life where we’re constantly rushing around, these sanctuaries have become a safe haven in the modern age. As a teenager I went on pub crawls, but now as I approach the middle era of my life I go on café crawls. A tasty drink, a chill environment and a moment of peace, what’s not to like? The Coffee Talk series is all about those quiet moments of reflection, and making connections to others. The newest entry in this cosy treat of a trilogy is Coffee Talk Tokyo, and it’s more relaxing than an iced matcha latte on a hot day.
As with every Coffee Talk game, you play the role of a nameless barista who runs a coffee shop. This time around you aren’t alone though, as you’ve got a lovely staff member to help you clean tables and greet customers. Vin has recently been in an accident, and is struggling to cope with the new challenges their disability is throwing their way. With early conversations about well known disability hacks like spoon theory (having a number of spoons you can use to manage tasks before you’re spent for the day) Vin provides a powerful insight into disabled life and the grieving it brings with it.
The customers have plenty of their own problems and stories too though. There’s Kenji, the recently retired kappa salaryman who’s trying to figure out how to manage retirement. Jun is an international singing sensation, who is currently stuck in a rut and releasing songs nobody likes. He’s also an ancient dragon turned human obviously, and they don’t get along with kappas. Your various customers interact and chat while you serve them up tasty drinks, and for a game featuring fantasy races they have incredibly human interactions.
Thankfully most of these interactions and connections are positive, with your customers finding the support they need in tough times. Yuki is a chef who owns the restaurant across the road, and is mourning the loss of her wife. Ayame is a ghost with no memory of who she was when she was alive, and together they support each other in these mirrored times of loss.
All of the characters in Coffee Talk Tokyo are in need of something in life (or in Ayame’s case in death) and that’s what brings them to your mysterious drinkery. It has a sort of strange power that draws them in, and once they arrive they’ll likely want a drink. The only real impact you have on this cosy visual novel is based on the drinks you make, and that’s mainly because nobody ever gives you a clear order.
To make drinks you’ll have to combine three ingredients, but with so many combinations that means there are loads of things you can brew. Early on you’ll get asked for things like espressos and cafe lattes which are pretty straight forward, but before long you’ll be tasked with making some seriously experimental drinks. With ingredients like mint, ginger and yuzu, alongside a brand new cold drinks function, it’s easy to make something slightly off when asked for a “sweet and comforting” drink.
Thankfully there’s no real punishment if you get the drinks wrong, other than forming slightly lesser bonds with your customers. This means you’ll only be able to access basic details on their off brand Facebook accounts, and it might impact an ending somewhat too. Really though you’ll get to experience everything Coffee Talk Tokyo has to offer whether you’re a good barista or not, so don’t stress too much.
When you’re not listening to wonderfully written characters chat or making drinks, you’ll probably be sat on your phone in the coffee shop. Here you can look at any discovered recipes, choose which relaxing music to put on, or more likely check social media. Instead of the hellscape of the real world, this version of an online community is full of lovely familiar characters talking about what interests them and sharing pictures. It’s actually got a gameplay function too, because if you scour a few hashtags you’ll probably find a recipe or two that you need later.
Of all the slightly pointless tasks in Coffee Talk Tokyo though, my favourite is making latte art. There is absolutely no reason to do this, but it’s just fun to doodle and make creamy patterns on people’s drinks. You even have a stencil for cocoa dusting, enabling even cuter drinks than ever. Especially in the bonus endless mode this is a nice way to take a break from brewing.
All the little extra elements of Coffee Talk are fun, but the reason you’re playing this game has to be the story. I cannot stress enough quite how wonderful the writing is in this game, and despite being at least eight hours long I played it all in a single day. I just wanted to know how all these wonderful characters would grow, and by the end of their stories tears were shed. It’s just a beautiful and emotional experience, and a real step up in the series.
There’s not much I didn’t enjoy about Coffee Talk Tokyo, but it has some tiny issues I suppose. Understanding how to make the right drink just feels like luck much of the time, especially as the game progresses. I also think the fake social media sometimes has too many posts to read. Which I suppose makes sense really, but if you want to make sure you see what’s going on with your friends you’ll often have to spend ten minutes scrolling before you get to the good stuff in person.
Coffee Talk Tokyo surpassed my expectations in a way I really wasn’t expecting. Its writing and characters are among the best I’ve encountered this year, and the coffee shop vibes are absolutely always immaculate. Keep some tissues handy for some of the stories, and you’ll have a great time brewing and listening in Tokyo cafe.