Class of '09: The Re-Up

Introduction

Class of '09: The Re-Up returns players to protagonist Nicole's chaotic late-2000s American high school, a fully-voiced visual novel built entirely around exaggerated, deliberately transgressive satire of period-specific teenage life. Developed by solo creator Max "SBN3" Field as a standalone sequel to 2021's Class of '09, it released 1 June 2023 and sits at a lifetime Overwhelmingly Positive 97.1% across 4,729 reviews, with recent sentiment holding at an essentially identical 97.2%. This review reads a substantial share of both samples and finds two things worth reporting with equal weight: a genuinely well-loved comedy writer delivering exactly what a dedicated audience came for, and a real, disputed controversy about that creator that this review cannot responsibly leave unmentioned.

Comedy that commits fully to its premise

For the audience this game is built for, the writing lands consistently. Reviewers describe sequences ranging from absurdist to deliberately shock-value, and the tone stays remarkably consistent with what fans of the 2021 original expected — several returning players specifically credit the sequel for not softening the approach that made the first game popular. One reviewer's one-line summary captures the register: "got in an abusive lesbian relationship as the abuser 10/10." That's representative of the humour throughout — dark, self-aware, and clearly not aiming for a broad, comfortable audience. For readers who want exactly that, this review's sample suggests the game reliably delivers.

A disputed controversy this review won't skip past

In September 2024, a public controversy emerged concerning creator Max Field's past personal conduct. The allegations, made publicly and widely discussed within the game's community, were serious; so were the counter-allegations made in response, including claims that the original accuser had themselves engaged in serious misconduct. This review has not independently verified either side's claims and isn't positioned to adjudicate a personal dispute of this kind. What it can report factually is that the controversy is real, it's publicly documented, and it measurably shaped part of this game's review corpus: a meaningful number of reviewers, dated specifically to and after September 2024, cite it directly as their reason for no longer recommending the game, several noting explicitly that they still enjoyed playing it but can no longer support the creator. Readers uncomfortable with that history should weigh it directly rather than relying on the overall score, which — notably — has stayed almost unchanged since the controversy broke, suggesting most of the existing audience either wasn't aware of it or didn't factor it into their rating.

A visual novel, not much of a game

Separate from either the comedy or the controversy, a specific and recurring mechanical criticism appears throughout this review's sample: interactivity is thin. Several reviewers describe the experience as closer to a fully-voiced animated show than an interactive game, with limited meaningful choice between story beats and no straightforward way to revisit individual endings without a full restart. That's a fair criticism on its own terms, separate from questions of humour or creator conduct, and worth factoring into a value judgement — several reviewers specifically suggest watching a playthrough on video rather than paying to experience it directly.

Final Verdict

Class of '09: The Re-Up delivers exactly what its dedicated audience wants: committed, unapologetic dark comedy with genuinely funny writing for readers who share its sensibility. This review can't in good conscience present that score without also reporting, plainly and without amplification, that its creator has been at the centre of a serious, disputed public controversy since September 2024 — a fact a meaningful share of the game's own reviewers now factor into their recommendation. Purchase decisions here reasonably depend on more than gameplay quality alone, and this review leaves that weighing to the reader rather than resolving it on their behalf.