So, in my previous entry with the list of "coolest" ways to do a New Game+ mode, top honors went to games where there's potentially major changes in the way the game goes down. The weaker versions of this are when you play the same game (usually with a few bonuses), but experience the next playthrough with a few minor differences in plot development or through a different perspective.
For example, on the "weakest" end of this dynamic, there's the Ar Tonelico series; the game is the same, the major plot points are the same, you just pick among the heroines who you bond with the most, which opens up a few new powers and allows for more character development. Done right, this is actually pretty cool-- Ar Tonelico has pretty well-crafted heroes in the Reyvateils and diving into their soulspheres, especially in the second game, gives them great depth (and a few bonus costumes and powers) that make a return visit to the game worthwhile... just maybe not immediately (the pacing of the game is too slow).
Similarly, Nier has a clever twist in the NG+ mode; first, you skip the loooong section of the game that is basically just a super-extended prologue; second (spoilers coming!) you get a few extra choices in how things progress near the end of the game, a few extra story bits that really expand Kaine's character, and most importantly, you can understand the language of your enemies. Honestly, it doesn't add that much to the game, other than trying to get you to feel more pathos for some of them, but it's interesting, especially since the Shades you fight are your original souls (it makes sense but takes more time to fully explain than I'm going to spend here).
Tales of Xillia, on the other hand, doesn't just have you get to know a character a bit better by showing more of them through additional story sections or choices; you instead play through the whole game through another character's perspective. Games that do this don't usually add that much over the previous option in practice, usually; you're so often controlling a JRPG character that's largely pre-defined and that you know well from a previous playthrough, and the main story beats tend to be identical or near-so. Atelier Escha and Logy looks like it does the same thing; your companion characters all have the same storylines, and the main course of the game is identical, so it's just a few different scenes and a few different items.
Some games, however, go above and beyond the model of NG+ being a chance for a new perspective or new plot; they have entire stories and characters running parallel to your main adventure, or have early choices that radically change the plot. MORE TO COME...(Mana Khemia 2 and Soul Nomad examples)
What other games did this right?
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