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Tag: game review
“Pub Encounter” Game Review: Mature Love Story with Older Men
I personally loved it, but it’s not for everyone.
Work has been killing me lately, but even so, I’ve found a bit of time for some anime and otome games. Unfortunately, I find that the older I get, the more I roll my eyes in annoyance and frustration at younger romances – to the point where I can’t even enjoy games that I would have enjoyed if I’d played them a few years ago, like “Nameless” (which wasn’t a bad game by any means, but…ugh, high school). And then I saw some posts on my dash earlier about how newer Voltage games are getting more shallow, while the deeper, more mature games that are about older characters – like “Kiss of Revenge” and “In Your Arms Tonight” – are getting left by the wayside.
And that reminded me that I never posted my thoughts on this little gem: “Pub Encounter” (also known as “Dandy Shot”) by D3 Publisher, who has released several other “Forbidden Romance” pay-per-story otome games for mobile that might be worth looking into.
This game is probably for you if you like older men (and I mean like way older; even the gray-haired dude is dateable) with tragic pasts, with lots of angst and smut (seriously, there’s a lot of sex – though it’s not much worse than some of Voltage’s recent games).
This game is definitely NOT for you if you’re looking for cute romantic fluff with hot young guys, if any of the above turns you off (obviously), or if you hate faceless main characters who cry a lot (did I mention there’s a lot of angst?) and come off as a bit clingy in certain routes.
Overall, I think this is just one of those games that you either love or hate.
Mamoru kissing the protagonist. 
Hideaki, one of the love interests. I personally loved it. The chapters were nice and long, each story was a well-written emotional rollercoaster, the whole cast had great chemistry with each other, and I liked getting to know these characters a little at a time and figuring out the details of their tragic pasts alongside the MC. They felt a lot more nuanced than just “oh, he’s so-and-so character type,” which I appreciated.
But I’ve also seen a lot of hate for it. Specifically, I saw a lot of hate for Mamoru (even though he’s honestly the most attractive and has one of the better relationships with the MC) because his first chapter comes off a lot more creepy (even on the verge of being kinda rape-y) than what was intended.
Other than that… honestly, they’re all pretty crappy boyfriends who try to push you away once they realize you’re getting “too close” (or at least, that’s how it went in the three routes I’ve played so far; I can’t speak for Soichiro or Ryunosuke). So if you don’t like that kind of angst and drama, then you’ll probably hate this game. But if you like characters you just want to hug and cuddle while crying, “Nuuuu, my poor baby!” then you’ll probably like it.
shrug It’s definitely not for everyone, but I figured a lot of people probably hadn’t heard of it, so I thought I’d bring it to light. I’d really like to see more otome games that are made with adults in mind…but then again, that just makes me feel old. ;o;
Feel free to comment or discuss the game with me. I would love to hear your opinions!
Originally posted January 13, 2015 on Tumblr.
“Cinders” Game Review: Classic Fairy Tale with a New Twist
A different kind of fairy tale.
Over the holidays, “Cinders” went on sale, so I finally picked it up after being in awe of it from the shadows since it was still in the early stages of development.
As a VN maker, the beautiful execution of “Cinders” makes me so jealous. The art, the beautifully animated backgrounds, the motifs, all the different choices and the subtle ways they affect the story… ugh, I can only dream of making such a gorgeous and well-crafted game (and I would kill to be able to hire an artist like that for “Memoirs”).
As a VN player, I felt the story was a bit short, but then again, it only spanned the course of a week, so that’s not surprising. It was the length it needed to be to tell the story it aimed to, I suppose, but I was just expecting a little more. Also, if you only play VNs for the romance, you might be disappointed with this one because, while there are romance options, they’re more of an afterthought. At least the way I played it, I ended up getting way closer to (and learning more about) the step-sisters than I ever did with the supposed love interests. As the official game description advertises, it really is all about the women of the story – Cinders, Sophia, Gloria, and Lady Carmosa – and what made them who they are.
But that doesn’t mean I didn’t like the story! On the contrary, I thought it was a great take on the classic tale. I never really liked “Cinderella” that much because it felt like the moral of the story was just “as long as you’re a good person, someone will come along and save you from your misery,” but “Cinders” provided a much-needed modern perspective with a smart, cunning protagonist who changes depending on your choices. And there are a lot of choices. Most seem fairly insignificant when you make them, but you realize later how much they must have impacted the story. Cinders’ fate really is in your hands.
WARNING: Major spoilers ahead!
I didn’t use a walkthrough because I couldn’t find one that was really clear about which choices to make… probably because there are so many different combinations. So I played blind (which is really rare for me), but I still managed okay.
Anyway, I romanced Perrault during my playthrough because… well… Cinders sums it up pretty well:
You and I are on the same page, Cinders. I also made friends with Sophia, accidentally pissed off Gloria (I’m so sorry, Gloria, I didn’t mean to… I wanted to be friends, honest!), showed Carmosa sympathy (especially once I found out about the money problems), and I guess I was cold and ruthless? I honestly thought I was playing a good character until it told me I was a Machiavellic Queen. Perhaps I’m not as innocent and kind as I thought, haha.
I went for the Traveler ending first because I thought it made the most sense with Perrault as my lover, especially since I encouraged him to retire. I felt it was wrong for him to compromise his morals just for the sake of keeping his job, so it made sense for him to retire and for us to run away together. Apparently, the game agreed because it’s the only ending where you get a romantic cutscene with him.
Cinders and Perrault sharing a well-earned romantic kiss. After that, I went ahead and got the other two endings I could without changing my attitude or how I dealt with Carmosa and the sisters (the Fairytale Ending and Independent Woman ending).
Of the three endings, the Traveler ending was, as mentioned, the best romantically (at least for Perrault), but in general, I liked the Independent Woman ending the best. It made the most sense overall and allowed everyone to get their happy ending, not just Cinders. Well… almost everyone (poor Perrault and his arm…).
Despite its name, the Fairytale Ending didn’t involve “living happily ever after” at all. Maybe it’s because I accidentally played a “cold and ruthless” Cinders, but that was the most depressing ending ever. I apparently crushed all the prince’s ideals and became a tyrant, Perrault was reduced to my man on the side (and had to compromise his morals and become a spy to do so), and my step-family – who I had spent an entire game coming to get to know and sympathize with – fell into even greater despair and poverty. Yeah, way to go, Cinders; you finally got the power and prestige you wanted at the expense of everyone else’s happiness. Some hero you are.
So yeah…there’s my playthrough in a nutshell. I might play again to see how differently things turn out (and hopefully be kind and good this time around, maybe romance Tobias), but I’m not sure I could ever bring myself to get the ending that involves poisoning Carmosa. She may be a b*tch, but she’s not evil, nor has she done anything deserving death. Public humiliation, maybe, or exile at the worst, but death? That seems a bit extreme.
Feel free to comment or discuss the game with me. I would love to hear your opinions!
Originally posted January 4, 2014 on Tumblr.
“Nicole” Game Review: A Dating Sim Full of Mystery
Can Nicole avoid becoming the next victim?
Nicole, Nicole… For a game advertised as kind of a mystery thriller, I was expecting a well-grounded protagonist, someone serious and intelligent with a good head on her shoulders. Instead, we get… Nicole. But even though she was kind of vapid and air-headed at times, I actually kind of liked her. She’s endearing and emotionally strong when it’s important, like when she has to tell the guys to get over themselves or when she decides to face the abductor head-on instead of letting him scare her.
Like the titular character, the game was not what I expected, but I liked it nonetheless. As other reviews have mentioned, it takes a long time for it to get going, but once you know what you’re doing, the annoying introductory phase goes by in a flash. I was worried about the stat-raising component because I tend to fail miserably at that (which is why I’ve avoided Winter Wolves’ other otome games thus far), but in this one you can set the difficulty and you only have to raise two stats to get both endings for each character – Clues and a main stat for whatever guy you’re going after. I’m not sure what the difficulty setting changes exactly, but on Easy mode, even with my fail time-management skills, I found it easy to get my main stat and Clues maxed out at least a month before the end of the game, with plenty of money to spare for gifts and stuff. So it ended up not being too bad at all.
I will say that if you’re looking for a mystery game where you get to play detective and piece together all the clues, this probably isn’t the game for you. It’s the kind of game where you can still get a good ending by skipping the mystery portion altogether, which tells you a lot – basically, the mystery is only a subplot, not the main storyline. The main story is about a girl trying to get through her first semester of college and meeting a bunch of cute boys (and girls) in the process, and of course each boy has their own little subplot. That’s not to say the story isn’t good, it just relies heavily on the everyday interactions between the characters – which is perfectly fine, because the interactions are awesome. They are what really makes this game fun to play.
That’s my basic, spoiler-free assessment of Nicole. And for those who have played the game and want to hear what I thought about it, read on.
WARNING: Major spoilers ahead!
Maybe interactions like this should’ve been a red flag. So, I went for Jeff first… which, in hindsight, was not the best idea. But from the trailer, he looked like the most mature one, and I knew I probably wasn’t interested in Kurt (I avoid the flirty jock type like the plague) or Darren (sorry, I tend to avoid the shy type, too, because they’re too hard to talk to). Boy, was I wrong! Not only was I wrong about Kurt and Darren (after playing through the “common route” part once, I actually came to really like them both), but of course, I was completely and utterly wrong about Jeff.
Here’s the breakdown of my reaction to Jeff’s route:
Introduction scene: “Oh look, he’s the prince type, all smart and handsome and kind and perfect… Hmm, but he’s a pharmacology major and is acting suspicious about it? Uh oh, I bet he has something to do with the whole abductions thing.”
Second scene: “Aww, with the way he gets all upset about being called perfect, I bet his ‘troubled backstory’ has something to do with not measuring up and all that. Poor guy…”
Discovering his ‘true self’: “Umm…wait. Wait a second. He’s actually the creepy, egocentric mad scientist type? Umm….well….okay, I guess I can roll with that. He’s still sexy and smart, right? Not to mention he looks hella fine in a suit. Yeah, okay, I can still do this.”
Potion motive revealed: “Oh, so that’s why he was acting so suspicious. Well, what harm can come from making a weird potion, right? It’s not like it’s going to actually work, not with that ridiculous ingredient list. Maybe he’s not involved in the abductions after all. I mean, he’s kind of pathetic if he thinks he can make people like him by mixing up a potion like that… That doesn’t seem like the kind of evil mastermind who abducts and drugs young women.”
Arboretum scene: “Awwwwww, so cute! He’s starting to care about me~ I wonder if he realizes it yet?”
Potion fails: “*in a Nicole voice* Like duh, of course it didn’t work, you weirdo. Wait, wait, don’t get depressed! Nuuuuuuuu, don’t be like that, you’re making me sad. … … Woah there, no need to get violent! Umm, I’m not sure whether to be scared or turned on right now… Wait, no, please don’t wallow in your self-loathing! Nuuu, the feels…”
Afterward: “Aww, my poor baby… I just want to hug you and make everything better~ I really, really hope you’re not involved in the abductions because I don’t think my heart could take it. You’re not, right? I’m just being paranoid, RIGHT?!”
Normal Ending: “aslkfljflk; so cute~!!!!! You’re just too awkward and adorable, I can’t take it! And of course, with as much as you love me, there’s no way you’d ever want to hurt me, so there’s no way you’re involved in the abductions. I’m sorry for ever suspecting you, baby! I’m sure that when the abductor does come for me, you’ll be there to protect me just like the sweet and adorable boyfriend you are~”
Special Ending: “………..Damn it, I freaking knew it. WHY DID YOU DO THIS TO ME, JEFF? I HATE YOU SO MUCH. I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU AGA- D’awwwwww, but look at us all cute and holding hands and stuff… You know, three years doesn’t sound that bad. IT’S OKAY, MY PRECIOUS BABY, I’LL WAIT FOR YOU~ <333”
Ted’s affection increases slowly but surely. …And then after 15 minutes of wallowing in feels, I went and did Ted’s route to see how the ending is actually supposed to go when you don’t fall for the bad guy like an idiot. I can’t decide which one I liked better. I really liked Ted’s and Nicole’s chemistry together, and I definitely liked Ted more as a person (you know, because he’s not a psychopath who drugs and abducts women to perform experiments on them…), but is it terrible to say that I was more interested in Ted’s father during his route? Poor kid, he probably gets that a lot.
Yep, that about sums up my experience with Nicole. If I do another route, it’ll be Darren’s next. I’m not sure I’ll ever do Kurt’s…I do appreciate his interactions with Nicole, but I just have a hard time seeing it. Darren seems like he’d be really interesting to get to know, though, and he’s a lot like myself. I like the idea of getting him to open up more and be more like his online self because that’s what I’d like someone to someday do for me (too bad I’m not nearly as cute as Darren is). I also have to admit that I’m a little interested in the female romance version. I don’t generally do the GxG routes, but Bethany (the library assistant in Jeff’s route) was just too cute.
Feel free to comment or discuss the game with me. I would love to hear your opinions!
Originally posted December 30, 2013 on Tumblr.
“Sweet Fuse” Review: Thrilling Romance in a Deadly Amusement Park
This is part 2 of a post describing my thoughts on some games I’ve played recently. Click here to read part 1, which is about the game Beyond: Two Souls, released by Quantic Dream.
There may be minor spoilers ahead…
This time, I’ll be talking about Sweet Fuse: At Your Side, an otome visual novel by Idea Factory and localized by Aksys Games.
I wasn’t expecting much, but it was on sale (according to some Tumblr post floating around) and I figured I needed to do my part to support the localization of otome games, so I picked it up. To my surprise, and despite the bright colors and goofy-looking villain, the story turned out to be very dark and engaging, and all the character interactions are what really make the game shine. There were definitely moments that made me laugh out loud, as well as somber moments that reminded me how short and tragic life can be.
All these characters seem pretty goofy at first, and the premise seems ridiculous beyond measure (seriously, I’m supposed to be scared of a guy in a pig costume threatening to blow up an amusement park? WTF?) but they all have their stories that unfold as you go along, and you’ll have to play multiple routes to see the tragic mystery unfold.
I don’t adore the main character, Saki, as much as I adored Jodie in Beyond, but that’s not surprising because you don’t get to spend as much time getting to know her. It’s not clear whether her parents are alive or whether they’re worried about her while she’s participating in these life-threatening games, and she never talks about herself, her family (other than her uncle), or her home life at all. Based on her dialogue (both internal and external), she feels like a pretty generic otome heroine with the kind of logical thoughts and conclusions you would expect from a typical morally good person; there’s nothing that particularly stands out about her or her personality, other than that she’s willing to put her life on the line to save her uncle (which, again, is kind of standard for game heroes).
What does make her unique, though, is that 1) her skill is reviewing information and picking up on what the others may have missed in order to solve puzzles, which saves the others’ lives in most situations; and 2) when something doesn’t sit right with her, she’s not afraid to get mad and call others out on their bullshit (usually with hilarious results). It’s so funny seeing these grown men who think they’re all that cower in fear at the wrath of this little high school girl. I also think that through her “rage moments,” she fights back against Hogstein (the villain) more than anyone else, which is pretty awesome.
Gameplay
The gameplay is really simple. It’s mostly just a standard visual novel: scroll through text and occasionally choose from different options to change the direction of the story. For the first half, a lot of the choices are just to determine who you’ll end up with. The second half is unique to the character you have the highest affection with at the end of Stage 3, and those choices are mostly to get more affection with that character so you can get the happy ending.
At certain key moments, it’ll be up to you to get some “Insight” and figure out which part of the puzzle everyone is missing. Only one word is right, but you can guess three things, and as long as one of them is the right one you can move on. If you fail, it’s game over in most cases, so make sure you save at least once per chapter.
Here is the walkthrough I used, in case you’re like me and are only interested in getting certain endings…
Shidou is the handsome police detective. Romance
I’ll be honest, I didn’t look up anything about the characters or anything before I started, so based on the look of the sprites, I thought Saki was around 15 or 16 years old, Wakasa and Meoshi were about the same or a little older (17-19), Mitarashi was in his 20s, Shidou and Urabe were in their 30s, and Shirabe was in his 40s. That didn’t stop me from doing Shidou’s and Shirabe’s routes first, but I did feel a little guilty about it. As a 20-something who is attracted to older, mature men, it made a lot of sense to go after Shidou, Shirabe, or Urabe, and I really appreciated having so many older options because normally there’s only one, if that. But… it was hard to separate myself from Saki, this young high school girl who has no business flirting with these men twice her age when she’s still a minor, and so as a result, the feelings I felt while playing these two routes were a mix of “ASFJKDSL THAT’S SO FREAKING SWEET AND ADORABLE” and “OMFG, WHY AM I DOING THIS? THIS IS SO CREEPY, I’M SUCH A HORRIBLE PERSON.”
Since beginning writing this post, though, I’ve looked at Aksys’ website, which claims that Saki is 18 (I’m not sure I believe it, not when they specifically mention her being still in high school) and Shidou is actually the youngest of the adults at only 22 (I don’t think I believe that, either… I mean, how could he have already been promoted to detective? He’s barely old enough to have graduated from the police academy, right?). Shirabe is only 32, which I guess makes sense if Shidou and Urabe are only 20-something. Uh…so… my impressions may not make as much sense now that I know their “real” ages. That said…
Shidou is the cool, sexy, and intelligent police detective. I did him first for…well…obvious reasons: his awesome hair, his sexy voice, dat suit. At first, he’s kind of annoying because he pushes chivalry too far and is always talking about how Saki is a woman and so she shouldn’t be putting herself in danger, but once she calls him out on it (I thought it was hilarious that he liked getting yelled at), he reverts to more of a neutral “I just want to protect everyone” stance. He’s the natural leader of the group, and though he’s not a one-man team by any means, it’s obvious that everyone would have a hard time without his quick thinking and overall badassery to help them through the games. And I get the feeling that his route is one of the few where you actually play every game in every stage, so in retrospect, it was the perfect route to start with.
His romance was very sweet and, even though the story only lasts for 7 days, it felt very believable and not at all contrived. You could see how his general protectiveness gradually turned into “I really want to protect this person” as he learned to open up to and even rely on Saki, whose emotional strength and intelligence he recognized and admired. Still, though, I was surprised that the age difference was never mentioned (now I realize why – four years isn’t that bad), and when they started dating at the end, I kept thinking, “Gee, better not let any of your cop buddies find out what you’re up to or you’ll be in biiiiiiig trouble, bud.”
Shirabe is a grumpy old dad, making the romance a little awkward. Shirabe is pretty much the typical old-man journalist trope, similar to Motomi from Togainu no Chi or Soseki from Harvest Moon: A New Beginning. He’s knowledgeable about a lot of things, though he plays his cards close to the chest at first, and respects Saki’s intelligence and insight. Unlike Shidou’s route, which was just as much about the team as it was about him and Saki, Shirabe’s route was pretty much all about his daughter, Mai, and him searching for the truth about his friend’s death, leaving the team behind for the entire second half of the game. Though it sheds some more light on the story’s mystery, you miss out on a lot of important events, so I suggest NOT doing this route first.
His romance suffers from the same thing Motomi’s does, for those who have played that game – his affection feels gentle and fatherly…until it doesn’t. In other words, it goes from “Aww, you remind me of my kid” to “I really wanna bang you” in the space of a breath. Okay, okay, it’s not quite that bad in Shirabe’s route because at least you can kind of pinpoint the scene where the shift starts, so it’s not so sudden (and he never compares you to his daughter since she’s too young). Personally, I thought his story was more interesting than Shidou’s, but because his story took precedence, the romantic chemistry wasn’t as strong (and it suffered from the usual “Aren’t I too old for you?” attempted push-away). Still, it definitely had its moments, especially since I felt that they were on pretty equal footing – sure, Shirabe protected Saki as expected, but Saki also risked her life to protect him, so it was a two-way street. I liked that a lot.
Anyway, I’ll probably play a few more routes before I put this one down, because it’s driving me crazy that I don’t know the whole story yet. >o< If I do play some more routes, I’ll probably post my impressions of those as well, assuming I don’t get too lazy.
Oh, and if anyone knows how to transfer screenshots from your PSP to the computer, tell me! Then I can replace these pictures with my personal favorite screencaps and CGs. 😀
Originally posted December 8, 2013 on Tumblr.
“Beyond: Two Souls” Review: A Somehow Romantic Psychic Thriller
Recently, the crazy Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals we had here in the States afforded me the chance to buy and play a couple of games that I probably wouldn’t have otherwise: Sweet Fuse: At Your Side, an otome visual novel localized by Aksys Games (the same people who localized Hakuouki, one of my favorite VNs and anime series) and Beyond: Two Souls by Quantic Dream (the same company behind Heavy Rain and Indigo Prophecy, both great games where your choices determine the outcome of the story).
I expected Beyond to be good, and it was just as visually stunning and beautifully written as I expected. However, I wasn’t expecting much from Sweet Fuse other than some brief entertainment, and instead I was pleasantly surprised because it turned out to be much deeper than the setting let on.
The short story is that if you haven’t played these games, GO OUT AND PLAY THEM! Seriously, if you like games with strong female protagonists who aren’t painfully stereotyped “strong independent women who don’t need no man,” or if you just like visual novel-esque games with romantic elements, then you will like these games.
If you want more reasons to like them, or if you’re just curious as to my thoughts, then keep reading. Minor spoilers!
Since I played Beyond first (after standing in line for two hours at GameStop on Black Friday), I’ll start with my thoughts on it.
First, let me just put this out there: I love Jodie, the main character. She’s painfully awkward in most situations, she’s a total drama queen, and she relies on Aiden (the source of her psychic-y powers) way too much, but I freakin’ love her because she’s just so… human.
There are definitely times when she is brave and strong – for instance, when she faces a building full of monsters (with the bodies of brutally murdered scientists and soldiers strewn across the floor) alone, or when she sucks it up and works her ass off training for the CIA even though it wasn’t her choice to join. But there also times when her weakness shows, like when she throws angry fits or breaks down during missions (or puts her faith in the wrong people…). She can kick ass and take names when she wants to, but for the most part, she doesn’t – she just wants to do the right thing, and live as normal a life as possible. Ultimately, she’s just so vulnerable and genuine that you can’t help but feel for her, even if you’re like me and roll your eyes at some of the stupid things she does sometimes.
Run while you can, Jodie. Gameplay
The game is essentially a play-through movie. In between the (awesomely cinematic) cutscenes, you move your character around and investigate things (or perform certain tasks if it calls for it). Not only do you control Jodie, but you also control Aiden, a spiritual entity connected to Jodie who can do typical poltergeist things like making objects shake, making lights/electronics flicker/static, briefly possessing people, etc. To progress through each chapter, each representing one of Jodie’s memories, you have to utilize both Jodie and Aiden’s skills to explore, solve puzzles, and take out enemies.
Where the story can change slightly is through choices you make during dialogue (though most dialogue choices don’t seem to dramatically affect the outcome of scenes) and by how well you do in quick-time events. If you’re unfamiliar with Quantic Dream’s games, quick-time events comprise fighting and action scenes, and require you to press the right button at the right time. Failing these events generally doesn’t end in game over, but rather affects the story by letting certain characters die or leading to different scenes (or just making you wince as poor Jodie lets out a cry of pain BECAUSE A GIANT MONSTER JUST STABBED HER IN THE LEG WITH A BIG BLACK TENTACLE – GOOD JOB).
Personally, I appreciate these kind of gameplay-light games because I’m not that great at games that require a lot of coordination and skill. And in this case, I liked that Jodie’s strength wasn’t based on her physical abilities (though her takedown sequences are pretty badass), but rather on her mental abilities – using Aiden to solve puzzles of locked doors or missing items, or using stealth to avoid enemies or take them out before they see you.
Romance
There are opportunities to engage in several relationships over the course of the game, some of which are more important and dramatic than others (*cough*Ryan*cough*). I thought it was nice that the game actually did give you a bit of a choice in which romance to pursue to the end rather than forcing one on you, along with the choice to forgo the romantic ending altogether and meet up with an old friend (and live with her and her baby) instead.
I’ve only played through once so far, and during my playthrough, I was determined to end up with Jay, the hot Native American boy, after I played his chapter. The other romantic option was Ryan, who was obviously the main love interest, but he was such a jerk during his introduction scene that I was like “F* you” and made it my job to break his heart as many times as humanly possible (“I don’t care if you’re freezing to death, I HATE YOU AND I ALWAYS HAVE, SO STOP PROCLAIMING YOUR LOVE TO ME, YOU JERKFACE”). However, after completing the game and having a not-so-satisfying ending with Jay (it was just a silent “Welcome back” followed by a brief after-sex scene…which, while I appreciated seeing Jay all hot and nearly naked, had no actual interaction and was thus pretty lame from a romantic standpoint), and after seeing Ryan’s generous and unconditional love for Jodie, I think I’ll pursue him in my next playthough.
Jodie and the mad scientist who raised her, Nathan Jodie’s relationships with the boys weren’t really that important, though. Her relationship with Aiden, who is such an important part of her and who she is, and her relationship with the doctor, Nathan, who acts as her surrogate father for most of the story, are so much more important. I could rant forever about her relationship with Nathan and whether he ever actually cared about her or not, but I’ll leave that for another time (if anyone is curious, though, feel free to ask about it).
Recommendation
Honestly, though I thoroughly enjoyed it, the game is pretty short – it only took me a day to beat it – and the plot is a bit muddled and confusing (especially for the first half when you still have no idea what’s going on), so I would suggest either buying the game on sale ($60 is just way too much for such a short game) or renting it.
If you’re a completionist who plans on choosing every single choice and finding every bonus package (some are pretty cool, like a CGI short parodying an RPG), then you might find it more worth the money to buy it. If you’re worried about not liking the gameplay style, try playing Heavy Rain first (it’s been out for a while so it’s cheaper) – if you liked it, then you’ll probably like Beyond. I know I did. 🙂
Feel free to comment or discuss the game with me. I would love to hear your opinions!
Originally posted December 7, 2013 on Tumblr.
“Nachtigal” Game Review: Gothic Adventure in a Vampire’s Lair
Title screen for “Nachtigal” featuring the two possible love interests. My impression of this game can be summed up in one word: Beautiful.
The design was beautiful. The art was beautiful. The music was beautiful. The characters were beautiful
ly quirky. For a “short” game, it was well-paced and the characters were surprisingly well-developed. Overall, I really loved it and I suggest that anyone who loves otome games or vampires should play it. Seriously.It’s available though a pay-what-you-want system (which I think it genius) and can be downloaded here. You don’t have to pay anything if you don’t want to, but the peeps at Cyanide Tea are behind a lot of really great, high-quality games (including Break Chance Memento, which I’ve been looking forward to forever), so support them if you can!
Warning: Possible spoilers for Luca ahead!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this game, it’s that if I were ever trapped in a house with sexy vampires, I would get myself killed in less than five minutes. Yeah…that’s encouraging, right?
Thankfully, though, through the heavy use of the rollback feature, I managed to get Luca’s ending. If you don’t know, Luca is this sexy mofo:
Miranda finds herself swept off her feet by the charming Luca. Let’s be frank: Luca is the classic cold-and-stoic-until-he-meets-the-right-girl type that I love, plus he wears a suit, which is an automatic +100 sexy points. There was very little chance that I could not like his route.
That said, here’s a little background: though he’s technically part of the Nachtigal family, Luca is more like Adrian’s
butlerservant. He’s cold at first, being quick to snap your neck at the slightest insolence (pro tip: don’t even try to talk out of turn), and in contrast to Adrian, he cares a lot about tradition and formalities.However, once you melt his icy, icy heart with your optimism and wit, you realize that he’s not as stiff and mean as he seems at first (of course). In fact, he’s actually pretty laid-back and finds it fun to tease Miranda, which is pretty cute. They have a lot of great dialogue together, and seeing them gang up on Adrian in one scene was particularly hilarious.
Another of my favorite scenes was when Luca tells Miranda that he actually prefers her in her baggy jeans and jacket as opposed to the fine Victorian dress Adrian forces her into at the beginning. Just sort of shows that he only cares about formalities where the Nachtigal family – and specifically Adrian – is involved because that’s his ‘duty’, but when it’s just him, he doesn’t really care about all that.
So yeah… I’m pretty happy with my choice and I’m more than satisfied with how it played out. And Luca’s route gave me just enough insight into Adrian that I’m interested in playing his route, too, even though he’s not my usual type.
…Now to wait for the walkthrough so I can get all the other endings, haha. <3
Feel free to comment or discuss the game with me. I would love to hear your opinions!
Originally posted November 5, 2013 on Tumblr.