calc84maniac
Member
Official Website | Review Thread
SPOILER-POSTING GUIDELINES:
The story of this visual novel has many twists and turns, so please be considerate and use spoiler tags when appropriate, labeling the spoilers with the chapter number or character route.
Also, not everyone might have played other games in the Science Adventure series, so tag and label any spoilers from those as well. Thank you.
(Shout-out to MrComputerRevo, who helped translate the character descriptions from the Japanese homepage!)
Teaser Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av8LYoSEsKw
New Generation Madness Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwy4kJAyGLY
Character Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLurJpnf8gk
Launch Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpPcJsZ3kfk
First Hour Gameplay (Rice Digital): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFfpRRww31k
What is Chaos;Child, and Why Should You Care? (Fan Video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbF4-DGAPf0
How long is the game?
Most estimates put it at over 50 hours to reach the final ending. (I've heard that the pacing is much more even than Steins;Gate, so it shouldn't be as much of a slog at the start.)
Hope you like reading!
How hard is it to reach the true ending?
First of all, I'm obligated to say that you should play absolutely blind for your first playthrough. No guide. You'll thank me later.
Once you're done with that, here's how the route structure works (no story spoilers):
For your first playthrough, you're locked to the common route. In subsequent playthroughs, certain delusion and map triggers will affect story branching points.
To unlock the true ending you'll first have to reach all the other main (non-Bad) endings. The true ending will then be accessible from the title screen.
If you want a simple 100% guide with recommended route order (after you reach your first ending), here you go: https://pastebin.com/maNKVYzA
What's the difference between the PS4 and Vita versions?
PS4 is native 1080p, Vita is native 540p. That's it. (There's no cross-buy or cross-save, to my knowledge.)
Also, Vita is portable if you like that sort of thing. Or you can play it on PSTV. And Vita screenshots have no watermark, against all odds!
What's the streaming policy?
Just like with Steins;Gate 0, full-game streams are embargoed. PQube stated the first couple hours are fine to stream, and I believe the PS4 version allows streaming through Chapter 1 (same as in Japan).
However, you can still take screenshots at any point in the game (unlike a certain recent VN-like which shall remain unnamed), so I'd personally recommend that for sharing your playthroughs with others, as long as you're mindful of spoilers!
I can see why they're limiting streams, since there's not much in the way of gameplay that would provide a very different experience compared to a Let's Play, which could have a serious effect on sales for a game this niche.
Should I watch the anime first?
Absolutely not. The game came first, and the anime cuts out so much that it only serves to spoil the game while leaving out most of the plot and character development. Watch it after playing the game if you want to see key scenes animated.
If you already watched the anime and liked the concept but it left you wanting, I can definitely recommend you pick up the game to fill in the gaps and experience the alternate routes.
Are there plans to release this game on other platforms?
Currently, none announced. 5pb. Games has stated they plan to bring more existing titles to Steam soon, and since a PC port already exists in Japan, it would be a no-brainer to bring it over. The only question is when.
There are also iOS/Android ports in Japan, and I consider those possible if enough interest is shown in the console releases.
I heard Chaos;Child is the fourth main entry in the Science Adventure series. Is it really okay to start with this one?
Short answer: Yes.
Long answer:
The story takes place six years after the events of Chaos;Head, which was also set in Shibuya. However, the cast and plot of Chaos;Child are entirely new, though certain key events from Chaos;Head are used as a backdrop. Everything you'll need to know from Chaos;Head (which isn't much) is summarized in the prologue.
Playing Chaos;Head first doesn't hurt, but as it only has a bare-minimum fan translation available (and most regard it a worse game than Chaos;Child), I can't whole-heartedly recommend it. And for what it's worth, Chaos;Head can also be played after Chaos;Child as a prequel. But even more so than Chaos;Child, don't watch the anime.
And yes, Chaos;Child takes place in the same world as Steins;Gate, so those who have played it may notice some references!