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[Hot Coldman]

The "ungame" shit is unbearable. The article is pretty much just one lie after another. If people don't like the game or the format that's fine, but there's a complete lack of critical thought in most of what they put out and what you're left with is primarily a bunch of whining about semantics and their unrealistic expectations.

OK, then what you should say is "John Walker needs to improve his critical writing." Which he does, because the "I'm going to throw out some thoughts I have about this thing" stance only goes so far (as his MW3 'Wot I Think' showed) and so does his "don't get too worked up about this article coz it's not official and is only representative of me" thing. But throwing RPS under the bus for it seems harsh. I know he's like one of the site's main writers, but still.

And I don't think he lies, because, you know, opinions. If he feels the game isn't giving him reasons to engage with the characters, then there's nothing that can be done about that. To be honest, for the beginning I was mostly carrying on with it for the hell of it, it's only in Act 2 when I started noticing I actually was enjoying the writing. But he definitely trips up over his concern over what he should think of KS as. He'd find writing easier, and would avoid pissing off people, if he just looked at it as a piece of entertainment, and how he found it. No-one really minds if its a game or not, if it can make the rounds of game sites it clearly falls enough into the vast boundaries of what is a game is then people are going to be cool with it.

It's not like he's reviewing a 'Choose Your Own Adventure!' book... although this isn't far off that, really, heh.

 

[dimb]

There's just a complete lack of understanding on his part of what he's doing. The only logical outcomes are that he is a liar, or profoundly dense in ways that he has no idea what is going on in the world around him.

He acknowledges up front that the game is about interpersonal relationships and disabilities, but goes on to complain that the game is about talking to people with disabilities. Like, seriously. He cannot figure out why he is talking to the people in this game.

Stuff like this in the article:

It spends more time making me read an argument about joining the council than it did introducing the heart attack, or the subsequent life-changing consequences.
...
Why would I ever care about Hisao’s morning running routine for more than a sentence, let alone literally half an hour of conversations, looping endlessly around the same topics, hurting my will to live?

Is just not true. To the point where it's not even something I can look at and be like, "Well maybe he just interpreted this differently than me." The writer is just some hack writer who is desperately searching for words to fill space and try to make it look like enough is written here to justify him posting an article and having an opinion. Like I said before, it's totally cool if people don't like the game, but lying about things to justify your opinion only makes the discussion confusing, and detracts from any real arguments or discussion that could be gained.

And then he just starts making stuff up. Like if there was some alternate world where Katawa Shoujo was a comic it would be shit because all the drawings are the same. Like...what does this even mean? And then the article goes on to belittle people who like the game, and to spoil stuff without any real commentary about it beyond an implied and juvenile, "lol, this game". This article is terrible, like most of the opinion pieces on the site. Otherwise RPS is just a repository for PC gaming news, which is somehow more forgivable than every other gaming news website out there because it's PC games or something, I dunno.

 

[redlemon]

Bad websites continue to be bad.

RPS is a fine site. A VN like Katawa Shoujo is far closer to a novel than a game. I agree he shouldn't criticise it for what it isn't but that doesn't invalidate an entire site.

 

[Hot Coldman]

Most of their opinion pieces are good. This is an exception, sadly.

 

[Basileus777]

I finished Shizune's route, and it was pretty disappointing. It was easily the weakest route in the game, something about the writing in this path just made it feel so different than everything else in the novel. I still have Rin left though, so it looks like I can finish the game with a stronger route.

 

[SappYoda]

My mind is blown every time Hisao

Spoiler

drinks or smokes. Isn't he taking medicine?? And a big amount iirc.

I love this game btw.

 

[Basileus777]

My mind is blown every time Hisao

Spoiler

drinks or smokes. Isn't he taking medicine?? And a big amount iirc.

I love this game btw.

Yeah, you would think that someone taking 17 pills every morning for a severe heart condition would be unable to drink alcohol.

 

[notworksafe]

Yeah, you would think that someone taking 17 pills every morning for a severe heart condition would be unable to drink alcohol.

Eh, a light amount of boozing isn't so bad. Smoking would be a big no-no, however.

 

[Jintor]

RPS isn't bad. Far from it.

And complaining about people not 'getting' VNs seems... hard. Like, it'd be easier to just say 'well whatever' and carry on. It's hard to argue against, it's a pretty Marmite thing.

It's just so subjective there's no way to counter it. How can you argue against the way something else made someone feel? Although he does say some pretty nonsensical stuff. Lol comics.

Honestly, I'm tempted to get an article published/adapt Katawa Shoujo into a comic just to prove him wrong.

 

[Soma]

Finished up Lilly's route.

Man that was great. Even though I accidentally spoiled myself on the good ending, it still got me a bit teary eyed by how everything happened. I really liked how everything unfolded and at the end everything felt very fullfilling and definitely helped wash away the slight disappointment that was Shizune's arc.

Spoiler

Hanako opens up more, Lilly and Shizune share a brief moment of peacefulness between each other which I thought was nice, and Akira even seems to have a good ending too.

The good ending might've been a tad cliched but I don't give a damn because it made me smile. If I had one complaint it's that I thought the

Spoiler

first few sex scenes happened a bit too sudden but I dunno maybe i'm just too old-fashioned like that lol

I think I'm done with this for now as I was really only interested in the Lilly, Emi, and Shizune paths. All in all, I gotta say I was surprised at how much I enjoyed myself and how I got into the stories. It seriously took some effort to give this VN a shot given the premise but I'm glad I did. The dialogue was solid and the characters were very interesting especially in how they handled their personal issues. By the time Act 2 rolled around in the arcs it's like I completely forgot about their disabilities. The effort put into this project is honestly pretty damn impressive especially with them just giving it away for free.

Now I gotta go find me a IRL waifu.

 

[RyougaSaotome]

On Rin's route, my last one. Just hit the beginning of chapter 3.

Spoiler

What a whirlwind of strangeness. I feel really bad for Hisao on this one because it seems like he's struggling to come out of his hole WAY more in this route than in any of the others. Part of that is because the one person outside of Emi that he's actually socializing with isn't very good at it. I loved the bit at the end of chapter 2 when Rin just lets the floodgates open and gets everything she says out in one huge chunk. I hope everything turns out ok. I can already feel the dread sneaking up. x_x

 

[notworksafe]

On Rin's route, my last one. Just hit the beginning of chapter 3.

Spoiler

What a whirlwind of strangeness. I feel really bad for Hisao on this one because it seems like he's struggling to come out of his hole WAY more in this route than in any of the others. Part of that is because the one person outside of Emi that he's actually socializing with isn't very good at it. I loved the bit at the end of chapter 2 when Rin just lets the floodgates open and gets everything she says out in one huge chunk. I hope everything turns out ok. I can already feel the dread sneaking up. x_x

Have fun! It only gets crazier from here on out!

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

On Rin's route, my last one. Just hit the beginning of chapter 3.

Spoiler

What a whirlwind of strangeness. I feel really bad for Hisao on this one because it seems like he's struggling to come out of his hole WAY more in this route than in any of the others. Part of that is because the one person outside of Emi that he's actually socializing with isn't very good at it. I loved the bit at the end of chapter 2 when Rin just lets the floodgates open and gets everything she says out in one huge chunk. I hope everything turns out ok. I can already feel the dread sneaking up. x_x

Like the economy, things will get worse before they get better. But boy what a payoff, it's subtle, but handled oh so beautifully. Rin is my crazy, space-case waifu. People who say otherwise just don't get jellyfish the way I do.

 

[RyougaSaotome]

Dem jellyfish. They be hard to explain yo.

 

[zero01101]

Pleasepleaseplease post again when you finish her route.

as requested.

after successfully (accidentally?) getting good endings for emi and rin

Spoiler

and also falling to my inebriated demise

i FINALLY got on hanako's course

Spoiler

and got the bad ending twice HOLY FUCKSTICKS when she screams she hates lilly... now THAT stung. more than when she said she hated me. such a torrent of repressed, venomous bile.

and it wasn't at all what i expected. i cried at emi's, but i didn't cry at hanako's. i was proud. i felt like i actually Won This Game. it's quite arresting the level of care one can place unto a digital representation of an ideal of a character. the level of personality development is nothing less than miraculous, and even the [obviously] cliché plot points were immediately forgotten as i started becoming more cautious in my (deceivingly minor in appearance) branch decisions, considering not only what i was attempting to draw out of this experience which has now consumed half of a full-time work week of my life, but how it would affect the intangible, invented, non-existent "people" that i was interacting with therein. if i piss off lilly, it's going to go bad with hanako. if i get too chummy with emi, it could alienate rin. none of these people have any bearing on my day-to-day life, but i gave far too much of a shit about what happened.

i seriously think i have to stop playing now.

meta-commentary, even due to my initial white-knighting and desire to save hanako, i was infinitely more enthralled with the intensity and how uttlerly opaque and indistinguishable rin's story was. i was never aware if i was making the right call. not once.

and to echo an opinion i've seen bandied about here, the sex scenes are honestly done with infitely more tact and class than i was expecting. as far as i can tell, the stories and characterizations wouldn't be the same without them. it's clearly why a lot of people will play this initially, but i can only hope that they come for the porn, yet stay for the honesty.

 

[Hot Coldman]

Yeah, you would think that someone taking 17 pills every morning for a severe heart condition would be unable to drink alcohol.

I'm in college and the general reaction to anyone who's not supposed to be drinking (usually only for just 24 hours after taking some medication) is 'FUCK IT I'MMA GET RAT-ARSED', so yeah. Teenagers.

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

as requested.

after successfully (accidentally?) getting good endings for emi and rin

Spoiler

and also falling to my inebriated demise

i FINALLY got on hanako's course

Spoiler

and got the bad ending twice

and it wasn't at all what i expected. i cried at emi's, but i didn't cry at hanako's. i was proud. i felt like i actually Won This Game. it's quite arresting the level of care one can place unto a digital representation of an ideal of a character. the level of personality development is nothing less than miraculous, and even the [obviously] cliché plot points were immediately forgotten as i started becoming more cautious in my (deceivingly minor in appearance) branch decisions, considering not only what i was attempting to draw out of this experience which has now consumed half of a full-time work week of my life, but how it would affect the intangible, invented, non-existent "people" that i was interacting with therein. if i piss off lilly, it's going to go bad with hanako. if i get too chummy with emi, it could alienate rin. none of these people have any bearing on my day-to-day life, but i gave far too much of a shit about what happened.

i seriously think i have to stop playing now.

meta-commentary, even due to my initial white-knighting and desire to save hanako, i was infinitely more enthralled with the intensity and how uttlerly opaque and indistinguishable rin's story was. i was never aware if i was making the right call. not once.

and to echo an opinion i've seen bandied about here, the sex scenes are honestly done with infitely more tact and class than i was expecting. as far as i can tell, the stories and characterizations wouldn't be the same without them. it's clearly why a lot of people will play this initially, but i can only hope that they come for the porn, yet stay for the honesty.

Most definitely. I really feel like they are an integral part of the core experience and help define the nature of the relationships between Hisao and the girls. Rin's in particular, the second time

Spoiler

When you towel her off from the rain

almost made me lose it. She looked so sad and broken.

You know, I almost don't want to finish this in the same way I sometimes don't want to finish a book or a game or a comic, you feel sad that it's all over. Maybe the guys and gals who made this will get together again and pen some more stuff. Hell, At the Drive In just reunited. I'm sure crazier shit is possible.

 

[Jintor]

Delicious reactions, I eat them up.

Rin's route actually does make sense, but the differences are so minute and detailed that you have to be a fucking psychic to understand why it does on a single readthrough.

 

[zero01101]

Rin's in particular, the second time

Spoiler

When you towel her off from the rain

almost made me lose it. She looked so sad and broken.

agreed several thousand percent. by far and large, the most impactful moment to her arc. chilling within its introductory clinical approach, and then...

Hell, At the Drive In just reunited. I'm sure crazier shit is possible.

REFUSED TOO

my conflicts on this matter are HILARIOUSLY inappropriate for the gaming forum however :3

Rin's route actually does make sense, but the differences are so minute and detailed that you have to be a fucking psychic to understand why it does on a single readthrough.

when it ended, i was considering pursuing her again just to... well, truthfully, just learn more. i think this may have convinced me. rin is a goddamn riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a boys' uniform.

 

[falconzss]

I finished Shizune's route, and it was pretty disappointing. It was easily the weakest route in the game, something about the writing in this path just made it feel so different than everything else in the novel. I still have Rin left though, so it looks like I can finish the game with a stronger route.

Well I've only seen the bad ending so far (

Spoiler

poor Misha ) but I like the fact that Shizune's route distinguishes itself from the others. Though it doesn't change the fact that I found Shizune's character too demanding. I still loved seeing her wearing her nice dress and yukata The ending felt a bit anticlimatic but maybe I'm just bitter that Hisao can't date Misha Hell I would have been fine with Shizune dumping Hisao for Misha in the end. Guess I'll go for the good ending this time even though I'm already eagerly anticipating Rin's route after all those positiv comments in this thread.

 

[Makoto]

So each path had a different writer right? The Misao in Sihzune's path is very different in his internal monologue and external dialogue than the Misao from Emi's path and I have a strong feeling it goes beyond the mere, "it's a different girl he's going after so of course he's going to act differently."

 

[Proven]

So each path had a different writer right? The Misao in Sihzune's path is very different in his internal monologue and external dialogue than the Misao from Emi's path and I have a strong feeling it goes beyond the mere, "it's a different girl he's going after so of course he's going to act differently."

Yeah. He thinks differently and deals with his arrhythmia differently. I'm almost 100% certain it's different writers.

 

[PataHikari]

So each path had a different writer right? The Misao in Sihzune's path is very different in his internal monologue and external dialogue than the Misao from Emi's path and I have a strong feeling it goes beyond the mere, "it's a different girl he's going after so of course he's going to act differently."

Different things happen to him so of course he turns out from different.

 

[Thoraxes]

So each path had a different writer right? The Misao in Sihzune's path is very different in his internal monologue and external dialogue than the Misao from Emi's path and I have a strong feeling it goes beyond the mere, "it's a different girl he's going after so of course he's going to act differently."

Correct. I actually thought this was both a blessing and a curse, but I really liked the way it turned out with the portrayal of Hisao.

 

[Jintor]

Correct. I actually thought this was both a blessing and a curse, but I really liked the way it turned out with the portrayal of Hisao.

It's not completely true since they all edit one another's work and to my knowledge the Lily and Shizune writers had to work together quite a bit (as presumably did the other 'pairs', though Lily and Shizune are exceptions to this). Hisao's reactions though probably are on the main writer of each path to decide.

Like I said before though, I don't think it's that he acts differently because he's going after a different girl - it's he goes after a different girl because he acts differently. Your choices in Act One determine your Hisao which determines your path.

 

[RyougaSaotome]

I really enjoyed how Hisao has turned out differently in each path. This is as much his story as it is theirs and I think it's important that he develops.

And it makes total sense too. The choices you make in Act 1 are pretty personality defining, so depending on the route, he's bound to change a lot.

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

It's not completely true since they all edit one another's work and to my knowledge the Lily and Shizune writers had to work together quite a bit (as presumably did the other 'pairs', though Lily and Shizune are exceptions to this). Hisao's reactions though probably are on the main writer of each path to decide.

Like I said before though, I don't think it's that he acts differently because he's going after a different girl - it's he goes after a different girl because he acts differently. Your choices in Act One determine your Hisao which determines your path.

Yeah, after seeing the stark contrast between Hisao on Emi's path (playful and cocky) vs. Rin's (introverted and quiet), I totally agree with that interpretation. I don't really get the Hisao is a whiny bitch posts either, maybe he's a whiny bitch in the other routes, but I didn't really get the sense that he was in the routes that I played.

 

[Jintor]

I know you like KS Dynamite Ringo but put your face back on until February at least

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

I know you like KS Dynamite Ringo but put your face back on until February at least

But... But... I have to... CHANGE... I dunno, I might change it back in a bit. Was just testing. I was thinking of maybe an avatar of a dandelion too

REFUSED TOO

DUDE...the things I would do to attend Coachella this year

 

[RyougaSaotome]

Yeah, after seeing the stark contrast between Hisao on Emi's path (playful and cocky) vs. Rin's (introverted and quiet), I totally agree with that interpretation. I don't really get the Hisao is a whiny bitch posts either, maybe he's a whiny bitch in the other routes, but I didn't really get the sense that he was in the routes that I played.

The whiny bitch stuff really throws me off. The guy likely won't live past 30 (except for maybe Emi's route) and has gone through a complete 180 in terms of how he leads his life/his situation. All things considered, he does pretty well for himself.

 

[NightmareTrigger]

This is my first VN, and...what is this salty discharge?

 

[Jintor]

That depends if you've disabled adult content or not.

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

That depends if you've disabled adult content or not.

Lol, I think he's referring to all the feels he can't hold in

when it ended, i was considering pursuing her again just to... well, truthfully, just learn more. i think this may have convinced me. rin is a goddamn riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped in a boys' uniform.

Spoiler

I think when you reduce it to its simplest form, it's that she is introverted/antisocial, and has great difficulty expressing herself with words. It really feels like she has a high functioning level of autism. She mentions that her only friends were pens and paint because they were the only things she could understand, and honestly, without hands, it wasn't like she had a lot of options in terms of hobbies. Painting was all she could do, and was her chief means of communicating the things she could not express with words.

She's crippled with loneliness but lacks the means with which to reach out. There is a sort of ship of Theseus element to her storyline. It's important to remember that she naively sought a sense of identity within her works which are ever changing. She mistakenly believes that others can perhaps understand her if she's able to purge all of the art that's within her, that the bulk of her work would reflect upon her as an individual, but she fails to understand that others can not interpret what she creates. And this is what brings her great sadness.

I think the saddest part was Hisao's realization that neither could ever be what the other wanted or needed. I also need to mention how much mileage they got out of the line, "what is the word for?" I had a big smile when she said, "the word for a flock of butterflies is a swarm." and overwhelming feels when she asks, "what is the word for when it feels inside your heart that everything in the world is all right?" Bah, such a great arc, I hope Lilly's will be good too.

 

[Jintor]

Lol, I think he's referring to all the feels he can't hold in

Exactly!

 

[NightmareTrigger]

Exactly!

Oh Jintor, you so crazy!

 

[Kyuur]

So, I got my first ending in this! Time to replay it I guess.

Spoiler

I fell off of a roof during Act I. Worst ending ever?

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

... How does that even happen? :l You might as well quit while you're ahead, you're clearly not hasubando material.

 

[Kyuur]

Clearly. ;_;

But seriously, how should I go about replaying? Skip mode, choose different choices? I've never really played a visual novel before so I'm not sure how to go about it. I really don't want to read everything again, haha.

 

[Basileus777]

With the default options, skip mode only skips through text you've already seen, so you can set it to skip mode and only pay attention to new scenes.

 

[Regulus Tera]

I don't know how the fuck it happened, but I ended up in Emi's path. I was shooting for Lilly's, dammit.

Hahaha, Emi's pretty cute, I'm not that bothered. Her sections in Arc 1 were the most fun.

 

[Kyuur]

Alright, I clearly suck bad at this. Chose all the opposite choices and still

Spoiler

ended up falling off the roof

. >_>

 

[SappYoda]

I don't know how the fuck it happened, but I ended up in Emi's path. I was shooting for Lilly's, dammit.

Hahaha, Emi's pretty cute, I'm not that bothered. Her sections in Arc 1 were the most fun.

That's for showing off ;P

The same thing happened to me and I ended liking her the most.

 

[Crash Station]

Played for like 20 minutes up to where you meet the nurse. It's alright I guess. Doubt it will have the same effect on me as certain other VNs, but I'll continue to play nonetheless because I like the premise.

 

[RyougaSaotome]

Guys, I have a bad case of the feels. =(

Just completed Rin's route. I'm officially finished with the game.

Only Rin Spoilers.

Spoiler

Holy shit what a fucking roller coaster of emotion and depression and stress and uggghhhhhh. I managed to get one of her bad ends in Act 3, but when I got back on track, they ended up having the same conversation only in a different setting, leading me to panic. Fortunately that was the path to the true end. Still, I felt a lot of tearing up as I neared the end. There's a lot of hope for the two of them, but at the end of the day I think Hisao and Rin have the most difficult path laid out before them. It's heartbreaking but at the same time touching.

And now for my spoiler thoughts in general along with some feels:

Spoiler

While I felt deeply connected to pretty much all the routes (save for Shizune's, despite enjoying it), at the end of the day I felt the most emotional with Emi's. I know she doesn't seem to be the most popular, but for me that story was deeply personal and actually led me to recall a lot of nostalgic memories. One of my ex-girlfriends, who I was madly in love with, was very similar when it came to distance and opening up. Despite being close to her I never felt like I was within arm's reach. One day we had a conversation at her place about how I'll probably never be able to be that close, because that's just the kind of person she is. I remember leaving shortly after and being so angry at myself for not being able to do anything to help or support her. Hell, it didn't even feel like I could be a source of support. Hearing those words from her, while it was probably a release on her end, was probably one of the most painful, dread-filled things I've ever heard from someone I cared that much about.

Which is why by the end of Emi's route, I was a fucking mess. It was as though they had taken my story and experiences, altered them a little and turned it into a VN. And while my ending wasn't as happy as Hisao and Emi's, that girl went on to become my closest friend and companion, someone I wouldn't trade the world for. For every difficult memory there's one equally as beautiful. Hanako's route was also familiar to me on a deeper level, but none of them hit quite as close to home as Emi. Certainly helped that she was the first story I pursued (just naturally, to be honest).

I wasn't expecting much from this little indie effort, but here I am five days after starting, gushing about it. I'm not fan of romantic VNs as I often feel them to be forced, unrealistic and filled with female characters that were made based on a checklist of features and requirements. Instead I got an excellent VN that took those tropes and archetypes, often times flipped them onto their heads and gave me a true emotional experience, the likes of which I haven't had from a piece of entertainment in a long time.

Sorry for the block of text, but I'm a little overwhelmed. Haha.

 

[Jintor]

Alright, I clearly suck bad at this. Chose all the opposite choices and still

Spoiler

ended up falling off the roof

. >_>

You have to be a cohesive kind of person, yo. Stick to a theme.

Re: Rin:

Spoiler

I do think that her mind works differently to most people and that she therefore finds it incredibly difficult to communicate with people. The difference is that she needs to recognise or she needs for Hisao to recognise rather that she has that difficulty. That's why the difference between "Explain it to me" and "I want to understand" is so vast. It puts the onus of understanding in a different place.

 

[zero01101]

Spoiler

when she asks, "what is the word for when it feels inside your heart that everything in the world is all right?"

christ almighty, the strength of that scene.

Spoiler

the delicate transcendence of the dandelions becoming weightless, taking flight, and rin embracing the wind...

i won't even call them manly tears. you could hear my sobbing from next door, i'd imagine. that entire arc wrecked me.

 

[Dynamite Ringo Matsuri]

christ almighty, the strength of that scene.

Spoiler

the delicate transcendence of the dandelions becoming weightless, taking flight, and rin embracing the wind...

i won't even call them manly tears. you could hear my sobbing from next door, i'd imagine. that entire arc wrecked me.

Spoiler

Yeah, the moment she leads you to her secret spot, and the dandelions were mentioned, I knew that it would factor into the ending, I just didn't expect the buildup to it to be so powerful. That they could get so much out of a few frames of dandelion animation kind of blows me away when I think about it. Everytime she asks, "Are you my friend?" Just crushes me, cause you realize that Hisao has faltered many times along the way. "I'm just the kind of person who gives up when something's not possible." The whole thing is just heartwrenching.

The author, Aura, definitely put a lot of love into crafting their relationship, there were no insane leaps of logic, or sudden changes that alienate you from the characters. I never felt cheated at any point in the way things developed, and it really is highly commendable. I also really loved the CG images for her arc too, the two smoking, walking in the rain, Hisao feeding her oranges, Rin looking very much so broken when she's being dried off, and of course Rin embracing the sky as the dusk set in. So evocative, and I hope the others are of a similar quality, as I felt more care went into hers than Emi's.

This is just a thought, but do you think your wife would enjoy KS? Would make for an epic story to share if she gave it chance. I'm always curious as to whether the average person would eke out as much enjoyment as I do out these non traditional mediums of storytelling.

Played for like 20 minutes up to where you meet the nurse. It's alright I guess. Doubt it will have the same effect on me as certain other VNs, but I'll continue to play nonetheless because I like the premise.

Lol, just stick with it man. It takes about 7 hours to complete a route from the get go, and the plots I've seen develop in a very natural way. I will say that while Saya no Uta granted me an experience unlike any I've experienced in gaming, (it was unrelentingly oppressive, alien, and disturbing) Katawa Shoujo has managed to draw out within me, emotions that I did not think this medium was capable of evoking.

Your mileage may vary of course as each girl's story is different, and some may affect you more than others. I will say that, it's been two days after I've completed Rin's path, and just thinking about certain instances, I still get a bit choked up. I went through parts of her route again last night to cull certain lines for discussion and find that they have lost none of their emotional punch. I would not consider myself to be an overly sensitive person. Films, books, music, some of these can make my emotions swell, but rarely, very rarely have I ever been moved to tears. The things that have left a lingering impression on me days after completion are some Haruki Murakami novels and the graphic novel, Y: The Last Man. In my eyes, Katawa Shoujo is keeping remarkable company. And again, I am stunned that it was made with this amount of love and care.

 

[Jintor]

I'm at the end of the third act of Lily's route.

Spoiler

So far it feels more conventional than the others in a way, but also... not...? Definitely enjoying it, but if she had been my first girl I might have been more hostile to the game or something. I think perhaps I'm just not as invested in her character as I was with Rin and Emi.

I was also probably more invested in Misha's character in the Shizune path, lol

 

[Crash Station]

Lol, just stick with it man. It takes about 7 hours to complete a route from the get go, and the plots I've seen develop in a very natural way. I will say that while Saya no Uta granted me an experience unlike any I've experienced in gaming, (it was unrelentingly oppressive, alien, and disturbing) Katawa Shoujo has managed to draw out within me, emotions that I did not think this medium was capable of evoking.

Your mileage may vary of course as each girl's story is different, and some may affect you more than others. I will say that, it's been two days after I've completed Rin's path, and just thinking about certain instances, I still get a bit choked up. I went through parts of her route again last night to cull certain lines for discussion and find that they have lost none of their emotional punch. I would not consider myself to be an overly sensitive person. Films, books, music, some of these can make my emotions swell, but rarely, very rarely have I ever been moved to tears. The things that have left a lingering impression on me days after completion are some Haruki Murakami novels and the graphic novel, Y: The Last Man. In my eyes, Katawa Shoujo is keeping remarkable company. And again, I am stunned that it was made with this amount of love and care.

I'm not even talking about Saya no Uta, but yeah I'll stick with it.

 

[Papercuts]

Finished Emi's route last night. Pretty good, and I liked that Hisao the most, really playful and happy. I busted out laughing a few times, especially

Spoiler

Rin walking in on them

. Only have Hanako and Rin left, I'm prepping myself for the manliest tears of all time.