cj_iwakura
Member
I'd make the obligatory five Kyosuke, Haken, Sanger, Date, and maybe Reiji if that's not stretching it.
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Otome Community Thread: Happiness isn't a limited commodity, my love is boundless!
- Thread starter Shizuka
- Start date
I'd make the obligatory five Kyosuke, Haken, Sanger, Date, and maybe Reiji if that's not stretching it.
kunonabi
Member
Yep, Collar X Malice is certainly sounding the like the most interesting one of the bunch followed by Bad Apple Wars. Hopefully, the protags have real personalities instead of being blank slates.
I didn't know Voltage was in Anime Expo. I probably shouldn't be surprised, but I mostly keep forgetting about them and how they're actually a big deal in the otome scene.
https://mobile.twitter.com/debaoki/status/750029024093581312
https://mobile.twitter.com/debaoki/status/750029024093581312
SouSouRocket
Member
I'm just going to play all of them, lol. <3 I'm so excited! That 18+ one intrigues me too, Little Miss whatever it was.
Really hoping Sweet School Life comes over after all... I don't care if it's repetitive, I bought it in Japanese and my Japanese is still too poor to play more than ten mins at a time and struggle terribly all the while, haha. The Hakouki boys have been my faves across all Otome I've played so far so I'll take more. I'm interested in the Code Realize fan disc as well though I grumble every time I see... fuck I can't believe I already forgot his name. The Duke or whatever. The count? The white-haired one.
SouSouRocket
Member
;_; I know how you feel.
Saint-Germain?
That's the one!! I was searching for the proper gif to respond to you with and I accidentally came across this GIF that accurately sums up my feeling on this latest slate of announcements:
That's the one!! I was searching for the proper gif to respond to you with and I accidentally came across this GIF that accurately sums up my feeling on this latest slate of announcements:
Haha, same!
FOUR new otome games. 2017 already delivered. Hoping CxM is physical, would like to import.
I like the art direction of Collar x Malice, you can feel it's gonna be "dark" which fit with the theme (I like thriller and police investigation stories in general which is why this tittle got my attention)
Japanese official website: http://www.otomate.jp/collar_malice/
Japanese official website: http://www.otomate.jp/collar_malice/
I certainly hope so, as long as it's not DL 'dark' territory.
Same ^^
Shadow Broker
Banned
Is there a version of Genre that allows you to play a male main character? If so what's it's called?
To date girls? Galge or bishoujo games? To date guys, it's BL. Unfortunately, we hardly ever get any BL games, I think we have only gotten 4 with the upcoming Hadaka (6 if you count Sekai's Korean one and that mobile game with failed Kickstarter).
I thought the community thread was going to include BL games as well, since the audience tends to overlap.
Shadow Broker
Banned
Thanks for the reply. I never knew these types of games existed until a saw a thread on Gaf a week or so ago where you play a gay college student and you can go different routes depending on who you pick or something like that.
I got the Amnesia Memories game. Haven't booted it up. Im curious to see if I can get into it since the story is from a female perspective (assuming). I'll look into the other Genre you gave. Thanks again.
It doesn't even have a release date apart from 2016 in Japan. For all we know, it could get delayed until next year. Unless they're doing a near simultaneous release.
Shizuka, pls.
Edit: I'm kinda hoping it's not short.
The Hakuoki fandisc felt pretty short. I would have felt a bit cheated if it hadn't been included with the main game.
Shizuka, pls.
Edit: I'm kinda hoping it's not short.
I just had to share that. Sorry, not sorry.
Yeah, the Hakuouki one was REALLY short. I like my VNs long, even if they're just fandiscs.
Those scenes completely blindsided me the first time. It just wasn't what I expected from a Cero B rating.
SouSouRocket
Member
Man I would be all over that but I heard it's got stats... bleh :I F2P anyway, I tried some Hakuouki rip off (it was before I had played Hakuouki) before that and it kind of confirmed for me I'm not really into mobile otome. Buying each dude's chapters is annoying.
Ugh, stats again? I've never understood why developers thought those were a good thing. They don't make the VN feel more "gamey", just annoying. Ah well, I'll at least give it a shot.
MissDeviling
Member
Same, was incredibly disappointed when I found out that most mobile otome games were like this. Stories shouldn't be told in such short chunks! Wish there were more games targeting female audiences in the console space. Shame that most JRPGs target teenage boys and young men.
At least there's FFXV's handsome male characters though lol.
Kresnik258
Member
Norn9: Last era is a fandisk right? And it's already out in Japan?
Do you think we won't be getting it in the west since Aksys announced the Code Realize fandisk and all their other otome stuff but not that?
Do you think we won't be getting it in the west since Aksys announced the Code Realize fandisk and all their other otome stuff but not that?
Probably not. Norn9...wasn't that good. A few routes were decent but that's it. At this point, I'd rather we get some new otome than the Norn9 fandisc.
Speaking of fandiscs; here's Code:Realize's opening
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4ysR1tPhTA
Kresnik258
Member
Is Norn9 not worth getting then? I'm in the mood for trying out some more VN's and am not really opposed to otome, but I'd prefer something with an over-arching plot that I can get behind. I've heard Code Realize is much better but I feel like N9 would be more what I'm after.
Norn9 is all about the romance, while Code Realize manages to be attractive even if you're not fond of romance stories.
Kresnik258
Member
Really? Tell me more. All the reviews and stuff I've read have kinda implied the opposite (Norn9 is more about the overall story; Code Realize is more about the romance). Is that not correct?
No, no. Absolutely not. The story in Norn9 is dogshit, plenty of which will make you go 'wat'. It also suffers from having too many characters - you have a bunch of routes and not enough time to properly develop said characters. Don't get me wrong, some characters are good but C:R beats it in everything by a country mile.
Everything in C:R is better; the story, the characters, the romance. There are routes in Norn9 that will make you go 'what is this garbage', while in C:R that never happens. C:R is kinda like Hakuouki in regards to the romance - you'll have to go through quite a few chapters to even get to the romance parts (even though the romance in Hakuouki takes even longer to develop).
SouSouRocket
Member
Not just that, but the romance happens so quickly it doesn't really feel earned. It kind of feels like "well here we go because this is supposed to happen." It feels like there's so many characters and so much material to go through that the routes all have to be fairly short and condensed. C:R I beat every route and felt motivated to see what the rest were whereas Norn9 I left to play Hakuouki: SSL and then I just couldn't bring myself to come back and beat it.
EDIT: Hang on, actually there is a route in C:R that made me go "wat" but it's just one thankfully, lol.
Yeah, that was a big problem as well. Stuff just happens and almost nothing feels satisfactory.
As to the 'wat' part in C:R, there were some moments but, unlike in Norn9, they were explained in a satisfactory manner.
Kresnik258
Member
Well then, will just have to take everyone's word for it and go for CR then!
I enjoyed it but I didn't finish it back when I first started it, partly because the first couple of routes I played didn't grab me the way I hoped, and partly because I got distracted by other games instead (... although to be honest, I do that a lot. My backlog has a life of its own).
I had a post ready to go with my thoughts after Alma & Higa's routes that I never posted because I figured no-one would be interested. Now people are it didn't feel right posting it while it was incomplete, so it's given me the motivation to go back and finish it off so I can give proper impressions. Now I have I really wish I'd kept going before. It grabbed me again in no time.
I've been very careful to avoid writing anything that would spoil anything, so while it might be a little over-vague at points it should all be safe to read.
I think part of what put me off the first time was that I don't think I picked the best order to play the routes in and that plot-wise the routes are a little unbalanced - there are two routes in particular that are quite clearly meant to be the "main" routes (spoiler for what those routes are)
(Alma and the Prefect)
that character is Higa
I'm still undecided on what the best way through the routes would be though :|
The game oozes style. The art and colours create really striking imagery. Also the music is fantastic, really atmospheric and fitting. The voice actors really sell their parts and are very emotive. Very emotive.
Fair warning though, the "Apple Sound" (you'll know it when you hear it, seriously) will make you wince and feel like your eardrums have been stabbed. Repeatedly.
And Satoru's voice is way too quiet. In some routes this doesn't matter but in routes where he appeared more (like, his own) I had to mess with the sound settings so I could actually hear him.
The game has a touching gimmick during most of its CGs which is utterly pointless for most of the game. Towards the end they attempt to make it have purpose by using it to determine what route you're on but really, the whole thing was sloppily implemented. (This is also where the scenes you were referring to before come into play).
Rinka, the protagonist, starts out blank, and is irritating because she spends a little too much time ruminating on her blankness, but she does have agency and she gains more. I quite like her.
The supporting cast are legitimately some of my favourite characters ever. Their story is really what keeps the game going, not the story of the protagonist and her chosen beau. This is far better than it might sound, because they're the strongest characters and most likeable people in the game. It's almost like the real purpose of the individual routes is to shine more light on each of them, because depending on who you pursue the run-up to some of the game's fixed events will see you being in different places or talking to different people, so each route adds more to the story.
As for the pursue-able characters it's not that they lack plot, it's just that the routes are somewhat uneven Certain characters were clearly favourites and certain other routes were bafflingly rushed or short on content (one character's route (spoiler for which character it is)
Shikishima's route
They still have their moments. Sweet ones and sad ones (... I kind of preferred the sad ones), and I even felt for the ones I wasn't as fond of at points.
Each character has two endings, one is generally a 'less good' end (in some cases they're a straight out 'bad end', in other cases it's a little more debatable), and the other is generally a 'good end'.
I liked some of them more than others, but then that's to be expected. I think most people will be happy with most them. There are a couple that I felt were a little... not undeserved but... being vague so as not to spoil anything it felt a bit like the game was trying to have its cake and eat it too. I understand entirely why they did it and I even quite like the outcomes... I just think I, personally, would have preferred if it they hadn't (most people would probably disagree with me and prefer them as they stand though. After people have actually played it, if anyone is still curious, I'll explain wtf I'm going on about).
TLDR version?
The best bits:
- The supporting cast are strong, interesting, and likeable.
- The voice actors really throw themselves into their roles.
- The music is atmospheric.
- The art is striking.
- The feels. They just keep coming.
- Naraka doesn't have a route.
- The plot threads were unbalanced.
- (Good Girl route/Protagonist spoilers)
.at no point did she actually become a badass masked prefect
- (Head Prefect spoilers)(multiple routes, ish)
.I never had the option to rip the ruler-sword out of the head prefect's hand and repeatedly stab him with it
- The way the game names saved screenshots is really, really shit (they're all just named BAD APPLE WARS instead of the usual year-month-day-time which means if you try to copy them over at different times they all want to overwrite each other).
- Naraka doesn't have a route
I didn't know this but it would explain so, so much.
That trophy sucked. The touch in this game isn't quite that poorly done
Me either. I was grinning stupidly after the Aksys announcements. It was way more than I'd actually dared hope for.
I didn't know this but it would explain so, so much.
That trophy sucked. The touch in this game isn't quite that poorly done
Me either. I was grinning stupidly after the Aksys announcements. It was way more than I'd actually dared hope for.
When they started with how they'd bring more otome games I figured they were talking about their future plans and that they didn't have any to announce yet. I was more than pleasantly surprised.
And if they could get Hakuouki...I'd be in heaven. Even if it was just SSL.
SouSouRocket
Member
Just SSL? Is there more we're missing? ;_; some nice fan discs perhaps? Oh Harada... I mean, Sanousuke... *swoon* T3T top otome moment of all time <3.
Thanks, please do!!
There's a fandisc that we didn't get, but it's mostly just a collection of mini games. There's also a prequel, but that isn't even an otome game. I think they meant the Hakuoki remake(s), which was divided into two games and features extra routes. The second part just came out the other day.
Apparently, IF is reluctant to license SSL out so they're the ones the fans need to convince. I wonder why? Money is money, and SSL would probably sell as well as another game. Or maybe they figure that they would get more money if they release it themselves?
Meant the remakes. Shinpachi got a route! Can't miss that. But it's two games instead of one so the odds of us getting them are even lower
.SouSouRocket
Member
Meant the remakes. Shinpachi got a route! Can't miss that. But it's two games instead of one so the odds of us getting them are even lower
Mmm, Shinpachi... T3T I was so set on romancing him and then I found out he wasn't romanceable, wtf!!! All non-romanceable characters should just be repulsive as fuck so there's no confusion lol. At the very least don't make a cute boy that hangs out with you and looks and acts exactly like a potential romance option unromanceable. I was seriously convinced Sholmes was a secret route in Code Realize as well, it makes no sense to me on some of those design decisions. But I guess some of them could have been originally planned and then removed now that I think about it.
We're getting a Sholmes route in the fandisc though! And yeah, I hate when that happens too. Especially since Sholmes is such an interesting character - I hope the fandisc does his route justice
.Not sure if this has been posted, but just in case: Aksys is putting out a call for fans to contact Idea Factory Japan to let them know that there's interest in them localizing Hakouki SSL.
@IdeaFactoryWeb and @OtomateWeb have been suggested as good avenues.
Gematsu link, Tumblr links for where to contact IF Japan.
@IdeaFactoryWeb and @OtomateWeb have been suggested as good avenues.
Gematsu link, Tumblr links for where to contact IF Japan.