Clephas

http://vndb.org/v13046 OK. First, I'm going to say that I had absolutely no intention of playing this game through now, as I mentioned above, and I did indeed regret playing it once it was done. That isn't to say it is an awful game. I've played and left comments in this thread on far worse games, that didn't leave me feeling this annoyed. I was specifically requested by an off-site, rl friend to play this and give him my opinion of it, otherwise I would have delayed going through with this, probably until years later. My main reason for disliking this game is that it is fairly obvious that whoever wrote it was being very conscious of this game (http://vndb.org/v604) which is by the same company and incidentally leagues above this one in quality. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem... except that Uruwashi no is a masterpiece and a kamige, and imitating a kamige usually just means the imitation gets compared unfavorably with the real thing. The reasons I say this is an imitation is because of several elements: First: The setting. An isolated location, with oddly few people for the amount of money obviously put into it. Second: The heroines. ALL of the main heroines in this game are either psychologically damaged and/or have circumstances that make it difficult for them on the outside. Third: The protagonist, except in the case of the sub-heroine, Nagisa, is always the more mature and more experienced half of the pair, leading the girl to solving her problems (or at least dealing with them) while dealing with his own. Fourth: The attempt to make the story emotionally heavy for each of the heroines and create a strong empathic bond between the player and the characters... (in the case of Last Resort this is the point where it frequently failed) This game suffers from an enormous problem for the emotional part of the story... it develops too fast. The main story only covers a month, and both the common route and the heroine routes fail to give the sense of intimacy and personal attachment that is necessary to draw in experienced readers. While a needlessly long common or heroine route is nothing but an annoyance, an unrealistically short one, either in-game or in actual length, tends to lead to shallow character attachment from the reader. What is frustrating is that this game just screams 'I have POTENTIAL!!!' as loudly as it possibly could. It is obvious what the writer wanted to do was at odds with what he actually did do, which was create a regular charage that aspires but fails to enter the ranks more involved VN stories (understand, I don't know who wrote this, and I generally don't care, as long as the story is good... following any single writer in VNs only leads to disappointment, in my experience). I would have been perfectly happy to play a VN imitating Uruwashi no, if they'd just managed to create something approaching the depth of character development and plot in that game. Nonetheless, if you go into this without looking at it from an experienced VN player's point of view, this is a perfectly adequate charage (albeit one that can be matched by dozens to a hundred others in quality) that people that like skimpy outfits, weird extras (the append disc and patches), and emotionally-scarred heroines will probably take pleasure in reading. I am absolutely sure someone who hasn't read some of Pulltop's better games (such as Uruwashi no) will probably like this game for itself, so I won't scream that my disappointment with it makes it a bad game. I simply felt that I would rather have played something else, lol. PS: Incidentally, if you take issue with my bashing this game in the first part of my post, I won't be offended if you counter my thoughts on this one. I was actually shocked at how I felt once I started playing the game and realizing where it was going. I could see that this game possesses the baseline quality that Pulltop's games are known for, but after I'd played it for a few hours, all I could see was how thoroughly the game parallels one of my favorites... and how it fails miserably to match it (sort of like the difference between grocery store pound cake and fresh cake from a famous patisserie ) Edit: Incidentally, I do intend to play one more game from March before making my decision on Game of the Month. However, as I'm unsure of which I'll play as of yet, I'd appreciate patience from those who are reading the thread, lol

I would say that Flat hit most of the possible high points for a VN of the story-focused (non-action) type. It is worth that rating, as it manages to produce drama without falling too far in the KGNE direction or the Key direction (the two extremes of the romance/moege/charage with story sub/hybrid genre). The characters have impact and the characters have long individual stories, which is a nice change from the usual long common route plus short individual route formula that plagues most VNs of a similar type.

tbh, though I said the FF series after X and meant it... I've played so many games that disappointed me, whether it was because they were overhyped or just general failures... perhaps the one that hit me the hardest was Suikoden Tierkreis. Suikoden was a video game series that sold as an unusually dark jrpg containing strategy elements with a continuous chronology. Considering how most jrpgs of the time were focused on save the world themes, Suikoden stood out because it was very down to earth, focusing on war, human drama, genocide, and other such lovely themes, with a flavor of fantasy and magic to go along with it. Suikoden Tierkreis pisses me off because it has only one similarity to the original series - there are 108 playable characters. Considering that that was the least important element of the series, from a fan's standpoint, and that the game was incredibly immature, with a stale 'save the universe' theme to it... you can understand my disappointment.

http://vndb.org/v13711 This game, despite its outward appearance, isn't just another moege/charage. For some reason, Flat decided to make a serious romance VN with moe elements. Considering Flat's specialty is horror, I laughed at the very idea. Indeed, the combination of Flat's specialty eyes (they make girls look a little creepy, even they are perfectly sane) with a slightly screwy girl (Eiri) can be seriously creepy. That aside, this game pursues the ren'ai drama with a comedic edge most people will be familiar with from the plethora of VNs out there. Whether it is good or not... I'm pretty sure that opinions on this game will be split, based on whether people prefer a slightly heavier edge to the romance (this game manages to avoid the stereotypical 'ojousama whose father is against the relationship' and other elements, but in exchange the actual formation of the relationships is pretty complicated, comparatively speaking). This is no KGNE, because it doesn't have actual NTR and the like... but it occasionally hints that the authors would have preferred to go in that direction. This will be no surprise to those who have played the Secret Game series, which boasts of its dark and outright brutal storylines. However, if you go in expecting a normal moege/romance, you'll probably be surprised. Whether that surprise is pleasant or not will depend on your tastes. Since finding out what the heroines are like is a major spoiler, I'm going to avoid saying anything about them. The individual heroine routes in this game are much longer than those in a charage or moege, and as a result, the individual heroine stories are more involved. For those who prefer to spend more time with a single heroine, that is a huge up side. I'm going to carefully think of how I'll rate this... this game didn't quite knock me for a loop, but it hit a spot that is hard for me to properly analyze, lol Edit: Incidentally... do NOT do Eiri's path first. Her epilogue will have you crying like a baby. The other paths have their high points, but Eiri's is the most involved, overall.

All the Final Fantasy games after X.

VNs generally don't make good direct transfers to anime... The anime doesn't even exist, after all. This is mostly because more of the best VNs is in the actual non-spoken lines than is the case with an anime.

I just finished Endless Dungeon, the (supposedly) sequel and final conclusion to Hime and his harem's adventures. The fourth game of the original series served to finish the original plot arc, but this one adds in a new one (can't reveal any details without spoiling the original series). This, like its predecessor series, is crack for people who like action/fantasy/comedy VNs. You'll spend most of the game rofling, though there are some touching moments and others where you just have to go 'wow, that's cool'. For loli-fans, there is Ururu, Amia, Kamishia, Veil (sort of), and Fon. For people who like a more normal or kyonyuu body, there is Opera, Note, Ruruu, Miko, Niko, Miya, and Rinse. (good god, twelve heroines... I was just glad they ended the arc in one game this time) This game cleans up most of the loose ends from the previous series, especially those revolving around the true antagonist of the original game. It also provides a better overall ending as well as enough hilarious after-story for the original series to satisfy the fans (they do something really silly at the end of Brave and Slave that ends things on a sort of 'huh?' note). However, as this game is a continuation of another game, it isn't on the list for game of the month. Edit: Incidentally, I already sampled Last Resort's trial out of boredom a month ago, and I didn't think it was worthy of even considering. Also, for those wondering about the votes on the game's page... they are all obvious trolls, lol. I'll be trying Hikoukigumo no Mukougawa as the last candidate from March. Edit2: If Hikoukigumo ends quickly or falls flat, I'll go ahead and try to play through an entire route of Last resort... but the trial didn't impress me at all...

True route is Kagome's. You can only access Benio's on the first playthrough, followed by Hisoka, then Mayuki and Ayaya, then Kagome.

Kagome route isn't translated yet.

Tonya is most fans' favorite heroine, though I'm fond of Suzu, mostly because she has the most interesting endings.

Just finished Hello, Lady, Akatsuki Works' surprise release (hardly any advertising, etc.). This game is... the kind of game that reminds me why AW is Akabeisoft2's most popular subsidiary by leagues. This game carries the characteristic mix of cynical themes, violence, comedy, and (at times) even horror that characterizes the company's best works. The protagonist, Narita Shinri, is probably the most straightforwardly arrogant protagonist I've ever run across. He is also a character that would normally be an antagonist in any other story (simply because his type is simply preferred as an antagonist by Japanese standards). Like most of AW's protagonists, he is something of a hedge philosopher (to one degree or another, all of them have their own philosophy or policy that defines their thoughts and actions to one extent or another, whether it is Sora's obsession with evil and contractual obligations or Tomo's obsession with the concept of curses), and he definitely makes a huge impression from the very start. Shinri never tries to hide his nature from those around him, and he has the kind of strong, obsessive will that usually marks the most terrible villains in other chuuni vns, though because of his personality quirks it doesn't show itself as obviously most of the time. The four heroines are Tamao (delinquent girl), Sorako (kind-hearted reverse-trap), Eru (otaku loli who is obsessively protective of Saku), and Saku (leader of the other girls with a strong sense of justice and something of a visionary). The stories are distinct, full of bloodshed, violence, and tragedy, and they all lead up to Saku's path, which brings a finale to the overall plot and background of the story. The battle scenes in this game are of good quality, though only of middling quality in comparison to some of AW's other works. My complaints for the game mostly lie in the fact that Tamao's path really didn't do her justice, and I felt like the development of the relationship was perhaps a bit too predictable and obvious. That, and I thought that the game could have used more buildup toward the end in each path. Overall, this game is probably in the dead center when it comes to plot quality for Akatsuki Works' games, which means it is several levels above the average VN but not a masterpiece in and of itself. Despite the fact that I seriously enjoyed this game, it isn't a kamige (one step short, due to minor flaws), but I can recommend it to chuuni lovers and those who don't necessarily like chuuni but do like a good, dark story. This is no Dies Irae, but it still maintains a high level of quality that left me feeling pleasantly satisfied (despite a lack of a path for Hishiya, who I fell in love with at first sight).

I didn't play it... I keep hoping for a reverse-port. Playing console versions is tricky in the first place, and it takes about two times as long without being able to use jparser... Edit: Two things about DDC... it is unlikely we'll ever see a free translation of it, simply because of the linguistic difficulty level. Second, the reason it is so different is because of the way the characters (heroines and protag) think. Speaking from an objective point of view, it would be accurate to call all of the heroines and the protag 'bad people', lol. The violent impulses they possess, the lack of hesitation they have in indulging those impulses, and the tendency toward general insanity (to one degree or another) in them adds to the general 'amorality' of the setting. Shinnosuke, the protag's best friend (and the only 'real' human character who is even remotely close to the protag) serves as a sort of yardstick for the abnormality of the other characters, his very 'normalness' serving to show how weird, psychotic, and downright cold-blooded the other characters are. Edit 2: Sora's label for Shinnosuke is ’愛すべき馬鹿’, which should translate as 'lovable idiot' or 'idiot who should be loved'.

There really aren't any games like Devils Devel Concept... even within the chuuni genre, that one is unique.

Touko>Tanya>Kaoru>Suzu is the correct order (please tell me they didn't choose to spell Tanya's name Tonya? gah...). Touko's route is definitely first... it has several endings, just like Suzu's. Tanya's has only one ending, but it has different h-scenes depending on which choices you make near the end. Suzu's has three endings, if I recall correctly.

It is dark in different ways. It isn't horror, for one thing. Also, expecting the kind of superb balance between insanity and romance that you saw in Saya anywhere else is kind of ridiculous... Kara no Shoujo I never got around to playing. Seinarukana I rated lower because I honestly thought the story was inferior. The battle system is much improved, but the story suffered somewhat from 'sequel syndrome'.

This is a thread for discussing Ayakashibito, as the title proclaims. Ayakashibito is considered a genre-crossing classic by many Japanese vn-lovers, and amongst chuuni fans, it is considered to be a masterpiece. All of the characters have their own attractions, and some of the antagonists are as compelling - or even more so - than the protagonist and his friends. As I haven't played the translated version, I don't know the degree to which the game's original essence was retained, but I am glad that the English-speaking community will now have a chance to play this great game. This game also shows off sides of humanity that are - quite frankly - ugly as a one-eyed ogre with a hunchback. However, that only adds to this game's story and the overall setting. WARNING: For people who prefer 'soft' VNs, where everyone - and I mean everyone - lives happily ever after, you should probably avoid this game. (that means you, Steve). Lolicons will probably love the game's resident true heroine and eternaloli, Suzu, but I'd warn against using a game complete save to go straight to her path. There are aspects of the game's setting that are addressed more completely in the other paths, and the true path is more rich for having played them in order.

*roflz*

I recommend this game to everyone. Play it and bow before the awesomeness that is Propeller. Mwahahaha.

http://vndb.org/v11301 Just finished this. I'm going to say this right off the bat... this game is a slightly more serious version of Kamikaze Explorer by Clochette. There is less goofy stuff, the battles are about at the same level, and they are both made by companies with a boob obsession (all of the girls are kyonyuu in this one). That said, both games are high-level science-fantasy charage. However, there are some points I think anyone who plays the game will pick up on that will hit a nerve in a bad way. First, it is fairly obvious that they ran out of money somewhere along the line. There are long stretches where a single character won't be voiced (it isn't that the voice isn't registering, there literally isn't a voiced), and it is fairly obvious by certain things that register after you complete each path that there was supposed to be a grand or true route (or at the very least, a non-heroine epilogue) that would have wrapped things up in a way the individual heroine routes (including the main heroine, Asuha) didn't quite manage to do. For this reason, the game didn't feel quite complete to me, despite the overall high quality. The common route is long, but the heroine routes don't get gypped (they are each about three to four hours long at my pace), so you do get to know the heroines before the endings. Also, the epilogues are decent, generally bringing a decent conclusion to the heroine's path. This game is definitely directed toward lovers of charage with decent stories and lovers of Clochette's games (Clochette being known for utilizing fantasy and sci-fi settings, decent writing and story, and kyonyuu heroines to attract players), though it is slightly more serious, less goofy.

Two games stand out for me... Dies Irae Acta Est Fabula and Draculius. Draculius' H-scenes are just all-around great (that company does great h-scenes) and is made all the better for the switching between the protagonist and heroine points of view. Dies Irae Acta Est Fabula's Kei route... her second and last h-scene is... hilarious.

Probably Kaoru's confession of love to Aoi in Ai Yori Aoshi... the way that he gradually comes to return her feelings over the course of the series makes it all the more poignant. I also liked Rin/Asa in Shuffle, haha.

About the same... Dies Irae is slightly more straightforward, so maybe a little easier outside of the combat scenes.

Dies Irae or Evolimit, with the stipulation that there be no weakening of the dark/violent aspects of them.

Hagure Yuusha Legend of the Legendary Heroes

Dies Irae, Paradise Lost, Kajiri Kamui Kagura, Demonbane, Vermillion, Mugen Renkan (this game is probably too much for most, due to the high amounts of rape, guro, protag dismemberment, etc), Gore Screaming Show (classic guro), Secret Game series