Shuuen no Virche Epic Lycoris - Review

Genre: Visual Novel.
Developer/publisher: Otomate.
Platform: Switch.
Official Site: https://www.otomate.jp/virche/fd/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v38067
Release date: 07-09-2023.

 

Only reason I even got this FD was cuz I wanted more romance with Ceres and the guys

since... the original game was lacking a lot in that area. As well as not giving one major

character a route which was a great injustice which this game seems to want to remedy?

 

OP movie URL cuz they apparently disabled embedding...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIJLuh_JA_8

 

Pro's.

- Side stories are nice.

- Nice after stories for Yvess, Scien and Adolph.

- Great for Ankou fans.

 

Con's 

- A giant 🖕 to Lukas fans.💀

- Some CG's are nice but they're spread across too many different scenarios... afters feel barren

some also have awkward angles or weird face shots and I am like what is this?!

- Some afters just plainly lack any fluff or fun content.

- With the exception of Ankou's route everything was pretty short.

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There's side stories with all the main characters and then there's the usual after stories

as well as a new side end that takes a spin on the original route from the first game.

There's also a route for Ankou, however you can't do it till you complete the Drifter story.

 

Also it seems they took encore literally and it is not going the be the fun kind and more in line

of what the original game was like. Lukas's left me traumatized and I cannot handle it

so I skipped the other encores. What is even worse is the encores are like 3/4ish hours

with the same experience while the emotion/after stories are like like 1/2 hours at best.

I was quite disappointed with atleast 2 of the afters as well. Ankou's route is by

far the longest and i'm pretty sure it was 8-10 hours in length... hoo boy!

 

The writers apparently said no, you can't have nice things and some characters apparently haven't suffered enough, so here's more despair, Ankou included. Yea I know virche wasn't exactly

a normal otome game but come on, I thought this was a FD but it didn't seem like one, even less

than raditale's. Also while some cg's were beautiful they sometimes had awkward angles

and really nice moments between the characters were hard to find especially in the afters.

So I found it hard to find anything memorable in the after stories, the only ones

I even remotely liked was Scien Brofist's cuz hurrdurr and Adolph.

For Ankou's route they had a nice prequel story called Drifter which unlocked Ankou

and the route was pretty enjoyable albeit very long, this but this game is 

pretty much for him alone and everything else is there as a bonus. 😂

Now for the thing I am most disappointed about, it is the severe lack of fluff and/or fun

content in the afters... cuz unless you're Adolphe,Scien or Ankou they had to give that to us

via a side story and its just sad they couldn't do better for the actual afters.

 

I don't know if I should recommend this game unless you're a big Ankou fan

and are OK with some of the other guys not really getting much else but a few crumbs!

I'm sorry I really tried to like things in this game but I could barely find it...

most of the time I was just bored, missing even the interactions with Jinnia and Liyan.

All the fun stuff were put into side story -interlude- as well...

I guess that not everything has to be truly happy but I just found most of the afters lacking

if only they didn't bother with encore and focused more on the afters cuz it really

feels like they divided their attention too much leaving some other areas to be desired.

 

Idk what score to even give this FD on one hand an 8/10 just for Ankou seems a bit much

but a 5/10 or lower could make this seem like a kusoge... so I guess a 6.5 or 7/10???

cuz hey atleast half the guys had a nice after story! as wells as Ankou being a great addition.

 

My play order was: Lukas > Mathis > Science Brofist > Yvess > Adolphe >Drifter > Ankou.

The only good thing about this play order for the FD is that the afters will gradually get better.

Spoilers after the jump as I will be writing about the character/routes etc!

so you've been warned!!! if you don't want spoilers then don't proceed further!!!

**Ended up fixing some mistakes or adding some stuff but this post won't be edited anymore

and ain't no way I am touching encore more than I already did.

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Cupid Parasite - Review

 Genre:VN.

Developer/publisher: Otomate.

Platform: Switch.

Official Site: http://ideafintl.com/cupid-parasite/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v25912

Release date: 2021-11-02.

 

So after I beat xenoblade 3, which left me kind of depressed I wondered what game/vn

would be best to play next... which lead me to cupid parasite cuz honestly I was in the mood

for something that I know is light-hearted/fun and probably doesn't take it self too serious! I couldn't finish the game before kuro 2 so this kind of became a backburner game I played inbetween

other games. Due to this being out in english, I actually decided to play it and support 

instead of just buying it in JPN. The localization was fine and they even patched

any lingering issues that were found. Of course I did spot a few minor mistakes

anyone could make when typing, its nothing too big that would ruin it in the long run.

Pro's

- Cute and funny story with a pro-active heroine.

- Gorgeous Art and Catchy Tunes!

- Unique individual routes and a really good finale.

 

Con's

- UI is a little busy / too much random/usless text in menu's.

 

I don't got many complaints so let's get those out first!

The UI is a tad busy! which I think is more of a personal issue from my part.

So while the art is really good and I don't have much problems with the background art either

though it is stylish the backgrounds can look kind of flat at times as well.

I don't mind the vibrant colours in fact I like bright happy stuff but there's such a thing

as there being a lot on the screen. The other thing is that while the music is really good

I didn't like it when there were vocal tracks cuz it distracted me from reading

so I just lowered the volume to the point its just a nice background bgm.

The UI is just too busy for people like me and it overwhelmed me...

still I like the style of it all and it being hip and trendy even if its just not my thing.

System wise it was just basic stuff, there are bad/fail ends but it all was pretty simple and easy

to get the normal/best end which didn't have much difference except one being just better.

It does have bad ends but they're not too bad, if you play blind you could get them...

but its not too hard to get the good or best ends due to love catch! although

at times it will take a while before the love catch shows up.

 

Cupid Parasite does remind me of Variable Barricade in some ways yet they're nothing alike.

The only thing that is, is that the love interests are definitely not ready for marriage! yet.

Both games also have a confident/headstrong heroine. So if you're into that or tired

of the meeker ones Cupid Para is definitely something to look into.

For the most part it was a pretty light-hearted but fun read, this is not the game

to look for if you prefer darker stories as it really is like a love comedy.

Can't describe it in any other way! some of the love interests might not work  for everyone though

but really i've played plenty of otome games to know by now that sometimes you'll just

find some character that you just cannot like or leaves the most terrible of first impressions

and Ryuki sorta hit that spot for me, I was like any other love interest please and thank you!

I swear I looked over all the initially available love interests and was like hmm they're all

a better choice than him. I still wanted to do his route of course, just not right of the bat.

All in all Cupid Parasite is a fun and cute otome game, it is also a game that can lift your mood

like if you have a bad day or want to think about something better/fun.

There's not much otome games like it but I think it is one of the better ones out in english

because it doesn't try too hard with its story and manages to keep it light and fun

without it ever trying too hard to be something it isn't.

The heroine Lynette also was an absolute queen I enjoyed seeing her interact with the guys etc.

One thing I will be honest about is that the love interests could definitely be a hit or miss

but don't let that stop you from trying it out. I didn't like any of the guys that much based

on the common route but their route did make things better or put perspective on things!

so characters like Shelby became much more likable and even Gill became bearable.

Ryuki however will remain the king of terrible expressions, even so his route was still 

surprisingly entertaining, even if I don't like him that much he got the OK from me by the end.

The true route this time was one of the better kind but I can understand if some say it needed

just a little more romance as it did focus on the plot and any questions the player could have had.

 However if you're not looking for a rom-com or don't like that genre, Cupid Parasite should be a pass!

but if you're up for that or just for something silly then by all means it gets my recommendation

cuz it is a good time. This game is also great to just play in short bursts/a little at a time

or do a route every now and then! for me it was like that and just did a route inbetween other games.

For the most part it all turned out okay cuz there's no real overarching plot so I wasn't

too confused when I picked it back up cuz every route is mostly self-contained.

There was definitely a plot beneath it all but by the time I got to the routes that delved into it more

I also stopped taking breaks and just did the final three routes one after the other.

Allan's route is really good tho and i'd even recommend the whole game just cuz of him.

I also think due to the love interests being diverse there may be something for everyone

in this game which is good. Honestly I think Cupid-Para was pretty well-rounded!

all things considered this was a good otome game maybe not the best ever but it was pretty good

at what it tried; being a rom-com. The final route does feel more like a fanservicey what if

rather than a typical true route but it does a good job of giving the player another perspective.

9,5/10

Biased score I know! but I did enjoy it and will look back fondly on it.

My play order was Shelby > Gill > Raul > Allan > True.

Raul's route is locked till 2nd play and Allan's locked by him...

dunno if there was a recommended order but I think the following is alright to recommend

due to the restrictions on Raul/Allan the first three routes listed can be done as you like.

If Ryuki really irks you due to his habits then you could skip him... 

or if you want to get to Allan just do Gill and Raul to unlock Allan.

Recommended: Shelby / Ryuki / Gill > Raul > Allan > True.

I'll stop rambling here and there is some more character focused babbles after the jump.

The route babbles they will just be some likes/dislikes, along with fav CG.

    There won't much spoilers except for me rambling of all routes including the hidden one.

Shuuen no Virche ~Error Salvation~ - review

 Genre: Otome/simulation VN.
Developer/publisher: Otomate
Platform: Switch.
Official Site: https://www.otomate.jp/virche/
VNDB: https://vndb.org/v29661
Release date: 2021-10-07. 

Since there's not much choice in terms of otome games coming out

and Virche seems like it will be interesting I decided to get it

to have something to play/read while waiting for other games to come out.

I tried going in with relatively low expectations because that's what works best

if anything I think this games synopsis reminded me a little of tierblade.

Things I already knew its gonna be a dark fantasy with sci-fi elements

not to mention the art style gives off this edgy vibe! but that's all.

Like with Kimiyuki Seiyuu cast is a mix of familiar talent and new that I have not heard

before it seems this is becoming a trend and a welcome one at that.

 

Pro's

- Good worldbuilding and well written story & cast.

 - Gorgerous art and music to fit the mood.

 

Con's

- Not for the faint of heart/don't like depressing or high amount of blood.

-  What is a good ending is subjective but real happy ones are hard to find in this game.

- WHO TF HURT THE WRITERS OF THIS GAME MAN...

 

 Opening movie was pretty good, it set the mood of the game pretty well.

 

This game honestly started out pretty depressing, death really does seem to follow

the heroine Ceres no matter where she goes. Honestly I felt bad for her. :(

Ceres constantly blames herself for everything bad happening because of her curse...

this could get annoying but I had faith the writers would develop this and help her overcome it

and the main cast was pretty nice and supporting towards the heroine so all was well.

She meets Ankou who... honestly I was wary of his words cuz they were extremely honeyed

but if I was in Ceres's position I would probably trust him too but  still be ware.

Though if depressing themes and suicide triggers you I suppose to stay clear of this game.

Prologue/common route progression was good to get to know the cast and setting but there

is a bit of techno babbles from a certain character that did go into one ear and out the other.😂

To put simply there's elements of cloning and memory transfer to survive the death at 23 thing.

Most of the characters are interesting, Lukas whom's route is available to do right

from the start was an easy character to like. Anyway it wasn't dark/dreary and depressing all the time

but there was a decent amount of suspense unfortunately there's not much time for fluff or

funny scenes doesn't mean there was none it just wasn't the focus.

I have no strong opinion on Lukas but it has that one meme which made me howl for a good minute

or so. I did enjoy Mathis route in particular it was pretty peak fiction but Scien was just

well nothing against the guy but it honestly left me the most depressed.

Yvess was the poster boy but atleast his route wasn't that disappointing.

Art is gorgeous and music was pretty good too, I hardly complain about bgm's

they usually fit the mood in some way and Shuuen was no expection.

 Honestly this game attempts to put more effort into establishing its plot and cast than

a certain other moist depressing otome game from otomate I once played did.😅

This was interesting to say the least but the type of game is not for everyone

and there were parts where I zoned out, especially when Scien technobabbles.

Kimiyuki had comedy going for it but Shuuen not so much again not to say there wasn't

any funny moments cuz there were, it all was so depressing? this game also doesn't

seem to be very otome but that doesn't mean it doesn't deliver. This is one of those

games that prioritizes its scenario over romance which might make you feel wanting

or with strong feels at the end but it also for better or for worse still manage to deliver classic

otomate tropes my first route did not disappoint in that regard! The names in this game

can be kind of weird though there are some normal ones (Lukas/Mathis/Ceres)

but then there's Yves(Eve), Capucine(Cappuccino), Dahut(Daath) or Camyu(Camille).

Needless to say I just write them down as I spelled it and for some it became meme(Cappuccino).😂

Then there's Ankou i'm pretty sure they meant Ankh, well its made for japanese folks

and they're gonna spell it in engrish how they want but to me it makes perfect sense.

 

Now this may sound a bit ranty... so you're warned but I try to be honest here:

This is really one of those story driven otome games that one must see through to the end

or better put do all routes to get the most of it. By default a lot of things makes Shuuen worse

than Piofiore or other games because you could avoid bad ends if you wanted, here they're forced 

on you for the sake of the overall plot which might be good if you care about it scenario wise.

Well at that point i'd honestly would want to see something happier for once.

Anyway if you want happy ends right off the bat or  fluff, its not that type of game

also as listed in my pro's and con's good endings are subjective but you may not find much

in the way of the usual happy ends in this game. There are best ends for all the guys

but they're kind of like an extra or better put a bandaid after the final route

i'm not even sure why they really locked them, there is no reason for it to be so.

I wouldn't be surprised if the despair would get to a person at some point. 

I think Shuuen no Virche is great if you did enjoy stuff like black wolves saga or don't mind

going through the bad ends in piofiore as you play the game but even then

those games were nowhere like Shuuen is. If you can't stomach despair/blood 

and such better pass. I think this otome game is written by a bunch of sadists!😅

I do not mind characters having to suffer for development but this is on a whole new level

of how bad can it get? well that bad! I hate how it has you think well this isn't so bad

only for it to literally have baited you with a little otome element its like they wrote

the Adolphe route first but then remembered hey what about those guys?! oh yea about that.

The only route I enjoyed by default was Mathis...... I think that says a lot! I do have problems

with the final route and  I wish I had known before hand it was gonna be 10 hours instead of

the usual 6 that it took the other routes. In it we spend so much time with characters

we already know trying to get some true end effect but I was honestly a drag for me

but on the positive side I liked Adolphe, Ankh and the underlying plot! there's really nothing wrong

with the cast or plot as its well written enough but yea... this game really hates it heroine

and I got so tired of it like for once I just want her to be happy but every odd is against her

do you blame me for saying OH MY GOD I AM SO DONE WITH THIS WHO HURT YOU?!

Like I don't even mind depressing stuff but this was on a whole other level...

but despite everything it still somehow manages to deliver as an otome game.

At the end of the day I might just have to accept this wasn't fully for me....

because it was so emotionally draining I was just left like this image below when I fullcomp'd

even with the extra endings relieving some of the initial despair.

If this all sounds right up your alley that's good but I think you'll either love or hate this game

you'd have to see it for yourself but I can't guarantee anything at any rate

Shuuen no Virche gets and 8/10 from me, its pretty good if you don't mind despair. >_>;

This is what PEAK FICTION does to you.

 

 So my play order was like this:

Lukas > Mathis > Scien > Ives > Final act.

This game has an enforced play order the first 3 routes can be done in whatever

order you want but need to be done to unlock the fourth and final act.

 

Like with Kimiyuki I won't be posting too many CG's due to request of writers

to not spoil too much so again it'll be my favorites only. Anyway here I will give you

a double spoiler warning so that if you want to play the game then please read no further.

If you're interested, got money and know japanese I recommend to buy it. 

AGAIN I recommend to stop reading here cuz the spoiler-free zone ends here

with the jump break and the rest is just spoiler babbles

or more like SCREAMING? cuz I definitely did albeit internally.

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