Sunday, June 7, 2020

Dairoku Ayakashimori - review

Genre: Otome Visual Novel.
Developer/publisher: Otomate
Platform: Nintendo Switch.
Official Site:
VNDB: https://vndb.org/v25911
Release date: 2020-05-28

So since my thirst for some sakurai takahiro was real and I haven't heard him in forever
I decided this will be my first switch otome game! \o/ albeit digitally.
Went into it almost blind, only knowing that protag Shino was some government official
but when they found out she can see youkai she was transfered and ends up
working with Ayakashimori who deals with supernatural stuff in Sakuratani
to prevent folks from causing too much mischief, you basically pick one of the dudes
to keep an eye on and/or help them because who knows what might happen?
Shino also gets a pet ayakashi named Kouya to help her out.
The common route did a good job of introducing everything and wasn't too long to bore me
atleast with a little joke or two which after the last otome I played was much welcomed
and all the char's were great the only problem this is a really slice of life-ish game
but that doesn't make it bad or anything.


System is just standard VN stuff, map movement stalk-a-bishi and a press the correct button
in this order minigame like in Utsusemi no meguri but you only do this minigame
like once in the prologue so I am not sure why they even bothered in the first place?
you only get to do that if you go out of your way on the map, while ignoring character or
for the grand ending or scenario completion dunno why it was there tbh.


Pro's
- Likeable characters.
- character design, same artist as bad apple wars and alice=alice.
- Seiyuu performance was great.

Con's
- Backgrounds are plain.
- Overall plot is a little disappointing.
- Lot's of no-face side characters including antagonist.


I liked the setting and general atmosphere, the comedy was alright it didn't try too hard
neither did the story which was decent atleast but nothing too deep either
but it also wasn't that great in using the scenario to its full potential.
The art was great except for some of the background stuff which were simple and bland so meh.
Music was pretty good and fit the setting, the rock theme grew on me and before I knew it
I was rocking my head back and forth everytime it played. 😂
The heroine's was also great, despite insecurities of her new position I absolutely
loved her positive attitude to chara's such as Hira. Though the overall story is kind of
simple, each route tried to go about it in their own way and some characters were more
helpful to Shino than others. The route length is not too long or too short
but overall this game is kinda short? sad it might be a one-off game :(
A lot of side characters had no sprite/face to remember them by so that
didn't make that much better I suppose they ran out of budget, i'd be find with it
if it was just townsfolk but apparently the villains got the treatment as well
which was really irritating and made it hard to remember them but I guess they were so
significant otomate couldn't give a damn so why should we?
Playorder shouldn't matter just go for whoever you are interested in doing, the three endings
for every character makes you understand them more which was another plus
though I am gonna recommend to save Shuu and Tokitsugu for later.
The main cast,heroine and seiyuu being superb made it easier for me
to overlook some of the flaws and since it was enjoyable I think this was an alright
otome just don't expect it to go and do new things or be deep because it won't, there weren't
any landmines or wtfbbq twists so it was nice to have a more normal otome game for once.

Overall it might be meh but still fun, hard to recommend unless you're a beginner in the genre
atleast the otome part didn't disappoint me unlike the last game I played
still I can't rate it that high so it kinda ended up shifting between 6 and 7/10
kinda weird how I played two games back to back where one had a stellar story
but bad otome part and the other a bit of lacklustre plot but good otome part.😅


That ends spoiler free section.

Saturday, May 23, 2020

Shinigami to shoujo - review

 Genre: Otome Visual Novel. 
Developer/publisher: TAKUYO
Platform: PSP, PSV.
Official Site:
Release date: 2019-07-25

I finally decided to get started on this while getting into the otome mood again
after a hiatus, this was also the last vita otome game that I had ordered.
I've always wanted to check this one out and am glad I got it before i couldn't like with psp ver
unfortunately the otome game part of this game while its there is rather disappointing.
The seiyuu are unknowns except for Suzuki, Nojima and Kanna though the latter you
don't hear often anymore either. That aside the play order is kind of
forced on you there's not much free choice but to listen to Takuyo.
The heroine was voiced but only in the prologue, ending and Touya/Ao route
which was jarring but I guess budget? so I can't complain for doing it that way.
 I personally love the art style, the music is also amazing so there's that.

Pro's
- Interesting char's/story which is what kept me going tbh.
- Beautiful art and music was really good.
- No annoying minigames like in Himehibi.

Con's
- Length, slight copy pasta and takes too long to get to the heart of the matter.
- The otome part of the game is lacking.

Our heroine Sayo loves stories especially her brothers who's an author. Sayo's bro
tells her about one of his works shinigami to shoujo which was pretty sad.
Sayo is a pretty rich girl, loves books especially her bro's and has an ojou-sama air about her
and she has only one friend Kaho, whom is Sayo's only friend cuz no one puts up with her.
Sayo lives with her bro due to family issues  and not only does her brother like her
Sayo also has a brocon for him......

Every chapter so far basically deals with someone having a problem, chapter two was
Louis claiming to be the protag of one of Toya's stories... as if the Tomoe's episode
in ch1 wasn't enough now we have a fanboy? oh well at this point it was kind of
hard to see how all this was important to the story in the long run
but apparently these stories run paralel to those in the books and did foreshadow
a little about another problem regarding the protagonist Sayo.
Chapter 4 is where it gets messy, the first route that you're recommended
to do, wasn't even resolved properly till you continue ch4 common.
:Pikachuface:
TBH the common route was pretty boring, just slice of life and dealing with
random peoples problems that untill you do the latter two routes
don't really seem to amount to anything or make sense.
The writer is the same as taishou x alice but even that managed to be a lil better
in the otome game department, atleast the story was still good so it evens out a little.

If you enjoy a good story and char's then I can recommend Shinigami to Shoujo
but if not and just want an otome with a some-what decent story and romance
then I suggest to pass on this game, as its just not going to pass for one.
I didn't have much expectations for this but as an otome? a let down.
Not having much else to do lately I was able to enjoy it either way
cuz the story was pretty interesting to keep playing even if otome/romance was lacking a lot.
While I don't mind Sayo's constant uwu'ing over Toya at the early hours, it doesn't make it much better as some could find it annoying even. Atleast all the chara's were likeable in someway.
Trying not to spoil but while the strong points are that its overall story and characters
are still very well written the otome game part can be disappointing/confusing
especially the first route it felt like there was only a route because it is an otome game afterall.
I don't want to discourage anyone from trying it out as the story was enjoyable/interesting
but it is quite messy as an otome game and confusing till you get to the bottom of it
and even then... unless you like thought provoking psychological stories I suggest to pass on this
I think the writer definitely improved or had better direction with the recent Taishou x Alice.
 
 7/10
This is a good visual novel if you enjoy thought-provoking stories with romance second.

That ends the spoiler-free section.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

end of 2019

Didn't really play that many otome games this year, which was probably a good thing.
Variable barricade was alright... but Kenka bancho otome 2? oof the sequel we didn't need but got anyway.
Had plans to read shinigami to shojo and Gunka wo Haita Neko but decided to take a break instead
and wait for 2020. Aksys picked up some otome too like Piofiore and looks like Collar x Malice
will come to switch along with the FD which is nice. Piofiore might not be for everyone tho.

I plan to pick up Harukanaru toki no naka de 7 when it was first revealed the quality
of the art was a bit flat maybe Mizuno is just overworked or something.
Same.
 You can see more of that art linked below... some look fine but a bit??? 
 Thankfully the ingame sprites and CG don't look like that at all.
Basically me in 2019.
Harutoki 7 shows promise, looks like they're going back to a setting like 3,4 or 5.
I liked 6 a lot but its sequel was very... meh and just made a mess of things
3 might be my favorite, still got to finish 1 but the novelty isn't there because
I watched the anime so most of the surprises I already know and it already had a simple plot.
 Ack maybe I should just do it for Yasuaki. >_<

 I also got my eyes on Olympia Soiree as well, the art is very pretty I hope the story hold up to that...
knowing otomate there's a chance it won't but I like how they have slowed down with games lately.
Probably because of the move to the switch eh we'll see, best not going to expect too much.

In other news...
 Takuyo has risen from the dead and is making himehibi 3 and Koi no Hana Saku Hyakkaen for the switch!
Didn't expect that at all... after Sweet clown they've mostly been porting their old games to the vita.
I might end up giving Koisaku a shot, I am in the mood for something light-hearted
though I hope it isn't that dramatic, knowing Takuyo they hardly false advertise their games.
Getsuei no kusari seemed grim and we got grim, Himehibi was light-hearted/comedy so we got just that.

2020 looks promising i'll just not play as many as before which is better for my wallet too haha.
Same goes for RPG's too i'll just pick up what interest me the most, I played a bit
of FE3H as well never played FE before but its nice.
I'll just go at my own pace from here on out, only picking up the games that seem like a good time
to me which with otomate is already hard cuz they always try to slip in some crazy trope
and that could ruin the whole game and/or give bad aftertaste.
 CoughVariable Barricade's last routeCough
Jokes aside atleast Variable barricade made it funny.

Thursday, June 13, 2019

Variable Barricade - Review

 Genre: Otome Visual Novel. 
Developer/publisher: Otomate
Platform: PSV.
Official Site:
Release date: 2019-04-04

Oh baby... the wait is over, or maybe they announced this game way too early.
Pretty art, an interesting set up but will that hold up? only one way to find out!
Its from the creator of Wand of Fortune and Reine des fleurs... both are titles
that are known to make the player suffer. Sigh~ but VariBarri wasn't that bad
didn't enjoy the overall game / cast as much as WoF though.
The protagonist here however is fully voiced! a big plus as it breathes so much more life
into them but I suppose even unvoiced have perks.

OP MOVIE




Okay, what is this about?

Hibari our heroine is pretty much a perfect ojou-sama and then one day is forced
to pick a candidate for marriage from four potential suitors who literally throw themselves
at her for that reason. Needless to say our heroine says no but hahaha... this is all a plot
by a her old man and even if Hibari says I can find me a man on my own he's like lol.
This is so dumb I CAN BARELY HOLD MYSELF but atleast Hibari's great
and it turns out she's going to have to pick one or she'll just have to marry someone he chooses.
Now she has to live in an an apartment along with these guys... they all want Hibari so much
it like she's living the otome gamer life! but... then Hibari has a nightmare they're just
after the money of her family etc and it sorta gets a little dark from my point of view.
Either way Hibari wants none of this... but still has to roll with it.
If I had to be very honest the most annoying one out of the four would be Ichiya...
I mean what kind of normal person would believe such over the top lovey dovey behavior
of someone whom you don't even know personally? I know I know there are people
out there that come on strong but this is a little much, and personally those who
come on strong early on are to be wary of so Ichiya has way too many cringe moments
not that the others are completely green either. >_> the only sane one is Hibari
and tbh who wouldn't want her she's literally perfect but even so she still has some issues.
Tsugumi was a great BFF to Hibari I could appreciate her love for romance but it got a little meta
with the whole its almost like an otome game! thing can't tell if good or bad...

Pro's
- Light-hearted and funny.
- Art
- Charming music.
- Voiced heroine/protag

Con's
- Drama; best not take it too seriously also kind of a drag.
- System is simple but presented in an awful way.

System... its pretty simple there's common route / flowchart and its easily
seen when one has finished a chapter, much oversight and no annoying
minigame to be seen, if you get far enough you can enter the personal stories/routes
but the seem split into parts like Ichiya 1, Taiga 1 etc you're forced to do everyones
part 1, as its part of the common route this is to help decide your fiance.
There is some sort of minigame but its hard to explain and tbh doesn't fit in well
depending on choices the guys weapon becomes stronger to break the barricade to the heroine
and other choice strengthens the heroines barricade...  watching the sequence in question
is kinda funny but doesn't make sense as when he succeeds Hibari is suddenly
 able to give Ichiya a peck on the cheek, seems to be more a battle of wills.
I think the barricade battle thing doesn't make sense visually it literally looks
like the guy is destroying boundaries in the form of a fence with a sword which gets
stronger or remains weak dependant on your choice, I didn't find this funny
and honestly it could be done without, though I admit the art did look cute.
They could have just kept it simple with choices but alas... they wanted something extra.
Then there's RABI which you have to set to different location to unlock extra event
that are in no way important to the plot, still don't know if you had to view them or not
and you can view them later from the gallery can suggest to just focus on the main story first
then again reading them later might be bad so might be better to read it as it appears.
There's also WHIS the APP the characters message each other with only a few have a choice
and the rest is just banter after an event. All this is awful to explain, its actually quite straight
forward. Since this from the team behind wand of fortune and reine des fleurs so one shouldn't be
surprised at how the game flows atleast this time there's no RNG like in WoF so consider
yourself blessed. The flowchart is simple and easy to see what is going on but uh
once again the general flow is to straight-forward to have this laid out for you?
sometimes the way you unlock stuff is still a straight vn something tells me they had
something else in mind but due to change of seiyuus they had to change things.
Well enough about sytem because it is quite simple some of the mini event you unlock
from RABI are funny some others weren't worth it.
Now for a good thing, you don't need a guide if you want the love ending for that guy
just let him destroy the barricade, for the other simple don't make him too strong
but if you do that to early into route its a premature bad end so you gotta balance.

A QUEEN
After finishing all routes I have to say... boy is this a hit or miss!
Either way without spoilers its an alright otome, in fact its funny like legit I cannot count
the amount of times I laughed out loud/snorted at the dialogue... sadly most of this
was in the common route, the latter half of the routes was mostly filled with drama
only a few route was balanced enough for me to enjoy it. >_>
Too bad the barricade breaking was in bad taste for me... the whole game is kinda like
trying to love someone just to proof yourself to your old man who most of the time
just laughs it off when the drama is over like what the hell is he thinking?
which is all explained in the true route.... you want to take it seriously but also not.
Hibari was so great at speaking her mind and being assertive, she really is a Queen
buuut she still is a girl and not perfect nor her suitors. That aside I had a good time
which is more important than plot which is very straight-forward and focus on character
but definitely seems to be more to it all which kept me hooked
to get to the true end which gave us things we didn't really want but got anyway.

The story is there but don't come here for a well thought out plot cuz it ain't that and the
drama could drag but nothing too heavy. If I had any complaints its more the flowchart
not making sense with its arrows making it seem like you don't need some events but
have to view them anyway to proceed considering the team behind this I AM NOT SURPRISED.
Game still balances the common/individual part very well but all the short
chapters made me quick to drop it for the day when it really isn't that long at all.
Overall its not short nor too long, it has some value.
This is more or less a VN about the protagonist/heroine and guy realizing what he/she wants
the most through the interaction whether or not a route was for you will depend...
I found Ichiya to be very typical and the drama was probably right out of a shojo manga.
Shion... was akin to a soap opera, Taiga was more like a love comedy(my favorite)
and Nayuta was just painful it hurrrts, didn't help Shion/Nayuta it just dragged itself on
or maybe I just didn't like the characters at all, atleast Nayuta I could like by the end of it.
Variable Barricade is fun but nothing much else, light-hearted drama but not too dark
the bad ends were surprisingly disappointing just like the guys themselves lmao.
TL;DR you have to show you're a woman who can make choices for herself
or else get stuck with some guy your old man marries you to for business. >_>
Yeah that is literally the whole point of this marriage thing... play order is not necessary
I can recommend the following though~ you can switch Nayuta and Taiga
if you want spice after Shion but its not going to matter, even better don't listen to me
and pick whoever you are interested in the first time
, Shion > Nayuta > Taiga > Ichiya > True.
Okay spoiler free rambles are over it was pretty good and while the guys may not
look it most of them do become likable over the course of the route, unlike
a certain otome game that makes you dislike them in other route (lol).
7.5/10 For Taiga, 5/10 for the rest.




Friday, April 12, 2019

Kenka Banchou Otome 2nd Rumble - Review

 Genre: Otome Visual Novel. 
Developer/publisher: Spike chunsoft/RED
Platform: PSV.
Release date: 2019-03-14

So after the original and its fd was a little bit of a success, Spike/RED decided to make another!
To be completely honest I never expected a sequel after the FD because even if some afters
had problems *hint Kirarin* it did wrap itself up in a nice way.
So as release nears all I could do was question it existence and hope for the best
as in that it retains what we all know and love about kenka bancho otome.
They're nice enough to recap some little events from the original thanks its been two years or so!

This also being my first otome of 2019 even tho I had tried to start panic palette
or continue ashen hawk but unfortunately no motivation~
I kept putting it off so here's to getting back in the otome spirit but this game...
this game made me kinda conflicted considering how rushed it is.


Pro's
Characters still have charm.
Art/Music still great as ever.
Kirarin's route is much better and I am not even biased (ok maybe I am).

Con's
It's basically season 2... idk if this is a good or bad thing btw.
Blatant bias for friend routes, otome route feel rushed/lacking.

Unfortunately they also decided to change the battle system its no longer like rythm game
but some sort of minigame where your buddies can support you. NEW and EXCITING but
HONESTLY IF IT AINT BROKE DON'T FIX! but imo it ain't that bad of a change.
That aside its easy to play but very mashy, atleast with easy mode if you can't be bothered
to play the minigame and just want a VN you can skip the battles and instant win.
Thanks spike chunsoft.
Either way, it was pretty fun in the beginning but ended up skipping after the 6th battle
and so nothing of value was lost I think my only real complaines is how
the kenka banchou otome games have such awful loading times, it runs on unity but boy!
I could go grab a drink and a snack while this baby starts up... >_>

So it basically continues after the first game where there is no romance and shenanigans continues
as in the next semester some guy named Sagara Tenma transfer into shisiku but he's no angel
and just as bad as the rest, I pity the meek principal who cannot even finish the welcome ceremony.
Nozomi's also here but whatever i'm still pissed at Kirarin for neglecting his otouto last game!
All the guys are just extra bro kinda like everyone loves you but not quite.
Otome sequels tend to be hit or miss for me because of this... like it gets annoying to have
a round two after certain events and most character love the protag from start but most are not
like that and here they're just bro's, ahem going through the common route
was a lot of fun, plenty of laughs here and there but on second play its not much of that
and its just get event flags and read skip till the route starts which is done in no time.
If I had to recommend any play order it would be:
 Kirarin > Mirako > Konparu / Totomaru > Houou > Tenma.
The first route was the most enjoyable to me and if a Kirarin fan
you may as well enjoy the game to the fullest this way, i'm not the biggest Kirarin
or Mirako fan but even I can approve of what I got and it was nice
unfortunately neither Konparu nor Totomaru could give me something that was better
than the original routes. Ow well its only fair they had a good one to begin with
don't get me started with Houou his was alright but a massive dejavu because
of the sameish reveals even the friend route with Tenma was more original...
speaking of I might have enjoyed the friend routes more than love especially Toto&Konpa's. >_>
Never wanted a sequel but at the very least it turned out to be a nice one (for the most part).
And that this ends my spoiler free impressions
Kenka Banchou otome 2nd rumble is a title that is sorely lacking in the otome department
but at the same time still manages to deliver what we all know and love.
It is by no means that terrible but overall it doesn't succeed its predecessor
or does anything that holds up to it which is just sad when it has less value overall
and thus I can only say it is an average sequel, it gives and takes... feels short and
it even feels as if its an apology for Kirarin's awful after story in the FD
because in this game his route fixes everything that went wrong
but you know what? no matter how nice this game was I do not even want a FD from this
because I cannot trust the writers anymore, halfed assed routes for some? check, blatant bias
for friend routes? check. Same flow of events despite new semester? check.
IDK but this sounds bad to me and somehow was still enjoyable...so I have mixed feels.
Maybe I am nagging too much but my score is very fair for a sequel who has less value than
the original, so basically SKIP THIS and go play the first game if you haven't
all of the routes there have so much more value than this rushed mess of a sequel.
In the end the comedy and characters are what held this game together for me
AND I LOVE IT FOR THAT but its really sad to see how rushed it is
and some routes especially the love route are anything but memorable.
7/10
''For what it is worth an enjoyable sequel, unfortunately it does little to surpass
its predecessor and in comparison is overall a very rushed experience.''

Monday, December 31, 2018

Otome ranking of 2018

Whoop it that time of the year again to make one of these!
let's start by going over the ones i've played and compared
to other years there's not as much which makes sense, I only picked
up the ones I thought were genuinely interesting and skipped any I had second thoughts of. 

Code:realize shirogane no kiseki.
Chouchou Jiken.
Taishou x Alice Heads or Tails.
Psychedelica of the black butterfly.
 Collar x Malice Unlimted.
Piofiore no Banshou.
WoFR2 FD ~Kimi ni Sasageru Epilogue~.
Shiro to Kuro no Alice FD.

🏆Best new game:🏆
Piofiore no Banshou.
 Considering what I played there was not much competition I enjoyed what I could but
considering the themes this might not be for everyone but I still think its solid
and didn't waste away what it intended with the setting at all.
The only bad part is that no main character was truly likeable except Orlok
like they all did something shitty outside of their own route and Yang...
ah yes Yang he was beyond likeability even in his own
but atleast the story was solid and stuck to its themes that being one about mafia meaning its not
gonna be sunshine and rainbows! without making too much of a mess of things unlike the next!

💩Worst new game:💩
Chouchou Jiken.
Sidney... steal me away from all of the unredeemable love interest (except Haruka).
 What in the seven hells was this?
I thought this would be a trashy mystery otome game
but it never got that trashy nor the mystery part was that interesting.
It might be great if you enjoy having a mouse nibble at your toes
but honestly this was such a waste to me like most of the routes
weren't even interesting and the ones that were weren't even important to the overall plot.
It only starts making sense in the last two routes and the romantic interests in it were complete trash
and relied too much on pity me pls trope, look I can like characters that have had a bad time
but when they literally have a goal to use the heroine for their personal gain throughout the game
or worse kill her if gotten the chance, Yes people can change, pity is allowed
but sometimes pity is not enough for me to turn a blind eye the art was nice but at times
 meh, the music was awful /grating and the story while interesting
to get to the truth it kept beating around the bush about some russian revolution
that doesn't add up before you get to routes that matter said characters almost had no
redeeming factor. Sorry that's gonna be a no from me...

🏆Best Fandisk:🏆
Collar x Malice Unlimited.

If there was any otome game that needed a fandisk it was collar x malice
the after stories were enjoyable and unique for each character and the adonis
portion gave us a different look at the villains while Ichika gets herself together.
While I thought some of the after stories were too long I think the content
in this FD is of more value than that of Tierblades which I also enjoyed.

Wand of Fortune R2 kimi ni sasageru epilogue.
 The finale of the WoF series did not disappoint me, even though its short
it managed to be on point and not drag it out and none of it was wasteful
except maybe the true end epilogue... poor Solo.
With the exception of Est's after I found it extremely enjoyable definitely not something
WoF fans want to miss out on! after all this time glad they still ported it.
~

💩Worst Fandisk:💩
Taishou x Alice Heads or Tails.
 Let's face it this wasn't even a fandisk but an addon
the new routes are exactly the games subtitle aka a different side of the same coin
it only gives us information we already knew but from the perspective of side characters!
Which is nice but not when there's no real ending for them with the heroine because of canon.
The rest of the content was ok but on its hard to recommend unless you are a real tai-ali fan...
and it doesn't add to the scenario of the two except for an extended epilogue.
Also the treatment of Ookami in his route made me rage so much! he's such a likeable character
but the writer cannot let go of the canon and he is still a third wheel no matter what.
Dear otome game writers; if you cannot let go of the canon do not give side characters routes
just to get into their heads, sure its nice for a chance of POV but ultimately
you are wasting your own time and that of the readers since all you do is give bait
but leave us hanging wishing for something more or a different outcome.
~

😐Meh Fandisk.😐
 Shiro to Kuro no Alice Twilight Line.
This was just one of those fandisk that isn't that bad but not great either
but still manages to deliver, i'm not the biggest fan but even then
I can see they tried this series strengths also makes it its downfall.
The plot is still as inconsistent and messy as ever that did not change and I doubt
it ever will, wherever otomate will take this I think my shiro to kuro adventures end here
no matter how much I enjoyed my time with Luna and her guys.
Its not that great... but still, it might deliver in ways a fan would like it to.

Code: Realize shirogane no kiseki.
 The third fandisk and while a nice addition to the series
it did nothing for the overall story , Cantarella was a nice attempt but it only
gives us after the fact information that not even Cardia ever find out. (Only the reader)
The only thing I say that was great was the extended epilogues from shukufuku no mirai
but even then its something that should have been in that game to begin with.
Its great if you desperately want more code realize in your life but I hope
otomate won't milk it more than this, you can only get so much out of it...
and by now I think I got that, there's really not much anymore I want out of Code:Rea.
 Before you get this I think one has to consider, how much do I like code:realize?
will additional stories with the cast be worth my time no matter what it is about??
If a super fan then yes you should get this but if not... then well maybe not.
~

🏆Best english release:🏆
Psychedelica of the black butterfly.
 While the otome game part is a hard sell, the story however was pretty good
every main character contributed to the scenario and it was a good feeling to get to the bottom of it
and while I have not finished Ashen Hawk it has the same feel so I had to mention it.
It is incredible hard to write about it without spoiling anything... one is best to go into this
without knowing anything, don't even go to official site! the less u know the better.
~

Well that was all for 2018 not as many console otome games as previous years but its not just me
otomate hasn't released as much nor has other companies. I skipped ports
and have been playing other games/busy with other things.
With otomates move to switch things might look better next year but even then
I am hesitant to make the move, its not a secret some of us just step out of the genre and
lot's of otome game blogs have died over the years when a console such as ps2/psp came at its end.
Vita is no exception nor will the Switch go on forever... I like otome games but i've
feel that I have enjoyed what was to offer and at times am ready to leave the genre since
I start to be jaded and cynical at new titles which aren't even much different then what I played.
There's still some (old) otome games that I'd love to play next year and I will probably do just that.

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Shiro to Kuro no Alice Twilight Line - Review

Genre: Otome Visual Novel. 
Developer/publisher: Otomate.
Platform:PSV.
Release date: 2018-11-15

Ah yes the FD- or sequel to that rather messy alice in wonderland otome game
from otomate, in case you wonder what I mean by messy again is that
the overall story was too scattered and there was no locked routes
so if you did Nello first you'd basically spoil a plot behind the scenes
or if you did Snow's then well you basically got the best possible resolution.
That doesn't mean the other routes aren't worth doing as it still would fill in the blanks
here and there regarding the characters. So in short when a story would benefit
from restriction they said nah let them pick! which could work if the important story bits
weren't all over the place, like I am sure no one likes getting to Minette mid game
only to find out it was better to do him first since he has nothing to do with the main plot.
Shiro to Kuro no Alice had a story albeit very messy and all over the place!
and even that did not change in its FD's additional scenario.

Pro's
 -After stories are short and sweet.
- Art and music are excellent.

Con's
- unvoiced heroines who still talk to each other as if it was voiced, which
like the original ruined a lot of potential in scenes everyone else is voiced.
- Story is still a scattered mess.


Content wise there is the after story's ~lover's day~ which gives us a look at their lives now
it covers both white and black happy ends... which is probably what you wanted the most.
Then there's another line... which is basically just an another story...
but with individual endings as well which is where most of the meat of the game is.
There's also the tea party after doing all which is a nice extra for full complete.

Either way I decided to start with Airi's side first mostly because she literally got stuck the worst boys
and Luna with the sweethearts, which made me not very interested in Airi's side.
After stories are like an hour long BUT there's one for each happy end (black and white)!
  so that's basically two hours... whether it was worth it depends on character like
for me Minette's were an utter waste of time but Nero was actually worth sitting through
so I guess it depends but even then I wish they put more effort.
Another line was eh... after 4 routes I got the general gist of the plot and had enough
and actually got sad we didn't get a routes for Rui, Ratt or Nine instead
like they give us new characters try and flesh em out but they don't really get resolution.
Volume wise its about right... if you rush its probably not but I thought the content was fine
and could definitely last a week or two if you take it slow but eh unless one was
invested in the world of shiro to kuro no alice I can't really recommend it
since this is for fans of course, I got what I wanted out of it thanks to Luna side
but still felt it was lacking in someway maybe because they had to split
the lover day scenario to the two happy ends which makes no sense if
the another line scenario also sort of follows up on the bw after???
IMO most of the white afters were the best to me so I wish they'd made it a little longer
even at the expense of the bw after but eh they still managed at making some of it
its just not going to be to everyones taste.
As we know Another line has the same problem as the original game
I am going to recommend Snow's route there for last as it has the most
revelations about Rui, the rest of the order shouldn't matter too much
so just to be safe do Airi side before Luna's with Snow last.

That ends my spoiler free section...

Thursday, November 29, 2018

Wand of Fortune R2 FD ~Kimi ni sasageru Epilogue~ - Review

PSP box art because I like it more.
Genre: Otome Visual Novel. 
Developer/publisher: Otomate.
Platform: PSP, PSV.
Release date: 2018-10-04

The much needed FD for Wand of Fortune 2  ~Jikuu ni Shizumu Mokushiroku~
This is where I say its better late than never, since I did like the cast enough
to return otome hogwartz one more time for the much need epilogue to WoF2
because let's be real, WoF2 had so much character development that by the time
you got to the post credit scene and you'd see your handsome man all grown up
you'd either be like aww its over OR wtf?! growth spurt much? (looking at you Est)
to the point you don't even really recognize and want more time.

Pro's
 - Plenty of content and fanservice.
- No more gameplay.
 - BGM is a relic of the past...but has charms, OP theme's a good jam.

Con's
-Short, only reason I took so long is because I paced it out due to otome game drought.



So in the prologue of this FD; in some dream-like space she meets a fairy named Bell
and now Lulu has the power to visit the past or the future... 
because Lulu has had so many possibilities Bell's gonna help her out!
At first, me thinks this little scenario takes place after the true end of WoF2
but since she let chances slip she had regrets this is where Bell comes in
and she gets to spend lovey dovey time with her harem.
So many things! so little time!
 
There's the after stories to WoF2.
A scenario of a ball at mils clair where thanks to Bell. Lulu can go out with everyone
and finally there's loli-Lulu's big adventure... but that was so random I didn't write much of it.
 Ball scenario can get repettitive and the writing for each guy keeps it a bit more fresh
but its not long, an hour or so maybe less, still fun just gets redundant.
That ball takes place somewhere right after WoF1/mirai no prologue but before WoF2
but Lulu was so busy studying she completely forgot, idk its sort of weird trying to place this
anywhere and maybe its better to just believe Lulu forgot about it all together back then
which will actually all make sense once you do Solo's scenario, what a special boi.
There's a score card system where you can check what you have completed
but imo since its sorta obvious in the stories which element belongs to who but still nice
that you can check if you really completed a route (after/ball/great adventure) with that character.
There's also this mils claire DX thing which is basically interviews with the characters
and bonus voices which was the only awful thing to complete since it requires
playing with bell and feeding her stuff loli-Lulu finds in her big adventure
but its not too bad and can be done in no time so its not that annoying.

If you finished WoFr2 completely and still like the series I see no reason as to why one
should not get this. It has plenty of content and an extended epilogue to WoF2 is what
we all wanted the most and the rest is enjoyable, the overall content makes it worth the price
even if its still short, just because one after got me in a bad mood didn't ruin the whole game.
9/10

Friday, October 26, 2018

Piofiore no Banshou - Review

Donte be like; being in the same room as these guys gives me a headache.
 Genre: Otome Visual Novel.
Developer/publisher: Otomate.
Platform: PSV.
Release date: 2018-08-30

This was probably my most anticipated new otome game in a while
and to be honest barely anything that has released recently caught my eye.
The theme of mafia has been touched upon in arcana famiglia and even ozmafia
still the way this was presented got me excited and back into the otome mood
but whether or not this was a good otome is up to the reader/player but imo? its not bad
and I do not regret getting the limited edition.

 Pro's
- Immersive scenario that isn't wasted and good cast of characters.
- Amazing art and music fits the setting/mood.

Con's
- While Meanwhile events are insightful it'll get on your nerves sooner rather than later.
- It can get a bit brutal like fights/deaths etc... not otome in the slightest.
- You will find a reason to dislike every main character in this game.



The only thing that got me worried was if the protag would be able
to hold herself in such a setting like this... she was raised in a church
and looks like the pure ''I know nothing about what's going on type'' needing to be protected
 but she actually has a bit of a mind of her own and isn't some dumb blonde except in Yang's route.
The story takes place in this italian city Burlone and three mafia familia's struggle to get
control over it there's no justice because its a bloody mess due to all the fighting! there's some
folks who have enough of their crap too and want this BS to end.
One day Liliane meets Dante by the graveyard at the church she lives
he seems to be mourning someone and it all rolls from there.

The game also has this ''meanwhile'' system where you can see what is happening elsewhere
this is nice considering all the different familia but can also be annoying if not used right.
I don't have any complaints about the music, it fits the setting and mood
and the art is gorgeous! RIRI did an amazing job!
So about that MEANWHILE SYSTEM... let me just say that while nice it also sorta sucks.
You can easily miss these events that happen at the same time to the point one can say
why didn't you just implement them into the story without having to go out of your way
to view them every time meanwhile shows up on the screen?!
I ended up missing many of them during dante's route which btw wasn't that exciting
to begin with but i figure different POV's would make it more interesting
but they were mostly just insightful things like what is that character up to.
The only route the MS system affected an ending was Orlok's... but its best
to pay attention and catch them all as you go which means less hassle later on.
They do not affect the platinum trophy I missed a bunch of them and still got it though...
I think some of them might affect the ending like one in Orlok's route but the most
important ones happen automatically which makes me go like why not do that with all of them.

Overall without going into spoiler/plot details of course...
I did liked how the routes actually have a Best/Good/Bad branch and choices actually change
the scenario quite a bit... leading to an entirely different ending you never know what
is going to happen which considering the setting is really good.
Prologue/common is also nicely done you will branch out to a new route in different ways
so basically the choices actually make a difference and without a guide it could be difficult.
Not everyone is going to like this game; fans of arcana famiglia expecting an awesome
MC like Felicita? nope you aren't going to find it here.
Fans of Ozmafia might be disappointed too since Piofiore is much more serious with little fluff.
 So what do you have to expect? Serious story centered on mafia problems
with a girl with a kind heart at the center of it, she isn't a complete doormat so that imo is a plus
of course there's romance and memorable otome moments but not much
which going by say Donte's route is just enough feels more like a normal VN would be better.
 This game also has a ton of suspense, in some route its better than other and
certain choices can lead to dead ends so be careful with what you pick.
IMO Piofiore is just right, if you can stand the mafia problems atleast!
the writers do not hold back to how serious they can be and while I have some
gripes with how this isn't all otome-like as in only one route ever getting close to it
I still hope it gets a FD one day but what exactly is an otome game?
there are many different types and yet this is very much one of them its just more serious.

I still think this is a solid otome game compared to other disasters I have recently sat through
*cough*Chouchou Jiken*cough* this game is a lot better suspense wise than that one ever was.
I can definitely recommend this otome game if you want a serious story centered on the mafia
and don't mind things ending up in a bloody mess, while I have gripes here and there
its imo as good as Collar x Malice or Code:Realize since the otome bits might leave to be desired.

Side note, I love how the chapter titles for each character are in different languages.
Dante's are in spanish, Nicola's in Italian, Yang's in chinese, Orlok is in german,
Gilbert is English and the finale was in french lol.
If they ever localize I hope they keep this haha.

If I have to recommend a play order the one I followed didn't cause problems
and flowed naturally so I will recommend it to others:
Dante > Nicola > Yang > Orlok > Gilbert > ???.

and that is all if you want no spoilers! more ramblings after the jump.

Saturday, September 8, 2018

Collar x Malice Unlimited - Review

 Genre: Otome Visual Novel.
Developer/publisher: Otomate.
Platform: PSV.
Release date: 2018-07-26

Fandisc to Collar x Malice! and I dare say it deserved one
since the original was more focused on plot than romance(not to say there wasn't)
they did still balance it out quite nicely though! it did deserve a better look into the future 
especially for characters such as Shiraishi because we all know he deserved it the most.
Content wise its just the usual after stories and something dedicated to Adonis.
Pretty sure they followed up on that one bad end as well but I did not
get my hopes up for anything good to happen out of that.

Pro's
- After stories of decent length, varied endings for everyone.
- Art, hanamura just gets better and better!
- It's got the volume, more than tierblade(unfortunately so).

Con's
- ED theme be nice but its not in sync with credits and just cuts off/repeats, sloppeh.


Sysem
Interlude: this further details events about X day; where some dude named
Chisato Tachibana brings up some suspicious facts to Ichika and the others.
After story: continues on from interlud; the after story of the two.
Adonis: Basically another side of the story.
Side story/what if's: self explanatory.

First of all it is nice they go out of their way to give us another look to the whole
X day thing as a refresher especially after two years and have a nice movie
such as the story thus far at the start of everyones after.
Honestly I feel a lil conflicted about this FD most of this comes from interlude
it felt pretty low effort at trying to start something. -_-
The interlude part aside everything else is 👌 still the same guys we all know and love, no OOC.
The interlude was interesting as there are different paths to take, I went to unlock all
afters before actually doing them since it would only be a hassle to go back and forth.
Unfortunately nothing was truly interesting... it did expand on certain things
but the only good thing about this FD is the fanservice after story.
The after stories are of decent length, there's not much plot to it but the scenario
was interesting nonetheless it focused more on their relationship though.
TL;DR its recommended if you liked CxM and want to see more to the relationships.
 If worried about quality/value of the fandisk, imo its more worth it than Tierblade's FD
which only convoluted the plot revelation after revelation but CxM manages to actually clear it up.
9/10