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.

Official Site: http://www.otomate.jp/piofiore/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v21782

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.

Collar x Malice Unlimited - Review

 Genre: Otome Visual Novel.

Developer/publisher: Otomate.

Platform: PSV.

Official Site: http://www.otomate.jp/collar_malice/fd/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v21789

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

Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly - review

 Genre: Otome Visual Novel.

Developer/publisher: Otomate, Aksys.

Platform: PSV.

Official Site: http://www.aksysgames.com/pbb/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v15771

Release date: 2018-04-27

Back to our regularly scheduled otome game reviews.

I will be reviewing this a little bit different due to the nature of the game

as in its better to not know too much about anything story or character related

before you play which means it probably will be my messy ramblings of likes/dislikes
and my apologies for bringing up the biggest drawback too much
but it just shows even this game isn't perfect, tbh i've yet to play one otome that was.

Unfortunately before I played I was warned that this game is in fact a giant common route
with the individual or romance part as an after thought. This is fine but part of me prefers
something more balanced like code:realize. However sometimes I don't mind if the story's good.
Also you're better off playing this game without a guide, you'll most likely get Kagiha's route
(like what happen in my case) without trying; unless you were super curious about that one book.

Good stuff first, I really like the story, the way its presented and written sort of sucks you in
because its full of suspense which is good motivation to continue on. The flow chart is meh
only really handy to get where you want to be, constantly having to stop the story
for the side stories might be annoying especially when things got really interesting
(more on this later) even then later on certain side stories provide a way to see
another side of the characters others are meaningless filler of days gone by.
The minigame isn't annoying but it might take a bit to get used to.
The key is to not shoot the butterflies individual but lock on to a lot of them at once while getting
the special coloured ones and then shoot, basically look what you chain together.


The protagonist is voiced, has an actual personality and backstory this time.
Beniyuri is an integral piece of the story which after the last localized otome i played is very
welcomed. A protagonist makes or breaks a game...but for the most part she made it a lot better.

Music adds a lot to the mood of the game which helps with both suspenseful and light-hearted scenes.
 The OP isn't really my thing but its not unbearably bad or anything.
The art is of course pretty to look at; it helps with the overall theme of the game
I like how they changed the colour depending where it took place.

Pro's
- Interesting and suspenseful narrative.
 - Likeable cast of characters.
- Art is pleasing to look at.
 - Music fit the mood.
 - Giant common route, individual routes or more like ends are short but overall its of decent length.

Con's
- Extremely short; I think if you actually put effort into it you can finish it in two-four days.
Main/side ep - Having to read Five of these ''daily life'' to continue the main narrative was
incredible jarring, esp when I was pretty engrossed by it. I only liked the one about
cooking and shojo manga but most did nothing to add to the actual plot except camaraderie.
This just brings the potential of this game down,  its like reading this manga and at the end
of volume 4 there's a bonus side chapter full of fluff which takes place some time earlier but we
couldn't fit it in! I get some of them are like a reward but its sad how the mainstory
just goes like ''a bunch of days passed'' yet here we are in a bonus episode  about just that, it really
could've been executed better like there are these ''main story'' bits  and things get interesting
like at one point I expected a minigame as they headed out to confront a monster but was booted
into the flowchart to read even more ''short episodes'' WAY TO RUIN THE MOMENT!

That aside its still an enjoyable mystery otome game, that has a bit of a flawwed execution.
Great cast, decent amount of suspense + drive to get to the bottom of it all
and good art/music to compliment it. What more could you ask?

As for the localization? I am pleasantly surprised! its really good, like BAW its
not that long of a game so it makes sense they have more time to check things over
if the size of game isn't that big, the font is pleasant to look at this time too so thats another plus.
It does makes me wonder what goes wrong with their bigger titles...
if only they could give those the same type of Q&A as their smaller ones.
Speaking of BAW... certain things are similair however in my honest opinion
I think Black Butterfly has the better narrative but even then it has its own set of ''issues''
to the point I am going to have to recommend you to read as many side stories
as you are able too even if you can advance the main story. Doing so will give you less
frustration of having to go back and read them later on which ruins immersion
especially because some do take place early on and its just weird to go back
I really do think the whole main/side is this games biggest drawback. :/
Personally the only side stories I've enjoyed are Yamato and Monshiro's
nothing against Kagiha but because I saw his end first his were permanently ruined!
so I was lowkey like I should've watched his along with Yamato after all... sigh.
The only thing they did execute well was the enforced play order and how more of the
overall story will be revealed with each new ending you get to. Its just a bummer most side
episodes are basically just filler, atleast the actual individual ends(thegood ones) are a nice treat.
The only jarring thing is some oddly copy pasted text here and there but nothing too bad.

Out of all the otome games currently out in english it depends on what you want
but if mystery type stuff is what you fancy i see no reason not to get it if you haven't.

8/10

That's the not so long version atleast... i'll ramble a bit more after the jump.

Utawarerumono Chiriyuku Mono e no Komoriuta - review

Genre: SRPG/Visual Novel.

Developer/publisher: Aquaplus.

Platform: PC, PS2,PSP, PSV, PS4(this version).

Official Site: http://aquaplus.jp/uta/chiri/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v3#main

Release date: 2018-04-25

Since I've never reviewed the original(played PSP ver ages ago) I'll try to 

to do so for this ''remaster'' it won't be that long since its an old game.

So since Utaware Itsu/futari was such a success, like it moved mountains

of copies on release (especially the latter) AP decided to release an updated version 

of the original game after the ps2/psp version BUT made the srpg part like its sequels.

It was originally an eroge but most of it has been replaced by other events

 some things are still implied though and the harem well its still there. xD

I played the PS Vita version but it felt like it was the PS4 version as outside of battles

its incredible clean, I never had a problem with itsu/futari since those're decent ports too
sure its rougher on PSV but atleast it retains its charms AND runs well.
Unfortunately this might be my last actual ps vita game outside of pure visual novels. 

 
Pros
- Story, long but worth to sit through all the way.
- Lovely cast of characters.
- SRPG part is enjoyable; more options compared to utaware 2/3; lots of stages.
- Music; can use special arrangement that give the feel of 2/3 during scenes
and if you want to get nostalgic there's the old BGM, best of both worlds.

Cons
- Its not without its flaws, some may stick out like a sore thumb.
- While the art itself is amazing... changing the hue of the sprites to fit the time of day looks odd.
- Missables; if you just go through the story first(like me) you might have to do another
playthrough since certain items from event/drop of optional stages are missable its not a problem
if you do everything as it becomes available but its more of a matter of knowing when and where.

Pictured; an optional battle, please note at this point its post game and i've grinded BP to max out some stats.

 Gameplay; upgraded to the likes of its sequels; SRPG part is like a breather between VN part

there's a hard mode for those that want a bit more challenge. Its very slice of life-ish

at first but it gets better; it just takes its time, the first battle was about a bit over an hour in.
 I found its easy to take breaks as well due to it bringing you to the camp menu often enough.
It has a slow start but when it gets serious its battle after battle and there's times of peace
like a calm before the next storm of course the further you get in the quicker the pace
and less time for shenanigans, that's the only way I can sum up the flow of the game
without mentioning spoilers. In terms of stages there's a ton and I still found it to be
much more engaging than its sequels, replaying only made that clearer for me.
The variety/goals of some of them is better too like there's a pure defensive stage later on
and they love throwing nasty status effects at you either by attack or a turret.
The finishers/dual are gotten pretty early and its funny how enemies can heal... even boss
this time you too can equip items that a give a stat boost and be able to heal themselves
in case Eruruw isn't around, you can even use offensive items. Overall its more enjoyable.
 You can still redo turns and replay old battles but i figured you'd expected this
and if you've bought Sasara and Tamaki before they'll automatically join.
 However I never had need of them; the main playables and a few guests(they have deathblow!)
are more than enough! also man Oboro is so amazing; he's fast and strong! if you only
raised his strength with BP and accesory to the point if used well nothing stands a chance really.

If I had to give the playable's class/roles it'll be: Hakuoro is average but if he dies so does
everyone's brains which means a game over. Eruruw is the healer, Aruruw a tank.
Oboro and Karula are the glass cannons. The gay twins Dorii and Gura the rangers.
Benawi is defense is best offense! and Kurou is his back up but weaker in terms of defense.
Urutorii and Kamyu are casters; not too strong but not that weak, they have their uses.
Touka and Genjimaru are offensive; if you know Yakuto-err Jachtwalt they're like him!
then we have Theoro and Derihourai.. both offensive unit but you won't get to use them much
atleast there's optional stages but like you're not starved for EXP or BP and I completed
the game without even touching one optional stage, missed opportunity? sure since if I want
that platinum I will have to do it again to get certain items. TBH I never platted futari no hakuoro
since the loot trophy was too time consuming and I just wanted to do other things. Well now you
know they are there and if the VN part drains you some action is available. It add a lot even if
amount of optional is like half the main scenario stages of which there are 32 of.

 On another note...
It is nice how these two DLC Sasara and Tamaki are shared throughout all three games
if you had bought them before they are yours forever! yay cross-game DLC.
The only thing that irks me is a season pass but its only 30$ and you'll get bonus items along
with playable Haku, Kuon, Rurutie, Ukon, Nekone and more which is nice fanservice.
 Atleast Ukon has a deathblow now which was quite cool IMO

Overall it really feels more like an SRPG with all the options available, not too difficult
but not that hard. Unfortunately I found the last few end game stages got too easy (lol Oboro)
I gotta add that as soon as you clear stage 14 it becomes extremely easy to farm BP
so no matter the difficulty you can just adjust stats to your liking on a whim.
That aside the pace of the story was literally one thing after another near the end, the plot
isn't bad its just so much at once and I am glad the story took itself seriously which makes
you like oh I actually missed those shenanigans early on but there's no time for that!
That might add to the impact of the ending itself. Now imagine it being mid 2000's-
(I'm trying not to mention actual spoilers or how's and why's so bear with me.)
-and you finish it; there's no sequel you're left with that ending. Personally
I found it nice its not completely a happy one but it isn't that awful they actually
left a lot of matters up to interpretation. Life goes on Hakuoro's friends
said lives had been changed because of him... basically his presence had a huge impact.
The relationships said friends have with each other... is great too and I feel
in a lot of rpgs these days you don't get to see it like here. Utaware might be harem-ish
but its not all about the harem even the sequels still manage to get that across.
Did I ever mention the lore? and how it just makes it that much more engrossing...

Graphic; Stills and Portrait are beautiful, world is lively and colourful

even not important character have sprites or atleast most of them but like I did not see a need
to change the hue of the sprites(the standing pictures not cg's) to whatever time it is ingame.

Music? at the start you can choose between original/sequel tracks so whatever suits you...

BGM is beautiful and fits the scenes quite well I don't even need to explain why
but if you have never played the original I recommend sticking to the original music track
unless you are like super fond of itsu/futari's OST.

Fav character:

Touka > Aruruw > Oboro > Kamyu >Yuzuha >  Eruruw > Benawi > Kuuya > Sakuya >
Urutorii > Karula > Genjimaru > Gura / Dorri > Kurou > Derihourai/Hien > Teoro >
Kamuchataru > brick wall; Nuwangi > Suonkasu > Dii > deepest pits of hell; Hauenka(fuck him).
Some of this is basically just preference; its only the ones that stood out.
 Nothing against the gay twins; but like they are pretty much
Oboro's sidekicks and didn't leave that big of an impression on me aside of comedy
and them being super duper loyal to him. Karula is like idk not my type but she's great
character and has her reasons but I found myself more attached to Urutorii. :/
 Benawi would be my husband and Kurou... well he's like a bro he won't let you down
but that's it really he adds a lot to the others if scenario allows.
Oboro's cool; a bit of a siscon but while he seems a bit hotheaded he matured a lot
over the course of the game and he totally gets the MVP award there's no contest for that.
Touka would be my absolute favorite; her personality... she's a bit dumb and she might
overlook things in the heat of the moment but she makes me smile a lot.
Kamyu is... like the ugly duckling and quite mysterious but she made friends
which helped her in the end I think its beautiful to see that.
I'd prefer Aruruw over Eruruw due to her growth and showing courage despite her age
like I know the story is very biased for Eruruw but half of the game she was like
a tea servant and at best a pillar of support yet... she gets almost no recognition
and just has to deal with stuff happening at the end but to be there for someone even though
they might look the other way like wow that's mature. So yeah she's good in her own way.
Yuzuha... despite her situation she's genuinely happy for doing what she can. ;_;
Kuuya.. oh man she... she got caught up in some shit and the end result wasn't pretty
but there's hope for her so she wasn't completely beyond help.
Uh now i'm getting emotional so let's stop.

While I still praise the anime of this work, as it stays pretty fateful to the game it still really
is a digest it was made painfully obvious what was omitted; minor spoilers warning here
Benawi and Kurou's relationship to Nuwangi's sister Kamuchataru; the arc takes place
around the same time Hakuoro and Karula deal with Suonkasu. Its nice chara development
but still felt like a side story. The only side thing I liked was the deal with
Urutorii and Fumiriru; the child she found and cared for; its something that may not
have been a big deal back then but with the itsu/futari it suddenly becomes so much more.

How to sum it up...

If you like VN's with a charming cast of characters and a meaty storyline I suggest

picking this up if you haven't and want to try getting into this ''utawarerumono''.
Playing this after uta2/3 will be nice too, you'll still pick things up like for example that
little baby that the gang finds midway through the game that will be more clear, even though
I played this before it was a nice way to refresh my memory on various facts.
The slice of life scenes are many but not too long and you can replay battles
at any time! there's optional ones too so you'd probably not be bored.

Of course I can't promise you'll like it, it has some flaws but if you like stories that take its time

with an engrossing world and lovable chara's I recommend this series along with tears to tiara.

I HOPE THEY LOCALIZE THIS VERSION, not only to complete the trilogy but why wouldn't

you want an updated version that plays like its sequels AND in high definition at that?

Atlus did a good job localizing the other two... the names look a bit weird to me in ENG but that's it.
Hmmm... its clear Aquaplus did cut corners where they could... like did Kurou
have a beard at this point? he doesn't in his sprite but does in his 3d model.
I actually didn't notice this till way later; shows how much I care about graphics.
Overall its a great game, decent story/world and a lovely cast of characters!
Its sad but I think on its own this installment may have been enough...
there's just something, something about its sequels that lacked.
That doesn't mean they're bad like they gave the much needed resolution for Eruruw
and went on to tell the tale of Kuon while going further into matters not resolved.
It might've just been that it wasn't on such a grand scale as the first game like
less generals/countries hmm yea that could be it.
Even then if you have a PS4 or Vita I wholeheartedly recommend it.

Utaware's story is far from perfect but its an enjoyable series nonetheless
I can't wait for Utaware Zan even though it seems to be like a fanservice spin off.
Well have a finisher exhibition; I also watched some of the PS4 version and well
it does have more flair, even then I am glad this was my last ps vita game(besides VN).

Taishou x Alice heads and tails - review

 Genre: Otome Visual Novel. 

Developer/publisher: Otomate.

Platform: PSV.

Official Site:

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v20277

Release date: 2017-12-07

FD of Taishou x alice... if I had to be really honest I didn't think TxA really needed a FD
why? I actually thought the epilogue chapter wrapped everything up nicely and everyone
got a small extension to their ending that aside it must've done well enough for them
to release this FD so why not just accept and try to enjoy whatever contents it has?
 Not much aside from the usual after stories, two new routes for Ryoushi and Ookami
but I heard beforehand they're not all that great since the bias for Alice is too great.
Then there's Gakuen Alice which might've been the last best thing this FD has to offer.😅
 There's not much else to say so let's just get on with it.

Pro's
- Gakuen Alice's a fun omake with mini route (except ookami/ryoushi)
- Art.

Con's
- Not every after story got the same amount of effort, i've only found
Akazukin, Gretel, Mauhoutsukai and Alice to be actually fun / worth it.
- The new routes aren't really 'new' at all nice if you want another perspective though.

I decided to play the after story in the same order as the original:
Cinderella > Akazukin > Gretel > Kaguya > Shirayuki > Mahoutsukai > Alice.
I do recommend saving Mahoutsukai for later preferable after Shirayuki, as Mahoutsukai
adds something that makes Shirayuki's seem like even that had its place.

The first two after stories I did was mostly fun and light-hearted like what one is supposed
to come to expect of FD's... there are exceptions to the others but it wasn't too bad
its just for some it felt there was little effort put into the scenario.
If you are familiar with sangoku rensenki's FD... its a lot like that! you get a short story
with the couple which is around 1 hour at most with two CG's for each
the content varies depending on the character though. Much like the original TaiAli
the further you get into the episodes the drearier it gets, like the boys from ep1 are fun
but then you get to Kaguya and it just goes downhill, Gretel was still OK for some reason.
The new routes for Ryoushi and Ookami aren't exactly new route just their POV of the whole
thing with Alistair much of what we already know! since they force the canon
so much their endings aren't exactly what one would like to see.
Can't recommend their routes unless you want a different perspective of the story we already know.

Overall its still a decent FD but only get it if you desperately need more Taiali in your life
there's just some parts that make me say: but why? like why even give Ookami a route if
you're going to make it end up like that... his whole character turned out to be a laughing stock.😓
To be fair... after being done with this FD the only thing I really like about Taishou x Alice is the
story of 'Alice', comedy and meta. As an otome game I think it doesn't really work that well like
half of the cast is essentially the same person, different personality and in the end only one matters.
Tai Ali has a great story&chara's and I whole-heartedly recommend the games
but as an otome game; by the end it leaves to be desired no matter how well written it was.

Well whatever I'll try to write some thoughts down below as usual, don't read it
if you don't want spoils etc (not like there is much).

Atelier Lydie and Suelle Alchemists and the mysterious painting - Review

 Game: [リディー＆スールのアトリエ 〜不思議な絵画の錬金術士〜]
Genre: JRPG.

Developer/Publisher: Gust and Koei Tecmo.

Platform: PS4, PS Vita, Nintendo Switch.

Official Site: https://www.gamecity.ne.jp/atelier/lydie/

Release date: 2017-12-21

Time for another non-visual novel review, i'm still busy with TaiAli FD on the side.
I played the PS4 version because the vita version did not at all look convincing... besides
after the horror stories of atelier firis and its frequent crashes I played it safe! sadly I do not own
 a switch yet so its not like I had much of a choice here! also the vibrant colours
in the PS4/switch version give the game that much more life...
vita looked very bland in comparison even Firis looked better to me.
Just saying i'm not here to shit post like I love my vita... but I also do sort of
want to like actually enjoy games? PS3 to vita ports have been good but PS4 to vita ports
 just can't hold up all that well that much was obvious but uhm enough about that.

 
Yes I like the OP, I feel it captures the game so well especially the sisters
and their true goal, bright, cheerful and colourful happiness is best shared.

The lastest entry of the mysterious series, its the bright and colorful conclusion

I try to write a bit more as a whole there won't be much spoilers.

I didn't think so at first but this series actually managed to have some decent character

development, if you've stuck around since Sophie and the mysterious book you'll definitely notice it.

As for story? its there but very straight-forward, gust focused on the characters this time, there's

plenty of sub events and often I found myself absorbed since there's so many to keep us 

entertained while we do requests, perform alchemy and complete ambition notes

 to proceed the story; the goal? become the no,1 atelier in the country!
While doing the main objective there's plenty to be distracted by, mostly from sub event

and its better to view as they appear. I let a few stack and there goes
an hour of just viewing events😅. I still managed to focus on other games

on the side while still manage to make a decent progress with L&S.
No character truly or other things was dislikable to make me stop completely and drop the game.

Lydie and Suelle are sisters, they've lost their mom and their dad's a bit of a free loader...

using up the money the sisters worked hard to get which leads them to pursue the dream of their
mom. Eep! this looks pretty grim but it all managed to be quite a heart-warming tale throughout.

All the playables have a place in the story this time, they got a reason to be around 

and I hate to admit it but half the cast despite in Firis being oh so likeable did feel 

sort of like mercenaries, companions on the road which with the whole journey
so I am glad with L&S they toned down a little bit and tried to fit everyone in properly.

Promotional artwork.

 The characters... like Mathias is Mireille's brother, he's a bit of a dork but he fits the

 typical protector character, btw i'm sure Sterk would be proud in one way or another.

Lucia is the typical tsundere rival... at first she's a bit annoying but after a certain 

character episode the sisters showed her no quarter! and well she sort of gets better after it.

Alto... I don't want to talk too much about him but he's quite cool! most of his sub events 

are tied to Sophie's so don't worry about it, quite possible the most interesting sub arc.

Well we all know Firis! nothing will stand in her way, she follows her heart and dreams

and Liane still loves every bit about her.. ah what a sis-con.

I'm still surprised by Ilmeria... she's taken up the teacher role for the sisters

and her friendship with Firis is still strong Il-chan gives Firis the space she needs.

 There's Pamela, Hagel(haha yes they brought him back! Fritz and Drossel too

I quite liked how the latter two's sub events wrapped up some questions.
As for Lydie and Suelle themselves... they're both lovely Lydie's a bit more withdrawn
but is like a voice of reason compared to the bumbling genki Suelle.
They both have their charms and both lack something the other could cover.

 Art is pretty good, it shows how well two artist can work together

and I like how some of the CG's are like an actual painting.

BGM... well its gust as usual they do an amazing job not every track may stand out

but some do! the only field music I liked was from the intermission chapter after the mid-boss

aka the underwater treasury. Dunno why sometimes I just starting humming along. xD

As for the world, there's one town and its quite big atleast I think it is, luckily there's a quick

warp feature to get to where we are really needed. The paintings all have their own 

mini story to it and in my opinion its what makes it overall more charming.

My favorite painting world would be the starlight plains one.

 The alchemy system is more or less the same as before with a few tweaks sadly it still uses 

the awful recipe idea system and I really wish they're going back to the books next series.

Well due to the game plays out its easy to get accustomed to it, everything is slowly

opened up to you with the occasional boss, the mid boss was cool since I had to

to be like wait uh may I need a few to prepare? 😂 the last boss

was exciting too albeit a bit weak on the story side.

Battle system is like Eschatology/Shallie but not as broken, well that's what I like to say

since if you try you could really be stronger than if you don't all depends

on if you use the right traits on your items and weapons/armor.

Then there's battle mix which let's you use even more powerful version of an item

if you have the right material in your bag that is...

All 6 playables can tag along at once which is nice if you hate benching characters there'll be

DLC too; Lucia and Ilmeria so if you thought there wasn't enough well there you go!

There's combination moves as well and this time they have more of an impact such as this one.

While none of them appear to be locked its possible with the DLC you might be able to have more
freedom but this is not confirmed as I suspect Lydie and Suelle are fixed either way. 
Always hated how in Firis; Sophie/Plactha and Liane are locked into the party making, it was hard
to make your desired team since there are 9 playable in firis yet 3 of them are locked in.
Speaking of DLC... what is up with these 90$ season passes? this started with
blue reflection but why make it cost more than the game? in Lydie and Suelle case
we get like what? 2 playable characters, swimwear costume and extra area
which is all stuff that has costed less back with dusk series.
Well in my opinion regarding koei's season pass BS Blue reflection was the worst thus far
all those costumes and mini event that cost more than the game. Said costumes can only
be used in school not when a magical girl, wow thank you. Okay enough about that
I didn't buy it thankfully but apparently KOEI's shitty practices continue. -_-
Look I love many of their games but... this is getting ridiculous.

Another combi... haha prepare to meet your doom!

That aside I don't think there's any missables either, just try to get a flower circle/max bar
at a rank up exam for Roger's requests just max the bar and you will be fine.
You can also dismiss any request and they'll just pop back up eventually, yes even
the ones that reward you with a battle mix recipe. Money is easy to get as well
if you do requests atleast, sadly by the time you hit the epilogue chapter
you might have more than needed which means you have to spend to unlock
events required to get the shop ending, I found this out the hard way
if gust cut corners anywhere its there i'm sure they could have let us trigger them
regardless of how much we had at that point but alas this is not the case. 
Atelier games these days are so easy and straight-forward, Firis was the only exception
but even then it was still easy to reach the goal with time to spare. Its sad they took a step
back here because I actually loved Firis and miss how it was in Arland/early dusk series.

Either way I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Lydie and Suelle
while not as much as Firis its still a good way to end the trilogy, its a
heart-warming tale that has themes of family, hope and dream.

I did not experience any sort of crashes/bugs though there is an occasional
frame rate drop as an area loads in but tbh that's not bad at all
really though I can't find that many negatives, there's probably a few
like this feels more like classic atelier just by the way its paced but
its sort of like Rorona except there's really no pressure to do anything
so if you think your gear/item needs a desperate upgrade go ahead to do just that!

There was only one time there was a sort of time limit  IIRC when you at B rank
but its so lenient I finished it immediately without wasting a second

so like just go at your own pace and you'll get everything done still.

I can see gust trying to capture ways of old but then they hold back...
The other might be how they sort of gave us a last boss for the sake of one
you know it bad when I think the mid-boss fit in more than the last one. >_>
One could hope gust will take a bit of a break from atelier... despite me not finding
much flaw its clear they cut corners here and there where they could.

Anyway I took my time but honestly its a pretty short game still, not that short though!
but if you are impatient to go ham with the alch/battle system you'd be disappointed
as battling/alchemy doesn't reach its full potential till the last chapter of the game
by then a lot opens up and there's lots of powerful enemies to test you, unfortunately by then
the story is already over but that shouldn't stop you from having fun breaking the game even more.

 Only the hidden painting dungeon has a little bit of story, errr more like lore to it.

If you already played Sophie and Firis I see no reason to skip out on Lydie and Suelle, its 

a great game that finished what was started way back in Sophie through character development.

If I had to be honest the mysterious saga has mostly focused on characters while plot

takes a backseat(like after thought) yes even Firis! no especially Firis, she had her goal

and met so many friends a long the way that made it all more interesting.

I don't want to repeat myself too much so I guess I'll wrap it up... yes I recommend L&S!
at the very least it might be better if you've played Sophie first and as much
as I loved Firis you could probably skip it and be fine?

I do think this might be my last atelier game... lol I say this everytime

a series concludes but somehow gust always manages to pull me back in.😅

Chouchou Jiken Rhapsodic - Review

 Genre: Otome Visual Novel. 

Developer/publisher: Otomate.

Platform: PS Vita.

Official Site: http://www.otomate.jp/chouchoujiken/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v19851

Release date: 2017-11-30

I dunno why I bought this... I imported the first manga volume and was intrigued I guess.
Erena/Elena the protagonist seemed okay, there was a mystery vibe and the art is pretty
though the first promo art the protagonist looks like a freaking twig ready to snap. -_-
 I got the feeling I wouldn't like it that much so I bought the regular edition and I am glad.
Sydney's character trailer should've warned me but yet... I still bought.
PS: Some say they spoiled some stuff like Sydney in the promo image... but honestly speaking
if you don't know what the spoiler is you'd think he's some sort of fancy earl.

There are some difference from the manga like Erena for example... she is more typical otomate
heroine template which disappoint me because she appeared to have more personality in the manga.
 Don't want to say Erena was that bad since she had her moments in the game  where she managed
to shine if only a little. The rest flowed almost identically from what I had seen from the manga
dunno but in the manga it felt like Erena had more spirit, hopefully you get what I mean.
Part of me think the manga is supposed to be the main and this game just fanservice.(who knows)
for all we know this was supposed to be an interactive shojo manga... hench why
certain stuff is a bit all over the place and some routes especially the initial two
(Masanari and Haruka) can feel like filler compared to the locked ones.
If you care for the story then I'd say Ritomo is the true route of the game since everything
make sense but it all depends on preference, personally the guy is anything but likeable.

Play order:
 Masanari>Haruka>Sydney>Iori>Ritomo
The last three route are locked... I do know that doing Masanari unlocks Sydney.
doing both Haruka and Masanari get you Iori's route which in turn unlocks Ritomo.
So you could do Sydney second but I don't think that's a good idea... just do the 

initial routes first aka Masanari and Haruka and the rest will be natural to get to the truth.

Pro's
-  Just doing one route won't get you to the truth.
- Pretty art, well portraits look nice but CG's vary.
- Charming cast, atleast I found some of them to be 'charming'.
- MURASE AYUMU's stellar performance.

Con's.
- It can get a bit draggy at times and two routes are essentially filler.
- This womans blooood uwaaaagh, zombies overall writing may leave to be desired etc. >_>
- Protag/heroine was too ala otomate.
- You can't skip the credits, yep its 2k18 and yet they couldn't implement such a feature.
(There's no movie view feature either...)

The common route is basically a giant introduction too long for its own good each
chapter sort of introduced a character, chapters are not long but combined? they are.
Certain stuff will never change even if events play out slightly different
part of this is normal atleast there's something interesting to find out in the actual routes.
As for length its average, not too long not too short but the problem lies that its rather dreary.
There are two endings bad/good but its not very exciting since its just the typical two-choice system
where the correct choice raises affection which in turn lead you to best end, no guide needed!
Art is pretty, the music is so-so... bgm was awful in the long run definitely not worthy
to buy an OST of this.The OP/ED I can say these are fine but it not my thing.
I heard people say the lipsync is awful but honestly its OK most of the time it
looks awkward in some way so I tend to prefer no movement all together.
Characters seem interesting so there was drive to do the non locked routes to get
to the more interesting ones but uh TBH in the long run most of the story wasn't very interesting
since nothing makes any sense till the last two routes and even then... /shrug.

To get the platinum trophy you have to save the lines the characters say this is something
daisy2's games have had in the past, here's 60 slots but you only need a couple
to make a playlist and get the two remaining trophies.
In fact you can just spam the same line into all three playlist for the trophy.............
OTOMATE WTF ARE YOU HIGH? this isn't funny since there's not much
I'd classify as note worthy, if it had lots of comedy then yes but this is a waste
there's other games like for example Ninkoi that deserve this feature yet do not have it. -_-
Not saying there aren't any memorable lines but IMO... not enough to warrant this feature.

Let me try to keep it short...
Takes place in the early Showa period, shortly after WWII with some russian agenda mixed in.
So our heroine Erena is the unfortunate orphan who enjoyed a quiet life ever since an incident
in which her parents passed on from, she enrolls at this fancy school in the big city
after a sudden invitation and one day runs into these vampire zombie folks who want to devour her.
I kid you not I cannot even put it any other way,  for mystery driven chouchou jiken is decent
but it was too draggy and took forever to get somewhere. I feel this was meant to be a manga
 from the beginning like I already mention it but Erena is typical otome protag
aka meek and very otomate, I did had drive to figure out WTF was going on but my
first route didn't get very far nor did it make the guy feel relevant and it sucks if the dude
whom's route your on doesn't strike your interest at all.(like for me Masanari)
I think forced play orders are still good though but I think it is better to do Haruka first
since it felt like he was a whole lot more relevant and interesting than angry navy boy.
 Moving on...
The protag is 15 years old yet... most of her suitors are almost 10 years older, for the 

time period its ok but it is a little creepy. The plot only makes sense in the last 2/3 routes
This game seemed like a good mystery otome game that might be a little trashy
but it wasn't all that, it suffered from a rather cliche/over used protag has magical blood plot
which makes her wanted, the trashy bit never really gets that far, there's a somewhat decently writen
plot behind it all but you must have a pretty good attention span to get it, lots of TL;DR
 Well I wouldn't say its a kusoge downright since it had nice build up...
even then some stuff might not even add up to historic facts, partly that's fine but its not all
that great to get a load of bull, if you know your history of the period don't expect much.
In all honestly to me early on most of the plot was dull and only interesting if you like to have a
mouse nibble at ur toes like some characters could make it better which for me which
are Haruka and Sydney but that's it, Masanari's route was total filler and the plot
only picked up in Iori and Ritomo's route, Sydney? I like the guy but the route was still eh.

Most of the endings also gave me the is that it feeling like there could be more or better way
to end yet still... looking at you Iori suuuure let's go to sovjet together to look for more clues :eyeroll:
Especially with bad ends sometimes they tried too hard to make something of it

like bad fanfic I think Haruka's bad end is exactly that lmao.
While doing route no.2 so much flew by me that I just gave up all expectations...
 each route was unique enough though but sadly the last unlockable route aka Ritomo
makes you sit through the whole game from scratch unable to skip common scenes
just for a bunch of new flashback scenes in between old scenes. I'm like come on otomate?
It is so very fun to sit through it all just for a few scene here and there, also yes I did force skip it. -_-
Personally Haruka and Sydney's route are most enjoyable but tbh it might just depend on taste...
 whichever character you like the most will depend on personal preference.

5/10
''Chouchou Jiken seemed like it would be a decent mystery otome game but it
turned out to be hilariously average, its not a kusoge but its not exactly that good either.''

Code:Realize Shirogane no Kiseki - Review

Genre: Otome Visual Novel. 

Developer/publisher: Otomate.

Platform: PS Vita.

Official Site: http://www.otomate.jp/code-realize/fd2/

VNDB: https://vndb.org/v21521

Release date: 2017-12-21

The 2nd code realize fd... well we know the first (shukufuku no mirai) had more plot than fanservice

and that they sort of falsely advertised it so when this was announced I was like wow really?

surely they couldn't have put it as one game in the first place? but I guess

this is also to have yet another game to sell right after the anime finished airing. $$$hing
Oh well happy 2018 can't say I fully appreciated this FD but...
 atleast it gave content most fans wanted to begin with albeit a bit late.

Pro's
- Certain characters will finally get the epilogues they deserve.
- Triangle date, fanservicey but fun mini episodes.
- Art, Miko gets better and better!

Con's
- Christmas stories should've been shorter (looking at you Van).
- Was there really a need to split the FD?

This FD is christmas/holiday themed so I suggest you play it around that time of the year

it didn't arrive till the 28 for me but since I am not really that invested in the holidays 

I was just like i'll play it now before moving on to anything else like I do think

code:realize is a wonderful series but... I hope they won't milk this series too much so as much
as the idea of seasonal fandisk is nice I also dislike, I hope otomate doesn't get any more ideas.
Atleast the artist is still the same but I really hope this doesn't become the next hakuouki.

So what content is in this FD?
After stories for Finis and Sholmes because they needed it especially the latter.
A scenario titled Cantarella this is pretty much like the mafia one last time but better.
Christmas stories for the original characters set after Finis's after story.
An epilogue for the 5 original guys set after the after stories in shukufuku no mirai
to finish what the last FD started because apparently it couldn't be told back then. >_>

System? typical stuff, you select the story you want to read
there's no real need for a guide except for dictionary but since its so short
its easy to go back and select another choice so there's no fear.

To keep it short...
First off I don't want to sound ungrateful its just... starting to seem like code:rea is being milked.
Its short but the entertainment was there and the value was good... more so than tierbladeFD
speaking of volume it might be just right, I thought some of the christmas stories was too long for
their own good(especially Van) or maybe that's just me... I liked Impey's and Fran's a lot though.
Finis and Sholmes after stories... the latter bored me for some reason but still give good conclusion.
I think it would be better received if you actually like code:realize a whole lot, already said this at the
start of the post but it cannot be coincidence this came out right after the anime finished airing.
Cardia is a great heroine AND she kicked ass, got her happy future...  but there's not much else
that needs to be told is there? the more otome I play the more I realize that open ended
endings are perhaps the better kind like make your own fantasies instead of being spoonfed them
of course some could benefit from a little teensy bit more but I feel otomate is going overboard here.
I'm sure we could get a FD for everything that is new to Cardia but I hope that won't be necessary
the score is more than fair, I actually get tired of having to come back FD after FD, once is enough.
 7/10
''Its a nice addition with plenty of enjoyable fanservice but there's not much else to it.''

So do I recommend this FD? only if you are a fan and absolutely need more code:rea in your life.

2017 in review

Time for another one of these, I will limit myself to only otome visual novels as per usual.

Played:

Ken ga Kimi Momoyo Tsuzuri.

Harukanaru toki no naka de 6 gentou rondo.

Getsuei no Kusari Kyouran Moratorium.

Geten no Hana Yume Akari (vita port)
Hana Oboro Sengoku Den Ranki.
Hyakka Hyakurou Sengoku Ninponchou.
Harukanaru toki no naka de 3.
Wand of Fortune R2.
 Black Wolves Saga Weib und Schwarz.

Charming Empire.
Gakuen Club.
 SideKicks!
Shiro to Kuro no Alice.
Tsumikui.
Utsusemi no Meguri.
Re:vice[D].
Moujuutachi to ohime-sama FD.
Shinobi, koi utsutsu FD.
Yuukyuu no Tierblade FD.
S.Y.K Shinsetsu Saiyuuki.
Bad Apple Wars.
HimeHibi.
Usotsuki Shangri-la.

Have but not yet played:
Chouchou Jiken.
TaiAli FD.
Code Realize Shirogane no Kiseki.
Himehibi 2.

💩Worst:💩

Harukanaru toki no naka de 6 Gentou Rondo.

Okay, while I enjoyed going through most every route, overall I think it wasn't that good
 of a sequel(yes it is not a FD). This heavily relied on dues ex machina to the point I went whatever
at the end of it all like part of it doesn't even make sense, yeah sometimes a bad sequel is better

 than no sequel at all but still. The only good thing that came out of this was Wan-chan.
 This sequel was literally a cross between code:realize and clock zero like the whole
ruined future and the mysterious doll/robotic-like Man. >_>
 There was little point to it all, Ludo's new route was pretty enjoyable but I personally
just wanted a FD with after stories not a sequel which resets the relationships!
The original guys routes here are just new version... a new chance
but it didn't work out like KOEI's other work geten no hana.
Darius suffered the most welp my fav character goes down the drain especially
after a near perfect route in the previous game, to the point i wish this didn't exist the worse part
the whole time slip thing hurt my head and his confession. T~T
I think I am done here, its clear they rushed this to please the fans
and I truly have no energy to discuss this dues ex machina trainwreck further.
 

The Charming Empire.
While I think it was decent for being a mobage but there's so many things that make me say
 it wasn't all that great compared to other otomege nor was it that memorable
and I have no incentive to pay 6000 yen for additional content in the vita port
if you want to try give the english version on steam a spin please try but don't expect much
because this truly was of mobage quality, hehe atleast I can admit Sera was a cute.

Gakuen Club.
From the same makers as Charming Empire it also was a mobage and I wasn't
surprised at the quality that I got which was inconsistent, the only
route I really enjoyed was Saku's and everything else followed after that.
Its nice if you want something simple really but veteran otome gamers should stay away
because the endings aren't worth your time like most don't even give proper conclusion
not to mention the whole secret club thing felt childish nor did it felt like it was that secret. -_-

Tsumikui ~Sen no Noroi, Sen no Inori~ for V.
An otome game focusing on reincarnation, sin and morality... also TL;DR.
Mediocre at best, interesting story and most of the guys are likeable, now for the bad parts...
Its a little slow at parts and drags on the early slice of life parts, it also loves to throw
internal monologues at you even in action scenes which totally ruins the moment
the character interaction? not fun but sometimes its gold but it just doesn't happen a lot
because the story doesn't allow it which most of the time was gloomy and dreary (2serious).
I don't mind serious type of otome games but there's so many reason why I just couldn't like it.
I don't know if all operetta games are like this but I sure have no incentive to buy their other games.
This was a mixed bag and the story never reaches full potential, I only really liked one or two routes
plus the side characters most of them are underdeveloped, all in all it could've been better
so there it just goes on my shit list because it has no place in my neutral or positive sections.
 ~
Moujuu-tachi to Ohime-sama ~in blossom~.
Oh otomate must've planned to release this FD... all you need to know is
its as lacklustre as the original, why did I bother? characters/seiyuu thats why...
but honestly I learned my lesson here no matter how great a setting may sound sometimes things
are too good to be true and characters/seiyuu won't save a paper thin story not even my love
for fantasy settings saved this lacklustre entry set in the same world as ye olde moujuutsukai
which honestly was a whole lot better than this new series in the same world. -_-
Otomate next time get the original staff to work on your sequels but I guess
they're too busy with tierblade which I actually managed to enjoy.

Bad apple wars.
Well if I had to nominate something as Kusoge of the year it would be this.
I DID NOT ENJOY THIS GAME... the protag is an empty shell whom in
the bad apple routes whines and complains more than I could count without trying to fix
her own issues because all development went to the guys and the sub characters.
Granted she was tolerable in the disciplinary routes and if anything I liked her development
in Higa's but its not much, like I said in the original post she's no Cardia Beckford.
Which side you choose it doesn't make a difference in the end story wise its the same no matter
which character you pick not to mention the forced copy pasta in every route is very sigh.
The only thing it had going for it was the characters sad past... but for a supposed Nakige
it overall wasn't that sad, if only the heroine had some sord of backstory other than I haz nothing.
Most the romance was rushed and then there's Shikishima :eyeroll:
Atleast I managed to enjoy Higa and Watase's routes and to some extend Satoru
but this was such a miss for me, I regretted buying it so much why did this even get localized?
clearly there was bias towards it but I don't see what makes it that special.
Maybe just maybe if you're not familiar with angel beats one might enjoy it...
but if you are you just better off skipping it, I constantly compared
this to angel beats to the point i'd say this is the poor man's version of it.
~

Neutral/so-so:

Getsuei no Kusari Kyouran Moratorium. (Vita port)

Decent FD of a not so typical otome game, vita port has added features that make it
so much more worth the price, all in all I cannot complain even tho its still depressing
but don't expect much fluff its still as dark and dreary as its predecessor.
If you like your coffee black and bitter you may enjoy the original (and this FD).

Black Wolves Saga Weib und Schwarz.
A dark fantasy otome game which a decent story, good art and amazing music
however as an otome its a little lacking so I can't help but say it ain't that great
if you want more romance and well finish the game once the rest will fly by
cuz its 90% common and 10% individual. >_>
Well the characters were interesting, the plot, art and music was good
and overall despite drawbacks its worth it, however it definitely need an acquired taste.

Wand of Fortune R2.
Sequel to the first WoF, the system is more straight-forward but still has some annoying tidbits.
Its recommended for those looking for character development, I managed to enjoy most of it even
if part of the overall plot was a little meh but we all know the best thing about WoF is still the
characters, everything else comes after it which makes the journey through it all the more worth it
even if the system just plain sucks, honestly if you manage to fully complete this it just means
you enjoyed it despite system woes because the characters save it for you (probably).
Its also a little sad Lulu is less cheerful and that's all Bilal's fault!(kidding) the true end was meh
since Lulu had to be told a simple thing by Ami that she might've known all along :eyeroll:
The only downside is that this does not come with the FD kimi sasageru epilogue
which in my opinion would've made up for the bad parts in the main game. :(

Sidekicks!
Let's be honest here... its an improvement compared to Oumagatoki~Kakuriyo no Enishi~
as the core story was actually good but I feel its a bit overhyped I only found the last two routes
(which were locked) actually good as a whole. Also the heroine Inori didn't really stand out.
 What did she do before she joined sidekicks? this is important! not even her family
was mentioned all we know is she lives alone and that she was probably born with
 her precognition which again they do not go into she basically just joins sidekicks
because she saved their asses and could be of use. That aside she wasn't that bad or annoying.
Other flaws like some chara episodes(routes) in the game feel like filler like you get in detective
drama and imo some are good and other are bad and then there's one character entire purpose
 literally exists to only narrate certain chapters... sigh I guess they wanted to give Morikubo a role.
I could only be surprised by a small amount of revelations outside of Nora's route and another
story. Some routes(Chika) still exist for the sake of having one but in some case like Hibari
it not bad it got better by my fourth route and Nora(best boy) didn't disappoint.

At the end of the day I can still recommended this if you like otome detective stories
like Eikoku tantei mysteria, collar x malice or similair.

Shiro to Kuro no Alice.
Another otome game that's Alice themed, I haven't played much with it
but it was surprisingly enjoyable despite some stuff, sadly this would've benefited
from an enforced playorder, I really can't stress that fact enough because the story is too
scattered and without proper order you'll be lost and probably confused if you do X chara first.
That aside I think most people may find something to their liking here not everything but something.
In my opinion black side was the only worthwhile thing, Luna's just an adorable heroine but white
side on the other hand was just typical stuff... of a meek heroine having to put up with crap.>_>
Keep in mind this is no substitute to any other alice related work, All I can say
if you want to get this, do it for Luna I really did find black side to be most enjoyable
but don't look at this as a replacement for a certain other alice-themed work.

Utsusemi no Meguri.
Honestly I can say this was neither particularly amazing or that it downright sucked
so my opinion is truly neutral, the feel of the game is nice and the chara's are interesting
but overall I am just meh as it just never stood out in what it tried to do
except in the true route of the game which is fine in a sense.
Its nice to discover darker sides to the guys in the kyouran endings but with half of them
 I was like ENOUGH, please stop. もういいよ
 If you like extremely japanese and old timey stuff this might be for you though.

S.Y.K Shinsetsu Saiyuuki.
I managed to finish a PSP otome game! this was an otome based on journey to the west
and it was pretty fun but I never looked forward to doing another route due to
the common route and how much filler that had(call back to certain anime?)
hench why it took me forever like 4/5 months since I only played once in a blue moon.
The characters are fun but I felt that most of this game focused on the lore part
and the romance was lacking especially in routes such as Gyokuryuu it was
not interesting to watch a moeblob fiddle around over his feelings for his past
 and present master :eyeroll: atleast the rest of the routes were great especially Ranfan
but its clear the main guy is Gokuu, his route was the most well rounded in terms of story/romance.
Its was a decent otomege for its time but it doesn't hold up all that well today, I do look
forward to the FD which i'll get to eventually not to long from now.

 Shinobi, Koi Utsutsu FD.
In all honesty this FD was fine however it just came too late for me(like almost two years)
and I was no longer invested, I didn't even remember much of the original so go figure.
I think they did try but the charm was no longer there for me and well some of the art looked weird
and I figured this is another case where otomate used tracers instead of the original artist.
I enjoyed what I could but... I feel like most of it was wasted on me and the general writing bored me
because too many characters, I liked Yuri, Daisuke and Garaiya the most this time
around. I wish they didn't advertise this as a fandisk because it was a sequel in disguise
with all the maturing stuff  not to mention everything I liked about the original
such as fanservice and shenanigans was watered down.

HimeHibi ~princess days~.
For what its worth I enjoyed my time with it but it didn't leave that big of an impression on me.
Himehibi had a stellar cast, a good dose of comedy and a decent plot but that's it
open ended and there weren't much romantic scenes with Aizaki and the guy.
Not to mention most of the cg's are either solo shots or with another guy which is fine
since they looked great but still... the otome part left to be desired and the best way to put it
is that its very pure in what it tried to do. I found this to be a perfect otome game for beginners
who don't expect much out of otome games there's nothing else I can add on it
if you haven't played much and want to test your japanese.

 Usotsuki Shangri-la.
I didn't thoink it was particularly bad or good... some of the art was weird
and only one route truly made everything come together which might be great but I never felt
attached to any character due to the lack of volume I still think it rushed it self even if
it tried to pace it well. In the end this felt like an apology for the disaster that was moshikami.
~

🏆Best:🏆

Ken ga Kimi Momoyo Tsuzuri.

This is probably the best FD a KgK fan could ask for, so much content via side stories

that went deeper into matters of the original game while also giving us after stories
its seriously more than anyone could ask for even if not every side story was as interesting.
Other than that to me this series is finished, they could prolly make more but...
I feel everything needs to end someday even if you really like it and want more.

Hana Oboro Sengoku Den Ranki.
A historic fantasy otome game and for the most part it was alright aside from the poster boys routes
being lackluster(to me), its also sad how Alan who was supposedly the 6th romanceable character
gets the shaft so hard, sequel/FD? maybe but I can only recommend if old timey games
are your thing but this isn't a jyuuza engi, you definitely have to accept certain characters fate
which despite other flaws makes it a whole lot better to me, this ain't a kusoge that's for sure
because some routes were great especially Katsuie, the poster boys aside who cares?
Hanbei and Shingen were still good but overall I suppose it was a little convoluted.

Geten no Hana Yume Akari.
 Unlike Harutoki6 GR this was actually enjoyable and the story additions made sense
like hanbei's route explained even more about the setting and background of hotaru's village.
A decent sequel to a stellar otome game and even if most of the original characters routes
in this game feel like alternative takes I still enjoyed most route even tho it was still short.
 Sadly the shining stars of yume akari really are Hanbei and Kanbei but its oh so worth it and
I fully recommend to buy the vita port since it comes with both games, definitely a hidden gem
and I was always motivated to find out more about the cast <3 even though
the original casts routes felt like a new version.

Hyakka Hyakurou Sengoku Ninponchou.
After 3 kusoges who would have thought that D3P could release something decent?
Guess what D3P was only the publisher for this and RED entertainment saved the day.
Enju was a great heroine despite being naive at first and well after being on the run
she learned a great deal and in turn helped some of the guys too, every route was interesting too
but Gekkamaru's had me on the edge of my seat, is out in english as Nightshade so please do
buy it if you haven't already, the story is the same in every route with the ninjas on the run thing
but atleast they kept it interesting every route was another side of the story.
However if you don't like ninjas and morality stuff it might be better to pass...

Harukanaru toki no naka de 3,
Otomege set in the heian period and well it had a surprisingly proactive heroine
willing to fight to protect the things she cares about, Nozomi isn't all bark and no bite
that much is made clear, the overall story was okay its not too heavy but I wish they would've
given everyone epilogues and not just a handful while giving others side stories that took place
during the journey but we never saw those to begin with till the extra scene, oh well whatever.
Even without knowledge of the time period, its not hard to understand as long as you read up on
tale of the heike or not, you may even learn a few facts about this specific period!
Nozomi does become a little too perfect after god knows how many loops
but you know practice makes perfect so please don't hate on her too much
because she just had a convenient scale and used it to her liking (which is amazing)
like thats better than being ignorant and not doing a thing right.
Either way I had loads of fun, the guys were all great in their own way could never hate anyone
even if they are the equivalent of garbage(yooo Benkei), most importantly RPG part was
fine sure battling weak mobs got redundant but eh thats normal.
 The gameplay really isn't that annoying but it doesn't hold your hand, a good guide is recommended.
If you want an otome RPG look no further! because Haruka3's pretty much the closest right now.

Kenka Bancho Otome FD.
Honestly this was a fun fandisk with plenty of fun but much like the code:realize FD they tried
to still put some weight to some after stories which in my opinion only two
of the bachelors got enjoyable after stories: love comedies for (Totomaru/Konparu) another
gets stuck with i'll be back ™ (Houo) and fades into the background(Rintarou) or
idol dramatique(Mirako), Rintarou was literally a waste of space he barely said anything
and at times I was like hey he's there... maybe its because of his seiyuu being on hiatus
but still its like they planned lines for him but they couldn't get his VA to voice them. :(
I understand not everything should be the same but Rintarou fans will be majorly disappointed
I enjoyed Totomaru and Konparu the most, followed by Mirako even though I loath idols.
Most of the content I come to expect of normal FD delivered, others did not
but I still think its a solid fandisc that'll please its fans.

Re:vice[D].
Well this turned out to be better than I expected, its most definitely an overlooked gem.
I loved the character interaction and the story is unique for an otome game
most of the routes were good but its a bit on the short side, however I enjoyed it a lot.
This had such a stellar cast of characters... I mostly liked everyone cept Suou.
 Aika as a heroine is out there as well, she's awesome and won't take shit most of the time
but as an otome heroine she may not be what people want that aside she is still awesome.
This games value isn't high which may be good for your wallet?
It definitely was a fun otome and I have no regrets playing it but I can see why
 its just not popular because in some routes the romance itself left to be desired
to the point I only ever really liked two routes(Iroha and Ryouga).
Nothing against Yukine(he did nothing wrong) but... part of his route was off-putting
like it makes sense by the end but he felt like a stalker at first.

Yuukyuu no Tierblade -Fragments of Memory-.
This FD was more than I could ask for but it was rather short, had I not delayed finishing
the last two eclipse chapters I'd say it would've just flown by me.
Atleast it managed to be on point while still expanding upon the world of tierblade
much like KgK momoyo tsuzuri did its definitely in my top 3 of best FD this year
despite feeling a little lukewarm by the time I finished it.
Tierblade is by no means a perfect work but does that stop me from liking it? no.
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------
~special section~
 -Characters-

Most hated/disliked
~Auger - Black Wolves Saga~
This speaks for itself... the character is a complete nutjob and I doubt anyone could top him.

Surprise favorite (one per game)
Alan - Hana Oboro ~Sengoku Denranki~.
 Kanbei - ~Geten no Hana Yume Akari~
 Taira no Tomomori - ~Harutoki 3~.
 Hanzo - Hyakka Hyakurou.
 Nora - ~Sidekicks!~.
Solomon - ~Wand of Fortune r2~.
 Iroha - Revice[D].
Hiiragi - ~Utsusemi no Meguri~.
Rinto ~HimeHibi~.

Other characters I liked a lot.
 Atsumori/Benkei/Shirogane - ~Harutoki 3~
 Hanbei - ~Geten no Hana Yume Akari~
Jack - ~Shiro to Kuro no Alice~.
Shiou - ~Tsumikui~.
  
 aaand because I am bored...


Best Otomege I played this year -top 3-
Harukanaru 3.
Hana Oboro ~Sengoku Denranki~.
Re:vice[D].
Special mention: Geten no Hana with Yume Akari.

Best FD -top 3-
Ken ga Kimi Momoyo Tsuzuri.
Kenka Bancho Otome FD.
 Yuukyuu no Tierblade -Fragments of Memory-.

What's for next year?
Well I plan to atleast play WoF2FD and S.Y.K FD. As for new games I think I after
the 2017 left overs (TaiAli FD, Chouhou Jiken, Code:ReaFD2 and hime hibi2.)
I am really going to slow down, it feels like the more I play the less I like or maybe
its the quality of the games it might also be a little bit of a burn out.
I still plan to buy new otome games like Harukanaru port, Dorico no toshokan
 and Variable Barricade but I think I have seen the most of what otome games can offer.
I still like otome games and all but the more you play the higher your standards get(in terms
of writing) and sooner or later stuff you could stand at first just aren't all that great anymore.