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[Visual Novels] Chaos;Head, Anonymous;Code, and Steins;Gate Re;boot (yay)
It was plenty evident in the original, but man is Sachiko one ridiculously evil ghost girl.
Except if I interpreted the original game correctly, she's less a vengeful spirit and more a manifestation of all the collective malice and hatred of the spirit world. A force of nature, if you will.
Finished Chapter 1 last night, and....
trying not to make comparisons to this and a certain breakout anime series. Pretty sure Book of Shadows came out first in any case.
I'm curious how people feel about the relationship between
Naomi and Seiko, now that they've openly revealed the latter's orientation (it was more than hinted at in the first game, but you could have made the argument she was only seeking a kiss to mask her sheer terror).
Personally, I think it's an interesting dynamic, even if it's rooted in typical anime fanservice. Seiko openly confesses to Naomi, which causes her to storm out in embarrassment/shame for not reciprocating those feelings. This leads to the two of them separating and Seiko meeting her eventual fate, though it causes one to wonder if Seiko could have been saved had Naomi opened up to her (seemingly conflicted) feelings.
It also calls back nicely to the original ending and the opening to the sequel, almost implying that Naomi now realizes her feelings for Seiko, and regrets that she never realized them until her death.
I'm interested to see if they continue to expand on this in BoS. I'm not prepared to call it a "deep" relationship, but it is deeper than I expected.
Also, what an unbelievable puss Satoshi is. He couldn't muster up the courage to just grab the paper charm, run out of the classroom, and flush the thing down a toilet or something?
That's why I loathe Satoshi. He doesn't deserve to be the protagonist. He's worthless.
I don't think he is. At all.
Even the upcoming anime adaptions have been exclusively promoting Naomi and Seiko. I don't think there's any real protagonist, but Naomi is definitely the face of the series.
StragintDo Not GiftAlways DeclinesRegistered Userregular
So I finished chapter 1
I am not at all surprised that Seiko still died. I didn't want her to die but as soon as Sachiko appeared I knew this chapter would end tragically. When she booked it out of the girls bathroom I knew she was going to hit the razor wire though honestly I thought she was going to have her legs cut off, not her head.
In chapter 2
Why would a note be left that says to not use a key under any circumstance? How am I not supposed to use that key now? I saved and took a break after grabbing the key so I don't know what is going to happen but I'm sure it will only end with a pizza party.
PSN: Reaper_Stragint, Steam: DoublePitstoChesty
What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? ~ Mario Novak
I never fear death or dyin', I only fear never trying.
Even the upcoming anime adaptions have been exclusively promoting Naomi and Seiko. I don't think there's any real protagonist, but Naomi is definitely the face of the series.
This is probably why I've been put off finishing the last chapter. Every ending I've received for it so far is
the HA HA FUCK NAOMI
route. Emotionally draining and confusing is what that is...
That was especially bad in that we got to know Mayu as a character now. I was actually hoping she would somehow come out as the one exception that denied fate.
Instead it's "Ha ha you get an even worse death now". I feel like every chapter is just going to end with Sachiko giving everybody the finger.
Incidentally, I also found out she's played by the same actress who plays Pikachu. Double
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
edited January 2013
Chapter 4 was the most crushing for me so far, but 6 is reaaaally depressing. Whatever you do: do NOT play the start of Chapter 6 in public, believe that.
It's kind of shocking the ESRB allowed that in an M rating.
If Urobuchi and Team GrisGris decided to collaborate on a project, there would be a worldwide ban and public burning after the first initial copies drove players to systematically commit suicide.
StragintDo Not GiftAlways DeclinesRegistered Userregular
edited January 2013
This game. All the feels.
Finished all eight chapters last night. Whole bunch of spoilers, only read if you finished unless you want to know some stuff I guess.
How incredibly depressing. Chapter 1 and 2 keep making it seem like there is some way to prevent the deaths of Seiko and Mayu and then they end up dying in more gruesome ways, well kind of at least. I think Seiko dying by having her head cut off by razor wire was probably a much quicker and less painless death than hanging. Mayu though, being ripped open and mutilated is a pretty rough way to die compared to being smashed into chunks against a wall. Nana died in a fairly gruesome way too. First having her legs cut off and then having her tongue ripped out in chapter 4.
Chapter 3 and 4 were interesting for back story. The back story for Yui was cool and reveals she had a previous encounter with Heavenly Host, sort of at least. Would have been nice to see more about her in Heavenly Host though.
The back story in chapter 4 revealed some stuff about Naho, pretty much just showing that she was a normal person. Finding out that Sachiko was basically haunting her and then started haunting her friend Sayaka. I don't remember if it is revealed in the first Corpse Party that Naho actually went to Sachiko's home when she was alive but that was interesting. Also Naho's complete ruthlessness to get as many "subjects" into the school after finding out her mentor went without her against her wishes shows that she probably gave into the "darkening" before ever going into the school. I also feel bad for Sayaka, she did not die well and from just that chapter I found her to be interesting and did not want her to die.
Chapter 5 was kind of boring. None of it was surprising in the least.
Chapter 6 was all kinds of messed up though. It got really interesting when Sachiko mentions something about the piece of the charm that prevents Yuka's fate from being sealed. Then Sachiko manipulates and messes with Yuka the entire chapter until apparently killing her but not actually killing her. Sachiko also takes Yuka's piece of the charm.
Chapter 7 went pretty much how I expected it to go. The part where Kizami eats the tooth was cringe worthy.
Chapter 8 went weird places to me. I knew the house was going to pop up as a ghost house. Knew that for sure. But the whole witch craft route they took with stuff. I don't know why but it feels weird to me. Like it is out of place. It was still interesting but for some reason I didn't feel it fit. I also knew trying to bring Mayu back was going to go wrong. That stuff never works. Also, fucking knew that Ayumi was related to Sachiko.
Book of Shadows = Necronomicon?
Sachiko is also sadistic as fuck.
In all I really enjoyed the game and hope that the "To be continued" message is an assurance of another game that wont take too long to release. Guess I can get the last 5% of pictures and music that I need now.
So this darkening stuff, it is supposed to trigger stuff right? I don't really feel like I got any of the altered options based or darkening level. One of the screenshots they show on the website under the 'Fresh Offerings" tab shows some really messed up stuff but i never saw anything at all like it.
Stragint on
PSN: Reaper_Stragint, Steam: DoublePitstoChesty
What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? ~ Mario Novak
I never fear death or dyin', I only fear never trying.
I'm also curious if Darkening is a time limit-type thing that results in a bad(er) ending if it hits 100%, or more of a visual indication of how close you are to finishing the chapter.
I'm also curious if Darkening is a time limit-type thing that results in a bad(er) ending if it hits 100%, or more of a visual indication of how close you are to finishing the chapter.
Getting to 100% darkening leads to a bad ending. It builds up when you examine a corpse or read a bad message or basically look at anything disturbing.
I wonder if each character has a different bad ending when getting to 100% though. I should check that out. Morishige has an interesting 100% darkening ending. I don't think saying that is a spoiler but if anyone finds it to be then I'll spoil it.
The spoiler is a quote from the Corpse Party Book of Shadows website talking about darkening.
"Your character will encounter corpses (both fully intact and otherwise), crazed writings, malevolent spirits, booby traps, hordes of insects and innumerable other horrors within Corpse Party: Book of Shadows' many cursed grounds. Each time something truly frightening is experienced, your Darkening meter (visible on the ∆ button menu) will be raised. As it climbs closer and closer to 100%, distortions begin to appear on the screen, growing in intensity and increasing in number as the Darkening takes hold of your mind."
PSN: Reaper_Stragint, Steam: DoublePitstoChesty
What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? ~ Mario Novak
I never fear death or dyin', I only fear never trying.
0
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
I believe the 'Kill it / Rrrrun' options in one of the classrooms appears as a result of The Darkening, but I never saw anything else besides visual effects.
I'm on Chapter 8 now. Could cut the tension with a knife.
So does the whole game just recap the events of the original since it's
a time-jump of sorts
Or does it eventually tread new ground?
That's my major criticism with the game so far. It's kind of like witnessing the events of the original under a new perspective. Naturally, that dramatically cuts the surprise in a horror setting, since you have a more than vague idea where it's going to end up.
StragintDo Not GiftAlways DeclinesRegistered Userregular
edited January 2013
Chapter 8 is really the only one that treads new ground. Chapters 1 through 7 are either back story on specific side characters or an explanation of why, what, where, when, who, and how for characters. There is a lot of really interesting stuff, at least to me, on some of the side characters in the chapters and there are some surprises.
Kind of story spoilers
Somethings in the game that bothered me was at the start where Satoshi is tripping out and telling everyone not to do the ritual and Naomi starting to remember how stuff happened. They never really go into it and it seemed like Satoshi is able to remember more of the events so I wonder if some how his story would have changed. Unless I'm somehow missing something. I know it is a sort of alternate line where they get a chance to save their friends but it would have been nice if they went into stuff about.
Stragint on
PSN: Reaper_Stragint, Steam: DoublePitstoChesty
What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? ~ Mario Novak
I never fear death or dyin', I only fear never trying.
0
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
From what I gather, EVERYTHING besides Chapter 8 is based on the bad ends. Chapter 8 is based off the canon ending,
five escape, four died.
0
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
finished.
...what in the fresh hell.
0
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
Not sure if I can take the low poly models seriously, but I really hope this gets a faster localization time than Book of Shadows. I'm dying for a totally new setting after Heavenly Host.
From what I gather, EVERYTHING besides Chapter 8 is based on the bad ends. Chapter 8 is based off the canon ending,
five escape, four died.
This explains a lot. I finished Ch.1 and was about to ask... what the hell is going on with this game, because it seems all over the damn place.
First the opening suggests we're going off the canon ending where nobody remembers those who died. Ok. Then we're doing backstory, but now we're going off the time loop ending? Then the chapter itself goes weird. Ok, first we're adverting fate. Which ends up with Naomi in a hole, and... suddenly she's back with Seiko, pre argument. Then we jump back again to the hangman scene? The fuck? And then the game tries to end on the question of "OMG why did Seiko run?!". Which I'm not sure if serious, because this was already bloody covered in the first game, she ran because possessed Naomi put the noose on her.
Like, I just don't know. It's all over the place and makes no real sense. And it seems like the game is both assuming I have played the first game ("Change fate!"), but also assuming I haven't ("Why is this happening?!")...? This game needs to pick a damn plot thread and stick with it. Can I safely assume that Ch.1 and the start of Ch.2 are going off the time loop ending then?
Not a super fan of the gameplay change. A lot of empty screens, and walking around is a chore. I also ran into a problem in the first chapter where I was stuck with completely nothing to do. Turns out I needed a Darkening of 40% to continue, which I had to do by examining a corpse about 10 times in a row.
Audio is still fucking amazing. Why is nobody else jumping on this quadraphonic headphone tech?
"The sausage of Green Earth explodes with flavor like the cannon of culinary delight."
0
StragintDo Not GiftAlways DeclinesRegistered Userregular
From what I gather, EVERYTHING besides Chapter 8 is based on the bad ends. Chapter 8 is based off the canon ending,
five escape, four died.
This explains a lot. I finished Ch.1 and was about to ask... what the hell is going on with this game, because it seems all over the damn place.
First the opening suggests we're going off the canon ending where nobody remembers those who died. Ok. Then we're doing backstory, but now we're going off the time loop ending? Then the chapter itself goes weird. Ok, first we're adverting fate. Which ends up with Naomi in a hole, and... suddenly she's back with Seiko, pre argument. Then we jump back again to the hangman scene? The fuck? And then the game tries to end on the question of "OMG why did Seiko run?!". Which I'm not sure if serious, because this was already bloody covered in the first game, she ran because possessed Naomi put the noose on her.
Like, I just don't know. It's all over the place and makes no real sense. And it seems like the game is both assuming I have played the first game ("Change fate!"), but also assuming I haven't ("Why is this happening?!")...? This game needs to pick a damn plot thread and stick with it. Can I safely assume that Ch.1 and the start of Ch.2 are going off the time loop ending then?
Not a super fan of the gameplay change. A lot of empty screens, and walking around is a chore. I also ran into a problem in the first chapter where I was stuck with completely nothing to do. Turns out I needed a Darkening of 40% to continue, which I had to do by examining a corpse about 10 times in a row.
Audio is still fucking amazing. Why is nobody else jumping on this quadraphonic headphone tech?
One day when I"m a braver soul I will take on both games with headphones. It's a totally different experience.
0
StragintDo Not GiftAlways DeclinesRegistered Userregular
From what I gather, EVERYTHING besides Chapter 8 is based on the bad ends. Chapter 8 is based off the canon ending,
five escape, four died.
This explains a lot. I finished Ch.1 and was about to ask... what the hell is going on with this game, because it seems all over the damn place.
First the opening suggests we're going off the canon ending where nobody remembers those who died. Ok. Then we're doing backstory, but now we're going off the time loop ending? Then the chapter itself goes weird. Ok, first we're adverting fate. Which ends up with Naomi in a hole, and... suddenly she's back with Seiko, pre argument. Then we jump back again to the hangman scene? The fuck? And then the game tries to end on the question of "OMG why did Seiko run?!". Which I'm not sure if serious, because this was already bloody covered in the first game, she ran because possessed Naomi put the noose on her.
Like, I just don't know. It's all over the place and makes no real sense. And it seems like the game is both assuming I have played the first game ("Change fate!"), but also assuming I haven't ("Why is this happening?!")...? This game needs to pick a damn plot thread and stick with it. Can I safely assume that Ch.1 and the start of Ch.2 are going off the time loop ending then?
Not a super fan of the gameplay change. A lot of empty screens, and walking around is a chore. I also ran into a problem in the first chapter where I was stuck with completely nothing to do. Turns out I needed a Darkening of 40% to continue, which I had to do by examining a corpse about 10 times in a row.
Audio is still fucking amazing. Why is nobody else jumping on this quadraphonic headphone tech?
One day when I"m a braver soul I will take on both games with headphones. It's a totally different experience.
I refused to play without using my big ass headphones. Made a huge difference in how much I enjoyed the game.
Any idea if a soundtrack was released for the game? I really enjoyed a lot of the music in the game.
PSN: Reaper_Stragint, Steam: DoublePitstoChesty
What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? ~ Mario Novak
I never fear death or dyin', I only fear never trying.
0
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
From what I gather, EVERYTHING besides Chapter 8 is based on the bad ends. Chapter 8 is based off the canon ending,
five escape, four died.
This explains a lot. I finished Ch.1 and was about to ask... what the hell is going on with this game, because it seems all over the damn place.
First the opening suggests we're going off the canon ending where nobody remembers those who died. Ok. Then we're doing backstory, but now we're going off the time loop ending? Then the chapter itself goes weird. Ok, first we're adverting fate. Which ends up with Naomi in a hole, and... suddenly she's back with Seiko, pre argument. Then we jump back again to the hangman scene? The fuck? And then the game tries to end on the question of "OMG why did Seiko run?!". Which I'm not sure if serious, because this was already bloody covered in the first game, she ran because possessed Naomi put the noose on her.
Like, I just don't know. It's all over the place and makes no real sense. And it seems like the game is both assuming I have played the first game ("Change fate!"), but also assuming I haven't ("Why is this happening?!")...? This game needs to pick a damn plot thread and stick with it. Can I safely assume that Ch.1 and the start of Ch.2 are going off the time loop ending then?
Not a super fan of the gameplay change. A lot of empty screens, and walking around is a chore. I also ran into a problem in the first chapter where I was stuck with completely nothing to do. Turns out I needed a Darkening of 40% to continue, which I had to do by examining a corpse about 10 times in a row.
Audio is still fucking amazing. Why is nobody else jumping on this quadraphonic headphone tech?
One day when I"m a braver soul I will take on both games with headphones. It's a totally different experience.
I refused to play without using my big ass headphones. Made a huge difference in how much I enjoyed the game.
Any idea if a soundtrack was released for the game? I really enjoyed a lot of the music in the game.
Someone knocked on the door during Chapter 8 and I damn near fell. And that was with PSP speakers.
0
StragintDo Not GiftAlways DeclinesRegistered Userregular
From what I gather, EVERYTHING besides Chapter 8 is based on the bad ends. Chapter 8 is based off the canon ending,
five escape, four died.
This explains a lot. I finished Ch.1 and was about to ask... what the hell is going on with this game, because it seems all over the damn place.
First the opening suggests we're going off the canon ending where nobody remembers those who died. Ok. Then we're doing backstory, but now we're going off the time loop ending? Then the chapter itself goes weird. Ok, first we're adverting fate. Which ends up with Naomi in a hole, and... suddenly she's back with Seiko, pre argument. Then we jump back again to the hangman scene? The fuck? And then the game tries to end on the question of "OMG why did Seiko run?!". Which I'm not sure if serious, because this was already bloody covered in the first game, she ran because possessed Naomi put the noose on her.
Like, I just don't know. It's all over the place and makes no real sense. And it seems like the game is both assuming I have played the first game ("Change fate!"), but also assuming I haven't ("Why is this happening?!")...? This game needs to pick a damn plot thread and stick with it. Can I safely assume that Ch.1 and the start of Ch.2 are going off the time loop ending then?
Not a super fan of the gameplay change. A lot of empty screens, and walking around is a chore. I also ran into a problem in the first chapter where I was stuck with completely nothing to do. Turns out I needed a Darkening of 40% to continue, which I had to do by examining a corpse about 10 times in a row.
Audio is still fucking amazing. Why is nobody else jumping on this quadraphonic headphone tech?
One day when I"m a braver soul I will take on both games with headphones. It's a totally different experience.
I refused to play without using my big ass headphones. Made a huge difference in how much I enjoyed the game.
Any idea if a soundtrack was released for the game? I really enjoyed a lot of the music in the game.
Someone knocked on the door during Chapter 8 and I damn near fell. And that was with PSP speakers.
There were parts that had me tense but for the most part I wasn't all that scared. I played with all the lights off and with my headphones though I never really felt scared. Chapter 8 definitely had the most tense moments for me though.
I also had this as my background for a while.
Stragint on
PSN: Reaper_Stragint, Steam: DoublePitstoChesty
What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? ~ Mario Novak
I never fear death or dyin', I only fear never trying.
I'm on Hanako's route now in KS, after finishing Emi's.
It's hitting all the right emotional notes. I was dismissive thinking Hanako was the typical shy girl anime archetype, but they soon revealed it's a much deeper psychological issue than that. It also hits close to home, as I had my own shy problems in high school (not nearly as bad as shown here, but I can relate to an extent).
Also, this part was just d'awwww.
I just wish there was a route that let you help out all the girls so that they all get to share a happy ending. It's kind of a downer that whoever you choose means you can't help the others.
I knew I was going to be disappointed by the ending. Not so much the ending itself, but because it came too soon.
I know it would be silly to expect Hanako doing a 180 on her personality in such a short time. The story made that point clearly as well. But I still would have liked if they maybe did a fast-forward so we can see a happier, more functioning Hanako, making friends with Shizune and Misha, walking down the street without constantly keeping her head down, and seeing how she and Hisao act while in couples mode. We didn't even stick around long enough for Lily to return from her trip.
In Hanako's case, it would have been nice to get an epilogue chapter.
The recommended order from people is Emi>Hanako>Shizune>Rin>Lily, so Shizune would be next. Haven't heard very good things though.
Shizune's route is turning out to be every bit as dull as I was warned.
Mild spoilers:
STUDENT COUNCIL WAHAHA STUDENT COUNCIL WAHAHA STUDENT COUNCIL WAHAHA STUDENT COUNCIL WAHAHA STUDENT COUNCIL WAHAHA STUDENT COUNCIL WAHAHA STUDENT COUNCIL WAHAHA
Followed by several hours of back-and-fourth bickering over the stupidest shit ever.
Followed by her annoying (and androgynous) younger brother and "oh hey, her father's like a samurai, he seems pretty coo-oh no wait, he's a total asshole."
Rose Guns Days in English! Well, the prologue anyway, free download. It's a bit of prohibition-era gangster swag and a touch of Baccano. It's excellent so far.
0
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
She looks like a Mini Mami (not counting the chest). Looks neat though, so I will give it a shot eventually.
Since this is the closest we have to a Fate thread, you might be interested to know that the dub cast for Fate/Zero has been revealed.
Aniplex of America announced on Wednesday that the Fate/Zero television anime series will be getting an English dub and will stream on Viz Media's Neon Alley service on the PlayStation 3 starting this spring. Aniplex of America also announced the English dub cast for the series:
Kari Wahlgren as Saber
Matthew Mercer as Kiritsugu Emiya
Bridget Hoffman as Irisviel von Einzbern
Crispin Freeman as Kirei Kotomine
Patrick Seitz as Assassin
Marc Diraison as Tokiomi Tohsaka
David Earnest as Archer
Doug Erholtz as Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald
Grant George as Lancer
Lucien Dodge as Waver Velvet
Jamieson Price as Rider
Johnny Yong Bosch as Ryunosuke Uryu
Dan Woren as Caster
Liam O'Brien as Kariya Matou
Kyle Hebert as Berserker
Additionally, Tony Oliver will be the show's ADR Director.
That's a really solid cast, so this should be much better than the highly disappointing Madoka Magica dub.
I mean, Crispin Freeman as Kotomine Kirei.
Damn.
Johnny Yong Bosch as Ryunosuke is especially funny, and anyone who watched it should know exactly why.
From what I've gathered (oddly enough I haven't watched it yet either), the VAs couldn't really hold a candle to the original Japanese voice actors, although I also hear they got better as the series went on and that it wasn't horrifically bad or anything. Having difficulty measuring up to the originals makes sense to me given the raw emotion from the original cast, honestly. Really, I think it's difficult for any voice actor, in any language, to play a character that 'breaks' during the course of a series/game the way Urobuchi's characters have a tendency to do.
The big problem with the Madoka dub is that the VAs never reach the emotional levels of the original Japanese cast (who were stated to have often been crying for real during their performances); they basically hold back too much, as if they were trying to maintain the atmosphere of the first couple of episodes rather than adjust to the increasingly dire situations. A few of the voices (especially Madoka's) are also too cartoony and sugar-sweet, which would be fine for a "normal" Magical Girl series.
I finally finished Shizune's route last night. It wasn't a total loss, as there were a few enjoyable scenes and (strangely enough) the best portrayal of Kenji so far.
But it also convinced me that Shizune would be far too much of a handful as a girlfriend, and I'm not talking about the deafness.
Also have mixed feelings over the way Misha was handled....
I liked the bombshell they dropped by having her try to have Hisao sleep with her. They do a good job of making you feel like a total scumbag if you actually go through with it, which is enough to make Misha sympathetic (personally, I would have chosen her first over Shizune any day).
But then they drop another bombshell that is literally out of left field, and is never mentioned or really resolved afterward. It creates an awkwardness toward the Shizune/Misha relationship, which is something they could have done more effectively by just having both of them be in love with Hisao. What they went with instead just feels like cheap writing, since again they don't really focus on it afterwards.
Corpse Party handled the concept of "best friend wants to be more than best friends with her girlfriend" better.
Now I can finally check out Rin's route. I've heard great things.
cj iwakuraThe Rhythm RegentBears The Name FreedomRegistered Userregular
Buckle up, otome fans.
Aksys ain't done yet.
What is this I don't even
Aksys Games is pleased to announce a new visual novel adventure title, Sweet Fuse: At Your Side, a heart-felt blend of bomb-defusing action and death-defying romance for the PlayStation®Portable. Developed by the Idea Factory Otomate Studio, Sweet Fuse: At Your Side is the newest addition to a growing catalog of adventure titles published by Aksys Games. Featuring an eccentric cast, engaging puzzle mechanics, and numerous unique story segments, Sweet Fuse: At Your Side is your ticket to a wild and explosive adventure.
Hit the jump or head over to the official page for more details!
Story Summary
Saki Inafune, niece to legendary game developer Keiji Inafune, can’t wait to visit her uncle’s new theme park. She’s been invited to the opening day ceremonies, and is looking forward to a day of fun and excitement when suddenly Count Hogstein—a villain as corpulent and cliché as he is evil—blows up the Ferris wheel, takes the park management hostage, and declares the beginning of a deadly series of games.
Desperate to save her uncle, Saki volunteers to be one of the participants in Hogstein’s games, and finds herself thrust into the midst of excitement very different from what she’d expected when she woke up that morning. She’ll need all of her cunning, determination, and exceptional insight to get herself and her fellow participants—all available bachelors—out alive and maybe, with a little luck, find love along the way.
Sweet Fuse: At Your Side Features
-Vast, Diverging Story – 14 different endings and a host of unexpected twists and turns allow for over 30 hours of compelling gameplay.
-Stylish Art – Sweet Fuse: At Your Side is an experience that is stylish and easy on the eyes, with complex, eye-catching character designs.
-Disarm Perilous Puzzles – Reach an epiphany and solve dangerous puzzles; the fate of you and your companions depends on your insight.
-Unique Characters and Interactions – Blow your fuse or stay completely cool, the choice is yours when dealing with this crazy cast of characters.
I wish Aksys would localize the Vita version of Fate/Stay Night, or maybe XSEED.
I also got through Chapter 4 of Book of Shadows.
Just....goddamn they really did a number on that poor girl from Chapter 2. As if chopping off her legs wasn't hardcore enough. It also doesn't help that she's no older than 13.
Also disappointed at the abrupt ending. This was becoming the best chapter so far, but then it just abruptly cuts off to an "and then she died" ending. They also didn't really explain why Naho went all genocidal and purposely put the Sachiko curse online (thus fucking over the other victims from CP1), or if she had purposely used Sayaka without any intention of saving her.
"Sayaka" must also be the Japanese name for "Death Flag".
the rumor is that Naho was affected by the Sachiko curse, and the Darkening.
And the general consensus is that she truly wanted to save Sayaka, but had no idea they would be separated. Tragic really.
Ah, I can buy that. I still wish the chapter went a bit longer. I would have taken that over Chapter 3's non-canon (???) story.
Maybe she could have saved Sayaka if she had made a contr-no. No, nevermind. Too easy.
So what the heck is Fate/Extra supposed to be anyway? Is it based on the original series or some alternate story? It's confusing since apparently there are some Fate spinoffs that star people that look like the characters but actually aren't (Red Saber and Blue Saber...I still don't know the difference).
I just know the character designs are pretty terrible. Sakura is not a character that should be prominently sexualized given her context, and this game has some weird mega-breasted version with claws or...something. It looks pretty dumb.
I know I'm torturing myself a bit, but I'd rather wait for the Tsukihime remake than try the original. This mostly has to do with the original not having voice acting.
Posts
I don't think he is. At all.
Even the upcoming anime adaptions have been exclusively promoting Naomi and Seiko. I don't think there's any real protagonist, but Naomi is definitely the face of the series.
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In chapter 2
What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? ~ Mario Novak
I never fear death or dyin', I only fear never trying.
This is probably why I've been put off finishing the last chapter. Every ending I've received for it so far is
That was especially bad in that we got to know Mayu as a character now. I was actually hoping she would somehow come out as the one exception that denied fate.
Instead it's "Ha ha you get an even worse death now". I feel like every chapter is just going to end with Sachiko giving everybody the finger.
Incidentally, I also found out she's played by the same actress who plays Pikachu. Double
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It's kind of shocking the ESRB allowed that in an M rating.
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Finished all eight chapters last night. Whole bunch of spoilers, only read if you finished unless you want to know some stuff I guess.
Chapter 3 and 4 were interesting for back story. The back story for Yui was cool and reveals she had a previous encounter with Heavenly Host, sort of at least. Would have been nice to see more about her in Heavenly Host though.
The back story in chapter 4 revealed some stuff about Naho, pretty much just showing that she was a normal person. Finding out that Sachiko was basically haunting her and then started haunting her friend Sayaka. I don't remember if it is revealed in the first Corpse Party that Naho actually went to Sachiko's home when she was alive but that was interesting. Also Naho's complete ruthlessness to get as many "subjects" into the school after finding out her mentor went without her against her wishes shows that she probably gave into the "darkening" before ever going into the school. I also feel bad for Sayaka, she did not die well and from just that chapter I found her to be interesting and did not want her to die.
Chapter 5 was kind of boring. None of it was surprising in the least.
Chapter 6 was all kinds of messed up though. It got really interesting when Sachiko mentions something about the piece of the charm that prevents Yuka's fate from being sealed. Then Sachiko manipulates and messes with Yuka the entire chapter until apparently killing her but not actually killing her. Sachiko also takes Yuka's piece of the charm.
Chapter 7 went pretty much how I expected it to go. The part where Kizami eats the tooth was cringe worthy.
Chapter 8 went weird places to me. I knew the house was going to pop up as a ghost house. Knew that for sure. But the whole witch craft route they took with stuff. I don't know why but it feels weird to me. Like it is out of place. It was still interesting but for some reason I didn't feel it fit. I also knew trying to bring Mayu back was going to go wrong. That stuff never works. Also, fucking knew that Ayumi was related to Sachiko.
Book of Shadows = Necronomicon?
Sachiko is also sadistic as fuck.
In all I really enjoyed the game and hope that the "To be continued" message is an assurance of another game that wont take too long to release. Guess I can get the last 5% of pictures and music that I need now.
So this darkening stuff, it is supposed to trigger stuff right? I don't really feel like I got any of the altered options based or darkening level. One of the screenshots they show on the website under the 'Fresh Offerings" tab shows some really messed up stuff but i never saw anything at all like it.
What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? ~ Mario Novak
I never fear death or dyin', I only fear never trying.
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Getting to 100% darkening leads to a bad ending. It builds up when you examine a corpse or read a bad message or basically look at anything disturbing.
I wonder if each character has a different bad ending when getting to 100% though. I should check that out. Morishige has an interesting 100% darkening ending. I don't think saying that is a spoiler but if anyone finds it to be then I'll spoil it.
The spoiler is a quote from the Corpse Party Book of Shadows website talking about darkening.
What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? ~ Mario Novak
I never fear death or dyin', I only fear never trying.
I'm on Chapter 8 now. Could cut the tension with a knife.
That's my major criticism with the game so far. It's kind of like witnessing the events of the original under a new perspective. Naturally, that dramatically cuts the surprise in a horror setting, since you have a more than vague idea where it's going to end up.
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Kind of story spoilers
What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? ~ Mario Novak
I never fear death or dyin', I only fear never trying.
...what in the fresh hell.
Not sure if I can take the low poly models seriously, but I really hope this gets a faster localization time than Book of Shadows. I'm dying for a totally new setting after Heavenly Host.
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Twitter
This explains a lot. I finished Ch.1 and was about to ask... what the hell is going on with this game, because it seems all over the damn place.
Like, I just don't know. It's all over the place and makes no real sense. And it seems like the game is both assuming I have played the first game ("Change fate!"), but also assuming I haven't ("Why is this happening?!")...? This game needs to pick a damn plot thread and stick with it. Can I safely assume that Ch.1 and the start of Ch.2 are going off the time loop ending then?
Not a super fan of the gameplay change. A lot of empty screens, and walking around is a chore. I also ran into a problem in the first chapter where I was stuck with completely nothing to do. Turns out I needed a Darkening of 40% to continue, which I had to do by examining a corpse about 10 times in a row.
Audio is still fucking amazing. Why is nobody else jumping on this quadraphonic headphone tech?
I saw something for this months ago but I wasn't sure if it was actually out or not. Pretty excited for it.
What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? ~ Mario Novak
I never fear death or dyin', I only fear never trying.
One day when I"m a braver soul I will take on both games with headphones. It's a totally different experience.
I refused to play without using my big ass headphones. Made a huge difference in how much I enjoyed the game.
Any idea if a soundtrack was released for the game? I really enjoyed a lot of the music in the game.
What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? ~ Mario Novak
I never fear death or dyin', I only fear never trying.
Someone knocked on the door during Chapter 8 and I damn near fell. And that was with PSP speakers.
There were parts that had me tense but for the most part I wasn't all that scared. I played with all the lights off and with my headphones though I never really felt scared. Chapter 8 definitely had the most tense moments for me though.
I also had this as my background for a while.
What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? ~ Mario Novak
I never fear death or dyin', I only fear never trying.
It's a great idea really...
:shock:
It's hitting all the right emotional notes. I was dismissive thinking Hanako was the typical shy girl anime archetype, but they soon revealed it's a much deeper psychological issue than that. It also hits close to home, as I had my own shy problems in high school (not nearly as bad as shown here, but I can relate to an extent).
Also, this part was just d'awwww.
I just wish there was a route that let you help out all the girls so that they all get to share a happy ending. It's kind of a downer that whoever you choose means you can't help the others.
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I know it would be silly to expect Hanako doing a 180 on her personality in such a short time. The story made that point clearly as well. But I still would have liked if they maybe did a fast-forward so we can see a happier, more functioning Hanako, making friends with Shizune and Misha, walking down the street without constantly keeping her head down, and seeing how she and Hisao act while in couples mode. We didn't even stick around long enough for Lily to return from her trip.
In Hanako's case, it would have been nice to get an epilogue chapter.
The recommended order from people is Emi>Hanako>Shizune>Rin>Lily, so Shizune would be next. Haven't heard very good things though.
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Mild spoilers:
STUDENT COUNCIL WAHAHA STUDENT COUNCIL WAHAHA STUDENT COUNCIL WAHAHA STUDENT COUNCIL WAHAHA STUDENT COUNCIL WAHAHA STUDENT COUNCIL WAHAHA STUDENT COUNCIL WAHAHA
Followed by several hours of back-and-fourth bickering over the stupidest shit ever.
Followed by her annoying (and androgynous) younger brother and "oh hey, her father's like a samurai, he seems pretty coo-oh no wait, he's a total asshole."
So far there have been only two good parts.
Learning sign language
Fishing
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http://www.witch-hunt.com/stage_rgd_demo.html
Rose Guns Days in English! Well, the prologue anyway, free download. It's a bit of prohibition-era gangster swag and a touch of Baccano. It's excellent so far.
Since this is the closest we have to a Fate thread, you might be interested to know that the dub cast for Fate/Zero has been revealed.
That's a really solid cast, so this should be much better than the highly disappointing Madoka Magica dub.
I mean, Crispin Freeman as Kotomine Kirei.
Damn.
Johnny Yong Bosch as Ryunosuke is especially funny, and anyone who watched it should know exactly why.
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From what I've gathered (oddly enough I haven't watched it yet either), the VAs couldn't really hold a candle to the original Japanese voice actors, although I also hear they got better as the series went on and that it wasn't horrifically bad or anything. Having difficulty measuring up to the originals makes sense to me given the raw emotion from the original cast, honestly. Really, I think it's difficult for any voice actor, in any language, to play a character that 'breaks' during the course of a series/game the way Urobuchi's characters have a tendency to do.
I finally finished Shizune's route last night. It wasn't a total loss, as there were a few enjoyable scenes and (strangely enough) the best portrayal of Kenji so far.
But it also convinced me that Shizune would be far too much of a handful as a girlfriend, and I'm not talking about the deafness.
Also have mixed feelings over the way Misha was handled....
But then they drop another bombshell that is literally out of left field, and is never mentioned or really resolved afterward. It creates an awkwardness toward the Shizune/Misha relationship, which is something they could have done more effectively by just having both of them be in love with Hisao. What they went with instead just feels like cheap writing, since again they don't really focus on it afterwards.
Corpse Party handled the concept of "best friend wants to be more than best friends with her girlfriend" better.
Now I can finally check out Rin's route. I've heard great things.
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Aksys ain't done yet.
What is this I don't even
I also got through Chapter 4 of Book of Shadows.
Also disappointed at the abrupt ending. This was becoming the best chapter so far, but then it just abruptly cuts off to an "and then she died" ending. They also didn't really explain why Naho went all genocidal and purposely put the Sachiko curse online (thus fucking over the other victims from CP1), or if she had purposely used Sayaka without any intention of saving her.
"Sayaka" must also be the Japanese name for "Death Flag".
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And the general consensus is that she truly wanted to save Sayaka, but had no idea they would be separated. Tragic really.
And seconded, I would LOVE Realta Nua translated.
Maybe she could have saved Sayaka if she had made a contr-no. No, nevermind. Too easy.
So what the heck is Fate/Extra supposed to be anyway? Is it based on the original series or some alternate story? It's confusing since apparently there are some Fate spinoffs that star people that look like the characters but actually aren't (Red Saber and Blue Saber...I still don't know the difference).
I just know the character designs are pretty terrible. Sakura is not a character that should be prominently sexualized given her context, and this game has some weird mega-breasted version with claws or...something. It looks pretty dumb.
I know I'm torturing myself a bit, but I'd rather wait for the Tsukihime remake than try the original. This mostly has to do with the original not having voice acting.
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