Friday, 24 January 2014

Pyrite Heart - Walkthrough

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It's been a while since I've posted anything so here is a walkthrough for Pyrite Heart.
  
Ryuu Endings

Bad end
Go home.
Kick another rock at him.
I accept.
Emperor Hirohito (Anything BUT the third option should work.)
Shove him out of the way

Good end
Go home.
Glance at his presumption, but leave the rocks alone
I accept.
Emperor Hirohito (Anything BUT the third option should work.)
Let him handle it.

Best end
Go home.
Glance at his presumption, but leave the rocks alone
I accept.
Benito Mussolini
Ask if he is alright

Kenta Endings.

Bad end
Stay and play some solo basketball.
I decline.
Throw him off!
Brother is forcing me to have you help me cook.

Good end
Stay and play some solo basketball.
I decline.
Throw him off!
I need your help.

Best end
Stay and play some solo basketball.
I decline.
Wake him up and get him off.
I need your help.

Monday, 23 September 2013

Destiny Fails Us - Demo - Quick review

In the beginning of Destiny Fails Us, Idril's time is devoted to friends, video games, and a childhood crush named Vincent. Everything in her life gets flipped upside down all in one day. Suddenly, romance, school work, and friendships have become more complicated and as Idril takes a step back to reassess her life, You, the Player, take the reigns and decide what will become of Idril's teenage years.
Your choices will effect everything from your friendships, social status and love life, to your grades and what events you experience in the DFU world. Are you the type of person who strives to hold on to all of your friends and loved ones, or would you rather ignore the wants and needs of those around you to further your own gain? Either way, it's up to you to decide whether you would like to be the perfect angel, or feed your inner demon.

The demo for Destiny Fails Us was released on roughly the 14th of September and I couldn't help but try it out. I love visual novels where the heroin is a gamer. Idril also has pink hair that she wears in pigtails – My favourite hair colour and style. :D
Now I'm sure we're all painfully aware of how many Otome games are currently available that revolve around a high-school drama, so... what makes this one different? Well, as soon as you load up the game you are thrown head-first into the story. In the opening scene Idril is actually seen sharing a kiss with a special someone. Usually that would happen towards the end of the game once you've worked for it so I couldn't help but wonder where this story was going. The demo, though being short was full of sub plots, some crazy friends and a lot of drama. Now, the guy you share a kiss with at the beginning wont necessarily be the guy you end with. After an 'interesting' scene with the heroins mother, not choosing the right options can open up a scene where it feels like you will start to drift away from zed guy, opening up the option to pursue someone else instead. In total there are currently about five guys to choose from and each has their own personalities – some not being the norm. There is even one guy that has a strong obsession with Idril and he brings more drama and excitement to the table. Idril also has three female friends and usually in Otome games I let them take the back-seat and the game just seems to allow that too, but in the demo for DFU they were quite constant. One of them even has a weird trait where she would mooch food from her friends at lunchtime even though she had money to buy her own. This is defiantly something new in my experience. Another of her friends does come across as being really supportive and I could easily see her as being Idril's best friend.
The description for this visual novel describes Idril as being a gamer and you will get the opportunity to skip doing your homework (although you really shouldn't in Idril's case) to play video games. You're given the option of two – One being an Otome game and one that is described that made me think of 'Dota 2' which made me cringe a little bit as that is a game I loath! Ignoring that fact however, I did find it pretty neat you could choose.
 Another thing I really liked about the demo was that it has achievements. I really am the type of person who will spend a reasonable amount of time trying to get as many as I can and in this case I managed to get all of them bar one... I really couldn't figure out how to get the last one :(. Either way, this feature gave me extra motivation to play through all the options the game offered to this point – And on that note, there isn't a huge amount of replay value but at the same time, it isn't none existent either. That's kind of typical for a demo though if you ask me!

 So in short:
Things I really liked about this game:
Story wise there is a lot going on.
Some of the sound effect were quite cute.
There are a fair amount of unique aspects.
The female friends actually have a purpose.
There weren't that many mistakes in the dialogue.
All of the characters you interact with are rather interesting.

Things I wasn't to keen on:
Idril didn't really stand out on her own that much.
The art seemed a little lazy in some cases in my opinion, such as there wasn't much shading etc. but I guess that's just the type of art they were going for.


As it stands at the moment though, there is no guarantee that this visual novel will have a full release. The person responsible for this novel is currently requesting a kickstarter of at least $3,000 or it wont be finished.
“This project will only be funded if at least $3,000 is pledged by Monday Oct 14, 9:59am EDT.”
As of writing this, they currently have funds of $1,900, 70 backers and 20 days left before the kickstarter is closed. So from this, I don't see a problem with the $3,000 being reached in that time. You can back the project for as little as 1 dollar but if you're willing to pledge $5 or more, that's when you start getting a little in return.
While on the subject of the kick starter I noticed that if you pledge $10 or more you will get “One Digital Download of the Full Game” as well as something called a 'special thanks pack' but when the game is ready to be released, it will be available for purchase at $15. So by donating $10 to the kick starter you're not only helping make sure the game is finished but you're getting a small discount too really. There are of course, risks to the kickstarter which you can view on the main website (link at the end) but like I said, I don't see why they wont be able to raise another $1,100 in 20 days if things keep going how they have been!
To me however, asking for a $3,000 kickstarter sounds like a lot when I've played freeware visual novels that were on par/better than some commercial ones, but at the same time, having never made a whole visual novel myself, I'm unaware of how much these things really do cost to make!

The kickstarter goal has now been reached with several days still to go :D Really excited about that and congratz to the creator – I'm sure they are quite happy about that too!

 For anyone wondering where the money is going, see below.

Any excess donations will also be put to good use. Again, you can see more about this on the main page.

So with all that being said, I'll be offering up my pledge pretty soon and I truly hope this game will be complete as I'm really looking forward to seeing where the story will go.

If you're interesting in trying the demo for yourself there is a version for Windows, Mac and Linux currently available. For more information on the kickstarter, what you will be offered for your pledge, the risks and the download links, check out the web page here!

Saturday, 14 September 2013

Aloners - Demo - Review

One day, the last man on Earth came home to find a girl sleeping on his bed.”
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Release Date: TBA
Rating: Mature / Teen
(explicit content can be switched off at start of game)

"Story:

The Dust Bowl: ground zero for the event that wiped civilization from the face of the earth. Plagued by toxic gas clouds and once-human monsters, only one man survives to call this wasteland his home.

Trash takes his name from his lifeblood, scavenging and restoring what he can from the rubble in order to live another day. He lives alone in his self-made shack, surrounded by the machinery he loves and hidden from the world that wants him dead...

Until the day he finds you, a young woman somehow untouched by the harsh reality of the Dust Bowl.

As he teaches you how to take care of yourself in this new and brutal world, you might just end up teaching him something in return."

"Info:
Aloners will be a free, highly interactive visual novel with a female protagonist and one supporting male character. The emphasis will be on exploration of the post-apocalyptic setting and on building a relationship with a character who remembers what you’ve said and done in the past, and reacts accordingly.

There will be no stat-raising, and protagonist auto-dialogue will be kept to an absolute minimum. The aim is to immerse the player in the world and let them roleplay the main character their way."

Credits:
Character art by PeriwinkleImp
Background art from Morgue File
Music by Kevin MacLeod

Man, I've been dying to play this visual novel since I came across it back in February-ish on the Lemma Soft Forums. Finally I got a chance to get my hands on the demo and it did not disappoint. The main reason why I kept such a close eye on this particular game is because of this: “The emphasis will be on exploration of the post-apocalyptic setting and on building a relationship with a character who remembers what you’ve said and done in the past, and reacts accordingly.” That sentence gave me the impression that Trash – the only guy of the story would be far more realistic than anything I've come across before. I was also under the impression that there would only be one obtainable guy so that you could explore his background and character in a lot more depth than would be possible if there were several guys. I also haven't been able to play a game of this setting type yet.
The demo is pretty short and lacks a GUI that isn't the basic for the Ren'py engine. I was a little disappointed by that but I have read on Sonnet's tumblr the following: “I am currently looking for someone to work on customising the GUI so, in that respect, this demo does not reflect the final game.” I can't wait! I really hope she finds someone that does an amazing job but also keeps in theme with the actual game itself.
I've played through 'Rei' which was also created by Sonnet but while playing through Aloners I noticed how great of a writer she is. The way she words everything was truly something to admire. To me, it was as thought she put a lot of time and thought into her dialogue. She really does posses a high standard of writing!

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Trash... As I said, he's the only guy in the game which might discourage some people from this title. I know I really like to have my options open to me but again, I wasn't disappointed. He can be a bit of a hard-arse on our MC but with good reason – At the end of the day, this is a post-apocalyptic story and the dangers are very real. His appearance is also quite unique. I don't believe I've come across a guy with dreadlocks to be honest. There seems to be every type of guy around, with all sorts of hair so I'm not sure why no one has thought of it before. I guess it might be a little weird for him to have anything but dreadlocks if you think about it. Trash can be bold as well as pushy in some places. He also has the cutest face when he blushes! I'm really looking forward to being able to see more sides of him in the future!

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Because Sonnet is trying to create a game where you can play as the protagonist you want to be the heroine is faceless and you get to choose her name. Unlike most games where you get to pick a name, this doesn't happen before the story actually begins, it happens during it! I thought the scene where this happens was quite endearing as well as a little funny! Again, because the MC is going to act the way you want her to, every time there is an opportunity to pick a response, those options are quite varied. I really liked this because it gives you the freedom to really play the way you want as oppose to picking the correct answer to end with the desired guy.
The story for this novel was interesting from what I saw. I can't say I gave it to much thought of what I was expecting it to be like and I don't usually like to give much away when it comes to demo games. So what I will say is that I'm really interested in learning more about how the world ended up the way it is and how the MC found herself where she did!
As for the art, I really liked the way Trash was drawn. Even in the demo you get to see a lot of different facial expressions and posses. I guess that's another advantage of only having one guy in a story – you really do get to spend more time on him. When it comes to the background art though, I'm really not sure what to think about it. It's not that I didn't like it – It certainly seems to fit the theme and maybe that's where I'm a little torn. As I said, I haven't played a game with this setting before so I’m use to seeing pretty colours and fancy buildings. At the very least, it appears that a lot of time has been put into the art!

I must admit that when a demo is released for a game I’m looking forward to playing I usually only play through it once so that it is still somewhat 'fresh' when the full version is available, but with Aloners I just couldn't help myself. I spent my time combining all the options and seeing where it let me. Overall, the replay value for the demo wasn't very high but I'm still under the impression that when the full version is released and I'm able to play through the later chapters that this will not be the case.

As of yet, I don't believe there is an ETA on when the full version will be released but I would suggest keeping an eye on Sonnet's tumblr if you're interested as that's where she seems to post most of her updates. There is also a topic for this title on Lemma Soft Forums if that's more your thing!



I can't help but post this from Sonnet's tumblr – Look at that adorable face!

Suki Dayo: “I love you” - Walkthrough

sukidayo.jpg

I reviewed Suki Dayo: “I love you” back in June and since then have been asked about a walkthrough so this is what I've managed to put together. I think there are more bad endings but this guide should cover the basics for you guys. Hope it helps!

Naru Endings

Good end
Ask him nicely.
Stay a little longer.
I just don't want to.
Break the curse.

Friendship end
Ask him nicely.
Stay a little longer.
I am desperate to know more about the creatures here.

Bad end
Ask nicely.
Stay a little longer.
I just don't want to.
Think of a plan.

Grey Endings

Good end
Explode
Yes.
Let him sleep.
The School's Yard
Look for it.

Bad end
Explode
Yes.
Let him sleep.
The School's Yard
Run

Very bad end
Explode
No.
Go Home.
Let it slide

Arashi endings

Good end
Explode
No.
Go Home.
Do Revenge
He told me you have a brother complex.
No Thanks.
Forget it.

Friendship end
Explode
No.
Go Home.
Do Revenge
He told me you have a brother complex.
Of Course!

Bad end
Explode
No.
Go Home.
Do Revenge
He told me you have a brother complex.
No Thanks.
Confess to Arashi

Ayu endings

Friendship end
Explode
Yes.
Let him sleep.
The Classroom

Landlord endings

Good end
Explode
No.
Run for it.
The Forest.
Go to the forest.

Bad end
Explode
No.
Run for it.
The Forest.
Stay in the Schools Yard.

Random bad endings

Ask him nicely.
Go home.

Explode
Yes.
Wake him up.

Monday, 26 August 2013

Lucky Rabbit Reflex! - Review

 
“About
An otome (Girl pursues Boy) dating simulation game, Lucky Rabbit Reflex sees our seventeen-year old heroine beginning her first and final year at a new school. Will she find friendship - or even romance - amongst the motley crew at Northmain College? (Or a decent fashion sense, at the very least!)

Game Features
19 endings
5+ romanceable gentlemen
75 unique CG's
150+ unique items of clothing and accessories
CG/endings gallery
178,861 words

This is an older otome game. I believe it was released roughly July 2011, so I guess it's not that old. As the offical summery vaguely covers. You play as a young girl (you get to pick her name) who transfers college in her very last year of sixth form (Though I was under the impression that sixth form happens in high school not college). This game offers 5 romanceable guys plus a secret character with lots of different personalities. You have the best friend type who likes to tease you, the quiet type who is actually a really nice guy. The broody, 'don't talk to me' type. The play boy and finally the cutesie younger guy who really hates being treated as a kid. There are also 5 girls you can befriend. If you complete one of the girls path which involves not romancing any of the guys, you will receive a special item from them that will help increase your stats during the stat raising part of the game. These items carry over saves and through into a new game.

As soon as I found this game I was really excited to try it out because it's the first visual novel I've come across that's based in the UK – Where I currently live. It was great to see all the British slang that I know and love and that money was in pounds (£) instead of dollars or euros. For someone like me, it was just that little extra touch. I actually can't remember how I came across this novel as when I first got into these types of things I used to google for visual novel games and not once did I get directed to this title. It's such a shame too.

As I briefly mentioned, this is a stat raising novel which I usually hate but this one was somehow different. I'm not sure if I just ignored it this time because of my excitement of a British based game or that I'm actually getting use to them. Either way, I generally had a lot of fun. You have 4 basic stats: smarts, charm, social and fitness but there is also stress. With any stat building game, different guys like different stats but you also have to make sure to balance them out as they will determine whether you pass your A-Level exams at the end of the game or not. Stress is built up as you preform different activities throughout the week. If you preform them successfully you receive less stress than if you were to fail something. Stress can be decreased by relaxing during the week which will, in turn, decrease your main stats sightly as well or going out during the weekend. However, going out on a date will not have any effect of your stress levels so you have to balance this out carefully as the higher your stress, the more likely you are to fail an activity.

Although this is a stat building game, there is still tones of story to be had here. Several event throughout the year such as, Halloween, Christmas, Valentines day and even your birthday provide a nice chance to see the guy you're perusing a little more. In fact, some of the boys will give you gifts that can help with raising your stats if you have it equipped; such as, a journal that will help raise your smarts skill. These items will only stay with you for your current game though. While I'm on the subject of equipping items, it's also possible to go shopping on the weekend to buy new clothes. There are three shops with tones of items to choose from with a few different styles – the punk clothes being my favourite. The guys have their preferred likes and dislikes when it comes to how you dress too and they will react accordingly when you invite them out on a date. They can also remember what you wore on the previous date so make sure you mix and match or they might comment about how dirty they think you are. This I loved. It's realistic if nothing else!


So since we covered the fact that you can buy clothes I'll go over quickly about how to obtain money. Firstly your parents give you some allowance each week. It's a measly £5 but it all adds up. Secondly, you can get a job. Different jobs also require different stats, such as the job at the library which is always available will require a certain level of smarts. There are a total of four jobs in this novel and three of them are only available if you befriend a certain person or pick a certain option while talking about jobs. You know, 'word of mouth' type thing. These jobs include working at an arcade, a café and a high end fashion shop – the latter being a little more complicated to hear about. Despite what job you apply for, each will give you £10 per week for working one evening per week.
The main thing you should remember while applying for a job is that you can't quit and pick a different one somewhere down the line. You have to work there for the remainder of the game. So be careful if the guy you're after isn’t working at the place currently available to you.
As a side note, I'd personally only worry about getting a job if you're after one of the guys. When it comes down to it, the girls really don't care what you wear – in fact, if you invite them out on the weekend, you don't even get the option to choose what you wear.

Such as with the job option within this novel, there are also four after school clubs you can join. Again, I believe once you join zed clue you can't change but for this, you don't have to go if you don't feel like it. The clubs are athletics, music, drama, and netball. Each guy again, has their preference. And although you don't have to attend them if you don't want to, I would advise that you do as most of the best endings require that you've attended a certain club x amount of times and have seen so and so events through them.

I believe that covers the basics of the game so now I'll start with the heroine and then cover the guys. Personally I quite liked the MC's personality. Her physical appearance gave me that 'tom-boy' vibe as she has short hair. Her distinctive feature was that she always wears a beret. Quite unique. As for her personality, she isn't the naïve, dense, innocent girl that is typical for visual novels. In fact, she's constantly thinking how zed guy is easy on the eye or that she wouldn't kick him out of bed, etc. She knows what she likes and also knows a lot about different things depending of what choices you choose during dates etc. She just feels like your typical 17 year old!

So, the first guy – Marius Blitz.
Marius is one of the first guys you'll meet on your very first day at your new college. He's a member of the athletics clubs as his dream is to become a professional runner. Although he's serious about his dream, if you're lucky enough to come across him during a visit to the gym you'll find that he's always slacking off there. He's also the person to talk to if you fancy a job at the arcade. Such as his attitude towards the gym, he will try to force all his work onto you in the beginning.
Marius likes to joke around so he likes a girl who can joke around with him in return. He also likes athletic girls so make sure you're visiting the gym often to work on your fitness.
I kind of got the feeling that the creators of this visual novel favoured Marius as he seems to have the most CG's and the most screen time. His events just seemed to be everywhere.
As I said, if you plan to pursue Marius you must work on your fitness, but this will in return get you a lot of jokes about how you're more manly than feminine. To really appreciate Marius, you're going to have to enjoy the type of guy that likes to tease you. This kind of reminded me of how twelve year olds flirt and although this isn't my cup of tea, once I overlooked this, he really was a sweet guy.
As a side note, his birthday is the 3rd of March and his preferred clothing for the MC are Punk, street or sporty. Really easy to achieve as if you mix your punk clothes with your sporty clothes you tend to get street.
Marius was also the hardest one for me when it came to getting his best ending. Maybe it was because I started with him first, but I couldn't for the life of me get him to send the MC the required email to unlock certain events that were crucial for his best ending.
Overall, to me, I think Marius would be more suited to be a really good friend than boyfriend material.

Shuppin Marchelaure
Shuppin is the other guy you're likely to meet first in this game. He's quiet and comes across as socially awkward when he first meets the MC. You'll hear a lot of things about Shuppin such as, most of the girls in the lower years have major crushes on him and that he tends to sleep through most of his classes. That may be because he's an extremely busy person. His dream is to become a musician and his preferred item is the guitar though he also plays the violin. Shuppin can potentially become a member of the music club if you reply accordingly when asked if you'd prefer more guys or more girls to join the club.
Shuppin also works at the French café if you'd like to work with him. The boss is a little eccentric but I found him kind of amusing at the same time. The bromance between the boss and Shuppin is endearing!
Shuppin is fairly easy going once you get to know him. While speaking with him, try to pick the humble, caring answer and you're all set really. Once I got the hang of the game, I managed to get his best ending on my first try.
He defiantly has the most complex background and family life out of all the guys.
His birthday is the 13th of February (pretty close to valentines day) and he likes his ladies to wear clothes classed as punk, cute or young madam.
Overall I really enjoyed playing through Suppin's route. He was sweet and caring. I can defiantly see why all the younger girls at the school like him. <3

Thirdly we have Rhett Sugden.
You can meet Rhett in a few ways. Firstly, you can increase your smarts stats to unlock an event at the library. The second way to meet him is to get a job at the library, and finally, if you join the drama club, he's also a member.
Rhett is the jerk of the school. To get his attention you're going to have to match his sarcastic attitude. Don't try to please him to begin with. I had a lot of fun with his route mainly because I got to pick an option that said, “You know, you're kind of a dick!”. I think that's a first I got to use a reply like that. Don't let his glare discourage you though, as behind that angry front Rhett actually has a heart of gold. You will find out that he's actually a really caring guy to those that stick it out and manage to get close to him.
He gives the MC the nickname of “Beret” as of course, she's constantly wearing one. It actually makes the rare times he calls you by your name stand out that much more. And if I'm honest here, I kind of liked having the nickname.
Rhett is very hard working and will constantly push himself to get everything he needs to done on time. If you managed to get on his best path you will find that he pushes himself to the extent where he actually makes himself ill and comes down with a fever... He's kind of adorable at this part :3
His birthday is the 21st of November and he likes it when the MC wears clothes that are classed as elegant or casual. I had a hard time finding these types of clothes as they are not my style at all and although it may sound expensive to buy elegant clothing, it isn't actually that bad. He's also a huge fan of anything horror so taking him to see a horror movie or going into the haunted house will please him.

“Beck” Betchaku.
I'm just gonna start off with the fact that my sisters name is Rebecca – 'Beck' so this whole thing was a little awkward for me right off the bat.
Beck is the playboy of the story. He loves his woman and he doesn't have a problem stringing them along and showing them off. His route is a little more complex than the rest as there are two ways to get his best ending.
Beck wont be found in the game straight away. If fact, you may not even see him until after the new year or you may spot him as early as Halloween. Beck is actually a substitute teacher for the art class. His passion is for tattooing which he is currently an apprentice for. Because of this, you can only go out on dates with him to the tattoo parlour where he works. To me, this felt more like I was just hanging out there and he happened to also be there.
Being the huge playboy Beck is, he's really hard to impress. You have to have a high charm stat for him to even answer the phone to you and if you want a compliment out of him, you have to follow the fashion articles, which you can find through your emails, to the letter. This can make getting his best ending a little tricky as once a month you will have to check the article and then go shopping which will mean one less date with him a month. Considering he doesn't show up in the game right away it means you can end up just wasting time. Ways around this however, are to either keep note of what is in fashion while you're on a different guys path or look for a walkthrough for his style and then just buy in bulk before meeting him – There's nothing like being prepared after all.
Beck's birthday is also the 6th of December (My sisters birthday is this month too... :/ ) so it's unlikely that you're going to be able to offer him anything for it. He does however, actually work at one of the shops in the shopping centre called 'Boutique TIDE'. Getting a job there yourself is a little tricky. You need to have a high charm stat and have befriended his sister Lamb to be offered the job.
Overall I felt dirty and cheap playing through this guys route. I hate playboys and generally steer clear of them in real life but as this was a game, I had to give it a try. But no, it wasn't for me. Also, and this is the first time I'm going to have commented on a guys ending, but even in Beck's best ending, I just felt like my poor MC became another notch on his belt so to speak – I'm so sorry Maddi D:

Perth Rastegar
Perth is another one of the guys you wont meet right away. You can cross paths with him either by joinning the netball team or by joinning the music club and saying you'd like more girls to join zed club. To get his best ending, you have to be a member of the netball club though.
Perth is a very baby-faced guy who is often mistaken for being only 12 years old - I think he's actually 15 or 16 though. In the MC's school journal she even wonders if chasing after him will make her a 'cradle-snatcher' which is a little amusing.
Because Perth is constantly fighting his child-like image, you should choose options that sound like you're praising how manly he is. Also try to be cute and caring. Yeah, I know, it sounds a little contradicting – Manly and cute but hey, just go with it.
Perth works at a smoothie stand at the shopping centre, and although you can't get a job there too, you can unlock a few events with him by picking to go to the shopping centre alone during the weekends.
Perth comes across as being very dedicated to the MC and a few times he says in his emails and whatnot to her how he isn't a stalker... I found him to be a little creepy in places to be honest... Somewhat obsessed I suppose I'd call it but other times he is really sweet.
Unlike the other four guys, Perth only has two endings, as apose to three.
Another thing I should mention about Perth is that he's been brought up to speak English in a very posh way so he has a speech-tick so to speak. For example, he will say things like “It is” then quickly change it to “-It's” which, I feel a little mean saying, but I found this amusing. I could imagine some people finding it really annoying though. I believe he's like this because of the fear of being bullied... or something.
As is now customary for the guys in this post, Perth's Birthday is the 8th of August so again I doubt anyone is going to be able to offer him a birthday pressy and his favourite trends are cute and young madam.

Finally – The secret character!
This guy only has one ending – Best ending, and strangely enough, he turned out to be my favourite guy overall. So... who is he? Well if you played one or two routes for the others guys, It's highly likely you already met him. You know that rude guy that works at 'Kit locker' that will barely say anything to you or only gives you a mere 'Hmph'? Yes, that's right – It's him. To unlock his route you must visit Kit locker every time you have a chance on the weekend. Eventually the MC will notice he's eyeing her and get it into her head that he thinks she trying to steal. The truth is, he's actually just curious why a pretty girl such as yourself is returning to a sports shop constantly. And to be fair, you have to visit the shop so many times, that if each time you did go there, you were to buy something, you'd have a years worth of sports clothes and then some!
From this meeting you will find out his name is Mardi and he's French. He is currently studying at the nearby university and he had to take a job at Kit locker to pay for his finances. Now, you can't get a job here yourself, but what you can do is keep visiting each weekend. From here on out, he will be happy to see you and greet you with a small sentence instead of his usual sigh. This will happen for the next few times. After visiting a certain amount of times more, you'll unlock an event with him and the cycle will repeat.
I know, I know, it doesn't sound very exciting and it really isn't but I think he's well worth the hassle. Mardi is the sweetest thing ever!! Sadly though, as he is only a secret character which means not a lot of people that got the game first would have known about, he only has three CG's :(
Seriously though, I think his French accent was the thing that got me. And to clear that up, his dialogue is actually written in a way that forces you to think with a French accent so I'm not being weird here or anything... I hope :D

I would cover the girls but this post has gotten a little long already and I'm not sure how many people are really interested in/care about the female friends you can make in an otome game so I'll skip it. However, I would recommend getting a little friendly with at least one of the girls when you can because it will unlock an event in which you are invited to a fun fair and you may get to go on some rides with your dream guys!

Overall this game reminded me of another visual novel I've played before called 'Heartstring Bugs'. Both have the unique feature with the clothing system and how the guys will have their preferred style and will remember what you were wearing on the last date. The job system and the after school clubs etc. Even both of the MC's 'main' friend was an attention whore in both novels. Either way, I did hugely enjoy this game. Like I said, it was the first stat raising game where I generally enjoyed myself and because of the British theme going on, it was close to home for me. Not all of the guys were to my liking (which should be how it is anyway) but I really loved playing as this heroine! She was a nice change from the other ladies I've played as. This girl actually felt like a 17 year old with the things she thought about and how she acted – it was very refreshing. In stat building games, that seems to be the main focus but for this one, I'd say it was 50/50 on par with the story. The art was very unique and to my liking. I do like to see some crazy looking chins from time to time haha. Another thing I liked was that you're offered a special item to help with your stat raising if you do decide to pursue a girl as a friend instead of just going for the guys and leaving it there as at the end of the day this is advertised as an otome game so it's nice to be offered that something extra just for breaking out of the norm. The quality of the writing is decent, although in my personal opinion, nothing ground-breaking. However, I don't recall ever spotting any spelling or grammar mistakes and I have to say, that is defiantly a first for that! I'll also point out that there aren't any bad endings in this game. Marius, Shuppin, Rhett and Beck all have three endings each which are good end, best end, and dual end (dual end being where you raise either Marius and Shuppin's or Rhett's and Beck's bars to full and you eventually have to pick between them). Perth has a good and best ending while Mardi only has his best ending that I mentioned already.
Sadly, from what I understand, the company that made this game – Studio Super63 doesn't have any other visual novels besides this one on offer currently, and since this game was released in July 2011, I'm not entirely sure if they are still going or not.

I enjoyed this novel and it's quickly become one of my favourites so yes, I'd recommend this in a heartbeat – It's just a shame I've only recently found it. Sadly, it's not freeware so you do have to pay for it but it's a few quid cheaper than most VN's and hey, there's a demo if you're on the fence about it. Otherwise you can grab your very own copy of it here!

Sunday, 28 July 2013

Princess Battles - Review

 

Princess Battles is a stat raising game and anyone who knows me will know how much I loath these types of games (but I play them anyway for the great stories). Princess Battles is, however, one of those rare exception to my hate for them! NekoMura has taken the typical, boring and tedious stat building mechanic and made it something new and refreshing. Something even someone like me can enjoy. How have they done this? Well they've made it into an interactive card battle system and the best part is it works into the story perfectly. I think before I can talk about how great this card battle system is, I'll have to touch on the story slightly first.
You play as a young princess called Lillian (name changeable) who has recently heard about a local hero in her kingdom who is popular among the common folk and the champion of many tournaments. This year, the hero, Olivia, is planning on competing in the card battle game called “Prima” which is only for ladies. Upon hearing the news, Lillian sets out to learn everything she can about Prima to enter the tournament and beat her rival who evidently has caught the eyes of her parents, the king and queen and show the world that she's the best.
So now that that's out of the way, let's get back to this amazing stat raising mechanic. As I've said, it's done via a card battle system. The aim of the game is to raise your three stats, intelligence, charm and refinement before your opponent. Your resources are money and energy. The catch is that you and your opponent wont start with the same level of stats or resources. For example, you may have more money while they have more energy. Their highest stat could be intelligence while yours is charm, etc. To win the game you have to play with three major sets of cards. These cards are “school” which uses energy and money but can give some pretty nice stats. “Work” which gives you money at the expense of energy and sometimes decreases a certain stat by 2 depending on the type of work you pick and “item” which gives you stats at the cost of money. Some are cheap cards that gives you very little stats and some are really expensive that gives you a huge boost. There is also a special type of 'item' card which will gives you energy in exchange for money. The trick is balancing everything out. You really don't want to run low on both of your resources otherwise you will be forces to skip a turn. You can however, discard one of the five cards in your hand. Don't worry you will get them back automatically at the end of each battle. The best part about doing this is you get +5 money for each card you discard but you only have a limited amount of them so think carefully about doing it first. You are also given a little bit of energy each time it's your turn. There are also some other cards such as “attack” and “defence” cards. Defence will give you a shield that will protect you from one attack. Despite when you use it, it will protect you until you are attacked. It doesn't disappear after a certain amount of turns or anything like that. There are several types of attack cards such as one to decrease your opponents energy, one to decrease certain stats by a little and one that will decrease your energy gain per turn for 10 rounds. Other useful cards are ones that are called “coupons”. This one will allow you to buy any item card for 1 money so its good to save them for when you have an expensive card in your hand. The other is a card which will allow you to use two school cards for free. Throughout the game, you gain more cards so you wont start with all of the ones I've mentioned above! For me, the best part about this card battle game is that if you win, you are given a new piece of clothing from your opponent. Most of the time, this seems purely cosmetic but there is one guy who will react to how you are dressed! There is one more thing to mention and that is, that each opponent will have a different way in which they play. Some will be more aggressive than others etc, but you are given tips before hand.
I think I've covered everything for the battle game and it may sound a little overwhelming. I know that on my first play through I was caught a little off guard but it really is a simple game once you get into it!!

As for the story itself, it really is a simple one. It revolves mainly around Prima and Lillian's desire to win against Olivia. There isn't really that much more to it, but I find that simple is sometimes better, especially in this case. If anything more complex was added, I think it would have taken away from the card battle and that would have been a shame. As with any stat raising visual novel, that is the main focus of the game but trust me, it is pretty fun in this one!

There are four obtainable guys in this game but I felt as though one of those was more of a special character. The way to get his ending is a little different than the other three and since I'm trying to keep this review as spoiler free as possible I'm not inclined to say more. You'll have to look around if you want more details or better yet – Play the game! :3 What I can tell you though is that each guy is unique from one another. They all have decent stories and reason for liking the princess. I did feel you learn more about some than others but I think that has to do with their relationship with the princess so in a way its far more believable! Like I said, I really don't want to spoil to much but I can completely understand that the guys are the main focus for some people in visual novels so the best I can offer is this link here to the main website where you can learn more about them. I really do like the little... uh, I'm honestly not sure what to call them... banners? So I'm going to put the one of my favourite guy here. :D
Princess Battles Characters: Gerald

The CG, sprites and background are all really pleasing to the eye and unique. There were, in some cases, times where I thought “Hmm, that could be a little better there.” but even having said that, the art work is far from horrible and was a lot better than some other stuff I have seen ship out in visual novels! They are also a hundred times better than what I can draw so I really don't feel comfortable judging them too much! For anyone who is wondering though, there is a total of 19 CG's, so there's a pretty decent amount!


Another thing I really liked in this novel that I don't believe I've come across before is that it has achievements to be gained! I'm a huge sucker for achievements and as a TV show from my childhood days would say, “Gotta catch em all!” … so to speak and there are 22 achievements to be had. It's not to many and you don't have to go out of your way to get them... as in they are easy to gain as long as you play all the endings!

This game also comes with some sound effects. Honestly... I'm not sure if they were really necessary in some places as is usually the case when I come across such things in NV's but it did add a nice little touch to this particular novel. They range from such things as the girls laughing together to a word or two such as “Excuse me!”. You will find quite a lot of sound effect during card battles which seemed much more fitting. Some of them I did giggle at slightly.

And finally, something I don't usually comment on but the UI is stunning. It's very easy to navigate. There's a save, settings and load option at the bottom of the screen at all times. As with any visual novel you can also right click to bring up the save menu. I'm under the impression this game was made with Ren'Py but there are a limited amount of save spots – 10 to be exact. So if you're like me and you have this thing where you have to save before each option and give it it's own space, it's going to be a tight squeeze per play through. In the settings and right click menu there is also an option called “Help” so if you find yourself stuck on anything, check that out!!

(I think this is an older version as there's no settings option in the SS but you get the gist of it)

Overall - It's a nice little game. It doesn't take that long to finish it. I believe I got it done in about 2 evenings so I guess I'd class it as a 'medium' length game? The stat raising is new and refreshing. NekoMura really has gone all out for this in my opinion. They really have taken something that I usually find a horrible experience and made it really fun in a way that goes nicely with the story. The guys were all nice. I didn't dislike a single one of them, although I am a little curious about one of them. Mainly the one I see as a 'special character'. I would recommend this to people. Sadly though there isn't a demo currently available but if you are interested in checking it out, you can find it here!!

Princess Battles - Walkthrough

 

This is just how I personally found each ending! There may be other ways so play around with it and have fun!!
Edit: I started this walkthrough the day the game come but I was beaten to the chase. An official walkthrough can be found here so now you guys have two to choose from! :D

Edmond:
I'll apologize to Edmond.
I'm not crazy about being replaced.
Castle garden
In fact, I was more worried I hurt your feelings.
Library
Main hall
Ask about Edmond
Ask nicely
Roselind has a point.
Library
Please tell me more about Edmond!
Castle Garden
Main hall
Library
Talk about priorities.
He must be up to something!
Library
… really creepy.
Castle garden
(Ask what you want to know.)
That's all, thank you.
Town square
She challenged me, I couldn't refuse.
Nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you.
Throne room
What!?
Throne room
Library
Can't you deliver a compliment without wrapping it in criticism?
Castle garden
Princess' room
I just came to check whether you need my help.
Town square
But Olivia is so irritating.
Spare me the history lesson!
Arena
Let's meet on the balcony then.
Stay longer.
Inn: Balcony
Arena
Fine, I'll go with you.
Inn: Balcony
It's not all bad
Inn: Room – Yes
Inn: Balcony
Inn: Room
Inn: Room – Yes
I'll think about it
I want to focus on becoming the next queen.
I think I'll say yes.

Lucian:
Why don't you apologize to Edmond for me?
She probably would.
Castle garden
Library
Castle garden
Main hall
Ask about Edmond.
Ask nicely.
What a stalker!
Library
Please tell me more about Olivia!
Tell me about her education!
That's all in the past. Let's talk future!
Castle garden
Library
Talk about priorities.
He's on my side, I should trust him
Library
… a little unexpected
Never mind, you're right
Castle garden
(Ask whatever you want to know)
That's all. Thank you.
Library
Main hall
Tell me the truth! Did you let me win?
Town square
What do you mean, “she just got lucky”!?
Library
Castle garden
Throne room
We'll see about that.
Library
Can we go back to the part where I look good?
Castle garden
Throne room
Princess' room
I just came to check whether you need my help.
Town square
But Olivia is so irritating!
That's interesting.
I like him.
Arena
Arena
Are you out of your mind?
Inn: Room – Yes
Inn: Balcony
Inn: Room
I don't mind at all!
There must be a way for us to stay together.
Inn: Room – Yes
Kiss Lucian
(Doesn't matter)

Gerald:
Nothing
She probably would
Castle garden
Library
Princess' room
Change clothes
Maid's outfit
exit
Town square
That must be it! Let's chase him!
Pretend to be a maid
Garden
Town square
Ask anyway!
Throne room
Library
Talk about priorities
He must be up to something.
Town square
Library
… really creepy.
Castle garden
(Ask whatever)
Thank you. That's all
Nice to meet you.
Throne room
What!?
Library
Can't you deliver a compliment without wrapping it in criticism?
Castle garden
Town square
But Olivia is so irritating!
Spare me the history lesson!
Docking area
Arena
(Change clothes to 'Adventuring outfit' if you fought Cyra)
Docking area
I want to continue my card battling career.
Arena
Are you out of your mind?
Docking area
Inn: Room – Yes
I would really like to, but I have to stay
Docking area
I couldn't run away from my problems like that.
Inn: Room
Inn: Room – Yes
I'll think of something!
I want to focus on becoming the next queen.

Ignatius:
This one is a little different. You can only get him by playing 'freeplay mode' after beating the game while staying single. You can raise his affection during the game though.
To do this pick:
“Fine, I'll go with you.” after your second duel with Luce.
Then after you battle Amaryllis and win go to the 'Docking area' and pick:
“We do things a bit differently back home.”
During freeplay mode keep picking the option to “Trade cards” and he will eventually show up.
Pick: “That would be nice, thank you.” to finally get his ending!