October Releases: Tsukikage no Simulacre
Tsukikage no Simulacre is a mini-VN by Akatsuki Works' sibling brand, Applique, which specializes in solid story-focused VNs ranging from nakige like Toko o Tsumugu Yakusoku to hard sci-fi stories like Re:Birth Colony. Applique is also responsible for the creation of Tasogare no Sinsemilla, which is a classic VN that I still remember well to this day.
This VN, like Hinonai (reference the previous post), seems to have been created as a combination prelude/advertisement for a future, more extensive VN. In this case, it looks to be an occult horror/mystery. The fact that the mystery of what is going on is never revealed to the reader by the end of the VN only reinforces this idea.
However, if it is a mere prelude, it is an excellent one, since it definitely caught my interest. The focus of this VN is the mystery 'living doll' of the Kisaragi family, which is said to have been the creation and loyal companion of the family's founder until his death, when it ceased to move. At the beginning, the protagonist is called to the Kisaragi head family's home to participate in a ritual marriage to the living doll, a ritual that has been carried out countless times in the past, though its full meaning was lost long ago.
The protagonist himself is a member of an estranged cadet family of the Kisaragi, which has gone its own way over the years, while maintaining a frail connection to the rest, which run a corporate conglomerate specializing in mechanized technology of various types. He has a unique talent that lets him instantly be able to tell what is wrong with any mechanical device that he knows the makeup of at a touch, a talent that never sees use throughout the VN (further reinforcing my belief that this VN is going to see a sequel, at the very least).
The music in this game is... atmospheric. Seriously, the atmosphere in this VN is defined through most of its length by the BGM, setting the stage for events in the main path (there is a secondary 'nothing happened' ending, but it is fairly irrelevant). I was really impressed with what they did with it. The visuals are standard Applique, bringing back nostalgic memories of Sinsemilla and other games by this company.
Story-wise... it is incomplete. It is enjoyable, but the way it ends makes it obvious that the writer intends to put out future entries and maybe make it into a series or a full VN. It ends on a slightly less satisfying note than Hinonai, but then, the incident in the VN isn't resolved, so that is only natural.
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