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Made a slight detour or well major detour actually and started up Nurse Love addiction and so far I'm having a enjoyable time for it. Asuka might be a absolute moron and a discount Milfeulle but she at least has some sense of self awareness and she can get into some funny antics. I'll probably end up gunning for Sakuya first:holo:

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7 hours ago, Ranzo said:

Made a slight detour or well major detour actually and started up Nurse Love addiction and so far I'm having a enjoyable time for it. Asuka might be a absolute moron and a discount Milfeulle but she at least has some sense of self awareness and she can get into some funny antics. I'll probably end up gunning for Sakuya first:holo:

As for that, I would suggest you to clear any other route first other than Sakuya and leave her for last, because her route contained the biggest spoiler. If you didn't care about the spoiler, it's fine though. Oh, and the teacher route here was very different compared to the rest because her route didn't have much connection to the main story, so maybe you'll interested to finished her route first instead of Sakuya.

Edited by littleshogun
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3 hours ago, littleshogun said:

As for that, I would suggest you to clear any other route first other than Sakuya and leave her for last, because her route contained the biggest spoiler. If you didn't care about the spoiler, it's fine though. Oh, and the teacher route here was very different compared to the rest because her route didn't have much connection to the main story, so maybe you'll interested to finished her route first instead of Sakuya.

Yeah I kind of heard that as well. Which route would you suggest I play first aside from the teacher?

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3 hours ago, Ranzo said:

Yeah I kind of heard that as well. Which route would you suggest I play first aside from the teacher?

For me, you should go Sensei > Nao > Itsuki > Sakuya. The thing is, Sensei's route is the only one that doesn't share a "true plot common route" that starts after the school festival and dumps all the mystery plot in your head. The remaining routes all branch after that part. Sensei's route is pure sol romance plot. It's pretty sweet, but it have absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the routes.

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Just been reading Doki Doki Literature Club :sachi:

Spoiler

...and I probably won't finish it, at least not until the winter passes. I didn't go in completely blind - I heard it had a reputation of sorts and I couldn't resist - but I got to the 'second menu' and decided that was probably it for me. Gonna put some heavy spoilers in below.

Spoiler

Sayori's death was pretty heavy. I anticipated it, so it wasn't like 'oh my god she actually did it, the total madman', but the music change, the glitching, and importantly the unflinching way that it made you look at her was really kinda affecting - much more than I thought it would be. I didn't sleep all that well last night.

With that in mind, I still want to finish it... sort of. I understand how much work has gone into the second part and some of the ideas, 'Easter eggs' and whatnot sound like they make for fascinating game mechanics - the file rearranging for example sounds amazing in the most terrifying way. And, because I read ahead for this sort of thing, I'm impressed with the degree of foreshadowing that went into part one. But I'm definitely gonna say, the themes explored are absolutely not for this time of year, at least not for me.

Natsuki needs a hug so fucking badly.

 

 

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18 hours ago, Ranzo said:

Yeah I kind of heard that as well. Which route would you suggest I play first aside from the teacher?

As for the first route other than the teacher, I would suggest you to just follow Maggie's order if only to increase the surprise there. Also he did explain enough in regard of Hakuai imo, so just like he said the teacher route was very different, or if I may very blunt it was just out there for Hakuai - not say it was a bad route though. Have fun.

Edited by littleshogun
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Reading through The Fruit of Grisaia and really enjoying myself.  The common route was so much fun; a total blast.  I've completed Michiru's route, which was really pretty heartbreaking despite not divulging any details of the larger story.  My heart was breaking for poor Michiru.  I do have a quibble with how it came together in the end, which i will likely discuss in detail on a future podcast.  Currently in progress on Yumiko's route.  While I don't find it as emotionally gripping as Michiru's, this route is doling out a few details about the grander plot, which is very welcome. 

I really, really dig this game.  Are the sequels as good as the original?

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16 minutes ago, The Subtle Doctor said:

Reading through The Fruit of Grisaia and really enjoying myself.  The common route was so much fun; a total blast.  I've completed Michiru's route, which was really pretty heartbreaking despite not divulging any details of the larger story.  My heart was breaking for poor Michiru.  I do have a quibble with how it came together in the end, which i will likely discuss in detail on a future podcast.  Currently in progress on Yumiko's route.  While I don't find it as emotionally gripping as Michiru's, this route is doling out a few details about the grander plot, which is very welcome. 

I really, really dig this game.  Are the sequels as good as the original?

They're different.

The direct sequel, Labyrinth, offers after stories to each route, which should be enjoyable in much the same manner.
The main story in this sequel, however, focuses on Yuuji, and should be enjoyable if you like the 'grander plot', as you call it.

The final game in the trilogy, Eden, changes in tone a bit, but it's a great action story, basically. Direct continuation to Yuuji's story.

I found them all to be great in their own ways. There are a number of side stories which have their own ups and downs. I can elaborate about those if you want.

The Fruit of Grisaia is far longer than either of the sequels. Something to note.

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Playing Himawari The Sunflower and Aries' route might have been the worst introductory route i've ever seen. I'm gonna keep going because the earlier bad endings make it seem like there is more to the plot than meets the eye, but as a self-contained story it was 30 minutes of interesting stuff and nearly 9 hours of insomnia-curing antics.

Update: Finished it and i don't see the "kamige" here that everyone else does. Only thing that impressed me in the main story was Aqua's personality making the choices for her route harder. On the other hand, the "Another Episodes" were awesome because they had a lot more intrigue from the sci-fi side and if the whole VN was like that, i would have enjoyed it more.

Edited by onorub
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2 hours ago, The Subtle Doctor said:

I really, really dig this game.  Are the sequels as good as the original?

Kajitsu hooks you in, it's all about the girls, their unique backstories and the trauma that's 'broken' them in different ways. You read about who they are, and how Yuuji helps each of them using the tools he's learned about in his own life.

Meikyuu's main storyline in a direct continuation, its focused on Yuuji, his past. The story gives his character even more depth, you'll start to realize the quirks and characteristics he displayed in Kajitsu weren't just due to his awkwardness in his new environment. You learn about the people that sculpted him into who he is. Devils and Gods. Also, Kusakabe Asako, I say again, KUSAKABE ASAKO :kosame: [yeah i like her :yumiko:]. They're a bunch of other great characters too, no worries. 

Rakuen is the Grand finale basically. I'm only 70% through but i can say that the pacing is great. Its gradual, calculated and consistent [drama, humour, character development and growth] with Kajitsu and Meikyuu. The characters, bgm, cgs, voice actors are all top notch. Honestly you can read these games back to back and it'll just seem like one HUGE story, they did a great job with the transition between the games. 

If you enjoyed Kajitsu, you'll enjoyed Meikyuu and Rakuen [I think]. You're lucky, since you don't have to wait for release dates :makina:.

[Oh also, meikyuu also has a ton of skits, 5 after stories from kajitsu routes, random h-scenes allocated to its own section, and the grand route itself.  Rakuen has a bunch of extras too].

Have fun reading the series mate, I know i am! [a lot, seriously, its beautiful stuff].

ps: KUSAKABE ASAKO, k i'm done :sachi:.

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As for both of Meikyuu and Rakuen, I would like to call them just as fandiscs instead of the sequels because there's no canon route at Kajitsu VN. Of course it's okay though if you enjoy that as the sequel as well, so no problem.

4 hours ago, Ranzo said:

So playing Nurse Love and having a grand ole time and then suddenly WHAT? WHAT? WHHHHAAAAAAATTTTTT?

I pretty much had same thought when I did read the review for Hakuai, and coincidentally one picture contained that CG. Once again have fun.

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14 hours ago, DharmaFreedom said:

Have fun reading the series mate, I know i am! [a lot, seriously, its beautiful stuff].

Absolutely! Like I said above, I plan on laying out my full and unfiltered thoughts in audio form after I'm done; however, I will continue to post updates here as I go along.

Also: thanks to you and Mr Poltroon for providing detailed answers to my question!

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On 1/8/2018 at 6:13 PM, AaronIsCrunchy said:

Just been reading Doki Doki Literature Club :sachi:

  Reveal hidden contents

...and I probably won't finish it, at least not until the winter passes. I didn't go in completely blind - I heard it had a reputation of sorts and I couldn't resist - but I got to the 'second menu' and decided that was probably it for me. Gonna put some heavy spoilers in below.

  Reveal hidden contents

Sayori's death was pretty heavy. I anticipated it, so it wasn't like 'oh my god she actually did it, the total madman', but the music change, the glitching, and importantly the unflinching way that it made you look at her was really kinda affecting - much more than I thought it would be. I didn't sleep all that well last night.

With that in mind, I still want to finish it... sort of. I understand how much work has gone into the second part and some of the ideas, 'Easter eggs' and whatnot sound like they make for fascinating game mechanics - the file rearranging for example sounds amazing in the most terrifying way. And, because I read ahead for this sort of thing, I'm impressed with the degree of foreshadowing that went into part one. But I'm definitely gonna say, the themes explored are absolutely not for this time of year, at least not for me.

Natsuki needs a hug so fucking badly.

 

 

 

Spoiler

Well, I feel your pain. :sachi: I also had to put down the game for some time after reaching Sayori's death. Makes you realize that the content warning isn't there for nothing. After I reached this part, I seriously started to wonder if my own mental health is as good as I though it to be. Because some of her reasoning felt kind of familiar, I guess.

At the same time, I was slightly disappointed with the part of the game that came after that, but it looks that it's just me.

 

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Just completed Rakuen, will probably read the after story tomorrow. I really loved the story [all three Vns]. I liked how it developed, how the characters learned and grew and how they struggled and overcame their walls, smashing threw and finding peace with who they were.

The 'way of life' philosophies were beautiful, they were so relatable. The music was fantastic, the cgs were utilised so well, the voice actors gave their characters so much life. I think the writer/s? did such a good job with framing just how important and crucial Asako was to his growth, i really loved their connection. Also loved the sisterhood of the Mihama ladies, that special roles they all played that made their group perfect. Julia's pretty badass too, she had the thankless job of picking of the pieces of "situations" and working through them alone [basically].  There's a lot more i liked about the characters and the VN as a whole, 2 sleepy to write more about it right now :sachi:.

This was my 40th VN! Yay  :sacchan:.

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SeaBed is a curious VN. One of my favorite VNs in 2016 and reading it again in English was every bit as wonderful as when I first read it.

SeaBed very unique in a way that doesn't stand out. You could describe it as a psychological mystery, which isn't wrong, but is quite far from what the story sets out to do. Even calling it a Yuri-game feels bit wrong since that makes it seem like the main characters being two women in love is something special, when it just completely normal.

That's what SeaBed is mostly, mundane. It's people living their lives. Reminiscing past vacations, trips around the world, and all the silly stuff they did when they were younger. Dealing with their problems. Feeling sad for the things they've lost and things they can't remember. And continuing to living their lives.
SeaBed is also written in a way that emphasises this. The style is actually really unique, but it's very easy to overlook since everything feels so mundane. The narration is very passive, distant, emotionless. Most everything is described in the same matter of fact manner that lacks the normal emotional elements we usually expect from narration. The characters don't judge what's happening, normal and unnatural, reality and dreams are all taken in as they are. To me reading Seabed felt like reading my old travel diaries. The events and cursory thoughts are there, but the emotions are lacking. Our feelings feel so obvious at the moment that the thought of writing them down doesn't even cross our minds. Yet reading this diary afterwards, and I'm left wondering how I really felt back then. 

It's also lack of dramatisation that makes SeaBed stand out. We don't consider our lives especially special, and don't make huge fuss of the events that may occur. Most of the time we only realise the change afterwards, if there were any in the first place. SeaBed also refuses to make a show out of anything. In SeaBed, an event or piece of information that could be framed as a huge plot-twist in any other VN is dealt with the same normalcy as everything. With the same "I see". 
This kind of "flatness" was very refreshing to me. By refusing the comply with the rules and structure we expect from drama, SeaBed weaves a very relatable, humane, and ultimately very touching story. Slice-of-Life is there to remind that there's joy to be found in mundane, that it too can be special. SeaBed goes step further and shows that mundane is just how thing are, and it's neither good or bad.

 

TLDR; SeaBed is pretty unique and really hard to explain.
And it's definitely not as boring as my ramblings might suggest. There's the mystery which is pretty intriguing and the characters are really good. That said I don't blame anyone for finding the unorthodox writing styling really boring and uninteresting, although I personally really like it. It has this dreamy, kind of hypnotic feeling to it. The non-linearity, slow pace, and the mundaneness of it can also be off-putting to some.

But for those looking for unique experiences, SeaBed can be something special.

And do try the demo. Seeing it for yourself will surely tell more than any of my attempt to express it.

Oh, I guess I should mention that the presentation is really good for doujin VN, and the soundtrack is great and very fitting.          

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I've finished playing Sakura Dungeon and I'm... Sad.

I mean, not because the game was that bad, exactly because it wasn't. The design on the RPG elements was very clean, it never felt overly grindy or boring. It had a great, relaxing soundtrack. The protagonist was really interesting - I mean, you really don't often see the story from the perspective of a centuries-old fox spirit, it wasn't an obvious choice and made the whole thing much more interesting than what we usually get in this kind of stories. The writing was rather bland and tropy, but it could've been much worse. The obnoxious, everpresent fanservice was obviously there, but I can accept it as a part of the formula, knowing that many people actually enjoy it.

My point is, it's clear to me that Winged Cloud can make decent games. They just don't give a shit, so they don't even try. And, obviously, their audience reinforces this by buying the most absurd crap (200k+ copies sold of Sakura Beach 2, WTF???) - why bother making one Dungeon and try selling it for 20$ when with the same budget you can produce 4-5 short, shitty VNs, sell them 10$ each and make more money...

Edited by Plk_Lesiak
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Finished Raziel's route in Tokyo Babel and overall I thought it was pretty good, not great but it had an okay conclusion. About my only moment of disappointment was

Spoiler

when they revealed what "God" looked like. With the way Sorami was describing it, I was expecting some Lovecraftian horror, but when it's revealed it just looks like your typical late game JRPG boss monster, and not really scary looking. If they'd shown us the Ouroborus form instead that would have matched the description  better (and yes, I'm aware why that was saved till later, but still...)

I will say the highlight was the cameo appearance of Mecha-King Ghidorah ;). Now on to Sorami's route

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4 hours ago, BookwormOtaku said:

Finished Raziel's route in Tokyo Babel and overall I thought it was pretty good, not great but it had an okay conclusion. About my only moment of disappointment was

I know what you mean, but IMHO Ouroborus looks way more like your run of the mill JRPG boss monster than what was actually shown.

Spoiler

I mean 'god' was supposed to be an almighty being and not just a simple combat monster. Though I agree that it could have looked more 'alien' and less like my sound system at home. :P

I still found the revelation one of the most epic moments in the VN - the creepy atmosphere was just great.

Edited by ChaosRaven
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21 hours ago, Plk_Lesiak said:

My point is, it's clear to me that Winged Cloud can make decent games. They just don't give a shit, so they don't even try. And, obviously, their audience reinforces this by buying the most absurd crap (200k+ copies sold of Sakura Beach 2, WTF???) - why bother making one Dungeon and try selling it for 20$ when with the same budget you can produce 4-5 short, shitty VNs, sell them 10$ each and make more money...

You just described Norn, Miel, Dieselmine, and a half-dozen other successful Japanese studios as well :rolleyes:  It works for them, so I'm not surprised someone has taken the same trash-tier slot in the English market.

 

Oh, yeah, gotta stay on topic.  I just finished my first route in Daitoshokan, which I started when the game came out... in May 2013.  At this rate, I may finish the game in a mere 15 or 16 years.

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