What are you playing?

[Eclipsed]

Root Before was loaded with pacing issues due to the excessive usage of flashbacks (within flashbacks!) during the SoL segments ie. Let's take a moment to remember how we saved our dog named Sirius and released him into the wild when we were kids! All while there's a manhunt for us because we knocked out a security guard! Yippee! And then let's have another flashback right after that flashback!

The big reveal was also heavily, heavily foreshadowed; you should be able to catch onto it early-midway throughout the route so that by lategame you're actually begging the VN to just confirm it already  -> it was definitely an underwhelming reveal.

I liked the dual-protagonist / dual-route system overall and how it got me to be heavily biased towards their respective protagonists. I was a Watase fanboy during Root After; badass-rescue-squad-captain turned amnesiac-newbie in a nuclear meltdown survival scenario who would literally run into his death idiotically 50 times before finally showing some competence and earning the respect of his fellow squad and survivors alike (before everything goes to shit at the end; btw, fk Eno-sensei and Ukita, fk Yuuri, and fk the kids).

Then I went into Root Before, and still said fk the kids, fk Yuuri, fk Eno & Ukita, fk everybody, and had to meander through several looong days of high school SoL before I finally, slowly but surely, started growing fond of Natsuhiko / Mashiro / Salyu; they're some nice kids. Btw, fk Watase. cwutididthere?

 

AND WTF, THERE'S A ROOT CURRENT?!@# HYPE!@#
-> Whoa, that's the most trippy thing in the world, SERIOUSLY LOL OMFFGGGGGGGGGGGGGG JEESUS CHRIST SOOO FKING TRIPPY /s

-> Oh, now there's a Root Double. Now I see why this VN is rated Very Long, time to take a break ._.

[Jartse]

I wouldn't call root double's route current a route.

On the other hand just finished Aiyoku no Eustia - skipping every route and went straight to the true route.

I loved the characters and the setting and its one awesome vn - it really does deserve the high vndb score - my only complaint is with regards to the whole ending though.

Spoiler

It almost felt like the writer can't figure out how to close that final story section and decides to go, you know what, mahou shoujo Tia solves all the problems.

I was sort of expecting the "everyone work together to keep this place afloat" ending going through it and Caim being undecisive. Mahou shoujo Tia just leaves a bad aftertaste to the story.

 

[HotTrax]

Sakura no Mori Dreamers - Man, this is so good at keeping me at the edge of my seat. Kinda through me when they actually ended up "doing it" to her in the beginning, was kinda sad. So damn good. just barely joined team. 

Edit: More stuff needs sick ass metal playing over battle scenes.

 

 

When he is expressing this from across the room, you better just leave.

 

 

 

Kono Koi, Seishun ni Yori. Finished, a good childhood friend route. Especially that softball (hehe) of a pre-credit scene, was very sad for her but it all was good at the end. Others not as strong but still good in their own way. The system was not all that fun though.

She is a cutie.

 

 

 

 

 

[Turnip Sensei]

I decided to ride the good reading feeling and started Kusarihime. I had been thinking about reading it for a while, even more so after reading Forest, but never really got around doing that.

And now I've been completely hooked in since the amazing opening, it just sets such perfect mood for the game. Same melancholy and the sense of discomfort when something feels ever so slightly wrong carries over the story, emphasized by the great music. And while the character art is little rough, I really like background, especially scenery art. They have that magical children's picture book feel to them. Don't know how to explain it properly, so just have a look.  

Haven't gotten too far yet, but I'm really liking it. The atmosphere is pretty low-key, but really captivating. The memory loss of the protagonist is also handled in a interesting way and the small hints about the past and the mysterious events are really tickling my curiosity. I just got into a part where I think things are going to get lot more interesting (the red snow in the fourth day), so looking forward to what is to come. 

[Kawasumi]

1 hour ago, Turnip Sensei said:

I decided to ride the good reading feeling and started Kusarihime. I had been thinking about reading it for a while, even more so after reading Forest, but never really got around doing that.

And now I've been completely hooked in since the amazing opening, it just sets such perfect mood for the game. Same melancholy and the sense of discomfort when something feels ever so slightly wrong carries over the story, emphasized by the great music. And while the character art is little rough, I really like background, especially scenery art. They have that magical children's picture book feel to them. Don't know how to explain it properly, so just have a look.  

Haven't gotten too far yet, but I'm really liking it. The atmosphere is pretty low-key, but really captivating. The memory loss of the protagonist is also handled in a interesting way and the small hints about the past and the mysterious events are really tickling my curiosity. I just got into a part where I think things are going to get lot more interesting (the red snow in the fourth day), so looking forward to what is to come. 

nice! Kusarihime has been on the top of my to-read list for a while.

[Funyarinpa]

So I started replaying 999, which as many of you know is my second favorite VN of all time, with my #1 being its sequel Virtue's Last Reward, and I am not enjoying it anywhere as much as I thought I would. The game feels utterly TINY and I don't feel engaged or immersed at all. I'd say it's because I am playing it in daylight, but the fact of the matter is that I originally played 999 on a PC, in daylight, and in the presence of others- so that isn't much of an argument. Maybe it's because I know the mystery this time around, maybe it played better on PC, maybe I've grown jaded over this series (which sucks hard since it's practically been a sweet, sweet obsession of mine for 3 years or so, so I hope that is not the case). Cliché-as-hell writing at times, also innumerable segments without any BGM whatsoever. At least Lotus grew a lot on me, so that's a plus. 

The endings are also too goddamn soon, feels like they appear only a couple hours in so it's hard to get invested, and also there aren't that many new developments. Feeling bad about this. Siiiiiiigh.

 

1 hour ago, Turnip Sensei said:

Kusarihime

This is not translated, is it? 

[Kawasumi]

Just now, Funyarinpa said:

 

This is not translated, is it? 

ahahahahahaha.

 

no.

[Funyarinpa]

Just now, Kawasumi said:

ahahahahahaha.

 

no.

sigh

[Kawasumi]

Just now, Funyarinpa said:

sigh

 

[Novel21]

I'm not sure how many have IPad, but I have just playing otome game called 10 days with my Devil and I highly recommend to try too play 10 days with my devil for they so have IPad, IPhone and Android.

[Vokoca]

20 minutes ago, Funyarinpa said:

So I started replaying 999, which as many of you know is my second favorite VN of all time, with my #1 being its sequel Virtue's Last Reward, and I am not enjoying it anywhere as much as I thought I would. The game feels utterly TINY and I don't feel engaged or immersed at all. I'd say it's because I am playing it in daylight, but the fact of the matter is that I originally played 999 on a PC, in daylight, and in the presence of others- so that isn't much of an argument. Maybe it's because I know the mystery this time around, maybe it played better on PC, maybe I've grown jaded over this series (which sucks hard since it's practically been a sweet, sweet obsession of mine for 3 years or so, so I hope that is not the case). Cliché-as-hell writing at times, also innumerable segments without any BGM whatsoever. At least Lotus grew a lot on me, so that's a plus. 

The endings are also too goddamn soon, feels like they appear only a couple hours in so it's hard to get invested, and also there aren't that many new developments. Feeling bad about this. Siiiiiiigh.

Ouch, this has to suck. I never really got into 999 myself, be it the emulator or the fact that I played the games out of order like an idiot... or neither of these ,who knows. Well, hopefully ZE3 turns out good and makes up for this. 

As for me I'm just slowly making my way through Kara no Shoujo 2. Still in the village segment, and it honestly just feels like reading an entirely different VN - though I am enjoying it quite a bit. Also the writer's kanji fetish is back with a vengeance, it almost feels like he set the story further in the past just so he could get even more ridiculous with his vocabulary. 

[Funyarinpa]

https://imgur.com/xlMJ2k7

How did I manage this in 2 days and still feel that it was short

[Fred the Barber]

2 hours ago, Funyarinpa said:

https://imgur.com/xlMJ2k7

How did I manage this in 2 days and still feel that it was short

You really need to clock 10 more minutes on that guy.

[Eclipsed]

That's why I don't intend on rereading any VNs. The magics usually gone and the 8+/10 emotional high you get dissipates from having to repeat the story and knowing everything already, only leaving you to find flaws and annoyances with maybe a plus like Lotus if you're lucky.

If i replayed 999 its def. gonna drop to like < 7 on my VznD. All my VNs would. Except s;g, rewrite and grisaia. maybe.

[Funyarinpa]

41 minutes ago, Eclipsed said:

That's why I don't intend on rereading any VNs. The magics usually gone and the 8+/10 emotional high you get dissipates from having to repeat the story and knowing everything already, only leaving you to find flaws and annoyances with maybe a plus like Lotus if you're lucky.

If i replayed 999 its def. gonna drop to like < 7 on my VznD. All my VNs would. Except s;g, rewrite and grisaia. maybe.

Holy fucking shit are you aware that you just hit 5K

[Funyarinpa]

1 hour ago, Fred the Barber said:

You really need to clock 10 more minutes on that guy.

You sure ya don't mean one minute? 

[Mr Poltroon]

3 hours ago, Funyarinpa said:

You sure ya don't mean one minute? 

I would think you'd prefer to clock in 9 hours, 9 minutes and, who knows, 9 seconds, perhaps?

[Funyarinpa]

46 minutes ago, Tiagofvarela said:

I would think you'd prefer to clock in 9 hours, 9 minutes and, who knows, 9 seconds, perhaps?

Mayhap, had the Activity Log application been capable of recording the duration of leisurely time one spent on every game individually, I could have indeed aspired for such an approach. 

[XReaper]

overall boredom & a state of depression led to me reading (+hopefully having a some fun) guilty gear xrd - revelator, despite all those warnings i got about its questionable quality.

[Eclipsed]

Made some progress in root double, but i'm about to sleep now so I'll finish later

I like how they were able to expand on the BC lore enough to have this type of conflict introduced this late in the game, it satisfies my qualms about Root After's WTF ending pretty nicely. N is truly a scary thing.

[Eclipsed]

Got the Sirius End in Root Double. I'll get the other ends some other time, I think I'm gonna take a break from VNs for real now, I'm simply exhausted from reading ._.

~~
Root Double: Before Crime, After Days is a complete story.  It starts off as 6(+3) characters being trapped in a nuclear research facility meltdown survival scenario with plenty of mystery building via WTF IS GOING ON, but don't worry, you'll get all the character backgrounds, their upbringings, and their motivations you could want via flashbacks, and all the world building, societal Communicator vs. non-Communicator sentiments and BC telepathy-empathy lore infodumping you could ask for in later routes. Though having all of this information to cover can make this VN feel quite longwinded at times, in the end I can definitely say I appreciated it. 

Root After: 7/10- Covers the nuclear meltdown scenario. Pretty standard stuff, but enjoyable nonetheless: elite rescue squad captain Watase wakes up as an amnesiac newbie and has to regroup and survive with his squadmates and some civilians. The fun part is that like 12 of the bad ends will be all about you making him do an impulsive, stupid spur-of-the-moment hero-wannabe thing and then dying because of it. Questions upon questions will pile over one another as the group desperately roams the facility in search of an escape route, 3 missing students, and the ever important AD- radiation protection medicine which only lasts 1 hour per dose. Will they make it out alive?

Root Before: 6/10- Covers the everyday life of high school student Natsuhiko a week prior to the nuclear meltdown. Snorefest at times; I came into this VN for mysteries and shenanigans, not SoL!!! Natsuhiko's just a normal somewhat spoiled guy who's best friends with Yuuri, a shy girl who suffers from PTSD, never to leave the house; and Mashiro, an energetic bubbly girl who comes over everyday to cook for them. Wait, they're not normal, they're Communicators- people who have varying degrees of ability to telepathically communicate with other people. Oh yeah, and another cute stoic gal nicknamed Salyu just transferred to their all-Communicator school and joins their merry band. They live out their days normally, but the peace is eventually broken when several ominous things happen day by day which eventually ends with the crew infiltrating the nuclear facility and thus unfortunately getting caught in the disaster as well.

Root Current: 10/10- for the first 5 seconds, 3/10 for the rest- It's pretty trippy for the first 5 seconds, but afterwards it's essentially a recap of Root After, with a touch of revelation medicine here and there.

Root Double: 8/10- What's great about Root Double is that you'll go into it knowing (or going to know) everything; every characters' beliefs, backgrounds and motivations leading up to their predicament; everything about their current society, the Communicators, and everything about the very nuclear facility they're trapped in. There's no more mystery, so you can just sit back and enjoy watching the cast make their thrilling final push towards the finish line. Or die trying.

 

Overall it's a VN that offers a solid amount of enjoyability: you get a route dedicated to trapped-survival and mystery building, another route for high school SoL and more mystery building, a short recap route for revelations, and the finale route which ties everything together quite satisfyingly. The mysteries themselves are nothing too special when you think about it, very often this VN will hype up a mystery and then fall flat with the revelation ie. underwhelming, but they're still entertaining and will manage to keep your interest for the most part.

[XReaper]

edit to my current read/play:
so i just found out of there going to be some sort of free-patch for "guilty gear xrd - revelator" which is about adding a continuation to its story mode. much appreciated, because it feels like going nowhere as things are now.

http://dengekionline.com/elem/000/001/285/1285647/

edit2: the patch added not only 1, but 5!!! new story-chapters to it, turning the whole experience from a dissappointing into an awesome one. there´s some little teasing & forshadowing in general, as well as unveiling a special someones true appearance.
overall saying this was so much worth the hassle.

[VirginSmasher]

I have started on Route A in Root Double and it's one of the most gripping things I've read in a while.

[Eclipsed]

Just now, VirginSmasher said:

I have started on Route A in Root Double and it's one of the most gripping things I've read in a while.

Enjoy it while you can, Route B's all about dem high skoo SoL, and try not to be an impulsive hero-wannabe and get Watase killed :3

[VirginSmasher]

Just now, Eclipsed said:

Enjoy it while you can, Route B's all about dem high skoo SoL, and try not to be an impulsive hero-wannabe and get Watase killed :3

I'm fully prepared to possibly hate that part because interrupting my fast paced mystery for high school SOL is not something I'm particularly fond of.