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Clephas' VN of the month


Clephas

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I wouldn't call it particularly "fun". Like, 80% of it is about protag and his team being ripped apart in various extremely cruel ways. Also, doubt there will be any appends, it feels like complete (and already way too long for its own good). Maybe there will be FD with more SoL stuff (like actual school trip).

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I more or less agree with Rus on this... I don't believe in 'continuing' a story that is already over.  This game pretty much leaves you emotionally exhausted and wanting a break, even though you enjoyed it.  Light doesn't really do fandiscs, so that is probably out.  I say the grand route's character endings are somewhat unsatisfying, but that is mostly because each one is pretty much the same except for Mizuki's first one.  The climax is the same, regardless.  tbh, it probably would have closed better if there had just been a grand route single ending and a Mizuki ending, rather than all those half-assed heroine extra ends.

 

Edit:  I guess it is because of the characters going through all those horrible experiences... but I adored the antagonists for Hachimyoujin.  I mean, Seiji is like the worst kind of human being that could possibly exist, and Shinno Akikage is a demon (and acts like it). 

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http://vndb.org/v12987  Just finished this.  This game is a nakige, with a protagonist who takes the stereotypical 'kind-heartedness' of harem-plagued protags to extremes.  The fact that that is exactly what is needed for the girls in the story and the general situation as a whole saves the story from being a series of boring tropes.  I won't go into detail - because it would ruin the story - but this game is exactly what lovers of nakige in general are looking for.  You have a deredere (borderline yandere) heroine in Towa, an adorable and expressionless loli in Ena, your classic tsundere (also baka) in Amane, and the seito kaichou (seriously, I've already forgotten her name... her story was by far the weakest of the four).  tbh, this game can be experienced totally without going through the seito kaichou's route.  The most important elements of the overall backstory are revealed in the other three paths, and the most personal emotional moments - aside from romance - in the story are in the other three routes. 

 

I also liked that the protag actually has a skill and talent that he pursues earnestly and competently, which is a huge plus for a VN protag in a nakige/moege/charage.  If I have a complaint about the game it is that they spent less time around the professional doll-making elements and those kind of practical issues, but considering the nature of this kind of game, it isn't a surprise.

 

Overall, this game is one of the better games I've played (non-action) in the last six months, and it is definitely something I can recommend to the lovers of cheap catharsis and emotional situations. 

 

I'm about to start: http://vndb.org/v13651

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http://vndb.org/v13651  Just finished this.  This is the rarest of all VNs, a pure-comedy VN.  This game exists solely to make the reader laugh, and it manages to do so quite well.  I spent most of the game just laughing at the absurdity of the thing... though after playing through all the heroines at once, I started to get tired of it, lol.  The protag is an idiot, as well as being nekketsu, but that's fine, as the game does a good job of making him into a joke character like just about everyone else.

 

For people who just want cheap laughs, this is a great VN to play.  However, don't go into this expecting a real story or complex romance. 

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This month's game of the month is Koisuru Doll to Omoi no Kiseki ~Poupee de Souhaits~. 

 

Special mention:  Hachimyoujin for being chuuni and giving me a decent high... and Bakamoe for being one of the rarest types, a pure comedy.

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This month's game of the month is Koisuru Doll to Omoi no Kiseki ~Poupee de Souhaits~. 

 

Special mention:  Hachimyoujin for being chuuni and giving me a decent high... and Bakamoe for being one of the rarest types, a pure comedy.

Can't say I'm surprised. Looks like this month was decently packed with games.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Currently playing Juukishi, but I have to work all weekend and to go to a baby shower out of state, so I probably won't have time to do much with it.  So far... it is ok, but tbh, it goes too far to the goofy side at all the wrong points so far. 

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I've dropped Juukishi (very poor pacing, long common route, short heroine routes, struck a poor balance between pseudo-seriousness and humor, etc) and gone on to Alia's Carnival, which is great, so far (though it is so obviously a spiritual tribute to Kamikaze Explorer).  After that, I will play Hello, Lady; then I will play Endless Dungeon (sequel to the Tiny Dungeon series with all new characters). 

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http://vndb.org/v11301

 

Just finished this.  I'm going to say this right off the bat... this game is a slightly more serious version of Kamikaze Explorer by Clochette.  There is less goofy stuff, the battles are about at the same level, and they are both made by companies with a boob obsession (all of the girls are kyonyuu in this one).  That said, both games are high-level science-fantasy charage. 

 

However, there are some points I think anyone who plays the game will pick up on that will hit a nerve in a bad way.  First, it is fairly obvious that they ran out of money somewhere along the line.  There are long stretches where a single character won't be voiced (it isn't that the voice isn't registering, there literally isn't a voiced), and it is fairly obvious by certain things that register after you complete each path that there was supposed to be a grand or true route (or at the very least, a non-heroine epilogue) that would have wrapped things up in a way the individual heroine routes (including the main heroine, Asuha) didn't quite manage to do.  For this reason, the game didn't feel quite complete to me, despite the overall high quality.

 

The common route is long, but the heroine routes don't get gypped (they are each about three to four hours long at my pace), so you do get to know the heroines before the endings.  Also, the epilogues are decent, generally bringing a decent conclusion to the heroine's path. 

 

This game is definitely directed toward lovers of charage with decent stories and lovers of Clochette's games (Clochette being known for utilizing fantasy and sci-fi settings, decent writing and story, and kyonyuu heroines to attract players), though it is slightly more serious, less goofy.

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Just finished Hello, Lady, Akatsuki Works' surprise release (hardly any advertising, etc.).  This game is... the kind of game that reminds me why AW is Akabeisoft2's most popular subsidiary by leagues.  This game carries the characteristic mix of cynical themes, violence, comedy, and (at times) even horror that characterizes the company's best works.  The protagonist, Narita Shinri, is probably the most straightforwardly arrogant protagonist I've ever run across.  He is also a character that would normally be an antagonist in any other story (simply because his type is simply preferred as an antagonist by Japanese standards).  Like most of AW's protagonists, he is something of a hedge philosopher (to one degree or another, all of them have their own philosophy or policy that defines their thoughts and actions to one extent or another, whether it is Sora's obsession with evil and contractual obligations or Tomo's obsession with the concept of curses), and he definitely makes a huge impression from the very start. 

 

Shinri never tries to hide his nature from those around him, and he has the kind of strong, obsessive will that usually marks the most terrible villains in other chuuni vns, though because of his personality quirks it doesn't show itself as obviously most of the time.  The four heroines are Tamao (delinquent girl), Sorako (kind-hearted reverse-trap), Eru (otaku loli who is obsessively protective of Saku), and Saku (leader of the other girls with a strong sense of justice and something of a visionary).  The stories are distinct, full of bloodshed, violence, and tragedy, and they all lead up to Saku's path, which brings a finale to the overall plot and background of the story.  The battle scenes in this game are of good quality, though only of middling quality in comparison to some of AW's other works.

 

My complaints for the game mostly lie in the fact that Tamao's path really didn't do her justice, and I felt like the development of the relationship was perhaps a bit too predictable and obvious.  That, and I thought that the game could have used more buildup toward the end in each path.  Overall, this game is probably in the dead center when it comes to plot quality for Akatsuki Works' games, which means it is several levels above the average VN but not a masterpiece in and of itself.  Despite the fact that I seriously enjoyed this game, it isn't a kamige (one step short, due to minor flaws), but I can recommend it to chuuni lovers and those who don't necessarily like chuuni but do like a good, dark story.  This is no Dies Irae, but it still maintains a high level of quality that left me feeling pleasantly satisfied (despite a lack of a path for Hishiya, who I fell in love with at first sight).

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Another good game by AW, great. Suprisingly that you went so far as to vote the game with 8.7 on vndb. I don't think you have any other VN on your list without a clear number. aka no 'X.y' always just X. Anyway I am glad GW keeps making good games, though I doubt I'll be able to read them all in near future anyway haha.

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http://vndb.org/v12987  Just finished this.  This game is a nakige, with a protagonist who takes the stereotypical 'kind-heartedness' of harem-plagued protags to extremes.  The fact that that is exactly what is needed for the girls in the story and the general situation as a whole saves the story from being a series of boring tropes.  I won't go into detail - because it would ruin the story - but this game is exactly what lovers of nakige in general are looking for.  You have a deredere (borderline yandere) heroine in Towa, an adorable and expressionless loli in Ena, your classic tsundere (also baka) in Amane, and the seito kaichou (seriously, I've already forgotten her name... her story was by far the weakest of the four).  tbh, this game can be experienced totally without going through the seito kaichou's route.  The most important elements of the overall backstory are revealed in the other three paths, and the most personal emotional moments - aside from romance - in the story are in the other three routes. 

 

I also liked that the protag actually has a skill and talent that he pursues earnestly and competently, which is a huge plus for a VN protag in a nakige/moege/charage.  If I have a complaint about the game it is that they spent less time around the professional doll-making elements and those kind of practical issues, but considering the nature of this kind of game, it isn't a surprise.

 

Overall, this game is one of the better games I've played (non-action) in the last six months, and it is definitely something I can recommend to the lovers of cheap catharsis and emotional situations. 

 

I'm about to start: http://vndb.org/v13651

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I just finished Endless Dungeon, the (supposedly) sequel and final conclusion to Hime and his harem's adventures.  The fourth game of the original series served to finish the original plot arc, but this one adds in a new one (can't reveal any details without spoiling the original series). 

 

This, like its predecessor series, is crack for people who like action/fantasy/comedy VNs.  You'll spend most of the game rofling, though there are some touching moments and others where you just have to go 'wow, that's cool'.  For loli-fans, there is Ururu, Amia, Kamishia, Veil (sort of), and Fon.  For people who like a more normal or kyonyuu body, there is Opera, Note, Ruruu, Miko, Niko, Miya, and Rinse.  (good god, twelve heroines... I was just glad they ended the arc in one game this time) 

 

This game cleans up most of the loose ends from the previous series, especially those revolving around the true antagonist of the original game.  It also provides a better overall ending as well as enough hilarious after-story for the original series to satisfy the fans (they do something really silly at the end of Brave and Slave that ends things on a sort of 'huh?' note). 

 

However, as this game is a continuation of another game, it isn't on the list for game of the month.

 

Edit: Incidentally, I already sampled Last Resort's trial out of boredom a month ago, and I didn't think it was worthy of even considering.  Also, for those wondering about the votes on the game's page... they are all obvious trolls, lol.  I'll be trying Hikoukigumo no Mukougawa as the last candidate from March.

 

Edit2: If Hikoukigumo ends quickly or falls flat, I'll go ahead and try to play through an entire route of Last resort... but the trial didn't impress me at all...

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http://vndb.org/v13711  This game, despite its outward appearance, isn't just another moege/charage. 

 

For some reason, Flat decided to make a serious romance VN with moe elements.  Considering Flat's specialty is horror, I laughed at the very idea.  Indeed, the combination of Flat's specialty eyes (they make girls look a little creepy, even they are perfectly sane) with a slightly screwy girl (Eiri) can be seriously creepy. 

 

That aside, this game pursues the ren'ai drama with a comedic edge most people will be familiar with from the plethora of VNs out there.  Whether it is good or not... I'm pretty sure that opinions on this game will be split, based on whether people prefer a slightly heavier edge to the romance (this game manages to avoid the stereotypical 'ojousama whose father is against the relationship' and other elements, but in exchange the actual formation of the relationships is pretty complicated, comparatively speaking).  This is no KGNE, because it doesn't have actual NTR and the like... but it occasionally hints that the authors would have preferred to go in that direction.  This will be no surprise to those who have played the Secret Game series, which boasts of its dark and outright brutal storylines.  However, if you go in expecting a normal moege/romance, you'll probably be surprised.  Whether that surprise is pleasant or not will depend on your tastes.

 

Since finding out what the heroines are like is a major spoiler, I'm going to avoid saying anything about them.

 

The individual heroine routes in this game are much longer than those in a charage or moege, and as a result, the individual heroine stories are more involved.  For those who prefer to spend more time with a single heroine, that is a huge up side.

 

I'm going to carefully think of how I'll rate this... this game didn't quite knock me for a loop, but it hit a spot that is hard for me to properly analyze, lol

 

Edit: Incidentally... do NOT do Eiri's path first.  Her epilogue will have you crying like a baby.  The other paths have their high points, but Eiri's is the most involved, overall. 

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Was Hikoukigumo no Mukougawa amazing in general? There is an abnormally high EGS score for this vn (in the 90's) which is making me curious why it's scored so high.. though only about 15 people have given their ratings so far; but compared to the other recent ratings which are also on the same level of people, this is pretty damn high right now..

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I would say that Flat hit most of the possible high points for a VN of the story-focused (non-action) type.  It is worth that rating, as it manages to produce drama without falling too far in the KGNE direction or the Key direction (the two extremes of the romance/moege/charage with story sub/hybrid genre).  The characters have impact and the characters have long individual stories, which is a nice change from the usual long common route plus short individual route formula that plagues most VNs of a similar type. 

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