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Musicus! Discussion Thread [OUT NOW!]


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This week on Thursday (April 8th) Musicus! the final game of the VN developer Overdrive is going to release. So I thought we could need a new thread with all information in one place.

You can find the Mangagamer version here (NSFW!)

https://www.mangagamer.com/r18/detail.php?product_code=1221&af=3a123f6214695bfacaa881bd3117c693

And the Steam version can be found here:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1418180/

 

And here is the official Japanese website: (Where the translation of the game was originally "leaked" long before Mangagamer officially announced the title. ^^)

https://musicus.over-drive.jp/

 

The Steam version will be censored and the 18+ scenes removed. And there won't be any replacement scenes like there are sometimes with console All-Age releases. From what I heard it is going to be a fade to black with a sentence telling the player what happened.  But you can find a patch for the Steam version on the Mangagamer store page for Musicus.

 

And on the Mangagamer Blog we got the first character introduction for the main protagonist. There should be more of those posts hopefully before the release.

And if you want to listen to OST of this music themed VN you can get a taste on YouTube:

The same channel has more of the soundtrack uploaded.

 

Walkthrough:

And for those that are looking for a walkthrough I have some general information from SSparks31 of the QA team for Musicus from the Discord. Although you could consider them a minor spoiler, so take a look at them on your own risk. The route structure doesn't seem to be too complicated so a blind playthrough shouldn't be a problem.

Spoiler

Personally I'd say the order you reach them, plus Mikazuki last
So Yako -> Meguru -> Sumi -> Mikazuki
(For the love of god don't do Sumi last)

For Yako you have to focus on school rather than the band
For Meguru you have to mostly agree with Meguru
For Mikazuki you have to mostly agree with Mikazuki
For Sumi you have to not do any of those

Comment: I consider these only a spoiler since Sumi is not listed on either VNDB or the official website, so could argue that her(?) route is a secret.

 

And here is a the full english walkthrough/guide courtesy of threepwood007:

Spoiler

Common route:

Choice 1:
I've been studying hard to get into college, but to be honest, I've started to entertain other avenues

Choice 2:
“I'm actually a little jealous.”

Choice 3:
“I'm gonna do both.”

Choice 4:
“You might be right.”

Choice 5:
"Tell Ozaki-san about what happened over summer, including joining a band."

Choice 6:
“I can't know what the future holds, but that's a possible path.”

Choice 7:
“I don't care what anyone thinks. I'll choose my own path through my own values.”

Choice 8:
“I still don't know, but part of me wants to know exactly what he saw.”

### SAVE 1 ###

Yako/School route:
Choice 9:
“Whatever form it takes, there's no way I can gamble on my life.”

Choice A1:
"Take his hand." - CG, no effect on route
"No way I'm spying on them." - skip CG, no effect on route

### reload SAVE 1 ###

Choice 9:
“I don't want to bring sorrow. But it's definitely possible to bet it all on something in life.”

Choice 10:
“I haven't thought of it. I just wanna be up on stage again, and figured I need to make a band to do that.”

Choice 11:
“If we can have fun playing, that's plenty for me.”

Choice 12:
“Because it's cool. Is that not reason enough?"

Choice 13:
“You're right. It might be good input for later.”

Choice 14:
“No, I think I'm more like you on this one.”

### SAVE 2 ###

Meguru Route:
Choice 15:
“I think I'm on Kosaka-san's side. Expressiveness aside, I want to enjoy music as music.”

### reload SAVE 2 ###

Choice 15:
“I'm basically closer to Mikazuki. I think through music, and performing it, I want to transmit something to people.”

Choice 16:
“I'm fine with just the people who understand.”

Choice 17:
“No, this wouldn't cut it. Our live shows had to be perfect every time.”

### SAVE 3 ###
 - this choice has a third option in the script that's not present 1st time through

Choice 18:
“We'll say it's a song Hanai-san wrote, and announce it at the anniversary of his death.”
 - route is the same, but select this for a new song in the gallery

### reload SAVE 3 ###

Choice 18:
“We'll announce it as a new song. But we're not saying that Hanai-san made it.”

### SAVE 4 ###

Choice 19:
“Think about the band later. You should do this.”
-Leads to Sumi route

### reload SAVE 4 ###

Choice 19:
“I can't agree to this. We're getting busier, and you won't be able to balance both.”
-Leads to Mikazuki route

### For Choice 18, if you deviate from the guide consistently then you will get a third choice. There isn't any benefit to choosing it over entering the Sumi route intentionally.

And finally there is the Japanese Seiya-Saiga walkthrough: (Altough I would recommend the english walkthrough above for those that read the english translation!)

https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ja&tl=en&u=https://seiya-saiga.com/game/overdrive/musicus.html

 

If there is anything I missed or that should be changed please let me know and I am going to edit this post.

And with that out of the way I wish everyone a good time with this VN.

Edited by Formlose Gestalt
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Musicus is now released, so if you want to read it now you can get it from Mangagamer. Have fun.

PS - I know that some of you are excited for this thanks to the good reviews that it gather, but I would say that just keep the expectation on this in check so that you won't be disappointed if Musicus here didn't meet your expectation. Not that I would say that it's wrong to expect much from this anyway.

PPS - Here's Mangagamer's post in regard of Route D (Also known as bad end route), and beware that it has some spoiler to a degree. And just in case you wonder who is Sumi, she's the heroine of Route D so don't expect bright ending for her (Well it's called bad end route after all).

Edited by littleshogun
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I've been excited for this due to liking the Overdrive band VNs and how surprisingly well received it is Japan. Hoping I like it as well.

If you want to post thoughts on Musicus as you read, or want to discuss the visual novel in general... feel free to join the Overdrive Discord: https://discord.gg/m8sGK4u 

We also talk about other Overdrive VNs like Kira Kira, Deardrops, Bokuten, etc but Im sure Musicus will be a big topic for a while due to its Japanese acclaim.

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5 minutes ago, alpacaman said:

For some reason the Steam version isn't available in Germany and as I don't have a credit card I can't get the game from Mangagamer itself either. So it seems like I'll have to put off reading it for the forseeable future...

Yeah Steam decided to tag the Steam version as Adult and with that it is out for german customers, even though the game is censored on Steam.

But there is the option to buy from Mangagamer without an creditcard. You can mail to [email protected] to ask for payment though PayPal. You just need a Mangagamer account and Paypal for this.

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  • Formlose Gestalt changed the title to Musicus! Discussion Thread [OUT NOW!]

Here's the full walkthrough used during the beta, courtesy of threepwood007, another tester. Feel free to copy this into the thread body if you want to. 

(Obviously even more mild spoilers ahead)

Spoiler

Common route:

Choice 1:
I've been studying hard to get into college, but to be honest, I've started to entertain other avenues

Choice 2:
“I'm actually a little jealous.”

Choice 3:
“I'm gonna do both.”

Choice 4:
“You might be right.”

Choice 5:
"Tell Ozaki-san about what happened over summer, including joining a band."

Choice 6:
“I can't know what the future holds, but that's a possible path.”

Choice 7:
“I don't care what anyone thinks. I'll choose my own path through my own values.”

Choice 8:
“I still don't know, but part of me wants to know exactly what he saw.”

### SAVE 1 ###

Yako/School route:
Choice 9:
“Whatever form it takes, there's no way I can gamble on my life.”

Choice A1:
"Take his hand." - CG, no effect on route
"No way I'm spying on them." - skip CG, no effect on route

### reload SAVE 1 ###

Choice 9:
“I don't want to bring sorrow. But it's definitely possible to bet it all on something in life.”

Choice 10:
“I haven't thought of it. I just wanna be up on stage again, and figured I need to make a band to do that.”

Choice 11:
“If we can have fun playing, that's plenty for me.”

Choice 12:
“Because it's cool. Is that not reason enough?"

Choice 13:
“You're right. It might be good input for later.”

Choice 14:
“No, I think I'm more like you on this one.”

### SAVE 2 ###

Meguru Route:
Choice 15:
“I think I'm on Kosaka-san's side. Expressiveness aside, I want to enjoy music as music.”

### reload SAVE 2 ###

Choice 15:
“I'm basically closer to Mikazuki. I think through music, and performing it, I want to transmit something to people.”

Choice 16:
“I'm fine with just the people who understand.”

Choice 17:
“No, this wouldn't cut it. Our live shows had to be perfect every time.”

### SAVE 3 ###
 - this choice has a third option in the script that's not present 1st time through

Choice 18:
“We'll say it's a song Hanai-san wrote, and announce it at the anniversary of his death.”
 - route is the same, but select this for a new song in the gallery

### reload SAVE 3 ###

Choice 18:
“We'll announce it as a new song. But we're not saying that Hanai-san made it.”

### SAVE 4 ###

Choice 19:
“Think about the band later. You should do this.”
-Leads to Sumi route

### reload SAVE 4 ###

Choice 19:
“I can't agree to this. We're getting busier, and you won't be able to balance both.”
-Leads to Mikazuki route

### For Choice 18, if you deviate from the guide consistently then you will get a third choice. There isn't any benefit to choosing it over entering the Sumi route intentionally.

Things have been said here and there about translation quality and while I do agree that it's probably not the same experience as the JP readers got with the spectacular writing, the game's story by itself is more than worth the investment

Edited by SSparks
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On 4/5/2021 at 7:11 AM, Stormwolf said:

Looks too heavy on the drama side for me.

  Reveal hidden contents

Breakups and previous partners galore apparently

 

There's nothing like that at all! Don't go assuming things just by taking an arbitrary look at the cover, and a brief synopsis! You talking out of your ass is going to put people off of an amazing visual novel that should be read.

Edited by warnerro
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5 hours ago, warnerro said:

There's nothing like that at all! Don't go assuming things just by taking an arbitrary look at the cover, and a brief synopsis! You talking out of your ass is going to put people off of an amazing visual novel that should be read.

I guess the tags lie then. Good to know

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41 minutes ago, wyldstrykr said:

so which is which??? is there breakups or not?? if there is, does the partners make up afterwards?

You really shouldn't be thinking in terms like that to be honest, the VN isn't about romantic relationships, but rather about music itself. It's a fantastic read despite that, and even though I'm a major fan of the same stuff you're in, I was still really blown away by how good of a read this was!

 

ps. I answered your question but tagged it as a spoiler, so if you really wanna know, there you go!

Spoiler

There aren't any breakups, but it should be known that the routes in this game don't follow the traditional way of choosing a girl = relationship with them. Each route is about a different path he follows in his relationship with music, and those close to him that are just as affected by it.

 

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2 minutes ago, ChaosRaven said:

Is there a particular reason why the title is still marked as adult-only on Steam even if it has a separate adult patch? According to MangaGamer the Steam edition is all-ages, so why is it tagged as adult-only?

I have read on the Discord that Steam insisted on the game being tagged Adult, even with the scenes removed. So they didn't have much of a choice.

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47 minutes ago, Formlose Gestalt said:

I have read on the Discord that Steam insisted on the game being tagged Adult, even with the scenes removed. So they didn't have much of a choice.

Does Steam do that with all new visual novels now? They didn't do that for Riddle Joker yet, which also has an adult patch. So either that's their newest bully tactic, or Musicus has way more grim themes than expected. Funny how 18+ games like The Witcher 3 or Cyberpunk are not tagged adult-only, while an all-ages VN about a rock band with no adult content is tagged as such. Oh ah, I forgot, those are AAA games which could cause a significant backlash and loss of money if they would be tagged that way. Naturally, that makes them way more all-ages than a true all-ages title could ever be. The law of money and greed.

To be honest, I wish Steam would have never opened the VN door. I can live with a clear no-agenda, but those underhanded and dirty bully tactics to suppress that genre are slowly going on my nerves. It's absolutely clear that they hate them, so why don't they just make a clear cut?

Edited by ChaosRaven
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11 hours ago, ChaosRaven said:

or Musicus has way more grim themes than expected

There's one route that's pretty damn depressing due to a bunch of bad stuff happening, but I still wouldn't really say it warrants the game being marked as "adult". That said, I have yet to finish Mikazuki's route, which I assume is supposed to be the main one, so there might still be more to come.

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Honestly, I agree that the bad end route itself should be marked as mature due to the nature of the depressing and melancholic tone, as well as the sheer lack of hope that it presents. There are also some mature themes such as suicide and the nature of life, so not exactly All-Ages friendly, but worthy of an 18+ rating? I don't think so. In fact, since most VN players are already above 18, they should have the emotional and psychological maturity to be able to take the themes presented with a pinch of salt, so even the mature themes are more or less a moot point. So, obviously there are clear double standards involved in Steam's increasingly obfuscating and opaque rating system.

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Steam can't just assume everyone who buys vn's are 18+ though. I'd also like to point out that mature games like Witcher 3 etc are not the same experience. You're detached from the characters whereas it's generally the opposite for visual novels making it a wholly more personal experience. If it deals with dark themes such as suicide, madness, death in general then i completely get why they choose to mark it as "adult"

Edited by Stormwolf
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So Musicus has more grim and depressing themes than The House in Fata Morgana, Umineko, ef - the latter tale, etc. which are all All Ages?! That's a VN about music and a rock band right?! And not the next gore, abuse and depression festival?

I also found the Witcher 3 a very emotional ride due to how well it was made and the maturity of the story and characters. I think only The House in Fata Morgana gave me similar vibes. So I definitely disagree about Witcher 3 not being comparable, but that might vary depending on each individual experience of course. Not to mention that it's tagged 18+ which is adult-only by definition, just that Steam lives in its own world where an 21+ (?!?) ultra-adult-only exists.

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5 hours ago, ChaosRaven said:

That's a VN about music and a rock band right?!

Yeah, and that's mostly what it is, but the route I mentioned stands out from the rest. I've read all of Overdrive's other VNs, and this route is quite possibly the darkest thing they've written, even compared to Bokuten.

If anyone here wants to know what happens in the route without having to read it themselves, I can try doing a summary. There will be heavy spoilers, obviously.
 

Spoiler

It starts off with the protagonist urging the band's vocalist, who was a founding member along with him, to take on a solo project that was offered to her.
As a consequence of her leaving, the band loses momentum and the protagonist eventually decides to put the band on indefinite hiatus and start doing solo projects and collaborations of his own.
It seems to be going somewhat fine at first, but he gradually becomes consumed with the task of creating music, isolating himself from the people around him and locking himself up in his apartment for days on end.

One time when he happens to be outside, playing guitar by his lonesome on the street, a girl approaches him, saying she likes his music, and she soon falls in love with him and devotes herself wholeheartedly to their relationship. They move in together, but the protagonist mostly just stays by his computer, composing music of increasingly low quality while the girl takes care of all chores, works every day as the sole provider for the household and supports and encourages the protagonist throughout his creative process.
As time progresses, the protagonist's emotions become more and more dull, making him basically not care about anything, including the girl. He never actually falls in love with her, but rather just stays with her because he finds comfort in having someone else around who takes care of everything for him.

Eventually, the girl gets pregnant, but the protagonist feels like it's just a bother and tells her to get an abortion. She says that she wants to keep the baby and that she can take care of it on her own so he can keep focusing on his music, but he doesn't budge an inch and insists on her getting an abortion, which she then reluctantly accepts.
Right after this, the protagonist sends her a song he just finished. She tells him that it's great and that she'll listen to it on repeat throughout the day, and then heads off to work.
A few hours later, the protagonist gets a call from the police. The girl had left work in a depressed state of mind due to the abortion discussion, and as she was making her way back home, she was suddenly hit by a car, which she couldn't hear because she had that new song playing in her earbuds, just like she said she would.
The protagonist goes to the hospital the police named, and we get a close-up of the girl's bruised face as her body lies lifeless on a bed.
Her death causes the protagonist to break down with a surge of emotion, which he then decides to channel into making music.
While credits with distorted text and music roll, we see the protagonist sitting in front of his computer, obsessively working on something until the screen eventually cuts to black.

I doubt this summary alone does it justice, since the writing and music are what truly gives this route its dark ambience. In any case, despite how depressing this part of the game may be, I still don't feel like marking the censored version of Musicus as "adult" is the right call, considering the fact that there are other games and VNs out there that were given a pass despite their disturbing content.

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1 hour ago, Seraphim said:

Yeah, and that's mostly what it is, but the route I mentioned stands out from the rest. I've read all of Overdrive's other VNs, and this route is quite possibly the darkest thing they've written, even compared to Bokuten.

Feels a bit unfitting for this type of VN. I'm not really opposed to darker stories, but in Musicus I'd be looking more for a fun ride with quirky characters and some good old Overdrive humor. But well, if it's just one bad end route you can avoid... :vinty:

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2 minutes ago, ChaosRaven said:

But well, if it's just one bad end route you can avoid...

Yeah, you can easily avoid it if you want to. The final choice in the game puts you on either Mikazuki's route or this one, and I'd say it's pretty obvious which one you should pick to enter Mikazuki's.
The majority of the game is pretty lighthearted. There are obviously bits of drama and some serious topics brought up in other routes as well, but not nearly on the same scale, unless there's some heavy stuff going on in the latter parts of Mikazuki's route. (I'm guessing I'm about halfway through it at the moment.)

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