What VN are you playing? What do you think about it?

Finished Sound of Drop a couple days ago.

A few good moments, but otherwise a very bland visual novel. Read it if you have absolutely nothing else to do.

Finally brought myself to continue Blood Drive. Went through the second EX chapter - Martuba - and nearly closed the game. It's gotten to the point where I'm declaring this game non-canon due to how often it breaks its own rules. The only point in reading EX 2 is that it changed a deus ex machina in chapter 4 into a foreshadowed event. It's also foreshadowed in a few other ways, but you wouldn't think twice about it unless you really think about it.

Anyway, as for the actual chapter 4. If you ignore the stuff involving the new, terrible characters, it's actually really good until you get to the pool. Heavenly Host feels like it did back in the original: terrifying. Stuff is going on and it's not explained why it's happening. Sure, there's the MacGuffins you need to acquire two saev teh wurld, but them only acting up once doesn't make any sense. To quote WideEyedMan, you're being thrust into incomprehensible, horrific circumstances. Well, until you get to the pool. Then you're reminded that this is Blood Drive and not the first game. I also got a nasty glitch at the end of the chapter where you're supposed to survive for 60 seconds. The AI on the thing chasing me bugged out and did nothing but run into a wall. Normally, this would be good, but the timer also stopped. I stood there for a few minutes before loading my last save (which was thankfully three steps from what I was just trying to do).

There's also real world moments involving Satoshi and co. They're good for that fluffy feeling and providing a break in case you didn't expect to deal with a bunch of bullshit magic being thrown into the series.

Will post more if I bring myself to get further.

Edit: Chapters 5 and especially 6 were dumb. EX 3 was dumb, but not as dumb as EX 2. Avoid this.

Played Alicesoft's new Tsuma-series, Tsumamigui 3

Honestly, it's disappointing in weird ways, when compared to the other Tsuma-series

-It's VERY Linier, story wise and H-scene wise.
Story wise, it's not as "open" as other Tsuma games, as triggering one event for a heroine will somehow lock you through a series of events for a couple of days.
H-scene wise, Despite have a lot of unique scenes and AWESOME art, didn't have the free choice of previous games, you can't choose what you want to do anymore.

-gameplay wise, it's also dumbed down. the usual item store now only sells stamina items, which in total only 5 items. Items related to H-scenes is now only reduced to 1 item for each heroine.

The NTR side of things is also weak, despite them adding a choice to "remove" NTR scenes altogether, I find it actually harder to let the NTR Rivals win, even when I'm not doing anything. It's like they need you to trigger any NTR attempts. Tried a good amount of time to make them win, but they've never gone all through with their Ntr story arcs.

one thing that irks me, is that you can't do a harem run.

So, in a nutshell Tsuma Shibori is still the best Tsuma series.

Things that I find interesting:
-one of the heroine is the daughter of the Item store guy, who's always present in every Tsuma series.
-can't think on anything else lol

Finished Blood Drive. If you thought it couldn't get any stupider, don't worry. It did. There's a pretty clever puzzle in the cipher in chapter 9, but you won't understand it unless you spend a while solving it (to complete a puzzle that's possible by just guessing, as guessing wrong gives you a bad end that you'd want anyway), which is a pity. I just looked it up on the walkthrough after the fact. If there's one thing you should look up, it's...actually, it's EX chapter 1. But I like the cipher.

Regardless, that's the only good part aside from the game actually ending. I didn't care about anyone in the game after a certain points, and the plot was getting so absurd that I rolled my eyes at every new "revelation". They were trying to hard to be shocking that they forgot it needs to make sense, even if everything is a jumbled mess that doesn't make sense after finishing the game, a la Zero Escape. They got too focused on gore and disgusting content that even the bad endings were...well, bad. The only reason to get them was for the star, as opposed to a usually interesting branch in the story that shows how easily something can just fall apart.

I could go on for a while, but I'll just get to the point. It would probably be an okay-ish game if it didn't bear the Corpse Party name/characters/everything else, but it completely defiles the first game and breaks rules that were established beforehand without any second thought, so it's a terrible game.

So I obsess over Nitro+ because it's a mystery box that veneers between atrocities to mankind like Sumaga, Jingai Makyo, etc. or groundbreaking titles like Saya no Uta, Steins;Gate, Kimi to Kanojo no Kanojo no Koi and so on. In an industry plagued by stereotypes and concerns over wealth Nitro+ has spent an obscene amount of resources gambling on unsafe property to break new ground. So when I pulled Tokyo Necro out I was prepared for the worst and once again Nitro+ surprised me by going lower than my expectations.

Put plainly Tokyo Necro is one of the worst Eroges by Nitro+ I have ever played. It sold itself as a happy go lucky, just screw around title like Demonbane but had occurrences like an entire route with no H-scenes which was very strange because the heroine of that route had sex in other routes. Furthermore there was a purely Yuri route, when it's blatantly obvious that Tokyo Necro was meant for a male demographic they tried to create a Yuri route aimed for females. Then there was the pandering for the soundtrack, they advertised the idol group they hired for the game whenever possible and it was just shallow. The nail in the coffin is the fact that almost all H-scenes are 3-5 mins long and that's just not right given Nitro+'s reputation and the sex appeal of the game.

I like it when Nitro+ experiments but in this case, I'm genuinely confused as to what they were planning with this Eroge.

For the past year I've been playing text-based adventure games on my mobile phone (Choice of Games). In a sense, it has replaced my interest for Visual Novels on PC due to its convenience, and a severe lack of good quality Visual Novels in general on mobile (I've only been able to identify Loop The Loop, Stellaren, and Narcissu. I don't play Korean titles).

What do you guys think? Personally I would absolutely love to play VNs on mobile phones because it's a lot more convenient for me. Continuity of degraded immersion over the complete breaking of immersion, I've found out, is what I prefer.

Hey welcome back.

I'm fine with being disappointed, a combination of low expectations, a drastically reduced exposure to VN content and just overall lethargy towards the VN industry in general has helped.

Even if I do get disappointed like in the case of Tokyo Necro I find comfort in the fact I at least gave it a shot before letting first-impressions wrestle my opinions too heavily.

I would say it's good to be back, but seeing all these 'subscription' and 'book' tags really makes me miss the old days...

I'm slowly transitioning towards VNs and point-and-clicks on Steam (played fault milestone, An Octave Higher, Orion: A Sci-fi Visual Novel, Primodia, Read Only Memories, Sunrider, so on and so on). Many are pretty good. Most are no longer as lengthy as what we're used to because the current commercial model simply cannot support the development.

In short masterpieces like Baldr Sky highly likely won't happen any time soon... So sad. I will give anything for another Baldr Sky type of game...

Eh F! was one of the last places I went to for smut, my only concern is whether or not F! can sustain itself indefinitely which I hope it does.

Honestly I would have embraced shorter length with open arms if it meant more condensed quality content, hours well spent are weeks to me. Unfortunately that's far and few between.

Utawareumono 2 is out and currently drawing the ire of every non-Japanese Kuuya loving speaker. Baldr Heart please do justice to the series, please do not get lumped in with Baldr Sky Zero. Otherwise Alicesoft is working on the last Rance and that's all I can think of as far as promising VNs with gameplay. If anything things have started to look up, just a little bit.

I really want to see a sequel to Baldr Sky, or at least something after that story, but seeing familiar terms such as Designer Child seem to suggest otherwise. I dislike it. Baldr Sky Zero was already confusing enough since I never understood where our protagonist disappear to and why he never showed up during Baldr Sky events (other than the fact that he doesn't exist yet 4th wall breaking speaking).

Currently playing MAngagamer's version of Beat Blades Haruka. Just finished Haruka's route.

Localization wise, nothing really offending here, the fonts are kinda weird to me, also the uncensored CGs, looks Uncensored rather than getting a clean version.

I'm hoping this does well, as this means we can get more Alicesoft games in english (that isn't Rance... lol)

Playing Eden* right now and just about done with the side content after I'd finished the main game. It's stunningly beautiful with an amazing OST and like other minori games has no character models, just gorgeous CGs. Lots and lots of them.

The game is very laid back despite some rather heavy subject matter, and if I were to describe it in one word it would be melancholy. For story about the end of the world, it's very persona which I'm a huge fan of. If you don't like the main two characters, I'm sure the game would end up unplayable, since you spend so much time with just the two of them.

Reading about the two last people on the planet come to terms with their soon to end lives, their legacies, and inevitable deaths is probably not what most people would call enjoyable, but slow stories about the end of the world and mortality are very much so my thing, and I adored this game.

Got to playing Root Double. Ended up getting the Root A normal ending, which was fairly anti-climactic. I'm sure the good ending is better, but by this point...I can't really say I care. It's so focused on raising the stakes that it started becoming absurd. It's been the same thing from start to finish. Find AD, search for survivors, move sections, rinse and repeat. Fine, I can deal with that. They even add decent enough character interaction and allow you to choose who you travel with on some places.

Biggest part is that I can't really care about the plot because it's relatively unmoving at first, then decides "oh shit, we need to kinda make it more exciting. Let's throw in terrorism and lab experiments and whatever cool things we can think of." Character drama gets added later on, but it's so sudden that it feels forced. You really expect me to believe that the happy-go-lucky character that's almost always had a level head in spite of everything snaps the instant the latest bad thing happens? Maybe in real life, but it's horrid writing. They could've given character arcs to circumvent it, but nope.

I'm not sure I'll bother finishing it. It's on the level of Danganronpa in terms of what it could've done, but didn't. At least the writing is better than it and Zero Escape. Not that it's saying much.

Well, my problem with Root Double isn't so much with its writing than the fact that it narrates its background story - I don't think you made it to that part yet - for like, 80% of the game? The current events actually progress quite slowly, to the point that after Protagonist A's PoV you literally will stop there for at least 10 hours going through Protagonist's B PoV starting from the beginning to latest time, then Protagonist A's past leading up to that point, then Protagonist B's past, and then finally come back to the present. Really, what you've gone through is but the tip of the iceberg.

Playing Eiyuu Senki, though not as often as I used to when I started the game.

First RPG-style eroge I've ever played, and it's both funny and adorable, a very refreshing experience.

A shame that a few of the heroines aren't my cup of tea, but with such a large cast, there's plenty to fill the gaps. :)

------

Finished Analogue: A Hate Story.

Simple and a bit unusual, but definitely recommended. A bit short though. Will play the sequel when I have coins to throw at Steam.

After rotting on my backlog, I finally finished KaranoShojo 2. Quite solid sequel despite IG spoiled the most wanted stuff right at our face, which made me feel more hollow than depressed after finished this game.

Hinegami part feels well written, it manage to divert my attention from present arc and the characters interactions are fairly enjoyable. The hinna samma past mysteries are also more interesting than present arc murder spree, present arc murderer is rather easy to predict and the murderer's personality failed to impress me.

I'm bit sad with lack of Yukiko screentime since there are so many mysteries around her, despite it got revealed near the end I'm still feeling not satisfied. Her bad end are also the most horrifying and disturbing one, I can't imagine what will Reiji do if he got it.

The True End gives many sequel possibilities, which the reason why I feel hollow.


At the bright side, most of the major characters are still alive on True End, hell I even consider they're having 'Happy End' for theirself.

I can only hope the third game will give Reiji happy true end. He's suffered enough and now he have to find the last thing which bounds him and Touko.

I give it 85, surely meet my expectation as sequel, but story feel weaker than first KnS.

Played AliceSoft's new VN "Heartful Maman

TL;DR = "Discount Tsumamigui"

Features:
2 Heroines
5 NTR characters
Arousal Bar (MC has gynophobia, if his arousal is raised beyond the current limit, he passes out, and have to skip time to rest)
Mother Complex Bar (Level up this so you can have more arousal, max it out and it's instant game over)
55 Days (Game starts at the 10th Day)

Disappointingly limited, hence I say it's a "Discount Tsumamigui".

Map options are limited, no actual stats affect the story, you only have to choose a location with an event sign.
Nothing special about the story, Basically MC has gynophobia and moterh comples due to not having a mother growing up. Dad brought back a new mother. Fin.
NTR scenes happens a bit easier than Tsumamigui 3, some needs triggering but it's easy to let them finish their arc, by simply ignoring her whenever the NTR characters are shown on the map.
2nd heroine is a kouhai, already married. choosing her will actually reduce the arousal points, but her arc is very limited. You only meet her to release arousal and getting into her route very late, and confusing. I haven't got her ending because for some reason, at the last days she's locked in the house by her husband and forcefully impregnated causing a game over, I simply haven't found a way to avoid the event.

While I didn't have high expectations, I'm still very disappointed with it.

I've been playing - Fairy Fencer F Advent Dark Force
If that counts as a Visual Novel. It's more of a hybrid between a visual novel and a JRPG.

Haven't written a review here in ages, so.

Finished Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters Daybreak: Special Gigs in just over 30 hours. To play this, you must be an avid Visual Novel reader and turn-based strategy x board game lover in the first place. Anyone else would probably quit the second they saw how exactly the ghost hunting works.

Let's start with the positives. The graphics and animations are the saving grace and best feature of this VN. The water paint art style is fantastic, the animation looks doubly fantastic (especially the blushing scenes, I would Love + Kiss you every time as long as it makes you blush, Sayuri), the characters looks triply so, and when coupled with the pop rock? (I have no idea how to define music genres) music and ghost hunting theme, it makes one helluva experience that beats every Ghostbuster games to ever exist in the world. Although I am aware that the Ghostbuster games are terrible.

The music was above average. While there were times where it definitely outstayed its welcome - not to mention the bug at the final boss music where it UNDERstayed its welcome by playing only one time, leaving me in terrible silence as I kill countless brain cells to finally beat it after 2 hours of loading and calculating - most of the time, it sets a fantastic mood where you feel like you're hanging out with your friends, chatting and having fun and ghostbusting etc.

So it's kinda a shame where the above are probably the only good points of the game. The story is content thin, to say the least. While there are certainly some fantastic arcs: the awesome rocking dude jamming a soul into existence and exorcising it, the womanizer's redemption who attempts to exorcise his dexeased girlfriend who passed away due to a fatal disease and turned into a ghost to stay with him, only to slowly deteriorate and eventually lose her humanity, and even a car race scene with easily some of the coolest animation I've seen. I must say that despite its flaws, I quite enjoyed the game.

However, the story arcs are only good individually. Every character has at best one or two story arcs to themselves - and nearly all of them have only one individual a.k.a story arc - and they quite literally don't show up for most of the time later on. There is not even a 'common' arc where everyone shows their faces once in a while to make a comment or two, so you can imagine how empty I felt when this rather cool yakuza character shows up, fought a Vatican witch hunter (whoever ghostbusted the ghost first wins), and then vanish from the story entirely, never to be seen ever again except at the headquarters where you get to chat and choose 1 dialogue choice before having to wait for the next story arc to chat again.

It was seriously a WTF moment, because the game seriously has the vibe to become something as great as the Persona series. It even had a bloody amazing twist at the end that again totally had the potential to become oh-so-awesome, but because the developer ran out of budget or something everything but the graphics and animations feel as bare as bones. I mean, just look at the gameplay. The fact that the MINI BOARD GAME is probably more fun than the actual core gameplay speaks volume of how boring it can be for anyone who's not a die hard turn-based strategy fan.

And I don't even want to talk about the game's crafting. Suffice to say, I still have no idea what upgrades my lab and unlocks new craftable items, and there's no real way to farm the materials you want. It's more RNG than anything. The item shop falls into this category as well, although thankfully it offers a much bigger variety of equipment than the fucking lab and literally saved me from being clubbed to death late game.

All in all it wasn't a bad experience. Like I said earlier, Sayuri and the miko blushing is enough to brighten my mood all the way till next month. It's just unfortunate to see something with such a great theme and potential to have such thin content that it feels like a tech demo. Persona is already kinda ghostbusting already with the Shadows and everything, but man do I wish this game was something like that. I'd buy it for $60 in a heartbeat.