w̵̤̔ḭ̸̆l̸̥̔l̸̨̆&̴̼̀ȩ̶́x̵̦̋i̸̬͠s̶͕̏ţ̷͊e̴̝͂n̷̕͜c̶̣͋ẻ̵̤&̵̥͌ơ̷͍r̷̠̀d̵͇́ï̴̳n̴̯̾a̵̲͐r̴̞͂ȳ̸̦d̵̢́ä̵̯́ť̵̖a̴̪͐&̶̪͠ẅ̴̯ḭ̶͂l̵͚͋l̷͒ͅ&̵̮̐e̴͝ͅx̵̙͝i̵̹̔s̸͖͊t̵̘̔e̶̥͗ņ̵͌c̵̛͇ę̶̉&̶̙̃o̴̦̔r̴̟̿d̴̨̐i̴̼͂ņ̴̕ā̸̢r̸̖̕ẙ̸̨d̷̛̦a̷̘͌t̸͎̿a̸̛̳&̶̖̚w̷̺̽i̷̺͂l̷͉͛l̶̤͌&̸̞͌e̴͇͠ẍ̴̮́ỉ̷̘s̵̺͘t̸͉̍e̵͙̊n̶̳̓c̴̖̓e̷͕͑&̸͕͗ö̶͖r̶̮̄d̶̹͋ḭ̵̿ǹ̶͓ä̶̫́r̵̺̿y̶̲̐d̷͛͜ạ̸͋t̷̀͜a̴͖͑&̶̤̌w̶͈̃ǐ̵̭l̷̞̍ḻ̶͑&̴̠̉e̴̟͝x̸̥̑ḭ̷͂s̷̡̈́t̴͓̉ė̷͍n̸̡͛c̶̠̃e̷̠͗&̴̞͘o̶̘̍r̶͈̕d̴̰̒ȉ̵̝ǹ̵ͅa̸̖͐r̶̕͜y̴̡͑ḏ̸̌a̶̖͌t̷͙̄a̶̯̋&̷̤̽w̸̩̉i̵̙͛ḷ̴͗l̷̺̇&̸̺͝e̵͖͝x̵̊ͅȋ̴̫s̷̮͐t̷̩̃e̴̪͠n̵̝̂c̸̘͆é̵͉&̵̱̀o̸͘͜ȓ̶̖d̸̞͝i̶͓̍ǹ̵̳a̵̱͗ṙ̶̥ỷ̸̭d̶͚̑a̸̺̎ţ̴͆á̴̳&̸̛͇w̵̯̋i̴̢̔ḻ̷̀l̸̈ͅ&̴̥̌e̶̲͘x̶̝̂i̷̢͂s̷̢͠t̵̞̽ē̸̮ǹ̷̗c̴̲͆ẽ̴̤&̶̙̆ò̴̭r̴̠͒d̸͕͂i̷͕͋n̷̻͐ä̸̗́r̴̢͠y̷͇͂d̵̬̋ȧ̴̺ẗ̶ͅa̷̫͝&̴̈́͜ẘ̸̥i̵̹͆l̶̡̕l̷̡̔&̸̱̄e̴͈͗x̸̺̀ḭ̵͝s̴̫͝t̴̫̍e̴͕̅n̶̺͘c̸̩̓ę̶̀&̴̟͌o̸̩̓r̴̺͐d̶̛̟î̷̦n̶̝̕a̵̲͘ṛ̸͠y̸͜͠d̴̲̐ạ̵͠t̶̠̉a̴͕̔&̸̻̃w̵̹̓i̴̠͒l̵̳̀l̸̛̟&̶̟̌e̸̬̅x̴͋͜i̵̺̅s̶̖̆t̴͇͐e̵̪̎n̴̹̑c̶̘̽ẹ̸̿&̸̟̉ö̶́͜r̵̘͗ḓ̸̽i̴͙̋ṋ̸̏a̴̭͘r̶̮̓y̵̙͝ḍ̶͗a̸̰͛t̶̲̊a̵͇͘&̵̱̈w̷̠͐i̸͎̎l̶͙̓l̷̺̔&̵̅͜è̶͇x̷͇͂i̸̳͑s̷̎ͅt̸̝̎e̷̛͓n̷̫̽c̵̻̆ẽ̵̮&̵͖͠ö̴͙́r̶̟͛d̵̲͂i̴͎̋n̷̫̿a̵̭̍r̵̼̔y̸͔̿d̴͉͌a̶̺̿t̷͐ͅa̶̢̋&̵͙̌w̶͌͜i̸͚̾l̷͍̅l̴͚̃&̷̘͐e̴̘͂x̶̺͌ḭ̴̌ṣ̵͘t̸̨̎ȇ̵̞n̶̞̈́ć̴̘e̵͖̐&̷͖̽o̴̤̕r̷̘̕d̵̨͗ḯ̵͇n̷͔͆a̸̲͒ŕ̷̝y̴̥͐d̸̘͐a̴̡͌t̷͈̂a̴̺̋&̸̪̿w̵̘̒i̵͇͝l̶̡̈́l̷̩̾&̶̐ͅḙ̷͌x̵̨͐i̷͇̋s̷̱͋t̵̡̓ė̷̖n̴̠̈́c̶̜͐ë̷͖́&̴̻͛ō̴͕r̶̝̅d̷̗̕i̶͖̋ǹ̷̳ȧ̴̤r̸̘̒ỵ̷̏d̴͚̒ă̶̻t̴̨̕a̴̹͑&̴̧̽w̶͙̓i̷̳̐l̵̡͝l̶̤̂&̵͇̇e̷̺̓x̸̡̂i̵̬̅s̵̟͛t̶̜̐e̷͉̅ń̸̟c̴̪̒ḙ̶͘&̴̪̽o̶̼̊r̷̺̈́ḍ̶͗ì̴͈n̸̟͐a̷̛̩ŕ̷̖y̵̪͠d̵̝͂å̷̱t̶̳͌ă̶͈&̸̯̏w̶̳͋i̶͕͌l̶̜̈́l̵̢͑&̴́ͅë̷́ͅx̵̘̋ï̴̡s̸̺͗t̷͈̂ë̸̙́n̸̔͜c̸̨̅e̷͇̓&̵̻̒o̶̬̒r̵̥̔d̸̖̐î̷̼ņ̵̐a̶͖͘r̴͈̽y̴͍̍d̵̯̀a̷̜̔t̷̩̆a̴͖͆&̴̟̍w̸̪͋i̸̪̿l̴̡͌l̶̫̀&̴̭͂e̷̥͝x̶͂͜ḯ̵͇s̷̐ͅt̷̯͋e̴͔̊n̵̨̆c̴̬̄e̵͔̐&̷̪̊ǒ̸͚r̴̗͑d̵̞̈́i̵̠̾ň̶͍a̴̗͝r̸̩͒ÿ̴̤́ḏ̸̽ã̷͓t̵̢̄à̵͚&̴͈̓w̴̯͑i̵̎͜l̵̩͒l̸̥͊&̸̜͆ë̷̼́ẍ̶̘́į̸̎s̶̟̀t̸̯͛e̴̗̔ń̵͖c̴̼̃e̵͜͠&̴̳̈ó̴̝r̴͇̆d̶̯͝i̷̟͊ň̸̮a̸̜͑ŕ̷̬y̵͍͋d̸̠̒ả̶͓t̵̘͠ả̷̺&̴̪̃ẃ̶̢ĩ̴̺l̷̘̀ļ̸̈́&̵̝̂e̴̱̎x̴̩͂ḯ̷̢s̵̠̀ṯ̶̇e̸̹̐n̷̺̈́ć̵͙ë̴́͜&̴͎́o̶̺̓ṟ̷̉d̴͕͌i̶͍̋ń̷͔ạ̴͆r̵̭̈́y̴̳̓d̵͍̍a̸̞̓t̶͖̀a̸̩̓&̵͔̓w̶͔̔i̷̲͌l̵̛̝l̷̫̽&̸̓ͅe̸̼̕x̷͍͋i̷͚͂s̷̓͜ẗ̴͎́ḝ̶n̸̰̈́c̵̞̅ë̵̫́&̶͈̍o̶͔̍r̵̭̅d̴͉̊ĩ̵̬n̵͍̋a̷̿ͅr̶̤̓y̶̥͑d̸͇̚a̵̳̒t̷̡̐ă̵̺&̵̙͗w̶̡͂į̸̋l̸̝̾l̷͙͐&̷̼̏ḛ̷͂x̷̡̾í̴̳ș̶́t̴̠̆ě̷̗n̵̞͝c̶͕̈́e̷̲̅&̵̺͑o̶̜̊r̴͕̀d̴̳͆î̵ͅn̶̪̚a̷̰͆r̴̜͂ÿ̵̗ḑ̸̋à̸̗t̷̪̀á̸̼&̵̘̏w̶̜̽i̸̼͊l̷͍̑ḽ̷̏&̴̺̍e̴̝̾x̸̜̕i̶͖̿s̸̲͛t̵̯͛e̵̠̚ń̷ͅĉ̸͉e̷̻̋&̷͕͠o̷̟̐r̸̹͆d̸̰͆i̶͖͗n̵͔̏a̸̮̋r̴͓͘y̴̼̔d̴̗̋â̶̹t̷̼̓a̷̛̘&̵͓͗ẃ̵̥i̵̡̔l̸̡͌l̵̐ͅ&̴̮̚ȇ̸̫x̸̩̎î̶̡s̷͉̊t̷̹̍e̸̲͌n̸̰̓c̶̳̉ē̵̱&̴̛̫o̷͎̓r̴̨̈́d̴̡̉i̵̖͐n̸̟̄ả̶̯r̶̬̉ẙ̷̢d̴̬͐a̷͜͝t̸̙̅a̷̘͠&̵̺̍w̷̻͊ỉ̸͔l̴̲͗l̶̬͐&̶͕̊e̷̢̓x̶̲̾i̷̼̅s̶̼͗t̷̺̽ę̶͘n̵̨̏c̸̲͌e̸̬͐&̶̳͒ò̵̦r̶͓̃d̷͔̑i̸̼̇n̴̛͖a̵̡͠r̷͉̚y̵̱̎d̸̲̄a̷̱̐ṱ̶̇a̷̰̕&̵͖̎w̶̹̾i̶͖͑l̸̖̏l̵̳͝&̸̣͐e̶͕͘x̴̡̛i̴͈͊s̵̹̈t̴͚̚ḙ̶̆n̸̗̾c̷̞̃ē̶̙&̷̈́ͅo̸̰͆r̸̩͝d̷̜̈́i̸̻̽n̴̫͝a̵͈͝r̵̬̍y̸̤̓d̷̯͒a̵͚̍t̴̮̿ạ̵̕&̵̱̄ẃ̶͚i̴̚͜l̸̟͒ľ̶̡&̶̰͗é̴̳ẍ̸̡i̵̹͒s̸̪̿ṭ̵͂e̴̹͋n̵̥̿c̵̭̈́e̷̩͊&̸̖̔o̶̞̚r̵͇̂d̸̕ͅị̵͊ń̸̳a̴̰͌r̶͚͑ÿ̴̦d̵̼̔a̸̟͌t̷͍͠a̶͎͋

Pour that shit up fool, it's ours
Ha
Monster!
Man so you ain't gon' pour?
Oh, so you're gonna make a nigga beg you to pour?
Okay bool, you dig?
(Wheezy Beats)
Uh

Hopped out my mothafuckin' bed
Hopped in the mothafuckin' coupe (Skrrt)
Pulled up on the Birdman (Brr)
I'm a beast, I'm a beast, I'm a mobster (Ayy)
You got 50 whole bands, you'll be my sponsor (Just for the night)
Them snakes on the plane, me and Kanye-conda (Anacondas)
Yeah (Them anacondas)
I might piece him up and let my partner smoke him (Triple cross)
Chuck-E-Cheese him up, I pizza him, I roll him (Cross)
I'm a gangster, I don't dance, baby I poke
Right now I'm surrounded by some gangsters from Magnolia
I heard I put it in the spot, yessir she told me
My niggas muggin', these niggas YSL only
I heard my Nolia niggas not friendly, like no way
But we not friendly either, you know it
Ha!
Yeah, thumbs up
I've seen more holes than a golf course on Donald Trump's course
My bitch a tall blooded horse, nigga, bronco
And if you catch us down bet you're not gon' trunk us (No)
You got a body, lil' nigga, we got a ton of 'em (Yeah)
You got some Robin's, lil' nigga, we got some Batmans
I let that choppa go "blocka, blocka," get back, son (Back)
You got them MJs, nigga, I got them Jacksons (Racks)

But really what is it to do
When the whole world constantly hatin' on you?
Pussy niggas hold their nuts, masturbatin' on you
Meanwhile the fuckin' federal baitin' on you
Nigga tell me what you do
Would you stand up or would you turn to a pussy nigga?
I got a hundred things to do
And I can stop rappin' but I can't stop stackin' fuckin' figures

Yeah, I'm from that mothafuckin' 'Nolia, nigga ('Nolia, nigga)
Birdman'll break a nigga nose, lil' nigga (Nose, lil' nigga, ah)
You need to slow your fuckin' roll, lil' nigga (Roll, lil' nigga, Thugger)
We created Ks on shoulders, nigga (Shoulders, nigga)
I'm a scary fuckin' sight, lil' nigga (Sight, lil' nigga, ah)
We won a hundred mil' on fights, lil' nigga (Fights, lil' nigga, hey)
A hundred bands, sure you're right, lil' nigga (Right, lil' nigga)
I keep some AKs on my flights, lil' nigga (My flights, lil' nigga, I do)
Birdman Willie B (What?)
Smoke some stunna blunts, now my eyes Chinese (Chinese)
Hundred K on private flights overseas (Overseas)
Choppas City nigga, free BG (BG)
Bentley with the doors all 'round, not a Jeep (Jeep)
Rich nigga shit, smoke two pounds in a week (In a week)
Can't find a bitch that don't know we them streets (We them streets)
Bitches know that I am Birdman, that's OG, brrat

But really what is it to do
When the whole world constantly hatin' on you?
Pussy niggas hold their nuts, masturbatin' on you
Meanwhile the fuckin' federal baitin' on you
Nigga tell me what you do
Would you stand up or would you turn to a pussy nigga?
I got a hundred things to do
And I can stop rappin' but I can't stop stackin' fuckin' figures

Nigga, I'm a crack addict
Thought about lettin' them get a cut
Then I went and snagged at it
Yeah, the new Boosie Badazz at it
I'ma drop a nigga life, just like a bad habit
I stick to the ground like a mothafuckin' rug
I'm a big dog, lil' fuck nigga, you a pup
Lil' bitch, clean your drawers before you think you're a thug
Before I be in front your shows, just like your pub
I ain't even lyin', baby
I swear to God I ain't lyin', baby, no
First I'll screw you without these pliers, baby, or
I might dap you like, "good try, baby"
Big B livin', baby
Them boys on my left throwin' up Cs
I promise their mama see them this week
And I don't break promises with my Ds (Them my dogs)
I want Ms and cheese, mister Mickey Ds
She know I am a beast, I am so obese (Rrar)
In Miami I swear they don't got good weed
Wiz Khalifa can you send me some weed please?

Yeah, overseas, nigga, top floor, clear windows, nigga
Glass house, drankin' GT, you understand?
We in that Red Light District, you understand?
We 3 and 1, that mean 3 on me, nigga, you understand me?
Just livin' the life, boy, ayy, Thug, just a dollar for a 1, nigga
We can blow a mil', boy
Rich Gang, YSL, blatt!

what the fuck did i just "play"

This is actually my first exposure to the series, although I started the anime right after finishing this. To call this a game is a stretch, it's not even really a visual novel. It's more of an interactive audiobook / cd rom.

The manner of progression was very abstract and I kinda gave up on beating it until recently. That said, I greatly enjoyed the narrative this game was presenting and felt really smart for piecing it all together. It disturbed and intrigued me and I just love the overall feel of it too.

⣿⣿⣿⢻⣇⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠄⠠⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣺⣿⠛⠅
⣿⣿⡟⣿⡆⡄⢀⣴⡴⣶⠀⠀⢾⣗⡶⢤⢦⣀⠀⠀⣸⡇⠃⠀
⡧⠘⠣⢸⡇⡀⢸⣿⠟⣛⠇⠃⠘⠼⠟⣻⠛⢻⣇⠀⠸⡇⠀⠀
⡇⠀⠀⢨⡇⣣⣌⡉⠂⠻⠀⠀⠀⠀⠊⠹⠫⠘⡾⡐⠇⠀⠀⠀
⡇⠀⠀⢠⡇⢰⣿⣯⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢰⣵⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⡇⠀⠀⠰⡇⠠⡟⣿⠷⣄⣀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⠶⣿⢾⠈⠀⠀⠀⠀
⡇⠀⠀⢸⣥⣶⡏⣧⠑⣿⣷⣦⣤⣴⣵⢺⡇⢠⣿⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀
⡷⣤⠶⣾⣝⢢⡗⠂⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⢯⣟⡿⡞⢸⡏⢡⢤⡐⡤⣄
⡿⣼⣻⡷⠟⠁⠀⠐⠸⣿⣿⡿⣞⡿⣾⣽⡃⢸⠑⠀⠑⢿⣷⣯

I find this game (if you can even call it that) so unusual and dense that I don't really know how to talk about properly. It really shook my heart and made me feel a certain way even if I didn't entirely understand what was going on. I'm still sort of reeling from the experience. Lain PSX presents a lot of existential questions and scenarios that I found deeply moving and disturbing at times. With how intimate the diaries and files are in this game, Lain and Touko come across to me as some of the most believable and human characters I've seen in a game. It really showcases how profoundly loneliness and isolation can affect a person's mind, especially a child growing up. The game makes a lot of use of psychiatric terminology to go about this. It clearly feels very well researched. Never gonna forget this game.

If you love the anime, I urge you to play this game. If you love the game, I urge you to watch the anime. Many of their themes and ideas are tightly intertwined and certain concepts that are mentioned or can be inferenced in one medium are expanded or elaborated upon in the other. The two are definitely most rich when experienced hand in hand.

one of the most wild, profound, interesting, terrifying, depressing and miles ahead of its time works of fiction i have ever experienced, one which is far more relevant today than it was at the time. just about every single topic you could think of is covered by its story, from technology to romance to philosophy to mental illness to purpose to existentialism to breasts. compared to the anime, this game is not only much more linear and obvious in its story progression, but this lain winds up far more psychopathic (which the less said about the better) despite seeming very normal at first. she has no one to lean on here, never figuring out what the knights are and how deep their rabbit holes go, with few mentions of crucial components of the anime like protocol 7. it all culminates in a brutal and deeply unfortunate ending.

it's a very disturbing game, a bleak look at a lonely girl's utter mental decline of her and those surrounding her, and certain cutscenes from its ending will never leave me.

you navigate this unbeliveably well told story with a menu designed, created and coded by gibbons.

No matter where you go, everyone’s connected.

LET'S ALL LOVE LAIN

Vote: 10
Time CONNECTED: 8 H 47 M

A fractured story told through audio logs, diary entries, and the occasional short video clip. It tackles similar themes to the anime of identity, memory, and mental illness, but in a much more directly psychological fashion, with less of the tangents into the outright weird and conspiratorial. It's a more personal story, diving into the minds of its two main characters as they, and their relationship, evolve over time.

I consider this an essential experience not just for Lain fans, but fans of psychological media in general.