almorica
A solid point and click adventure game that later installments greatly improved upon, mechanically, visually, and structurally. It is just not as fun to play, for this reason.
However, the soundtrack is top notch from start to finish, and the characters first featured in this game that show up in later ones are generally at their most competent. In later games (and case 5, which was not part of this game originally), certain characters are reduced to jokes or pure unfunny stupidity, so it's always nice to see someone like the judge actually be an imposing figure for a little while.
However, the soundtrack is top notch from start to finish, and the characters first featured in this game that show up in later ones are generally at their most competent. In later games (and case 5, which was not part of this game originally), certain characters are reduced to jokes or pure unfunny stupidity, so it's always nice to see someone like the judge actually be an imposing figure for a little while.
2018
A more streamlined sequel to Death Mark, NG is cozier by virtue of the protagonist having friends and family that get some, or significant, development and screentime. That's both to its benefit (character depth and strength) and detriment (less intense horror atmosphere).
I recommend starting with Death Mark if you just want to be scared, and can tolerate it being horny about [mostly] female bodies in those scary situations. I recommend skipping to NG if you want a horror point-and-click VN with much less of that!
Note: the Switch version is a noticeably slower gameplay experience than it was on my Vita, and is limited to four save files. I also experienced a couple of strange glitches that weren't in my Vita playthroughs. I have to say I prefer the game's performance on Vita.
I recommend starting with Death Mark if you just want to be scared, and can tolerate it being horny about [mostly] female bodies in those scary situations. I recommend skipping to NG if you want a horror point-and-click VN with much less of that!
Note: the Switch version is a noticeably slower gameplay experience than it was on my Vita, and is limited to four save files. I also experienced a couple of strange glitches that weren't in my Vita playthroughs. I have to say I prefer the game's performance on Vita.
This review contains spoilers
This game is gorgeous; portraits, CGs, backgrounds, BGM and all. The mild horror elements and a pervasive sense of loss and grief can make the player feel like they’re drowning in it as much as the protagonist is. That protagonist, Beniyuri, is a rare fully voiced otome lead, and it provides a uniqueness to her character that would have been lost in the slightly questionable translation. Some Aksys-localized titles are worse on this, and some are far better.
The variety of endings this game offers are a very strong point, giving the player an unusual amount of control over the story’s conclusion. However, the story only allows these interesting branch points after completing the story to its intended “Best Ending” once. The fact that this game gives a very significant route and ending to its antagonist is another very strong point, and I can’t recommend it to people who usually want to romance the villain enough.
My criticisms are the rare unnecessary homophobic moments, and the implied and threatened sexual assaults. If either of these two may upset you significantly, take caution or avoid this game. If you’d like to kiss a villain or experience a heavy story about loss and its lasting trauma, please do pick it up and give it a shot.
(It’s also nothing like Ashen Hawk, so if you played that first and disliked it, don’t let it preemptively sour your impression of Black Butterfly.)
The variety of endings this game offers are a very strong point, giving the player an unusual amount of control over the story’s conclusion. However, the story only allows these interesting branch points after completing the story to its intended “Best Ending” once. The fact that this game gives a very significant route and ending to its antagonist is another very strong point, and I can’t recommend it to people who usually want to romance the villain enough.
My criticisms are the rare unnecessary homophobic moments, and the implied and threatened sexual assaults. If either of these two may upset you significantly, take caution or avoid this game. If you’d like to kiss a villain or experience a heavy story about loss and its lasting trauma, please do pick it up and give it a shot.
(It’s also nothing like Ashen Hawk, so if you played that first and disliked it, don’t let it preemptively sour your impression of Black Butterfly.)
A fairly miserable experience for me, by Ace Attorney standards. None of the new characters are really likeable, the cases try too hard to be perfectly connected and just end up contrived, and Logic Chess becomes the most tedious gimmick in the series as it grows more complex. I wanted to drop it in case 2, and really should have instead of slogging through it for over five months. It did not ever become worth it.
It is still an Ace Attorney Investigations game, though, so the pixel art is fantastic and always a treat to look at.
It is still an Ace Attorney Investigations game, though, so the pixel art is fantastic and always a treat to look at.
2005
It can be difficult to get the good ending on a first playthrough, but Trace Memory is a perfect first adventure game/VN to get you into the gaming styles. Unfortunately, you will then want to play worse adventure games/VNs, like this one's sequel.
2018
I completed Charade Maniacs in the span of two weeks and 40-45 hours. A fast-paced, long VN with high production value and an engaging set-up, it was difficult to put down and even more difficult to stop thinking about. The death-game-adjacent mystery is well established and worth pursuing by yourself, avoiding recommended route orders. It drops enough hints along the way to craft your own realistic and off-the-wall theories, adding even more fun if you can bounce those thoughts off someone else playing at the same time you are.
As an otome game, there is romance, and it is a significant part of this game — for better or worse. In a word, the romance is trashy. There are unwanted advances, potential age gaps of 5+ years with the 17-year-old main character, and more hidden away behind spoiler territory. It is not even close to sexually explicit, but you won’t find any sweet, low-stakes young love here. I hope this is what you’ve come here for (or at least what you can tolerate)!
There are a good variety of detailed backgrounds and pretty character portraits, but the CGs leave a little to be desired. They often focus on zoom-ins of the route character and MC as opposed to illustrating complex scenes. They demonstrate nice emotions outside the stiffness of a portrait, at least. The voice acting is top-notch and characterizes each individual well (although the MC is not voiced), and the music is fun and varied, accentuating sweeter scenes and adding tension to darker ones.
The UI is great and stylish, easy to follow and easy to read while adding personality to the game itself. I think the flowchart could be easier to understand, view, and navigate, but it is a relatively low-relevance feature. It’s not the biggest mystery in the game when you do want to use it.
There are some noticeable typos and similar mistakes in the localization, but largely it’s polished and flows well.
And, last but not least, the game features a main-cast nonbinary character consistently referred to with they/them pronouns. The whole trashy thing continues to apply on this romance route as much as the others, but the representation is fun.
So, Charade Maniacs is a good, engaging game I’d recommend to fans of darker otome games and mystery/death game fans who can accept some questionable romance. It’s not the best story and might leave a bad taste in your mouth at times, but it was undoubtedly a cool experience for me.
As an otome game, there is romance, and it is a significant part of this game — for better or worse. In a word, the romance is trashy. There are unwanted advances, potential age gaps of 5+ years with the 17-year-old main character, and more hidden away behind spoiler territory. It is not even close to sexually explicit, but you won’t find any sweet, low-stakes young love here. I hope this is what you’ve come here for (or at least what you can tolerate)!
There are a good variety of detailed backgrounds and pretty character portraits, but the CGs leave a little to be desired. They often focus on zoom-ins of the route character and MC as opposed to illustrating complex scenes. They demonstrate nice emotions outside the stiffness of a portrait, at least. The voice acting is top-notch and characterizes each individual well (although the MC is not voiced), and the music is fun and varied, accentuating sweeter scenes and adding tension to darker ones.
The UI is great and stylish, easy to follow and easy to read while adding personality to the game itself. I think the flowchart could be easier to understand, view, and navigate, but it is a relatively low-relevance feature. It’s not the biggest mystery in the game when you do want to use it.
There are some noticeable typos and similar mistakes in the localization, but largely it’s polished and flows well.
And, last but not least, the game features a main-cast nonbinary character consistently referred to with they/them pronouns. The whole trashy thing continues to apply on this romance route as much as the others, but the representation is fun.
So, Charade Maniacs is a good, engaging game I’d recommend to fans of darker otome games and mystery/death game fans who can accept some questionable romance. It’s not the best story and might leave a bad taste in your mouth at times, but it was undoubtedly a cool experience for me.
A short and sweet little horror experience with its main detraction being the repetition. As brief as it is, though, it's not so bad to go through it several times with no save/skip function. A nonbinary protagonist and stylish limited color palette help it stand out among others of its kind.
Pretty, but too safe and sanitized, outside one particular route that feels like it's from an entirely different game. The true route also tries to nicely tie up too many loose ends, and most fixes it pulls feel unearned. Might have been slightly improved with a Queen route.
This game has been on my mind since 2017 and still won’t let up. A stunningly dark dungeon crawler/visual novel crossbreed unafraid to make you afraid, Death Mark has earned its various mature ratings through its concepts and visuals. The characters are a little quirky and sometimes unpleasant; they’re the types of people (and children) that don’t really get along well with other people for one reason or another, which can make them relatable or not. The gameplay can be rewarding or tedious, but if you really get stuck, the Spirit Files give tremendous hints toward success.
Unfortunately, it is also horny, and in a very specific way: the sometimes suggestive visuals (almost all of female bodies) are as saturated with horror as the rest of the game. For most people, it’s going to just be unsettling or even upsetting. For some I’m sure it’s hot. I can’t say I like the female body exploitation, but it’s an undeniable facet of this game that will pop up at least once a chapter. If you think you wouldn't be able to stand this, the first sequel, Spirit Hunter: NG, drastically reduces this to the series' benefit. I'd recommend skipping to that entry.
At least the horniness is a minor part of the game. The Horrors are varied and bound to hit at least one thing you’re uncomfortable with. The original final chapter, Chapter 5, is the most terrifying scenario I’ve ever been in in a video game, and the night I completed it for the first time I was too scared to sleep. I love that chapter enough to place the game in my Top 5 of all time, despite the game’s flaws.
Ultimately, I love this game. I love playing it, and have it as a platinum on my Vita. I love watching youtubers play it, and Gab Smolders was the one to introduce me to this series, making it dear to me for the past six years.
And, most importantly, Shuuji Daimon is a dilf (doctor I’d like to
Unfortunately, it is also horny, and in a very specific way: the sometimes suggestive visuals (almost all of female bodies) are as saturated with horror as the rest of the game. For most people, it’s going to just be unsettling or even upsetting. For some I’m sure it’s hot. I can’t say I like the female body exploitation, but it’s an undeniable facet of this game that will pop up at least once a chapter. If you think you wouldn't be able to stand this, the first sequel, Spirit Hunter: NG, drastically reduces this to the series' benefit. I'd recommend skipping to that entry.
At least the horniness is a minor part of the game. The Horrors are varied and bound to hit at least one thing you’re uncomfortable with. The original final chapter, Chapter 5, is the most terrifying scenario I’ve ever been in in a video game, and the night I completed it for the first time I was too scared to sleep. I love that chapter enough to place the game in my Top 5 of all time, despite the game’s flaws.
Ultimately, I love this game. I love playing it, and have it as a platinum on my Vita. I love watching youtubers play it, and Gab Smolders was the one to introduce me to this series, making it dear to me for the past six years.
And, most importantly, Shuuji Daimon is a dilf (doctor I’d like to
2008
This adventure game from 2008 is still special to me in 2023. The art holds up even today, delicately detailed both in character portraits and in the numerous CGs. The designs are fairly simple considering the amount of school uniform time, but each character’s personality comes across in their expressions and poses. CGs in particular aren’t afraid to show more dramatic emotion, and the brief instances of voice acting can be expertly performed enough to give me chills every playthrough. The English VAs had their work cut out for them, and in my opinion, some of them really nailed it.
The soundtrack suits the moods the game cycles through, amplifying higher energy moments and adding somber notes or tense beats to heavier ones. It could have been better on stronger hardware than the DS I think, but for a DS OST, it’s pleasant to listen to.
A very high point of the game is that the city it takes place in feels lived in. LIves go on outside the main character Atsuki Saijo’s presence, and various characters interact with each other in unexpected parts of the city. People have hobbies and interests and pre-established relationships, even between generations. Atsuki is an observer, and sometimes participant, rather than a king the game revolves around. Sometimes that’s refreshing.
One thing to be aware of before getting into this game is the heavy subject matter. Suicide is a common topic, and animal harm even more so, sometimes even spoken of from the POV of the animal. While they’re treated with the gravity they deserve, it could be rough to someone particularly sensitive to either subject.
And of course, the game is not perfect. Battling SIlent isn’t the most fluid or visually impressive experience, some characters make homophobic comments, and the English written localization is abysmal, sometimes coherent and sometimes most definitely not. The voiced segments make the most sense in the game, which puts them at odds with the words typed on the screen. If typos and poor translation really get under your skin, it will be a challenging time. At least the mind-reading segments are always on the coherent side.
All in all, I adore this game and probably will still be playing it a 17th time in 2030. Can’t wait.
The soundtrack suits the moods the game cycles through, amplifying higher energy moments and adding somber notes or tense beats to heavier ones. It could have been better on stronger hardware than the DS I think, but for a DS OST, it’s pleasant to listen to.
A very high point of the game is that the city it takes place in feels lived in. LIves go on outside the main character Atsuki Saijo’s presence, and various characters interact with each other in unexpected parts of the city. People have hobbies and interests and pre-established relationships, even between generations. Atsuki is an observer, and sometimes participant, rather than a king the game revolves around. Sometimes that’s refreshing.
One thing to be aware of before getting into this game is the heavy subject matter. Suicide is a common topic, and animal harm even more so, sometimes even spoken of from the POV of the animal. While they’re treated with the gravity they deserve, it could be rough to someone particularly sensitive to either subject.
And of course, the game is not perfect. Battling SIlent isn’t the most fluid or visually impressive experience, some characters make homophobic comments, and the English written localization is abysmal, sometimes coherent and sometimes most definitely not. The voiced segments make the most sense in the game, which puts them at odds with the words typed on the screen. If typos and poor translation really get under your skin, it will be a challenging time. At least the mind-reading segments are always on the coherent side.
All in all, I adore this game and probably will still be playing it a 17th time in 2030. Can’t wait.
The pedophiles suck so bad, but this game is excellent otherwise. Case 4 is peak standalone Ace Attorney case.
2021
No major criticisms of this game come to mind, so I can't say exactly why I didn't emotionally connect with anyone in this game. It was just something I played once in a while when bored until I finished it, taking me almost 6 months total. I don't regret it, at least.
On the notable plus side: an explicitly 20+ year old set of love interests and protagonist (who is also voiced)!
On the notable ??? side: if there are lines that seem to not be translated, go into the backlog and check for them there. This does mean that if you're hard of hearing or don't listen to the voice acting, you'll miss some of the lines completely.
On the notable negative side: there are numerous typos in the English localization (mainly punctuation), and Luka deserved a route. Cowards
On the notable plus side: an explicitly 20+ year old set of love interests and protagonist (who is also voiced)!
On the notable ??? side: if there are lines that seem to not be translated, go into the backlog and check for them there. This does mean that if you're hard of hearing or don't listen to the voice acting, you'll miss some of the lines completely.
On the notable negative side: there are numerous typos in the English localization (mainly punctuation), and Luka deserved a route. Cowards
2021
Speaking as someone who is not cishet, the male and female soulmates + reproduction premise is more funny or eyeroll-inducing than romantic to me, but I generally enjoyed this game. It was visually and aurally gorgeous from start to finish, with one of the most believable transitions from portraits to CGs I’ve seen in a VN. Often character portraits are intricate and on point anatomy-wise while CGs are less quality, but Olympia Soirée does not cut corners anywhere. And boy, are those character designs fancy.
The romances can be nice and sometimes spicy; the M rating is earned, both for the implied sex scenes and the darker themes present. This is a game you’ll want a certain tolerance level for, and I’ll list content warnings at the very bottom of this review in case you wish to go in blind. Tokisada and Akaza have the most believable romances in my opinion, having a good focus on developing their early feelings, but others have disagreed and that’s fair.
The protagonist has a strong characterization and gets a small portrait to display her expressions throughout the game, which is really nice. It goes a long way toward letting her be her own person, considering she doesn’t have voice acting. The game doesn’t shy away from acknowledging her sexual desires either, refreshing in a niche where the male love interests are usually the only ones who get that.
I also like that this has a canon route instead of a Grand Ending, and one that doesn't try to suddenly fix everyone else's problems in an unnatural way.
My criticisms are:
- How generally weak the gender commentary is (men are Men and women are Women. Basically different species with different places in life. They are soulmates tho❤︎), and lack of acknowledgment of non-cishet attractions in a world where love in general is so often criminalized.
- Bad ends generally rely on getting a certain number of wrong choices instead of a clear single branch, making it tedious to gather more than one ending per character. There is no Skip To Choice option.
- How often certain lines are flashbacked to leads me to believe this game is meant to be played over a year or more. Sometimes the same line is flashbacked to ten lines later. As Douma once said (and was repeated one hundred times), “Uugh…!”
- How skin color is addressed is a little weird.
- The short stories section is good for filling out details that either were not in the game or might have slipped your mind, and generally it’s fine to read them as they are unlocked. However, do not read Kanan’s Memoirs until you’ve completed all routes if you want some reveals to be total surprises. If you don’t mind big hints, go ahead! I’m not your parent.
In conclusion, pretty :)! and sometimes pretty stupid :)!
Content Warnings (if I forgot one, leave a comment!): rape, dubious consent, sexual coercion, drugging, forced impregnation, incest, CSA, kidnapping and confinement, violent misogyny (including murder), suicide, classism-based bigotry, body horror
The romances can be nice and sometimes spicy; the M rating is earned, both for the implied sex scenes and the darker themes present. This is a game you’ll want a certain tolerance level for, and I’ll list content warnings at the very bottom of this review in case you wish to go in blind. Tokisada and Akaza have the most believable romances in my opinion, having a good focus on developing their early feelings, but others have disagreed and that’s fair.
The protagonist has a strong characterization and gets a small portrait to display her expressions throughout the game, which is really nice. It goes a long way toward letting her be her own person, considering she doesn’t have voice acting. The game doesn’t shy away from acknowledging her sexual desires either, refreshing in a niche where the male love interests are usually the only ones who get that.
I also like that this has a canon route instead of a Grand Ending, and one that doesn't try to suddenly fix everyone else's problems in an unnatural way.
My criticisms are:
- How generally weak the gender commentary is (men are Men and women are Women. Basically different species with different places in life. They are soulmates tho❤︎), and lack of acknowledgment of non-cishet attractions in a world where love in general is so often criminalized.
- Bad ends generally rely on getting a certain number of wrong choices instead of a clear single branch, making it tedious to gather more than one ending per character. There is no Skip To Choice option.
- How often certain lines are flashbacked to leads me to believe this game is meant to be played over a year or more. Sometimes the same line is flashbacked to ten lines later. As Douma once said (and was repeated one hundred times), “Uugh…!”
- How skin color is addressed is a little weird.
- The short stories section is good for filling out details that either were not in the game or might have slipped your mind, and generally it’s fine to read them as they are unlocked. However, do not read Kanan’s Memoirs until you’ve completed all routes if you want some reveals to be total surprises. If you don’t mind big hints, go ahead! I’m not your parent.
In conclusion, pretty :)! and sometimes pretty stupid :)!
Content Warnings (if I forgot one, leave a comment!): rape, dubious consent, sexual coercion, drugging, forced impregnation, incest, CSA, kidnapping and confinement, violent misogyny (including murder), suicide, classism-based bigotry, body horror
2022
Profoundly unsettling game with a deeply fucked up vibe and suitably cool aesthetic. For budget obsession horror, it would be difficult to outperform this for me. (Better sound quality/balancing related to the voice acting is probably how.)
2016
Somehow, pretty much every review of this is correct. Chasing down locked chests and grinding for the last destination is tedious; the Blowbeat combo cheapens most strategies; It'll scratch the itch if you're looking for a shortish piano-accompanied tragedy in the style of retro RPGs.
One thing I disagree on is that it really needed multiple drastically different settings. Sometimes a short game can take place entirely in a winter landscape and it's fine and cohesive.
One thing I disagree on is that it really needed multiple drastically different settings. Sometimes a short game can take place entirely in a winter landscape and it's fine and cohesive.