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August 2016
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Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition
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Post by phoray on May 28, 2020 1:17:02 GMT
Steam Prison
So I'm in a love triangle with a rock. Takes an anime esque visual novel to pull that off. And then he scorned the rock, I didn't break it off, and he died. She becomes a politician and honors his memory or some shit.
I... can't tell if that was supposed to be the happy ending. I think not? I didn't even get a kissing scene. Where is my tragic goodbye? Where is my tearful over reaction?! Geez! These visual novels always require a friggen laundry list of perfect decisions grr argh
*Reloads* *pulls up guide* .... Wtf, that was definitely NOT the happy ending. 😣 They both died that time. And that was titled "the ending we all wish for" in the guide... Maybe I was wrong, and my first route was the "happy ending"... maybe it was just an unsatisfying death... Guess I won't know until I try them all...
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ღ I am a golem. Obviously.
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Post by phoray on May 28, 2020 0:20:05 GMT
Beemn playing Detroi tbecome Human that Todd's a nasty SOB isn't he? Ya, luckily you can remove him from your life, one way or the other
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Post by phoray on May 28, 2020 0:19:21 GMT
Steam Prison
Lol. Probably the 10th time I've seen this background art and it just occurred to me. It's a statue of Saint Yune, not some bland soldier.
If he hates being a saint so much, why doesn't he just go to the Depths. I get why he wants to die, but some of it seems to be that he's a trapped little princess being worshipped by people and bored to death by it. I was expecting some sort of handwaving steam punk reason for why he was alive forever but it turned out to be magic talking rocks so...there is that
Interesting... I wonder if the cost of immortality was never loving someone. ♥️ That's the kind of silly love tragedy I'm into. 😁
I wish I wouldn't get "affection points" for thoughts I picked for MC she had completely alone. What is that even supposed to mean narratively... Sigh. I just realized. Are we STILL not going to do anything about the corruption in the Heights? ....he can't even hug without killing people...now I have a short fanfic idea... That she would hug a blanket till it was warm. Then give it to him to wrap around himself. So he could feel someone else's warmth *squee* I'm a silly.
Ya know, that rock claims it's the Stone of God but it really gives me demon...rock...vibes.
Oh my gosh! He just said "oh, my chest hurt." (His goal to feel pain and hopefully death) "you just have to smile...I have to make you happy." *Squee* be still my tragic romance heart
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Post by phoray on May 27, 2020 21:44:57 GMT
Steam Prison So I went to start "Saint" Yune's route and didn't get it to trigger. Hmm, I wonder. Looked at some fine print. I have to get one of the bad endings on Ulrik's route? whaaa? okay then. So I load up one branch of the V, and follow the guide to the end. Which was a very sad ending for Ulrik, and I found myself speaking to the screen to assure him that this route wasn't real. It was just an arbitrary requirement to go on another path and did not really happen so then I load up the common route again after that, and get a dialogue option not seen before. "resist being exiled." Click! Hot dang, how come I couldn't do that the first 4 times? Whatevs, writers. So I insist very forcefully with hostages that I have another investigation into the death of parents. I demand justice! she says. She gets locked up in a room for two days, comes out. And Saint Yune makes her his "attendant." Mmmkay. I don't believe he thinks she actually murdered her parents. I guess he's become suspicious of why her investigation and exile was so rushed. I'm popping cherry tomatoes in my mouth like popcorn and settle in. So....In Cyrus brings him his soup, and he says, stay awhile. I'll tell you why I made you my attendent. Yes, I think. This is where he lets me know he's going to use me to investigate the corruption of the heights while simultaneously investigating the murder of my parents. It all fits so nicely together. It--- "Kill me."------> *chokes on her tomatoes and coughs* ??!! @_@
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Post by phoray on May 27, 2020 5:09:18 GMT
Steam Prison
Well. The guy I wanted to murder, I got my chance.... And I would have choked. Thankfully, be killed himself and resolved me of any true debate. Not like his last second flashback redeemed him at all to me, just that being egged on to murder him by a vicious crowd doesn't sit well with me....There is apparently no more Fin on this route, and I am grumpy about it.
As much as they make a big deal out of "Saint Yune", I wonder why there is no speculation at all about how he's immortal. Like, people gonna gossip, people gonna want to achieve that for themselves....this route is a bit immersion breaking if she really manages to talk to her ex fiance with no consequences. Her trusting a practical stranger to not blow the whistle on her is insane...🤦 Her ex fiance appears to be as trustworthy as she'd hoped. How convenient? But Ines! Thank goodness, he's suspicious.
Huh. Now they're both up in the Heights, and trying to be law abiding citizens, there isn't going to be kissing on this route; maybe until the very end. I don't mind, although I'm curious how it will come about.....Bleh, too many drawn out flashbacks on this route; I don't mind some, but there really isn't enough information in them to warrant the length. The info could be way more succinct...Aw. Cute. He's the police officer who inspired her to be a police officer when she was a child. The 11 year age difference allows for that.... Blergh. She wants to be like him *starry eyes* whatever writer. *Claps hands* come on plot! Time for betrayal and death and stuff!
And they deliver. Now we know who the doctor paid to do the job.i cannot at all feel betrayed by this, this character is totally out of my hands at this point. No feeling of connection with this lil child on this route. The murderer is taunting her stupidity and I agree. Oooo is she going to kill him?!... No. Only punched. Lost her chance. I guess I can't complain about my Knightly good two shoes protagonist. I liked her on the other routes, it's just this one that I want to bang my head against the keyboard.
I admit to following a guide so I didn't have to go through this route again. They finally kissed, and my comment about her dating herself was well founded. Aaaaaaand Fin shows up at the end and there is a sense of hope in the air that he will regain his sanity. Of course, it goes to credits so who knows. Honestly, he didn't seem sane enough to come back to normal. Still, happy he doesn't die in every route.
That leaves the Saint Yune route ( gonna Kish an immortal). Then there is the "Grand End" which I think makes everyone happy but she doesn't date anyone? I dunno. I really am trying to avoid spoilers.
The only questions I still have are why is Yune immortal and wtf is up with the Heights being weird and evil. So far my romance ranking is: Ulrik, Adage, Ines (for being boring), Eltcreed (for the inappropriate sexual advances).
That took 4 hours. Now I'm at 21 hours. Two more routes means 8 more hours. Total of 29. Not quite $1 per hour, which is my preferred cost of entertainment in video games.
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Post by phoray on May 27, 2020 3:04:54 GMT
Steam Prison
Ines. The ex- dairy farmer turned ex-police officer turned Penal Colony Warden. He can cook. He has a sneaky plan about something, and he is a bit of a coward. Their discussions seem to be pretty benign...lacking humor. Bemused; I think even the writer was bored if this route, because all her starting to love Ines was just a random suggestion from another NPC. "Is he your boyfriend?" "Ohmergaed, am I in love with him?!" 😒 Then proceeds to act like an awkward duckling for the next forever. I hope there is some plot about the world to make up for the subpar romance route portion. Hardly any banter...bkergh he's just so normal. It's like dating the main protagonist except both are locked into polite behavior. "Thank you," "no thank you!" 😅... Ah well. Sir Ines showed his true colors. I, the player, knew he was okay with murder. But MC just learned it, so she should reject him now, honestly. Adage comes along to rub your nose into your naievity. La la la. Sigh. I kind of dislike that the moment a man shows up in her life, she becomes Really sheltered from all the starvation and suffering etc. Not that I need her to be almost raped and beaten every other day...at least she is more focused on actually resolving the murder of her parents. ... And we learn why Ines wants to go back to the Heights. His main reason is stupid but is secondary reason is pretty neat.
So! They're going to the Heights and she doesn't have a single plan about how she's going to live there undercover while she investigates the murder of her parents. I'm sure she totally won't be found sleeping in the bushes on day one and sent right back down.
I discovered Auto Play, so now my hands can take a break from pressing enter 1000 times. It's interesting how the routes are chosen. I'm considering making a non Spoiler flow chart in paint.
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Post by phoray on May 26, 2020 4:58:31 GMT
Steam Prison
Last post of the night. I fast forwarded through all the stuff I've seen before, following a guide for the happy end. That was possibly the weirdest happy ending I've sat through. They aren't really together, romantically, at the end because he sort of did horrible things to her leading up to the end. I'm like, glad they didn't make her go back to him like nothing had happened, but it was also a pretty "complicated" happy ending as well. They could have had him do fewer horrible things, and wouldn't--- holy crap, the credits played through and there was an after scene. Okay. Alright, that was a cute ending. I accept it as reasonable.
It's no Ulrik.
Hmmm. Wonder who I get to kiss tomorrow. Ines? I've kinda liked him even before I ever met Ulrik so I wonder if he'll make up for Eltcreed and Adage.
Time for sleep
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ღ I am a golem. Obviously.
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Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition
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Post by phoray on May 26, 2020 3:50:10 GMT
Steam Prison
I think I'm on the bad ending route
*Laughs*
I am so going to be murdered by this freak doctor who is being "nice".
---- ... Holy fuck... Of all the reasons why her parents were murdered... Gotta admit, I never saw that coming. It's out of the blue, clever, yet stupid. I guess maybe that's the point? Sometimes people die for stupid shit. ----
That was a weird ending. Adage is dead. But MC keeps his house and tries to work as a doctor herself, living her best life or some shit.
Bad Endings suck. Took 4 hours
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Post by phoray on May 26, 2020 2:39:17 GMT
Steam Prison *Sigh* Fin has been despoiled and definitely is currently insane. I just don't know how I feel about him now. Maybe him dying in Eltcreed's route, a hero, was actually the happiest end for him. Only the Japanese version has a route for him. So sad for his sadness and desperation. I don't know how I feel about Adage. He's a very clinical doctor type, with softness at the edges. The first kiss was...odd. not exactly non consensual but also the whole teaching schtick. Ulrik's first kiss was after they both knew the liked each other very much and not given with the angle of "teaching" but of joy and a desire to be close. Still, I don't dislike him. But he's not going to displace Ulrik in my gamer heart,. Not at this rate.
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ღ I am a golem. Obviously.
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Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition
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Post by phoray on May 26, 2020 0:45:44 GMT
Steam Prison Oh neat. Apparently finishing 2 routes? or at least Eltcreed's, means I get more information/scenes involving my beloved friend, Fin, on the common route. Sachs is torturing him. So, one more checkmark for "will kill" if I get the chance. Was so close on Eltcreed's route and he stopped me Apparently the Penal Colony doctor is also insane... Fin calls out to Cyrus in his mind to save him Had to turn down Ulrik's offer of a job. He looks disappointed .... and then I meet Adage, the mysterious Depths Doctor. Cheers me up a bit. ...until he denies me services based on my lack of ability to pay okay then. .... and then his conscious bit him and he came back *laughing* okay. He's a fun one. Now that I'm staying in the PEnal Colony, I am reminded of the sensation I recall feeling on my first route. Escaping to the Depths from the dark and depressing penal colony for a job. Only for the job to be mostly standing around watching a rich political figure. With plenty of food, clean water, a nice bed. I felt like a coward; like I'd leapt to the first thing that would put me back in the comforts of her old life up above in the Heights. The Penal Colony is truly cruel, but still, I felt that way. I don't think the MC ever expresses anything but relief soon followed by a new purpose. But she seems to forget everything else she vowed to do on that branch. This branch, it continues to be cruel. But it feels like she's more true to her character so far. A punch to the gut. They killed them... the only people to have offered me kindness down here. Murdered to teach me a lesson. And Adage is there, a sad comfort. I'm definitely going on his route this time. Guess I'm still hiding from the cruelty.
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ღ I am a golem. Obviously.
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Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition
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Post by phoray on May 25, 2020 18:35:54 GMT
Cinderella Phenomenon. I've completed a route. The dialogue choices were far from transparent, so the love interest did not make it. While the lack of epilogue was slightly disappointing, I am going to consider it an "open ending". The MC got one somehow useful skill and this is good enough character development for me. The bad endings never get epilogues- sometimes don't even finish, it was one of my complaints.
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Post by phoray on May 25, 2020 5:55:11 GMT
Steam Prison My ex police partner from the floating island in the sky, the Heights, came to the Depths. He and another saw Cyrus, and when they were on there way back, the other man said he would report Cyrus for being outside the penal colony. The NPC, I thought, looked like the NPC that had tried to rape Cyrus in the prologue. That, combined with him saying he was going to tell my nemesis my whereabouts, I hoped with all my little gamer heart that Fin, my beloved friend, would overcome his goodness and strike the man down. He did. I felt so relieved. It's kinda crazy how into a game I can get. I was happy Fin wanted to protect Cyrus that much. I was sad he wasn't a possible Love Interest for the game. But then it turned out, he was capable of much more death than I'd realized. The Depths had broken him and his goodness. What if I'd stayed in the Sanctuary? would I have gotten to him before the madness set in, and kept my friend mostly in one piece?*sighs* This is a worse tragedy to me than the NPC parents being murdered. I'm truly sad for my poor beloved friend, and suspect, probably rightly...that he will not be living at the end of this route. ...Ulrik is still adorbs on this route. I miss him calling me an idiot, and Cyrus calling him a rude boy with no manners. Additionally, maybe because Eltcreed pushed it so much, Cyrus does seem to be more devotedly romantic on this route. Which grinds my gears a bit, since I don't truly like the man as a romantic interest. I certainly don't hate him, he's just not kissing material. Even if the recorded kiss sounds they put in the game are pretty hot. .... ah, i finally meet the love interest I didn't see on my first route. --he calls Ulrik rude, and I smile. I hope he's as amusing on his route, when I get to it. ..... So, in the end, Fin managed to reconcile something long enough to be the kind man I remembered him to be. And he died as a result. I cried as Cyrus spoke several sentences of denial about the event as she tried to get him up. I refuse to believe that she could never have loved him; she was more upset about him than her own parents.... The benefit of this route was that it explored the politics between countries of the Depths and the Heights somewhat. I am amused and pleased that it took Cyrus many months to say she loved Eltcreed and far far less for Ulrik. Personally, I think this was mostly a lust mixed with admiration relationship for someone very new to relationships. I don't see it as a good match, personally. 11.5 hours and two routes done. First was 7 ish, so that leaves the second 4.5 hours. I got to skip the informative but unvarying prologue. I also used a guide to ensure a "good end" because I disliked him too much to bother getting a bad one and then repeating for the good one. Whew. It's over with. Time to someone a little less gropey.
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Post by phoray on May 25, 2020 4:42:10 GMT
Visual Novels often have a recommended play order. "Steam Prison" has a prologue, and then it makes a V into two main routes (2 love interests per route). And then from those two routes, another V can happen as you pick one of the two. I ended up, at 7 hours, getting my happy ending with Ulrik. I thought their chemistry was very real, because they were both awkward in love, yet up front with each other and honest about their thoughts in the moment. The reason I opted for Ulrik over Eltcreed is that he randomly shoves his hands up your shirt. After you jump away, he then insists on staying in the room while you change. UGH. But on Ulrik's route, he backs off and encourages you two love birds along, as he sees Ulrik kinda like a brother/son and wants him happy.
So, apparently the recommended play order actually has Eltcreed as first and Ulrik as Third. I really had to talk myself into it, but here I am, playing his route. And pretty much hating it all along the way. He understands that Cyrus takes her Employee Job very seriously, so if he orders her to go on a date with him, she caves. He pushes too far, and frequently. He tells you to wear a skirt, you say you don't like them, he doesn't care. He buys you a dress, you don't like dresses, he doesn't care. I just *bleh* went through a kissing scene where she actually tries to pull away and he doesn't let her. All the while, poor Ulrik who initially had a crush on Cyrus, is telling Eltcreed he's going to fast. Sweet boy, trying to protect me. He then had conversation about how he didn't truly want to sleep with her, because that would "sully her and make her just another woman." Which is just an awful way of thinking since women are not sullied by sex in the slightest and he is hyper aware of her lack of sexual experience to the point of claiming all this crap is "teaching her about love." And all the while she is trash talking herself about how she's too unrefined and manly and calloused for him...I think I've been playing this entire route with varying grades of frown on my face. And oh ya! turns out he's working with the guy I super hate and want to murder!
*grumbles* There better be some legitimate plot on this route. ugh ugh ugh.
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Post by phoray on May 24, 2020 3:47:26 GMT
I bought Charming Empire after trying out all five routes in it's Demo. Then suffered, truly suffered. It was such a slog, I actually considered keeping track of how many times she apologized for inconsequential things while being everyone's puppet. And even recognizing she was a puppet! Only to day things like, "I just give up I can get used to it." *Tears out hair* I'll do one more.route for sure, maybe 3 tops, but won't be able to make myself do the total five routes available. Wasted $25 as of right now.
Then I was like, okay. Got my refund from Steam after I returned Nameless. Will do the same "pseudo demo" of Steam Prison. And whoa! I liked my protagonist. I liked her cop partner. I met at least two people I disliked. The. The prologue ended and they put my character through homelessness, near starvation, near rape, captivity and torture and possibly even a ?drug addiction? Now I finally have a job. I think they had to make me feel helpless and desperate to really make it sink in. I certainly felt it. Definitely want to murder at least one person.SO. BAD. And my character isn't afraid to speak up. Whew!
Alright, let's ride
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Post by phoray on May 22, 2020 3:21:47 GMT
The adventures of demo surfing. Demonheart had a Demo. I found the idea of the story as well as the idea of evil/good and defiant/tactful bars for the Protagonist intriguing. But something just kinda holds me back from pulling the trigger. I am super intrigued by Steam Prison only for the Negative reviews to be super negative. I got frustrated with myself at that point. Like, of course negative reviews are going to be negative. Ran out of demo and free options. So without any deep inspection, purely on the idea, I purchased Nameless and gave myself 45 minutes. Dolls that came to life sounded intriguing. And then they made me read like 25 minutes of protagonist being a high school girl. Generally nice and... Bleh. Didn't help that only 2 of the five dolls didn't appeal to me based on personality. Put in for my first steam refund. Bright side, I guess I'm getting "Demo" option after all. Hawke I played Confines of the Queen and Cinderella Phenomenon and I guess that gave me the idea that there were cool MCs with interesting personalities and motivations. Was it just coincidence?
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Post by phoray on May 22, 2020 0:12:11 GMT
Now for the free demo.of Tailor Tales So this VN wants me to play a little mini game where I "design and sell clothing" to earn gold to pay through the chapters. I was like...okay, I can kinda deal. But now I'm required to buy a skirt pattern for 2k which would mean playing the silly mini game for 10 minutes. All while dealing with a keyboard when I really need controller support. Bleh. Pass. Onto the next Demo.
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Post by phoray on May 21, 2020 23:25:06 GMT
Gave mystic Destinies a shot. (Free demo)
Noped out when they implied the 20 year old protagonist was going to start Hogwarts classes. XD
Now for the free demo.of Tailor Tales
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Post by phoray on May 21, 2020 22:30:49 GMT
Cupid
Apparently there are happier endings where they end up together (feeding off each other as they are both the same sort of creature), but I think I'm happier with her killing him.
That was a dark little ride I have no urge to repeat just to attempt the "happy ending". Steam says I played it for 3 hours
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Post by phoray on May 21, 2020 21:39:15 GMT
So.
"Cupid". Another visual novel free on Steam. Apparently I should have read past the title because it is pretty dark. I would say it's about as romantic as the Painting of Dorian Grey. I almost noped out of it early on because...I get to play the ghost/voice of this main characters mother. And hurl constant verbal abuse at her. My choices are between two kinds of horrible.
There is obviously not going to be a happy ending. I think best case, main character dies dragging him down to hell.
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Post by phoray on May 21, 2020 4:34:09 GMT
phorayNot Amnesia: Memories. Seriously, it is bad. Unintentionally hilarious, but bad otherwise. I got it from Humble Bundle, so I can't complain about the price. --- Neverwinter Nights: Enhanced Edition. I've started the original campaign. The tutorial on the basic functions was very thorough. It seemed like there was RNG in dialogue skill checks, because I failed in the rogue tutorial on my first attempt, but succeeded after reloading. I met Lady Aribeth de Tylmarande and almost graduated, when the Academy was attacked. It is somehow ironic to run into another game about a city under quarantine now. The first one was The Surge 2, a very good Souls-like. Noted. I did see your review when j was reviewing it. I played Vampyr as soon as Quarantine happened and it is literally during the Spanish Flu epidemic so I feel ya.
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Post by phoray on May 21, 2020 2:18:11 GMT
@curioiscrow
I keep seeing posts about Fire Emblem 3 houses. I once played a FE game on a Gameboy many years ago. It was heavily strategic with some story in between and there wasn't exactly a lot of control over the story. Are there actually choices?
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Post by phoray on May 21, 2020 2:15:39 GMT
Joined an Otome Games Reddit and looked at the recommendation thread. Most of these are $25-$35. Some are even $45. which I find kind of mind boggling. Sometimes the games are voiced, but over half aren't. It's more like an interactive Manga with background music. So how can games with way more stuff in them be only $50 ? Wider audience so the $50 goes further? DA4 is probably going to be $70. So these niche audiences have to pay for the smaller sales? I mean, I'm not complaining but it gives me a reality check when I wouldn't drop $35 for Plague of innocence. But that game was also more like... A movie with some irrelevant interaction puzzle sequences in between. When I can watch a game online and literally get the same experience, then it can't defend itself.
I balk at giving $35 to a visual novel too, considering a lot of these are Eastern to Western adaptations with questionable editing being a common problem. Hmmm
Anyway, so far I'm seriously considering: London detective mysteria Lost in secular love Nameless Osmafia (haha my auto correct tried to make that Ostagar.)
And have 4 more to review further: Kyoto winds Steam prison Nightshade Amnesia
I also register that "high school girl who's grandfather died and left her a big empty house to be unchaperoned in for her sexy adventures" is a major theme trope.
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Post by phoray on May 20, 2020 21:19:34 GMT
Cinderella Phenomenon
Ahhh, sighing over here after redoing the Prince Rod route. And there was a short epilogue scene I hadn't seen because I always clicked through to the next one. 😋
I re read 95% of this visual novel, really letting the details sink in. It was a lovely little ride. Just too bad her and Dad don't really reconnect during the route. But. She just turned 18 and they have time to mend things. And I think she and Rod will stay strong in their love to insist people are being silly about being step siblings.
Waltz has less of a chance of winning me over, kinda unfair to him 🤣 I'll give him another shot later.
Already left glowing review on Steam.
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24,190
phoray
Dreadnaw Rising
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August 2016
phoray
Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition
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Post by phoray on May 20, 2020 4:41:21 GMT
Cinderella Phenomenon
Steam says I've already spent 20 hours on this game, but couldn't help starting the Rod route Playthrough. From the beginning even, rereading all the backstory and noticing how 4/5 of the romanceable characters show up in The prologue. And enjoying my new earned insight into their characters- I know their secrets and potential futures now.
I'm still learning towards the romance with Rod being the best written. She's stuck up, and he doesn't like her. He's giving her a taste of her own medicine but he's more familiar so she doesn't just accept it. Calls him on it. They really challenge each other, while also preferring to keep their thoughts to themselves. They slowly impress each other from scene to scene, surprising themselves to find that the other person really isn't a total jerk after all. And she remains the most in character- rarely smiling, regal, and blunt, but helpful within that framework. She's just the most herself on this route So the romance feels very earned and believable.
Saw Waltz in prologue and since and it's a bit sad. He's disappointed that the princess has no memories of him, but despite his hard life, he's never bitter. And then she's off to the palace again and he's not around her enough to see how it all is going, one way or the other. I will give his route another try one more time after this run.
Fritz, I feel bad, because it is obvious he is smitten. And that, of literally everyone, the main character actually trusts him and gets along with him as well as she is capable even in the Prologue. It's too bad his route was so disappointing, I'd get behind it more. But as it was... Ya. I kinda head cannon him going off and finding someone else after some alone time or just straight his puppy love turning into a lifetime friendship. Why not, it's my head.
Karma really has already learned his lesson. And Rumpel probably learned his lesson too, so neither of them need the Protag to save them from their curses
Rod vs Waltz, bum bum hum
Can't help myself blathering about this here. Got no one else to blather about it to
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ღ I am a golem. Obviously.
440
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24,190
phoray
Dreadnaw Rising
12,573
August 2016
phoray
Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition
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Post by phoray on May 20, 2020 0:26:04 GMT
Play the final route tomorrow. I am so preparing myself for heart break. Cinderella Phenomenon This game has touched me in ways I've just never expected. Here I signed up for a light fun dating simulator with cute fairytale twists and what I got was just... amazing. I honestly have not played a game that has given me this much entertainment in a long time. I've laughed, I've cried. I've reached out to my father, and been reminded of the grief I still feel about my mother in law when she died back in 2017. Hell, even the sense of "missed opportunities" I had with my oldest sister for the longest time. The main protagonist would even go into these long painful thoughts dialogues about the twisted things her mother taught her, trying to stave off the pain of making the mistake of trusting in people and being disappointed-- only to be so deeply surprised when people were kind to her. Maybe it's sad to say, but I relate a lot. I had a mother that told me I could trust only her, pretty much, only for her to be the most destructive person in my life. She's written as a cold controlled ice princess in the prologue but that's not her- and yet it is her. Maybe if her mother had treated her like other mothers, she wouldn't be as fucked up. But at the same time, all her strengths come from such a tough childhood. Now she just needs to learn kindness; the hard way. And finds, because this is a romance game at it's heart, a love along the way. but the love isn't THE point. The story itself, the side characters, all well written. With their own driving motivations. And their own, definitely present, flaws. Although the rest of my post will mostly deal with the flaws, I really have to say it was all well done. The content was mature and touched on a lot of dark topics around abuse and how that forms a person; and how breaking out of bad habits can be painful. Additionally, most of the endings were not across the board happy, adding an extra twist to the idea of Fairy Tales on top of the ones it already explores. This is not Disney, where the bad guy is defeated and everyone, unharmed, smiles into the sunset. The music is appropriate and non distracting, and that's exactly what you want out of background music. I think the only flaws of the game: 1. is they sometimes abruptly ended the story if you got the bad end. Ya, so the one I fell in love with died tragically because I made the wrong choices. I still want to see if I could save the castle and the country and everyone else in spite of that. But two routes, when you got the bad end (killing the LI), it just ends. I think only in one end does the crisis get solved and THEN the LI dies. I find that more satisfying even if it was sad. The sudden ends make it seem saving the LI was the goal, rather than saving the country. 2a. They have a symbol come up if you made the right choice. And it's really unforgiving about how many errors you can make before you're locked into a bad ending. I feel like this inherently means you will have to play the save scum game or follow a guide and that detracts from being heavily as heavily invested as playing "true" to your character. I played all five routes, and never once did I get the Happy Ending without Guide/save scumming. 2b. It would have been nice to have more choices of dialogue that didn't actually matter to whether or not the ending would be good or bad, so you could express yourself more. Narrative choices I disagree with: 3. Narrative problem #1, I think some of the romance story line was a bit rushed. Like "4 months passed, they spent every day together" and now the main protagonist has a soft spot for LI #3 that we didn't get to witness her achieving. Like, it's not ridiculous "ohmergawd, I'm in love" but it's more like she doesn't find them as super annoying as she did before. I think it was because each route had more information about what was really going on with the side characters and the kingdom, so by the time they added more back/side stories, the dating sim part fell a bit flat. 4. Problem #2, is that half the routes divorced the main protagonist from her family/palace (where the real story is happening, Imo). So it was like she was just dealing with her day to day life and then BAM the castle is being overrun and evil is afoot! which was jarring on two of the routes. 5. There are a lot of secrets being kept from Main Protagonist. In some routes, when there wasn't any concerns about MC being in immediate danger, it makes sense that they keep some stuff from her. But the further you go in the route chain, the longer they seem to keep these secrets while stuff is obviously not good in the neighborhood And I get left with feeling like the Secret Keepers are actual jerks; infantalizing Main Character in the misguided notion of keeping her safe. 6. Reconciliation with daddy is hidden behind later routes and this is one thing I think that shouldn't have been. 7. Fritz's route was all around problematic. Main Character ends up having her Cinderella curse broken by default, never achieving the good deeds that she needed to break it herself. So we don't get to see her grow the way we saw her grow on other routes. So even towards the end of the story, she's still not understanding why anyone is being kind to her; still doubting if her mother is really so evil. so it's clear her personal growth was put on hold to explore more side content on this route. Additionally, Fritz's curse meant there was an alter ego taking over his body all the time, and you spend more time with the alter ego than with the actual character, Fritz. Not that he had a lot of personality... but then, maybe if we'd gotten more time, we would have seen more than smiling adoration....and then the alter ego essentially kills himself to make the main character happy and let her reunite with Fritz when it's like... I barely know this guy. If anything, I ached a bit in my little romantic heart that the alter ego wasn't an option to keep around. Or even be sad about! his last words were asking if main character would at least think of him once and a while. Only for her to go visiting graves at the end and not spare another single thought for the guy. I was at least hoping that the alter ego would come through Fritz as a bit of spark and mischief from the two sides of one man finally melding together and being whole...but no. The main protagonist was definitely put in a passive role on this route that was very frustrating- she even technically can wield attack magic on this route and never bothers, with no explanation as to why.
So needless to say, the heartbreak from the LI I was expecting on this route never came. Although some of the characters that died hurt my soft little heart. I kinda want to play two of the routes one more time to decide who Main Character's true Soulmate should be. But now my ranking is: Rod>Waltz>Rumple>Karma>Fritz. Karma only beats Fritz because Main Character learns to wield a sword and not be the lump on a log she is on Fritz's route. And that route has less death. Rumpel kinda sucked at the start of his story only for the ending to be mature and sweet. I think it's bull shit that the game implies you can't some day marry your own step brother you didn't even grow up with. ( I think they've known each other exactly a year, what's to be so squeamish about.) so I head canon, at the moment, that when she becomes Queen, she does as she wants. Man. I would have paid money for this game. I can't say that for a lot of stories. High recommend from me.
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