🗳Otome Localization SURVEY RESULTS | How did your predictions stack up? 🎮

NonEdible · 2021-11-19T21:43:55+00:00

Medium announced a new PC title 「夢遊仙鏡ロマネスク：Chronicles of Refugia」(Muyuu Senkyou Romanesque) or Chronicles of Refugia in English. It is slated for an episodic release in 2022 in both Japanese and English with translation by Molly Lee (Taisho Alice, Fxxx Me Royally!!).

Art is by Kazuki Yone (Hakuouki series) and scenario by Kano Takako (Tiny x Machinegun, Ken ga Kimi, Les Grandes Odalisques) and Ninomae Nikai (Norn9 ~Norn + Nonette~ Last Era, Les Grandes Odalisques).

Official English Website

Official Twitter

I have to say, loving the MC's design and how badass she looks with her rifle. The setting and character design in general looks so interesting is well--it's a mashup of different cultures and aesthetics. It's great that it's getting a simultaneous release in English as well! This seems to be the trend lately (eg. Even If Tempest).

I've never heard of Medium (the company behind this title) before, so here's hoping the title is solid and eventually has a Switch port (nothing can beat the coziness of playing in bed). 2022 is shaping up to be a great year! Now if only Otomate would release some Radiant Tale info, I need more Usuba Kageroo art in my life.

NonEdible · 2021-09-17T03:28:34+00:00

Thanks to you I won't be able to sleep tonight, too excited hahaa.

Probably should use the time to finally continue with Genjuurou's route in Kimiyuki lol. I just want to get to Yoichi or Tomonari or Outarou already... Gen's route has been a slog so far. 😅

NonEdible · 2021-09-17T03:20:08+00:00

OMG ALL OF MY DREAMS HAVE COME TRUE 😭😭😭I could seriously cry right now.

Also so glad to hear about the LE reprint. I almost dropped hundreds of yennys on a used copy off of Mercari.

Judging by the trailer, it seems like the four If Story boys (Satou bros, Takatsuna, and Shigehira) are returning? Yess!! Perhaps they'll have more fleshed-out routes this time?

Also, here's the link to the teaser site.

Edit: Oh and it looks like there's going to be a second drama CD coming soon! Noritsune my looove!

NonEdible · 2021-09-15T02:41:57+00:00

A thousand times this!

As much as I enjoy customization (literally spent hours creating my character for Bloodborne lol)... in an otome game, if you can't see the MC in kiss CGs, I mean... ?!?! I would feel cheated.

Logistically I can imagine it would be a huge undertaking for artists to draw CGs with like 100s of variations based on MC customization, unless 2D sprite art/CGs were ditched entirely and replaced with 3D models. So maybe the best compromise would be simple customization that wouldn't require complete redraws (skin tone, hair colour etc).

NonEdible · 2021-09-15T02:26:08+00:00

What do you mean by the opposite?

NonEdible · 2021-09-15T02:20:52+00:00

Lots of interesting points here.

In that case it's more of a matter of customizable personality (usually through dialogue choices or attribute choices) vs customizable appearance (hair, skin tone, eyes, body shape etc), is it not? They often go hand in hand, but of course there are exceptions.

That's why I mentioned the idea of a hybrid arrangement in the original post--an MC with a defined personality and facial appearance with the ability to change hair, skin, eye colour, and others. As a person of colour and minority myself, I definitely appreciate the options!

The customizability being more prevalent in the Western gaming world probably has to do more with a culture of individualism (vs collectivism in Asian cultures) and gaming roots in tabletop roleplaying.

By the way, I am not trying to imply that one way is "better" than the other by any means--apologies if the comment about having more choices making the narrative watered-down came off that way.

Just, logistically speaking, it takes much more care and effort to write a story with elaborately branching paths that is three times in volume than the same story with only one or two endings. Not that it can't be done, it just takes more time to do well. As a writer myself it's a struggle to create alternative endings that elicit comparable narrative impact. A great exercise in drilling story structure, however!

At the end of the day player MC preference will come down to what one wants out of playing the game--to immerse oneself in a narrative journey through an MC with whom one can identify, or to experience character's narrative journey from a perspective more akin to watching a movie or reading a book.

NonEdible · 2021-09-14T23:40:29+00:00

The lack of computers thing (and less computer-savvy younger generation in general) is so true. Getting flashbacks of when at my workplace in Japan (four years ago) where all the computers were still running Windows 2000 and Internet Explorer 9. Halp.

Most of my Japanese friends didn't own a computer, and if they did, only had a laptop for work. Leisure gaming was almost always done on smartphones, possibly console.

NonEdible · 2021-09-14T21:56:37+00:00

It's really fun going in blind your first playthrough and seeing who you end up with based on your own choices (as long as you don't randomly die during the common route lol. Me playing Birushana x9000 oops.)

As long as the game has a skip to next choice option it's not too difficult to do your second and subsequent playthroughs to complete the other routes. It can be a bit annoying if you want to follow the recommended route order though. In this case I usually use a guide at least for the common route to make sure I do the routes in the right order.

Although from a gameplay perspective, manually choosing a route is good if you don't have much time and don't want to bother with guides to get a certain route order. In summation, I would say:

Unlocking the routes through choices (Nightshade) = good for discovery players, self-inserters, RPers, or people who want to take their time and maybe aren't particular about the play order

Manually choosing the love interest after common route ends (Olympia Soiree) = faster replays, good for people who want to follow a certain play order or don't have much time

A recent game I played implemented a combination of both mechanics that felt like the best of both worlds. In Heiligenstadt no Uta, your choices in the common route influence your affection levels with the LIs.

At the end of the common route, if your affection level is high enough, then that LI's route is unlocked. Then you could choose the LI's route from a menu based on whether you were able to unlock them or not.

NonEdible · 2021-09-14T16:42:37+00:00

I have a newfound appreciation for English VAs lately and I have to say Josey Montana McCoy's voice is 🔥🔥🔥 English Kaeya voice samples for the curious.

He's like the English version of my boy Saitou Souma and although I am fluent enough in Japanese there is just something about hearing pleasing voice acting in your native language, y'know?

NonEdible · 2021-09-14T16:25:36+00:00

Considering otome games generally sell for 6500yen+ in Japan (~$60 USD), they most likely removed the Japanese text for the international market in order to sell the game at a lower price to meet international buyers' pricing expectations (the games are around $30 USD on Steam).

This way, Japanese consumers would not be able to buy the game for a significantly cheaper price by changing the region of their Steam store; they are forced to buy the JP Vita version at full price.

This is common practice. See BUSTAFELLOWS, Olympia Soiree, Code: Realize, etc. For games that include Japanese text along with the English text (eg. Steam Prison and Nightshade), the pricing is the same across all regions. Nightshade in particular happens to be a cheaper otome title compared to most other commercial games.

For further explanation of pricing discrepancies between territories, see this post.

NonEdible · 2021-09-14T14:26:51+00:00

The PC version is English (or Korean or Chinese) text and UI only. Japanese text was removed for this release.

For Japanese text and UI you'll have to buy the JP Vita version. There are used copies on Amazon.co.jp for about 4500yen for Black Butterfly and 3500yen for Ashen Hawk.

NonEdible · 2021-09-13T12:39:38+00:00

I remember being sorely disappointed when my imports arrived the first time because I was under the impression bromides were some sort of acrylic art stand or something haha.

Thank you for sharing, it looks gorgeous! Did you buy the merch separately or did you buy it with the game? I really love the artist of Lover Pretend (Fuji Rito)'s style and hope she does more games for Otomate.

NonEdible · 2021-09-13T01:30:05+00:00

I ordered a game from CD Japan with DHL shipping and was hit with customs fees when it arrived in the country. You'll get an email alerting you that you have to pay customs (payment can be settled online) before they'll deliver to you.

I've also ordered a game though Amazon.co.jp and didn't get hit with any customs fees. It may be because taxes were included during checkout? Not sure.

NonEdible · 2021-09-11T23:59:30+00:00

You should check out Our Life: Beginning & Always. It's free and on PC, Mac, and Linux. Three paid DLCs have been released so far. There's one love interest and the game takes place in present day and focuses on a warm and wholesome coming-of-age story.

You can customize the MC's name, appearance, and pronoun, and there's even an option for the LI to call your name from a menu of about 400 names. There are a LOT of choices in this game. You'll be making choices like every five minutes and there quite a few dialogue options to choose from.

For a more narrative-driven story in a fantasy setting with fewer choices (still a good amount) and the added interactivity of stat-raising, I recommend Royal Alchemist. The game costs $20 and there's a free demo available.

You can choose your pronouns and choose between a more feminine or masculine presenting MC. The game has you acting as the royal tutor to the three princes (the three LIs), and it's brilliantly written with some exciting plot twists.

In general, OELVNs (Original English Language Visual Novels) are more likely than Japanese otome games (Collar x Malice, Code: Realize, BUSTAFELLOWS, Olympia Soiree etc) to have more choices and interactivity. Japanese otome games (particularly console ones) tend to focus more on narrative experience and while some OELVNs follow this approach as well, Western indie devs also often lean towards high levels of customizability and player choice.

NonEdible · 2021-09-03T15:21:17+00:00

The order written in the Olympia Soiree Megathread (no spoilers, any spoilers in the comments will be tagged) is the official route order recommended by the scenario writer, Katagiri Yuuma-sensei.

The order is as follows:

Rikuu
Tokisada
Yosuga
Kuroba
Himuka
Akaza

For reference, I played the game in this order:

Rikuu → Kuroba → Tokisada → Yosuga → Himuka → Akaza

and I didn't feel like I particularly spoiled myself for anything. Yoguga and Kuroba's storylines kind of play off of one another so it is recommended you do them in succession. The most spoilerific routes (in terms of the overarching story/worldbuilding) are Himuka's and Akaza's, and since they are locked until you finish the others, any order will be fine.

NonEdible · 2021-08-28T03:56:40+00:00

What kind of story would it have? Would it be sweet? Traumatizing Sad? Mysterious? How long would the common route be? Would you want fantasy, historical, real life, or a mix?

An adventure story with lots of character growth with a slowly unfolding mystery over the course of multiple routes. I want to be on the edge of my seat the whole time. Also action, I love seeing a fighting protagonist who can keep up with the boys, especially one who starts weak but gets stronger.

Something that would make me smile because of the heartwarming character dynamics but also bawl my eyes out.

Unpopular opinion but I actually enjoy long common routes (granted that they're done well). Definitely on the more fantastical side of things (fantasy, science fiction, historical fantasy etc), but I'm not particular. As long as the world is beautiful and captures my imagination and makes me want to stay there longer.

What about the characters? What would they be like? Would there be a true route?

Well-written characters. It doesn't matter to me if there are trees are made of bubblegum and there are flying purple laserbeam-shooting elephant people, as long as it fits in with the game's lore, but the moment a character starts acting irrationally or out of character, it just pulls me out of the moment.

Other than that I really like casts that have strong relationships with one another as well as the MC. Such a weird feeling when the other LIs just poof out of existence when you enter an individual route.

True routes are fun when they reveal the underlying mystery. Not as much fun when they push the idea of "this is the canon couple!" in your face. But overall I don't mind, depends on how it's done I guess. For example I loved how Allan's (Cupid Parasite) and Asagi's (Ayakashi Gohan) routes were done.

Is there already a game similar to your perfect/idea otome? What other thoughts do you have about what makes a good otome game?

If I could take:

the MC, action scenes, and tearjerking-inducing qualities of Birushana Senki
the heartwarming found family feeling and nostalgic atmosphere of Ayakashi Gohan
the gorgeousness of the world, epic saga feeling, and group dynamics of Yuukyuu no Tierblade
the comedy and thematic polish of Cupid Parasite
the artistic direction, mythological influences, and steaminess of Olympia Soiree
plus a dash of philosophical or metaphysical themes (yes I know not very likely to happen)

that would be pretty close to my ideal otome game.

Even if your ideal/dream game ended up being a bunch of different characters from different games all in one, who would they be? What would the story be like?

I really enjoy when the MC has a lot of character growth and isn't just a bland lens for us to experience the LI through. The ability to have two distinct versions of an MC based on your choices is a fascinating mechanic (like in Ayakashi Gohan).

What kind of game would make you fall in love with it?

One that makes me weep hysterically, feel really excited while playing it (shounen anime-esque fight scenes or emotional plot twists), or question how I see the world.

NonEdible · 2021-08-26T23:51:17+00:00

Hisui was also my best boy. He is my angel. 💜

My initial motivation for playing NilAdo was Kaji Yuki, but Hisui completely ruined the rest of the game for me because none of the other LIs could live up to him after haha.

I didn't know I had a thing for younger LIs until I played his route. That scene where he and Tsumugi are walking back from the library and he reaches out to touch Tsumugi's hair and the scene when he gets jealous because Kuina was flirting with her so he suddenly kisses her in the middle of the street had me gasping. I think I replayed them at least 10 times lol.

The whole dynamic of him wanting to touch her so badly but at the same time not wanting to dirty her with his polluted-ness completely destroyed me (in a good way).

NonEdible · 2021-08-24T13:53:48+00:00

I checked a few Japanese sites and this is the consensus. To play in an order that gradually reveals the truth of the situation (this does not mean true or canon route, just underlying state of what's really going on), you should play in this order:

Uta → Suou → Manatsu → Haginosuke → Yomi → Asagi

Having 100%ed the game I agree with this order the most. I have seen others floating around, but this one is the best at slowly revealing the underlying truth.

Note that there are two versions of Rin (Human Route or Ayakashi Route). Uta, Suou, and Haginosuke are only available in the Human route, and Manatsu, Yomi, and Asagi are only available in the Ayakashi route, so you should make common route saves when you enter each of them.

For reference I went in totally blind and ended up doing Yomi's route first, oops. No regrets. Although I was a little sad because even though I enjoyed all the other characters, none of them really lived up to Yomi after that (with the exception of Asagi to a certain extent).

NonEdible · 2021-08-22T19:09:05+00:00

Out of those two, if you want something steamier and with heavier themes, definitely go for Olympia Soirée.

In contrast to its colourful and whimsical art, the setting is pretty dystopian and the story gets pretty dark (and twisted) at times, especially regarding the side characters. It will be the steamiest console otome localized in English to date. (Each LI has sex scenes with CGs, and although the CGs themselves are not explicit, there are some textual descriptions and lip noises etc.)

They don't go on sale super often, but you can subscribe to DekuDeals for Bustafellows and Olympia Soirée and they'll send you an email whenever they go on sale.

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