Year End Review-Visual Novels

Visual novels have always been a part of my life for a very long time,but oddly enough it seemed like this year was the year that I bought a ton of them, and oddly enough almost all of them were translated into English.

I initially just preordered Steins;Gate the limited edition because JAST USA made it sound like the only people who were going to get a physical copy of the game (at the time when this was in golden master) were the people who jumped in and bought limited editions. So of course I went ahead and preordered a copy of the limited edition, though now there is Steins;Gate coming out for almost everything and that a standard edition of the game exists as well. Though I don't regret getting the limited edition, it looks really nice and everything. I wish that they made more of them like this, I really like the way the box looks.

Honestly though, if you haven't picked up Steins;Gate for the PC yet, or if you don't want to play VNs on your PC, there is going to be a few releases next year of the game on IOS, PS Vita, and PS3. So in 2015 no one will have an excuse to not have played a piece of otaku history.

When I was at Sakuracon in the spring I ended up buying Kara no Shoujo for the PC as well. It only happened by chance because I was just walking through the dealers hall at the convention and ended up finding the Mangagamer booth. The only thing I was kind of interested in was Kara no Shoujo so I picked it up for $50 for the limited edition of it as well. Though it was a limited edition, it's not as good looking as the Steins;Gate one. And to be honest, it was much of an impulse buy than anything else because I want more VNs to come to the US and international, I knew enough about it that it's an eroge but nothing else.

Of course after that I bought another Hakuoki game, this time for the PS3 just for the fact that I love this game series even though we end up getting the same game over and over with just added content.

I'll buy it because not only do I like the story of it being taken a part in an alternate history in Japan. There's freaking Oni and pseudo-oni people in it. And if that wasn't enough fun, then I don't know what is. But to be honest it is an Otome game and there aren't many of those existing in general; even in Japan. So I feel like I got to buy this game to boost up the numbers. But it actually is a good story, so it's a win-win situation.

Though with how niche the PS Vita is, I don't see why AKSYS hasn't gotten the copyright to release an English version of the Sweet School Life version of Hakuoki. Because who doesn't like an alternate reality where everyone in the Shinsengumi is in high school, or teaches in high school. Are you kidding that would print instant money. Seriously, every fangirl would get to live out their dream of being surrounded with cute boys doing stuff.

The last thing I have bought this year in regards to VNs was another impulse buy it was Littlewitch Romanesque released by JAST USA released on the 23rd of December. The only reason why I think I bought it was because I was on JAST USA's page and saw it was getting released this month. And to my honest surprise it was. I have the game downloaded right now on my computer but I am still waiting for my physical copy, though I just looked it up on J-list itself and saw they have addressed the problem. I don't know when I will be getting the physical one but I hope it is soon, because I want to see how the case is and I hope it is akin to the one they did for Steins;Gate.

I did get past the intro to actually save the game and I came across this cute little thing.

I really have no idea what it is, but doesn't it kind of look like a Moomin? A Moomin that looks like he's made out of chocolate...

From what I've seen so far, I like how the story is shown, with it going more for a living manga style where speech bubbles appear than just a box with text. And the voices are great so far. I am especially glad that the main male lead has a voice, as that is the number one deal breaker for me. If I play a game and the main male has no voice... It just stops me in my tracks and then makes me want to mute all the characters. Because if I hear someone talking and the response to it is just a wall of text that I am suppose to read, and then goes back to voices. It just breaks immersion. There is an all-ages version though coming to Steam via their Greenlight system, so if you're interested in the story without the eroge contents there's that for you.

I am excited for 2015 since there will be a lot more VNs on their way, including Clannad from Sekai project, and not to mention (hopefully) the release of Hanachirasu from JAST USA. Also more Steins;Gate which is good too. But most of all I am excited to see what will get the potential go from either kickstarter or from independent small groups making their own VNs.  It seems as if VNs have found their way into the hearts of people outside of Japan. And I'd like for it to keep growing years down the line.

Steins;Gate coming to Playstation 3 and PS Vita in 2015

Stiens;Gate is coming, be prepared Sony

Well if you haven't heard the news yet, Steins;Gate is going to have a release in 2015 for PS3 and Vita. Now even though the game is already out in English on the PC thanks to JASTUSA there is going to be a release for Europe and North America.

I am really excited by this. Even though I have a copy of the PC game already, I hope what has had happened recently with the growing trend of visual novels coming out, that Japan does see that there is a market out here for it, and that yes, people do buy them. While I do have a few gripes of how visual novels are handled (I'll make a post about it eventually) in the USA with certain distributors. I've got to say overall that I am glad that people can enjoy these games.

Now I am just waiting to see if they'll actually start translating otome or yaoi games.

Steins;Gate-Shiina Mayuri Route

I finished Shiina Mayuri's route the other day and I totally forgot how depressing the game got when you started to aim for her or Kurisu's end. To be honest, Mayuri is probably in my top favorite girls of all time. Even though she's not the brightest her perception for other peoples feelings and wanting everyone to be happy is rather endearing.

Mayuri being given the Metal Upa that Okabe got from a Gashapon

As you gradually get along in the story, you start feeling horrible for her and Okabe for reliving all those horrible things over and over in the loop. What really hit hard the most was when she mentioned the dreams of her death to her grandmother, and then when Okabe sits her down and tells her everything. To which she just kept beating herself up.

Mayuri's accurate description about her position change

 The things Okabe did for Mayuri really clenched in the end when it had to deal with her route end with Okabe. After all, he did all those things for her to keep her alive, so it would make sense that he loved her in that way. But the way that it was all brought together was what made me cry at the end of this route.

Final scene with Mayuri and Okabe walking down Akiba holding hands

You can feel that Okabe still has mass feelings of regret for not being able to save Kurisu, and also potential feelings that may have been love (at least in this route end) because he does always go to Kurisu for help when he tried to figure out how to save Mayuri.

Though I actually really love the Steins;Gate route the Stardust Sky (Mayuri route) is my favorite side route.

Playing Steins;Gate- Amane Suzuha Route

It's been a long time since I had actually played Steins;Gate. I first learned about the game back when it was released on the Xbox 360 in 2009 but didn't actually play it until 2011.

So with all that time passing I preordered the game when JAST USA announced that they were going to release the visual novel. Like many people I was waiting for the long haul of it going to take the metaphorical years that it usually takes them to release anything. No seriously, still waiting for that Hanachirasu VN that was supposed to be bundled with Saya no Uta.

Anyway I got the limited edition of the game and have been slowly playing through it and have just reached the end of the first route completed.

Amane Suzuha's route.

Final CG from Amane Suzuha's Route:Heading to the Past with Okabe Rintaro

I forgot that this route was a relatively easy one to get first of all and it was one of the ending routes that made me feel so horrible for the girl. She finds everything just to lose it. And not only that, but she feels such guilt and self loathing for herself that she eventually commits suicide for not remembering her mission.

Through this route as well, you not only get to see Okabe's softer side (as you do with all the routes) but you see the consequences that start to inflict his psyche when he loops time over and over. To the point where Amane makes a reference to the movie "Groundhog's Day".

Overall though, the ending of the route though doesn't do much for the story as it's the only one that ends in huge ambiguity. Which is actually fine, after all Steins;Gate is about possibility.