Samantha Lienhard's Blog, page 116
July 13, 2018
A New Visual Novel I Wrote is Available Now
When I discussed my romance stories for Valentine’s Day, I mentioned my work on the script for another visual novel in the style of My Strange Girlfriend.
Well, it’s available now!
My Devil Girlfriend: Romance You Choose is out now on the Google Play Store for free with in-app purchases (both of these will eventually come to iOS).
This one follows a young man who gets mixed up in a plot involving three devils who enter his school disguised as normal students. Three romance routes are available, and these visual novels use the model where you can play for free but need to unlock certain premium choices with an in-game currency.
My Devil Girlfriend leans more toward fantasy than the previous one did, since the devils and their powers are so important to the story.
Writing these has actually become a pillar of my freelance work, so expect more of these to fill out my Games page in the future.
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July 11, 2018
Does Octopath Traveler Have an Overarching Story or Not?
Square Enix’s new turn-based JRPG Octopath Traveler is almost here, but there’s one important question that hasn’t quite been answered yet: does it have an overarching story?
I’ve been excited for Octopath Traveler ever since I tried the first demo and fell in love with its traditional feel and the intriguing start to the characters’ stories.
However, I did mention my hope that they’d all end up united in a single story.
This has pretty much been my biggest concern about the game. It looks great, but if the characters have eight individual stories with no justification for them traveling together, that doesn’t sound nearly as interesting to me as if their stories eventually came together.
From the early marketing, it sounded like the stories would be separate, but then comments from Nintendo representatives indicated that the character stories were part of the build-up for the main story. The demo also included hints of a connection between certain stories.
A few days ago, someone reported that they got the game early and there was no connected main story.
This was shortly followed by a different report that after the individual stories, there would be payoffs involving all the characters.
Jason Schreier from Kotaku said the stories are entirely separate and that the other person’s report was false.
After that, a new interview came out saying the stories absolutely intertwine.
And there’s even more besides these, on both sides of the argument. What makes this even weirder is that an apparent final boss theme was datamined, but it doesn’t appear to be used in the eight individual stories.
For what seemed like a simple question, there sure is a lot of conflicting information. The only thing that makes sense is that it’s one of two things:
The stories come together into a single main plot, but this is some sort of secret/true ending that must be unlocked.
Different people are interpreting the question in different ways.
The second option seems more likely. Some people might look at small connections between the stories and say that’s an overarching plot, while others see it as eight separate stories. Still, that doesn’t explain the final boss music…
Well, we should know soon enough. The review embargo lifts tomorrow and the game comes out on Friday. In the meantime, share your thoughts on this unexpectedly confusing situation and keep an eye on the Octopath Traveler subreddit for the latest round of confirmations on both sides.
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July 9, 2018
Ace Attorney Anime Season 2 New Details
When the second season of the Ace Attorney anime was announced, we discussed various possibilities for its content. Now, we have some answers.
Anime Expo took place last week, and it resulted in a ton of news (including the localization of The Caligula Effect: Overdose and several visual novels). An Ace Attorney panel revealed new details about the anime, reported by Court-Records on Saturday.
In addition to adapting Trials and Tribulations, Season 2 of the anime will include The Lost Turnabout, which the Justice for All adaptation skipped over.
It will also feature original content, including an episode set on a train.
I enjoyed the original episode written for Season 1, so I’m excited to hear that Season 2 will do the same.
Season 2 of the Ace Attorney anime will begin on October 6 in Japan. Are you looking forward to it?
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July 6, 2018
Dr. Frank’s Build a Boyfriend is Cute and Hilarious
Considering my love for mad scientists, maybe it’s no surprise that my first BL visual novel would be something called “Dr. Frank’s Build a Boyfriend.”
Dr. Frank’s Build a Boyfriend follows a mad scientist named Dr. Frank, who devotes himself to the typical sorts of Frankenstein-style experiments you’d expect.
Then his boyfriend steals his research to present as his own, and Dr. Frank comes up with the only logical revenge: building the world’s best boyfriend!
If you haven’t guessed, this game doesn’t take itself too seriously.
As Dr. Frank prepares his dubious revenge, with his poor assistant Iggs helping out despite his better judgment, they go from one absurd situation to another. Digging up graves while hoping no one sees, dealing with the fact that the monster considers Dr. Frank to be his father, finding a replacement arm when they lose one…
While it’s mainly a visual novel, it’s a bit of an adventure game hybrid as well, with a few sections that let you explore Dr. Frank’s house to find the items you need. It has a nice built-in hint system where you can ask Iggs for advice if you get stuck.
There’s plenty of humor in these sections as well.
Dr. Frank is a funny (and often immature) character, but there’s also a serious message beneath all the silliness as his character develops.
This visual novel was cute and a couple parts made me laugh out loud. The only downside is that it’s pretty short. It took me a little over an hour to get both endings. On the other hand, it’s also free, so it’s hard to complain.
If the developer ever makes a sequel to Dr. Frank’s Build a Boyfriend, I’d be happy to see where this dubious mad scientist’s journey takes him next.
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July 4, 2018
Twitch Prime’s Month of Free Games
For a while now, Twitch and Amazon have partnered for a program called Twitch Prime. Basically, it’s an extra benefit of Amazon Prime. If you’re a member, you get free games (and sometimes in-game items) each month.
Twitch has announced a special series of giveaways in July, in honor of Prime Day.
Each free game will be available for a few days during the month, but once you get it, it’s yours to keep forever. Yesterday I picked up Pillars of Eternity, the first of the free games.
(At the time that I’m writing this, some of the dates in the announcement seem to be slightly off, but the dates in the image match the dates given for the games available now.)
Twitch Prime’s free games in July:
Pillars of Eternity: July 2-4
QUBE 2: July 3-4
Battle Chef Brigade: July 4-10
Manual Samuel: July 5-11
GoNNER: July 6-12
Next Up Hero: July 7-13
Uurnong Uurnlimited: July 8-14
Hue: July 9-15
Deponia Doomsday: July 10-16
Observer: July 11-17
Tacoma: July 12-18
The Bridge: July 13-26
Brutal Legend: July 14-27
The Red Strings Club: July 15-21
Tyranny: July 16-17
Broken Age: July 17-31
The Framed Collection: July 18-31
Serial Cleaner: July 18-31
The last two aren’t included on the image for some reason.
Metal Slug 3, The Last Blade, and Twinkle Star Sprites will also be available through August 2.
There are some great games included in this month’s giveaways. Pillars of Eternity caught my attention right away, and I’m also interested in Observer, Tacoma, The Red Strings Club, and Tyranny.
Battle Chef Brigade is also a pretty cool game. I reviewed it here.
Anyway, if you’re already a member of Amazon Prime, all you have to do is log into Twitch to get your games. If you aren’t, you can always join now or sign up for a free trial.
Are you going to pick up any of the free games from Twitch Prime this month?
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July 2, 2018
Metroid Fusion: I Finally Played a Metroid Game
Despite praising the “Metroidvania” genre, it actually took me until this year to finish a Metroid game.
I actually started Metroid Fusion years ago, but I never got far. This May, I decided it was time to change that.
As a newcomer to the series, I wasn’t entirely sure what story details I was supposed to already know, but fortunately this isn’t a particularly story-driven game. I did enjoy the little conversations and updates after each section, and it left me curious about the Metroid universe.
Gameplay-wise, I enjoyed the exploration and backtracking whenever I got a new upgrade, although on the other hand, every boss fight made me want to pull out my hair.
Still, I kept at it this time and managed to get through every boss fight and continue on to the end.
Click for Metroid Fusion spoiler…and was locked out of backtracking for the rest of the upgrades, which I didn’t expect to happen so soon after getting the screw attack.
I understand I’ll be able to backtrack now if I reload my save, but I probably won’t. Getting all the upgrades isn’t worth fighting those final bosses again. *shudder*
I’m happy I finally played a Metroid game, and I’m looking forward to trying other games in the series. I already have the Metroid Prime Trilogy, so maybe I’ll try those next. Which would you recommend?
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June 29, 2018
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit is Both Cute and Sad
When The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit was announced during E3 at Microsoft’s press conference, I commented that even though it looked lighthearted, I didn’t trust it since it’s a game from Dontnod (and set in the Life is Strange universe, no less).
My suspicions were well-placed.
The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit is free, takes about 2 hours or so to complete, and alternates between being cute and sad.
Gameplay is pretty much like it is in Life is Strange, except you can use Chris’s “superpowers” in various situations. Chris is a little boy who pretends to be a superhero called Captain Spirit, and most of the game follows the adventures he plays out around the house.
He’s also struggling to cope with the death of his mother, as well as his father’s newfound alcoholism and bouts of anger.
Oh.
There were times when Captain Spirit felt like a lighthearted nostalgia trip, but the underlying darkness always lurked nearby. If you enjoyed the parts of Life is Strange that discussed what Max and Chloe were like as kids, or the “Farewell” bonus episode to Before the Storm, you’ll probably enjoy The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit as well.
The very end teases two additional characters who will probably play a role in Life is Strange 2. The ending screen confirms that Chris will return in Life is Strange 2, but it’s unclear if he’ll be the protagonist or not. I think one of the two brothers will be the main character, especially with how they’re introduced.
Click for Captain Spirit spoilerThat scene looked to me like one of them has actual powers and saved Chris from falling.
Many parts of The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit made me smile, but it ultimately left me feeling sad. Still, we all know I’m going to play Life is Strange 2 no matter how depressing it is.
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June 27, 2018
The Cancellation of Omega Labyrinth Z’s Localization
Omega Labyrinth Z is one of those games that when I saw it announced, I said something along the lines of “Oh Japan” followed by “That’ll never be localized.”
Then they proved me wrong and announced the western release of this very fanservice-centric dungeon RPG.
Omega Labyrinth Z hit the news a few months ago when countries starting banning its release, largely due to its fanservice together with the age of its high school characters. I’m not sure why they didn’t go the “they’re actually 18” localization strategy, but it might be because the developer/publisher didn’t want to go with any form of censorship.
During these bans, everything seemed set for its western release outside of those countries.
Until this week, when PQube announced that the North American and European release had been cancelled due to “the wishes of the platform holder.”
What makes this particularly odd is that the ESRB isn’t to blame. Usually when these things come up, it’s because of the ESRB rating (or the company opting for censorship in order to avoid a higher rating), but in this case, the ESRB gave Omega Labyrinth Z an M rating. This seems to have been specifically from Sony in America and Europe.
PQube did indicate that they won’t rule out a Steam release, but that the cost of porting it is an issue.
(If Nintendo picks it up, we’ll know we’ve entered an alternate universe.)
Now, I’m obviously not the target audience for Omega Labyrinth Z, but I found it interesting to follow the situation as it unfolded. Some people are concerned about the precedent this sets, that Sony could refuse a game already rated by the ESRB (and PEGI), while others feel that given the game’s *ahem* questionable content, their decision was merited.
What do you think? How do you feel about the cancellation of Omega Labyrinth Z’s western version?
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June 22, 2018
Legrand Legacy: Great Potential, Shaky Execution
After I covered the release of Legrand Legacy: Tale of the Fatebound, the developers sent me a PC code so I could review it.
Legrand Legacy is a turn-based RPG styled after classic JRPGs, particularly from the PS1 and PS2 era. Aesthetically, it definitely reminded me of that era (particularly through the occasional silent CGI cutscenes).
It has turn-based combat, but with timed button presses to determine the effectiveness of your move. Your skill with this really determines the difficulty. Battles can be brutal if you’re struggling to get the timing right, but using the system effectively together with exploiting enemy weaknesses makes battles go much better.
(Combat also got easier for me when I realized the healer, Eris, actually has exceptionally powerful magic attacks once her stats are high enough.)
Technically, there is a world map, but since most locations are separated from one another by oceans or dungeons and you can’t enter locations until the plot mentions them, the world map felt more like a nod to the idea than anything else.
Towns present you with a menu from which you can access different areas you’ve already visited, which seems particularly strange since you have to go to each area’s exit to reach the menu and dungeons use the normal structure of interconnected areas. It make it easy to get to specific parts of town, but it always felt a little odd.
The dungeons were hit or miss. Some were all right, while others used gameplay mechanics that felt designed to make them as annoying as possible, such as one dungeon that has high water so you’re forced to walk at a much slower pace. The biggest exception was the final dungeon, which had a clever design and felt satisfying to get past.
Now, for me, the most important parts of an RPG are its story and characters. Legrand Legacy started out strong, and it plot had several interesting parts. One lengthy CG scene was especially exciting… and left me wishing the rest of the story measured up.
Click for major Legrand Legacy spoilerI also have to give it credit for permanently killing off a character. It was a shock (especially since I relied on her often in combat), but a lot of developers seem unwilling to take a character away like that without replacing them. Being reduced to a 5-person party for the rest of the game made it feel more impactful.
Unfortunately, the party members pull the overall experience down. Some of them are okay and the main character is tolerable, but a few of them (especially Aria and Kael) are downright annoying.
Conflict between the characters generally goes like this: a secret is revealed about one character. Another character becomes furious. The first character swears they had a good reason for not telling. The second character yells about how they can never trust that person again. Other characters suggest that is unreasonable. The second character refuses to listen.
The first time this happened, it was okay. The second time, it felt like maybe an intentional parallel between the two scenes. But after a while, it just started to feel ridiculous. Do none of these people trust each other?
Everything culminated in an ending that, while cool, raised several questions.
Legrand Legacy: Tale of the Fatebound pays homage to old PlayStation JRPGs and it definitely has some fun moments and cool scenes if you’re a fan of that style of game. Unfortunately, its execution–especially where its characters are concerned–falls short of its potential.
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June 20, 2018
Kingdom Hearts III Volume, Secret Movie, & More
Kingdom Hearts III has been featured in the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu, and thanks to translations from KH13 and Gematsu, we’ve learned lots of new things.
One part that stood out to me the most was that Nomura is concerned that Kingdom Hearts III’s high volume might cause capacity problems.
I’ve been hoping it will be a long game, so that sounds promising.
He also confirmed a “secret movie,” which most likely refers to the sort of secret endings past Kingdom Hearts games have had.
There are a lot of new gameplay details discussing mini-games, Keyblade techniques, and more.
The most confusing part is a discussion of the former Organization XIII members. One translation made it sound as though they were all back as humans, but a later translation sounds like the members of the new Organization (Xigbar, Marluxia, etc.) came back as humans but then became Nobodies again, possibly in a different way than usual.
Hopefully that will be clearer in the game itself.
Finally, Nomura touched on the topic of DLC and said that he’d like to expand the gameplay through DLC, with standalone DLC after they complete the main game. That sounds like they’ll focus on making the main game complete before they do anything else, so I’m not opposed to DLC in that context.
I can’t wait to play Kingdom Hearts III. The delay to January was disappointing, but it’s still not far off. Remember, if you want to catch up on the story before Kingdom Hearts III, I’ve detailed the best order to play the Kingdom Hearts games. Every game is important!
Are you looking forward to Kingdom Hearts III? What do you think is up with the former Nobodies?
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