"Are you ready for your gacha lessons?"

Genshin gulped.

Fate/Grand Order nodded.

Arknights shuddered.

Blue Archive blinked nervously.

"Yes 英雄伝説 閃の軌跡: Northern War-sensei", they said in unison.

Prologue
--------

Two masked figures face off in a field over a full moon. They leap and clash
swords, and the man in red falls.

Ryu (voiceover): With whom did father have a duel and lose? For what reason
did he fight and die? Even I don't know for sure.

Fadeout to Ryu holding a letter.

Ryu (voiceover): The day after he disappeared, in father's room I found a
letter addressed to me. It said, "Ryu, I am on my way to a life or death duel.
If it is destiny that I not return, you are to take the Dragon sword of the
Hayabusa family and go to America and see the archaeologist, Walter Smith.
Ryu, be always brave..."

Cut to Ryu in mask.

Ryu: I will get my revenge!


Act I
-----


After defeating the monster, Ryu stands in the bar.

Ryu: Who are they...they seem to be following me...(glances over) Who's
there? (Scroll to girl in background) Just a girl. Get out of here!

Cut to girl.

Girl: I will, but first... (pulls a gun)

Ryu: What the...?

Cut to Ryu with shocked expression. A gunshot rings out, fade to gray, then
black.

View of a prison door.

Ryu: Ow...Where...Where am I?

Silhouette appears in doorway.

Girl: I see the anesthetic is wearing off.

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: Who are you?!

Cut to girl inside door.

Girl: Shhh. Don't make so much noise...I've got a favor to ask of you.

Cut to view of statue.

Girl: Here. Take this and escape.

Ryu: What is this...this statue?

Cut to closeup of girl.

Girl: There's no time to explain. Hurry.

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: Hey, wait. Who are you? Didn't you try to kill me?

Cut to girl.

Girl: Someone's coming. Be careful.

Fade to black.


Act II
------


Ryu running.

Ryu: What is this bizarre statue anyway? And who was
that woman?

Ryu (voiceover): As I grew more and more suspicious, I went off to look for
that supposed acquaintance of my father's, Mr. Smith.


Act III
-------


Cut to man.

Man: Who is it?

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: You must be Walter Smith. The name's Ryu, Ryu Hayabusa.

Cut to Smith.

Smith: Who? That sword...of course. You must be Ken Hayabusa's son.

Ryu: In his last letter, my father told me I should see you.

Smith: Last letter? I see...so it is already begun.

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: ...

Cut to Smith.

Smith: Ken and I were on an expedition to some old
Amazon ruins. We found a strange statue and a stone
tablet. On the tablet, it said...

Ryu: Wait a minute. You mean to tell that statue...

Cut to view of statue.

Smith: Yes, precisely. I thought it had been stolen. That demon statue
possesses enough evil power to destroy an entire nation. The demon came to
this earth and caused many deaths. But then SHINOBI appeared to stop the
demon.

Cut to view of dragon sword.

Smith: SHINOBI borrowed the strength of the dragon and countered each of the
demon's spells and thus was able to overcome it.

Cut to Smith.

Smith: Yet, though it was defeated, the demon was not dead. So SHINOBI
confined the evil power of the demon in two status of "LIGHT" and "SHADOW".

Cut to view of two statues.

Smith: ...And the body of the demon was confined in a temple. This one must be
the "SHADOW" statue. Therefore...

Green figure runs up, takes statue, and leaps to roof.

Intruder: And now I've got it. Bye, friend!

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: What the...?

Cut to Smith.

Smith: After him, Ryu!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After retrieving the statue, Ryu runs back.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryu (voiceover): After getting back the demon statue,
I felt a strange premonition and hurried back.

Cut to Ryu, flashing screen.

Ryu: Dr. Smith!!

Cut to Smith bleeding in a chair with Ryu holding him up.

Smith: Ryu...the "LIGHT" demon statue...was taken...

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: The "LIGHT" statue?

Cut to Smith/Ryu.

Smith: Yes, your father and I...we each kept one of the statues...just in case.
So that the two statues would never become one. The demon's been asleep for
700 years...and now it's starting to wake up...whatever we do...we've got to
stop it. Got to get it back...there's no choice...you've got to become the
Ninja Dragon...

Ryu: Dr. Smith! Dr. Smith!

Ryu turns around.

Ryu: ...

Cut to three men, two with guns.

Men: Come with us.


Act IV
------


View of man in chair, dim lighting.


Man: Welcome, Ryu Hayabusa. Sorry if I startled you.

Lights go bright.

Man: We are from the CIA Special Auxiliary unit. My name's Foster.

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: ...

Cut to Foster.

Foster: Getting right to the point...

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: Wait. I want to know why you killed Smith.

Cut to Foster.

Foster: We didn't kill him. But we'll fill you in on what we know.

Cut to Ryu.

Cut to Foster with a map of South America behind him.

Foster: In the upper reaches of the Amazon, some ancient ruins were discovered.
It seems the temple was built more than 2000 years ago. The discoverer was
Dr. Smith, who studied the ruins for some time. But one day, he suddenly
sealed off the ruins. And ever since then no one has gone close.

Map is replaced by picture of a purple-outfitted figure.

Foster: Later, however, a man moved in and took over the ruins. His name is
Guardia de mieux. He calls himself the Jaquio. According to our records, it
seems that the temple is not where gods are worshipped but was built to
imprison the body of the demon.

Picture is replaced by the image of the shadow statue.

Foster: Therefore, evil spirits are supposed to be held in the statue you
have. Dr. Smith probably already knew that. He was probably killed by someone
working for the Jaquio.

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: ...

Cut to Foster.

Foster: When a black moon shines, Light and Dark break apart, the King of
Darkness howls. These were the last words written on the stone tablet. If
someone brings the demon back to life, he will gain incredible power...enough
to control the entire world.

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: So you know about that?

Foster: The woman who shot you in the bar was one of our agents.

Cut to Foster.

Foster: They are after you. Use this and go to their
headquarters. Get the demon statue back from them. Of course, you will be paid
for the work.

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: If I say no?

Cut to Foster, lights dimmed.

Foster: You know the answer to that.

Cut to shot of helicopter flying over a jungle. A figure leaps from the plane.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upon scaling the cliff, Ryu looks at the massive
temple in the distance.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After defeating the gargoyles, Ryu encounters the Jaquio.

Jaquio: You have come a long way to bring me the demon statue. Now give it to
me.

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: No!

Cut to Jaquio.

Jaquio: Do you know what you're saying?

Ryu: What?!

Cut to monster holding knife to girl's throat.

Girl: Ryu!

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: You...you coward.

Cut to girl.

Girl: No, don't give it to him.

Cut to Jaquio.

Jaquio: Now, put down the demon statue on the floor, and back up.

Cut to view of Ryu kneeling with statue beside him.

Jaquio: Nice work. I guess this is goodbye.

Cut to Jaquio.

Jaquio: Have a nice day.

Cut to Ryu. Ryu falls in pit.

Cut to girl.

Jaquio: Ah...take the girl away. She is going to be a sacrifice.

Cut to Jaquio.

Jaquio: Ha, ha, ha...it's mine. Tonight is the night of rebirth which comes
only once every 700 years. This world will soon be mine. Ha, ha, ha...

Cut to closeup of Jaquio.

Jaquio: Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha....

Fade to black.


Act V
-----

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Upon scaling back to the top of the tower, Ryu
encounters a masked figure.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Man: I am Malth. You will never get past me.

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: Then I must defeat you!

Cut to Malth.

Malth: You are as bold as your father. But he is a much better swordsman.

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: You know my father?

Cut to Malth.

Malth: Come and fight, young Hayabusa!

After defeating Malth, Ryu looms over his fallen
form.

Ryu: You killed my father.

Malth: Killed? It is true that we fought. But your father is alive.

Ryu: Liar!

Malth: No, it is not a lie. If you proceed further, you will see him. But it
will be the last thing you see.

Cut to an angry Ryu.

Ryu: ...


Act VI
------

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

After advancing through the temple, Ryu stands in a
darkened room.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jaquio: Ryu, you deserve praise for making it this
far...

Ryu turns around.

Ryu: Where are you, show yourself!

Jaquio: ...but even you cannot defeat "the masked devil."

Cut to shot of masked man.

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: No one can beat me.

Jaquio: Even...your father?

Stunned look crosses Ryu's face.

Ryu: What?!

Cut to black-and-white flashback of opening duel.

Jaquio: Your father was not killed. He has been turned into "the masked devil."

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: No!

Jaquio: It will be entertaining to watch father and son fight to the death.

Cut to Ryu facing left.

Ryu: Wake up, Father!

Cut to Masked Devil.

Jaquio: No use. He thinks only of killing you.

Cut to Ryu, panning shot.

Ryu: So this was my destiny. Malth was telling the truth. What shall I do?
I've got to think clearly. Father's eyes...they show he is controlled like a
puppet. If I break the control...

Cut to panning shot of wall.

Ryu: But what is controlling him?

Camera jerks back to crystal orb.

Ryu: That's it!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

After breaking the control, Ryu reunites with his father.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryu: Father!

Ken: ...Where am I...? Ryu...are you Ryu?

Ryu: Yes, Father.

Cut to fading shot of the Jaquio.

Ken: Argh! He's awake!

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: The Jaquio!

Cut to close-up of Jaquio.

Jaquio: You both will die!

Jaquio fires an orb at Ryu.

Ken: Watch out!

Ken leaps in front of Ryu, taking the blow.

Ken: Ugh...!!!!

Ryu: Father...

Cut to Ryu holding his father.

Ken: Ryu...you've got to...get them for me.

Ryu: Father!

Cut to Ryu turning and jumping to a close-up.

Ryu: Your day has come, Jaquio!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryu defeats second form of Jaquio.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cut to girl.

Girl: Ryu!

Cut to Ryu.

Girl: Ryu!

Ryu: Thank God you're safe!

Cut to Ryu holding Ken.

Ryu: Let's go, father. Let's get out of this temple.

Ken: Ryu, wait. Before we do, the demon statues...we've got to throw them from
the temple while we've still got time. Before the "black moon" shines.

Cut to girl.

Girl: Ryu, what's that?

Cut to shot of clouds moving across the moon.

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: Is it a lunar eclipse?! That must be it. That's what the "black moon"
meant...Oh, no! The demon statue!

Cut to shot of the moon getting completely eclipsed, and the ground shakes
while the two statues start to come together.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

After defeating the final evil, Ryu approaches his father.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ryu: Wake up father, wake up.

Ken: Ryu...I haven't got much longer...This temple is about to break apart.
Take that woman and escape.

Ryu: What are you saying, father? I can't just leave you!

Ken: Ryu, you are a man now. My destiny is tied to the demon statue. Ryu,
good luck...

Cut to a distraught Ryu.

Ryu: Father, father...!!!

Fade to black.

Ryu: Father!!!

The temple collapses. Pan to Ryu and the girl standing, viewing the collapse.

Cut to girl and Ryu.

Girl: Ryu...

Beeping noise. Cut to girl talking into mouthpiece.

Girl: This is Sea Swallow...

Cut to view of mouthpiece.

Foster: This is Foster. We detected the explosion from the satellite. Job well
done. You are to kill Ryu Hayabusa.

Cut to Ryu and the girl.

Girl: What? Kill Ryu?

Foster: That's right. Then you are to steal the demon statues.

Cut to unmasked Ryu.

Ryu: So this was your plan all along...I'll get you for this, Foster!

Cut to view of mouthpiece.

Foster: Ryu, you...

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: I get two kinds of payment. The first I have already received.
The second...is you, Foster!

Cut to Ryu and the girl.

Cut to overhead view.

Foster: Ryu...wait...

Cut to Ryu and the girl.

Girl: Ryu, what is the payment you have already received?

Ryu: She's right in front of me.

The girl smiles, and the camera pans to show a lengthy kiss between the two.

Cut to Ryu and the girl.

Ryu: I don't even know your name.

Girl: Irene, Irene Lew.

Cut to Ryu.

Ryu: Well, Irene. Look, the sun is rising. Everything is so bright now. The
darkness is finally over.

The camera shows Ryu and Irene standing on a rock watching the sun rise.

ROLL CREDITS

THE END

"Why can't l just sit on the couch, like you, watching this story unfold, waiting for this planet to die?"
This is like if Stanislaw Lem was forced to write an Idea Factory game at gunpoint. The metafictional aspects are incredibly well done - they appear trite and overdone when you approach each individual part of its self-aware "gimmicks" but taken together the way it involves the player and our reality into its metaphysical narrative space is nothing short of masterful and its eventual drive of our space into its space into a further, unknown, unrelated space is incredible. I also enjoyed the core narrative after having completed my required reading (ciel nosurge plot summary), I am super baffled they translated this without Ciel since its a direct sequel. Not my favourite gust game but its up there, and Akira Tsuchiya's involvement in blue reflection tie makes a lot of sense after having played this. Definitely gave me a stronger basis for my interpretation of that game.

P.S. I know the intended reading of Earthes and ion's relationships supposed to be a "the anime girl is in love with you anon" thing but my reading is that I am ion and I want to fuck the robot. Thank you Mr. Tsuchiya for the robotfucker girl representation

A bit of a letdown after how much I enjoyed the previous games. It outstays its welcome a bit and the battle system ends up completely leaning on a fairly lame stagger mechanic. By the end it just feels like the game's preventing you from using your items and skills more than dealing with them more directly which makes even basic fights much more spongey than they need to be. Item management feels kind of a pain too. It's still fun to blow up bosses in one shot, you just need to spend a few turns lining that up, even more so in late bosses where not only does it have the stagger point but also summon enemies which soak up even more damage. Ultimately unsatisfying.

PLAYED VIA ZERO/ZX LEGACY COLLECTION ON NINTENDO SWITCH

Oh man, i hate to be putting this out on the game's 20th anniversary but this game is uh, not good. Level design is non-existent, what little of it that does exist isn't very good. Boss fight quality is low, the music gets very repetitive. Zero is a non-character and i get that he's supposed to lose his memory in this but like....c'mon. The only way to even have fun in this game is to turn on Easy Scenario, because it makes the game go by quicker but then at that point, just don't play this game. This game's only redeeming factor is that the controls are actually really good.

A masterfully written game that was crafted in memorial of the singer for the classic butterfly dream song. Easily the best digimon game in the entire franchise, with an amazing soundtrack, additional Kowloon stages, more variety when it comes to sidestories and quests, as well as more character development and lore that was absent from the first game.

Far superior to the original cybersleuth, and in my opinion, a standalone that makes the previous game obsolete. The first installment of cybersleuth was erroneous and set up a premise that would not allow you to fail since your powers in cyberspace relied on being an anomaly (a glitch that could easily access anything and everything, making the tension very slim). I personally think you can always make up bullshit to get your characters into trouble, but you should never make up bullshit to get them out of trouble. Cybersleuth (the original) set up a world where the main character simply could not be defeated, which ruined any stakes and allowed us to only experience the plot because the main character became a glitch (gathering information otherwise inaccessible, meaning it would be impossible to reach the ending unless you became a glitch).

This time around, we are playing a regular every-day character with a lively and expressive personality. Instead of being the only source of power and acting alone, you join a team and work together with characters that eventually become your family.

The interesting thing is that every character in this circle cares deeply for one another, but each and every one of them is keeping secrets in hopes of protecting the other. This is where our protagonist (Keisuke) becomes a pivotal part to the story, bridging gaps between characters and allowing us insight into how some characters view each other and what their dynamics are. By Keisuke's help, each character is allowed to flourish and blossom, or crash and suffer- depending on how he acts (and both cases are true- giving the scenario more weight by showing that you can not always succeed even with the best of intentions).

I think what this game excelled in the most is communication. It allowed us to see when communication failed, was avoided, or misunderstood or kept secret, and how it impacted the plot and characters. There are numerous instances where a simple glance or quiet dialogue spoken in mere expressions can mean so much when you replay the game. The very first scene with Yuu and Keisuke in the cafe shows us a silent conversation that consists of nothing but nods and expressions. Upon first playthrough, it seemed just like any normal conversation. After having finished the game and replayed it, I now know what Yuu was feeling when he was trying to convey his feelings to Keisuke about how "he should be enough".

Having 100% completed cybersleuth, and knowing the ending, I can safely say I was aware what would happen, but was not prepared for just how the game tore my heart out and ruined me. Thinking about it now makes me feel all types of emotions.

The appeal of this game is not just in the battle system (although it's addicting and fun) nor in the areas, the music, or even the lore in the end- it's about a journey to complete a puzzle that no one knew was missing a piece. The group was one as a whole at the start of the game, united, but distant because of their traumas and hardships. Keisuke becomes the piece that no one knew was missing, allowing the puzzle to finally be completed.

I love this game. It's the only game I replayed immediately as I was done going through the end credits. My tears had not even dried before I was back at the start of the game, eager to go through the story yet again just to catch all the hints and foreshadowing added to the story.

If you want a meaningful game that will capture your heart and make you understand what it means to mend a friendship no one knew was broken and grow closer because of it, this game is 100% going to satisfy you.

And if you just care about a guy being obsessed with the protagonist so much he wants to kiss him on the mouth, don't worry, this game is also 100% for you.

Basically, if you breathe, this game is for you.

My initial thoughts based on about 20 hours with the game I originally posted here will be quoted at the end of this but I'm now done so I can actually talk about it. Purely on a mechanical level, this is absolutely one of the better games in the series, but that's the one level I can say that. It's just so vacuous and inconsequential on every other front that by the end what I felt playing it was an obligation to finish it more than anything. When this game was announced, I wanted it to be set after Lydie and Suelle. A more mature Atelier protagonist would have been a fun spin on the series, especially for an anniversary game. But instead we get a weird interquel between Sophie and Firis, and that leaves Sophie's character so flaccid and uninteresting. She cannot be allowed to develop because that would ruin the mystique of her maturation in Firis and LySue. She can't entirely go back to the clumsy and airheaded self from the original game either! She developed from that. So we're left with a strange flanderisation. Ramizel is the heart of the game and she's great. Partly I believe this game exists for Ramizel, someone really wanted to make a young hot cool version of Sophie's grandma, hats off to them. Plachta from the past is enjoyable, but she too is mostly static or slightly transforming into the Plachta we already know. It's limiting and dull. That's what the construction of this game is on the conceptual level, limited and existentially dull. And too long. Almost as long as LySue which is also too long but with imaginative locales and interesting scenarios and a genuinely affecting core narrative. All of which this game lacks. Ugh. The biggest backhanded compliment I can give it is that it's the least worst version of a game I didn't want to exist. If this is what I was missing from not playing the Ryza games I'm thankful.

Initial observations:
"I'll save my full thoughts for after having finished this but this is a solid enough game but retains all the thematic uninterestingness of the Mysterious subseries. I got into Atelier with the Dusk series, and what I found really compelling about Dusk was how empathetic and understanding it was of young people. How sensitively it treated depression and loss without even explicitly pointing it out as lesser games aimed at audiences these games are aimed at might do. Dusk was a world dying its second death, but within it, it had a place for people who were torn apart like Ayesha, people who were failed like Logy and people who were broken like Miruca. It expected you to see these people for who they were and accept them as people worth life and love. The world of the 'Mysterious' series has no place for people like that - only 'good' people who want to 'become better'. And nowhere is this more obvious than in the setting of this game, a dream utopia where 'good people' with 'good dreams' can take forever to achieve them. And this is arguably fine. It's comfy and chill and ふわふわ and all that. I also recognise that Dusk was born during and out of the 2011 disasters and it's unfair and impossible to expect them to consistently revisit that trauma just because I find it more compelling. oh well, I suppose. Play Blue Reflection Second Light."