This adventure game from 2008 is still special to me in 2023. The art holds up even today, delicately detailed both in character portraits and in the numerous CGs. The designs are fairly simple considering the amount of school uniform time, but each character’s personality comes across in their expressions and poses. CGs in particular aren’t afraid to show more dramatic emotion, and the brief instances of voice acting can be expertly performed enough to give me chills every playthrough. The English VAs had their work cut out for them, and in my opinion, some of them really nailed it.
The soundtrack suits the moods the game cycles through, amplifying higher energy moments and adding somber notes or tense beats to heavier ones. It could have been better on stronger hardware than the DS I think, but for a DS OST, it’s pleasant to listen to.
A very high point of the game is that the city it takes place in feels lived in. LIves go on outside the main character Atsuki Saijo’s presence, and various characters interact with each other in unexpected parts of the city. People have hobbies and interests and pre-established relationships, even between generations. Atsuki is an observer, and sometimes participant, rather than a king the game revolves around. Sometimes that’s refreshing.
One thing to be aware of before getting into this game is the heavy subject matter. Suicide is a common topic, and animal harm even more so, sometimes even spoken of from the POV of the animal. While they’re treated with the gravity they deserve, it could be rough to someone particularly sensitive to either subject.
And of course, the game is not perfect. Battling SIlent isn’t the most fluid or visually impressive experience, some characters make homophobic comments, and the English written localization is abysmal, sometimes coherent and sometimes most definitely not. The voiced segments make the most sense in the game, which puts them at odds with the words typed on the screen. If typos and poor translation really get under your skin, it will be a challenging time. At least the mind-reading segments are always on the coherent side.
All in all, I adore this game and probably will still be playing it a 17th time in 2030. Can’t wait.
The soundtrack suits the moods the game cycles through, amplifying higher energy moments and adding somber notes or tense beats to heavier ones. It could have been better on stronger hardware than the DS I think, but for a DS OST, it’s pleasant to listen to.
A very high point of the game is that the city it takes place in feels lived in. LIves go on outside the main character Atsuki Saijo’s presence, and various characters interact with each other in unexpected parts of the city. People have hobbies and interests and pre-established relationships, even between generations. Atsuki is an observer, and sometimes participant, rather than a king the game revolves around. Sometimes that’s refreshing.
One thing to be aware of before getting into this game is the heavy subject matter. Suicide is a common topic, and animal harm even more so, sometimes even spoken of from the POV of the animal. While they’re treated with the gravity they deserve, it could be rough to someone particularly sensitive to either subject.
And of course, the game is not perfect. Battling SIlent isn’t the most fluid or visually impressive experience, some characters make homophobic comments, and the English written localization is abysmal, sometimes coherent and sometimes most definitely not. The voiced segments make the most sense in the game, which puts them at odds with the words typed on the screen. If typos and poor translation really get under your skin, it will be a challenging time. At least the mind-reading segments are always on the coherent side.
All in all, I adore this game and probably will still be playing it a 17th time in 2030. Can’t wait.