Re: 淫靡の国のアリス
So I just realised the game's demo is, like, only 6mbs lighter than the full game, wonder what they actually cut off (would be funny if it was 6mbs of bugfixes, tho, 1.2 and above has a bonus costume when you respawn at the asylum), would be funny if that was that.
Also with the 1.31 update hitting dlsite, I've come bearing a gift =o
And now a mini-review (scratch that, it's actually hefty, I can't control my typing) based on my experience up until now (school section).
So I just realised the game's demo is, like, only 6mbs lighter than the full game, wonder what they actually cut off (would be funny if it was 6mbs of bugfixes, tho, 1.2 and above has a bonus costume when you respawn at the asylum), would be funny if that was that.
Also with the 1.31 update hitting dlsite, I've come bearing a gift =o
And now a mini-review (scratch that, it's actually hefty, I can't control my typing) based on my experience up until now (school section).
So so so...
If I were to rank this game out of 5, I'd give it a 5 out of sheer goodwill, hahaha. It does a lot, and a lot of it hits my tastes. And even if the game isn't exactly for you, at the very least, I'd give it a solid 3~4.
The game is by no means bad, and the author patches it pretty fast.
The truest downside to the game is... Boy, do you get lost in that game.
Of course, not being able to read japanese is a big obstacle, but even with some understanding, some parts can be really confusing. As suning pointed out, the mystery and weirdness and confusion might be intended to fit the theme, but it can be strenuous. Shoutout to the hotel mystery, god, that 2nd secret passage *on a side wall* was just old school "interact with the whole room" level of old school design.
The game as a whole really doesn't hold your hand.
While it's generally pretty easy to get to new areas (just go to previous places that opened up, look around a bit), everything else is trial and error, and some statuses are really just there and depending how willing you are to fight everything, you might even simply run past some (like the fairy transformation, or the police guys having a genderbend gun attack (that they keep even after they're turned into females!)). Also what I can only assume to be a PMS status in the roulette fight at the casino (I mean, it's a moon icon, and there's a tampon item in the game so...).
Speaking of fighting everything : ennemies hurt in this game!
It's actually a good thing, because we get avoid completely curb stomping everything after a couple levels (even when you get your hands on the submachine gun at the top of the mafia hideout (strong weapon + attacks twice!), but at the same time money runs a bit dry, particularly early on.
There's also a lack of selling option (or at least, I haven't found an NPC that does buy our things) so stuff like the gold found at the maid mansion just...
Sits there. And dieing in a dungeon cuts your funds in half(ow).
It makes the early game really rough, when you might actually want to buy some gear/healing items. Thankfully, once you get the Vorpal Sword,
things get much smoother, because maleslashing male ennemies reduces their tendency to attack and their attack power drastically.
But enough nitpicking!
A solid game with fun mechanics and gimmicks, and you don't often get to turn half a game's ennemies into girls. There's also a lot of interactions with map NPCs depending on wether you're male/female/crossdressing, or if you're fighting a map NPC and you turn them into a girl and it stays (or you don't and they stay normal) after the fight.
From what I can understand of the dialogue (because idle banter and game menus are the best thing I understand in japanese, which is why I still get stuck on not-so-idle banter), it's generally pretty fun. Human NPCs will rejoice, be disappointed or indifferent to their new forms, if you buy a night with the maid at the brothel while crossdressed, she'll be surprised to see a female customer, until she realises what's going on, lots of fun stun like that.
It also doesn't shy away from some... Darkers tones at times. Like the whole outcome of the fight with Luther (even if he was an ass who put traps just to mess with us). Whoever ends up a girl gets a pretty creepy end, and I gotta say, I felt bad for Lee at the tournament after the fight was over...
And, of course, it's the circle's 1st game, running on and older-ish version of RPG maker (only 4 save slots is a bit painful...), so props to them on that!
Now I'm just going to mention stuff I'd like to see if they made another game (which I hope!) :
1/ Emotions. Admittedly that one might be to blame on how the side illustrations are implemented in the game (they're all different, single pictures. Yes, every underwear combo is a different picture) which would require doubling the number of pictures just for one other facial expression (it's already the case with the breast expansion status...) and adding more would get pretty insane fast but... You know, keeping that detached, not-very-impressed expression for the whole game with all the things going on...
I wouldn't mind seeing those dozens of underwear combos go away for more expressions instead. The only exceptions being the full body transformations like the fairy one (and while the doll one is fitting... c'm'ooooon).
2/ Speaking of full body transformations! I'd love to see states get more "focus episodes", rather than just sorta randomly thrown around. Sure, the variety is nice, but some status are just "there". Why are there cursed dolls at the casino's dungeon and nowhere else? Why can that one ennemy do a chocolate state that does nothing? And did you know? There's petrification in that game! And mind control! And getting caught by tentacles!
Too bad, they're just status that prevent you from acting (well, mind control has us attack ourselves but... you get the idea). There's also the dozen of arousal states... A case of stretching it too thin, basically. So much to get afflicted with, so few to show.
Man, I sound like an ass now! I need to stop getting so invested in my doujin games.
...Oh, and, I forgot, another thing. More game over scenes? Or just boss fight win scenes. I guess the tournament section made up for that but the maid mansion and casino bosses left me wanting more D= (particularly the casino)
If I were to rank this game out of 5, I'd give it a 5 out of sheer goodwill, hahaha. It does a lot, and a lot of it hits my tastes. And even if the game isn't exactly for you, at the very least, I'd give it a solid 3~4.
The game is by no means bad, and the author patches it pretty fast.
The truest downside to the game is... Boy, do you get lost in that game.
Of course, not being able to read japanese is a big obstacle, but even with some understanding, some parts can be really confusing. As suning pointed out, the mystery and weirdness and confusion might be intended to fit the theme, but it can be strenuous. Shoutout to the hotel mystery, god, that 2nd secret passage *on a side wall* was just old school "interact with the whole room" level of old school design.
The game as a whole really doesn't hold your hand.
While it's generally pretty easy to get to new areas (just go to previous places that opened up, look around a bit), everything else is trial and error, and some statuses are really just there and depending how willing you are to fight everything, you might even simply run past some (like the fairy transformation, or the police guys having a genderbend gun attack (that they keep even after they're turned into females!)). Also what I can only assume to be a PMS status in the roulette fight at the casino (I mean, it's a moon icon, and there's a tampon item in the game so...).
Speaking of fighting everything : ennemies hurt in this game!
It's actually a good thing, because we get avoid completely curb stomping everything after a couple levels (even when you get your hands on the submachine gun at the top of the mafia hideout (strong weapon + attacks twice!), but at the same time money runs a bit dry, particularly early on.
There's also a lack of selling option (or at least, I haven't found an NPC that does buy our things) so stuff like the gold found at the maid mansion just...
Sits there. And dieing in a dungeon cuts your funds in half(ow).
It makes the early game really rough, when you might actually want to buy some gear/healing items. Thankfully, once you get the Vorpal Sword,
things get much smoother, because maleslashing male ennemies reduces their tendency to attack and their attack power drastically.
But enough nitpicking!
A solid game with fun mechanics and gimmicks, and you don't often get to turn half a game's ennemies into girls. There's also a lot of interactions with map NPCs depending on wether you're male/female/crossdressing, or if you're fighting a map NPC and you turn them into a girl and it stays (or you don't and they stay normal) after the fight.
From what I can understand of the dialogue (because idle banter and game menus are the best thing I understand in japanese, which is why I still get stuck on not-so-idle banter), it's generally pretty fun. Human NPCs will rejoice, be disappointed or indifferent to their new forms, if you buy a night with the maid at the brothel while crossdressed, she'll be surprised to see a female customer, until she realises what's going on, lots of fun stun like that.
It also doesn't shy away from some... Darkers tones at times. Like the whole outcome of the fight with Luther (even if he was an ass who put traps just to mess with us). Whoever ends up a girl gets a pretty creepy end, and I gotta say, I felt bad for Lee at the tournament after the fight was over...
And, of course, it's the circle's 1st game, running on and older-ish version of RPG maker (only 4 save slots is a bit painful...), so props to them on that!
Now I'm just going to mention stuff I'd like to see if they made another game (which I hope!) :
1/ Emotions. Admittedly that one might be to blame on how the side illustrations are implemented in the game (they're all different, single pictures. Yes, every underwear combo is a different picture) which would require doubling the number of pictures just for one other facial expression (it's already the case with the breast expansion status...) and adding more would get pretty insane fast but... You know, keeping that detached, not-very-impressed expression for the whole game with all the things going on...
I wouldn't mind seeing those dozens of underwear combos go away for more expressions instead. The only exceptions being the full body transformations like the fairy one (and while the doll one is fitting... c'm'ooooon).
2/ Speaking of full body transformations! I'd love to see states get more "focus episodes", rather than just sorta randomly thrown around. Sure, the variety is nice, but some status are just "there". Why are there cursed dolls at the casino's dungeon and nowhere else? Why can that one ennemy do a chocolate state that does nothing? And did you know? There's petrification in that game! And mind control! And getting caught by tentacles!
Too bad, they're just status that prevent you from acting (well, mind control has us attack ourselves but... you get the idea). There's also the dozen of arousal states... A case of stretching it too thin, basically. So much to get afflicted with, so few to show.
Man, I sound like an ass now! I need to stop getting so invested in my doujin games.
...Oh, and, I forgot, another thing. More game over scenes? Or just boss fight win scenes. I guess the tournament section made up for that but the maid mansion and casino bosses left me wanting more D= (particularly the casino)
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