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ivantod
Mar 27, 2010

Mahalo, fuckers.

Psion posted:

wow, stock trader shun. That takes me back.

at some point I think ivantod should take a break and do something good though :v:

Well the Kindaichi game was pretty decent if you don't count the silly extra bad endings. Also the Tendo games (wow it's been a while since those, huh) were also pretty good, especially the first one. The problem is since I don't know anything about the game, I get attracted by slick visuals like in this case. And turns out that's pretty much all this game has going for it (well, that and the music and some half-decent dialogue).

But do you want to hear a really funny thing. I had another game on my list to eventually play, it was this one:



The title is "Diamonds and the Sound of a Gunshot", I mean how can you not play a game with such a title. And it also looks ultra slick and everything when you play it. But, guess what. It's the same writer as this game, so... yeah. Not touching that with a ten foot pole any more!

Yeah, Stock Trader Shun was quite some time ago lol, but you know me, I'm of fickle nature and get distracted easily by shiny things, so now I have another game in mind, which I've come across a few months ago and it sounds absolutely worth doing. This one has a bit of a reputation as a cult classic and I've seen a lot of people mentioning how they would like to play it if it only were available in English, but sadly it's not.

In any case, here is the game I'm planning next, although, as mentioned, I will probably start a new thread for it:



If it's not clear, the title of the game is Linda3 (Linda Cubed). It's a Playstation 1 game from 1997 (but actually a remake of a 1995 PC-ENGINE/TurboGrafx game) and on the surface it's a pretty typical JRPG of this time period, although with a number of unique elements. But the plot is absolutely insane and is what makes this game really worth playing! It even has a bunch of properly animated anime cutscenes! In a PS1 game! And also, as I mentioned before, it features as part of its plot a cult of Santa Worshippers (not Satan, Santa!).

This is a much more well known game that a numer of people on this side of the world have played and wrote about, so I am going into it a lot more confident about the quality, but as always, we'll see!

Also, thanks for the kind words (and also for still reading this mess!), and to be honest, based on what I've seen, I don't particularly think that Shun is any kind of a masterpiece. In any case, at this point, I'd rather play Linda3 anyway! :v:

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CremePudding
Oct 30, 2011

ivantod posted:

The title is "Diamonds and the Sound of a Gunshot", I mean how can you not play a game with such a title. And it also looks ultra slick and everything when you play it. But, guess what. It's the same writer as this game, so... yeah. Not touching that with a ten foot pole any more!

The Writer Will Not Be Forgiven, huh?

I have a feeling that Linda's cover is very misleading to its actual content, though :v:

ivantod
Mar 27, 2010

Mahalo, fuckers.

CremePudding posted:

The Writer Will Not Be Forgiven, huh?
Haha, yeah something like that I guess. I suppose I'm more annoyed about this game than the others because at least here it seemed to have potential, which was all compeletely unused/misused by the end.

CremePudding posted:

I have a feeling that Linda's cover is very misleading to its actual content, though :v:

Oddly enough, that cover is basically a screenshot which appears in the game itself! Although, obviously, on the cover it's taken out of context, so it's not clear what it represents.

I can even show you a slightly different version of it, from near the beginning of the game:



Although the game mostly has the typical late 1990s JRPG style look otherwise:

ivantod fucked around with this message at 10:59 on Jun 20, 2021

Psion
Dec 13, 2002

eVeN I KnOw wHaT CoRnEr gAs iS
Is that character wearing a jetpack?

Booky
Feb 21, 2013

Chill Bug


this game seems weird to me, in that the starting premise and stuff is really interesting and then a big chunk of the game afterwards is just All ace attorney case 3s, or something like that

as for linda cubed.... i recall hearing that apparently the ps1 ver toned down some content from the original pc engine release, and then all those changes got undone in the later Complete version which even keeps the fancy anime cutscenes (its on the pc engine i think??)

from the vague google tl'd stuff i read about it, it sounds interesting but also im a big scared baby about horror and even that covers giving me the willies!! :ohdear:

ivantod
Mar 27, 2010

Mahalo, fuckers.

Booky posted:

as for linda cubed.... i recall hearing that apparently the ps1 ver toned down some content from the original pc engine release, and then all those changes got undone in the later Complete version which even keeps the fancy anime cutscenes (its on the pc engine i think??)

from the vague google tl'd stuff i read about it, it sounds interesting but also im a big scared baby about horror and even that covers giving me the willies!! :ohdear:

Well, it's like this.

First the game was published on PC-ENGINE/TurboGrafx platform in 1995, which was way way WAY at the tail end of that platform's lifecycle. Then in 1997, it was remade for PlayStation 1, and I do mean properly remade, with improved graphics overall and some gameplay QOL improvements too. Check out the difference in graphics between the two versions:


TurboGrafx Version


PlayStation 1 Version

Nice improvement, right?

Also as part of this remake, the anime cutscenes were also added (or rather, they replaced the existing, mostly static cutscenes from the TurboGrafx version). It also added something else extra which I'm not going to spoil here. This version was sold under the name "Linda3 Again". It is also true that as part of this remake some content in the game was toned down somewhat. One example that I can easily confirm, because it's at the very beginning of the game is a cutscene in which, among other thigs, a female character is sexualised in a very uncomfortable way. This part of the cutscene was more or less entirely removed in the PlayStation remake. So probably there may be other such instances or maybe some small changes in the dialogue too.

The game was then subsequently ported to Sega Saturn in 1998 under the name "Linda3 Again Complete". And here is where I think that the whole talk about the cut content having been restored in this version is mostly an exaggeration. Basically, as far as graphics and cutscenes are concerned, the PS1 and the Saturn versions are entirely identical (note how I say "ported" above, not "remade"). The cutscenes were absolutely not changed or redone in any way between the two versions. So as far as what might have been "restored" that leaves some small bits of incidental dialogue potentially, and certainly nothing that majorly impacts the plot. The reason why this version is called "complete" is I think because it added a couple of additional small extras, like art gallery and such, but again, as far as I understand nothing that really impacts gameplay. I think it also came with the soundtrack CD, but I'm not 100% sure.

In any case, the most popular of these three versions is without a doubt the PlayStation version, and that's the one that you can typically find the most amount of information for on the net, so that's the one that makes sense to play.

As for the scary stuff, yeah there are definitely some gory/grotesque bits in this game which may not be everyone's cup of tea. But the cover itself is not related to anything like that.

Oh, and before I forget, about this:

Psion posted:

Is that character wearing a jetpack?
It's not a jetpack. It's a special backpack which allows for decomposition and reconstitution of matter, because this game, unlike most other RPGs, actually felt the need to explain how is it that the characters are able to carry hundreds of items and all their weapons/equipment everywhere they go, so this backpack serves as an explanation for that!

ivantod fucked around with this message at 09:49 on Jun 21, 2021

Booky
Feb 21, 2013

Chill Bug



ahh i see, ty for the handy details! :) the game definitely seems very unique; even that magical backpack is a weird new detail! (oh yeah, btw for the lp will there be like, content warnings on some updates or no? sorry for asking so many questions!!)

it's a real shame that the house lost its diner booths tho :v:

ivantod
Mar 27, 2010

Mahalo, fuckers.

Booky posted:

ahh i see, ty for the handy details! :) the game definitely seems very unique; even that magical backpack is a weird new detail! (oh yeah, btw for the lp will there be like, content warnings on some updates or no? sorry for asking so many questions!!)

No worries, you can ask me anything you want! :v:

Believe it or not I was actually thinking to put up some warnings at least for the cutscenes, because as I mentioned some of them do get a bit gory/generally weird in ways that may not agree with everybody. But now that you mention it, it might be a good idea to consider the same for the rest. I mean, the game, outside of cutscenes, looks as you see above, so there isn't going to be anything graphic visually, but there still might be textual content which is potentially an issue. So I will figure out a way to indicate to the readers in case there is anything out of the ordinary in a particular update or cutscene. Thanks for suggesting it! :v:

ivantod
Mar 27, 2010

Mahalo, fuckers.


After getting herself knocked out, Ririko ended up in some factory with Asakura, where he was talking some nonsense for a while. Then Kusanagi showed up and killed him. Then Ririko rummaged through his stuff and found a bag which contained some drugs, among other stuff. Then Kusanagi asked her to hand over the bag to some dudes in a citizens' group with oppose the Naha casino project (where a couple of new characters were introduced literally five minutes away from the end of the game, always a sign of good writing), and then promptly disappeared, saying that she will never see him again! We also got a bunch of flashbacks shedding some light on their marriage, but which probably would have worked better if they were distributed at appropriate moments over the course of the game, rather than just dumped like this all together at the end.

Anyway, let's see what happens now! Oh, and a warning. There's going to be a fair bit of "wait, what" moments in this part, so that's going to lead to some elevated snark levels too! But what can I do?


        

        

Yes, that's me.
I was waiting for you. My name is Kaneshiro.
You're from the citizens' group, right?

    



Because Ririko apparently has no detective skills at all, the friendly ghost has to intervene again.

What is going on? Are you trying to tell me something?

You know, it's just too drat hard to figure this one out! Also, Ririko is talking out loud like that to a ghost that nobody else can see. This is fine.

What are you talking about?
Oh right, you won't answer.
What is going on?
Let me ask then. A fake?
Right.
Takeuchi-san, who are you talking to?

The ghost disappears.



Who are you?
...Kaneshiro.
Kaneshiro-san, from the citizens' group which opposes the construction of the casino?
That's right.
What's your first name?
......





Because, apparently when you're an impostor, you wouldn't bother to know the full name of the person you're impersonating.

        

    

Let's see, where am I?
(The station sign was saying "Prefectural Office".)

Indeed, this is a station on the Naha urban rail, and it is located four stops away from Omoromachi. Also, completely lost at this point, Ririko calls Yuuji on the phone.



Oh! You startled me! So you have your mobile phone again?
Did you rent a car?
Yeah.
Where are you right now?
Around the "Prefecutral Office" station.
Oh, good. I'm here too.
Oh, I see you now. Get in.

        

Ririko tells Yuuji about the recent events...

I see. So that's what happened. So why is Kusanagi-san going to Hatoma island?
I don't know. He didn't tell me.
Why didn't you go with him?
He wouldn't let me. Anyhow, for now, he asked me to give this bag to a guy named Uehara from the citizens' group.



So it contains the proof about something?
That's what I was telling you. About the backroom deals between Asakura and Tanaka Shuumei.
Did you see... what's in the bag?
A lot of evidence about drug trafficking. Copies of photos and ledger books and a cassette tape.

You forgot about that bag of drugs, though.

Did you listen to the tape?
I didn't have that much time.
Let's listen to it. It might shed some light on the situation.

Ririko's phone rings.

Hold on.



It is, of course, Kusanagi.

Did you meet up with Kanehsiro-san?
No. I did't end up meeting with him.
Did he not show up?
An impostor showed up in his place. Perhaps an underling of Shuumei?
Is everything ok?
Do you mean me? Or are you talking about the bag?
Both.
For now it's ok. I've met up with Yuuji and we managed to escape.
Please. I'm counting on you. You have to deliver the bag.
But, where is Uehara-san? He doesn't answer his phone.
If they caught him... it would be the end of the whole thing.



Should we contact the police?
They won't do anything.
Then what should I do?

His connection starts breaking up...

If Uehara-san... eliminated...
Hello? I can't hear you well!
Ok, ...ten carefu... miya... rel...
I can't hear you! What are you trying to say?
......

*click*



Ugh, we were cut off.

Ririko tries calling again, but it doesn't work.

I can't get through...
So what shall we do?
In the end, the only choice we have is to try and find Uehara-san.
Do you have his contact information?
Just the mobile number. But I haven't been able to reach him.
What about Kaneshiro-san? Maybe we can try to contact the real guy?
Oh, yeah. Let me try.

This didn't occur to her to try?



Kaneshiro-san? Kanshiro Mitsuru-san?
Yes, that's me. Who's calling?
Takeuchi Ririko.
Kusanagi-san's wife?
That's right.
I see. What is this about?



Where are you right now?
In hospital. Those guys pushed me down the stairs.
Are you all right?
I fractured my ribs. I had to be taken by an ambulance.
What about Uehara-san?
Haven't heard from him. Maybe...
He's been caught by Tanaka and his people?
I don't really want to think about it, but it's possible.



But where are you at the moment?
Driving around Naha city.
And... the bag?
I have it.
Can you meet?
Can you go somewhere?
I don't want to sit around here any more, I'm off the painkillers. I can slip out.
Where should we meet?
Are you familiar with Okinawa?
No, it's my first time here.
How about Shuri castle? You can drive up to Shureimon.
All right, what time?
In about an hour.
Oh, but, Kaneshiro-san... how will I recognise you?
Ah, right, I will be wearing a white cap.
A white cap. Understood, see you in one hour.

*click*



Looks like we've got him?
In one hour, at the Shureimon. Do you know how to get there?
Don't worry, I'll just use the satnav.
Right. Ok, let's go then.

And some time later, Ririko and Yuuji arrive at Shureimon, which is one of the gates of the Shuri castle grounds...



(I guess because it's a weekday... there are a lot fewer tourists than I would have expected.)

In any case, Shuri castle and Shureimon, built in the 16th century, is actually a real thing in the vicinity of Naha, Okinawa, and the screenshot above is actually of the real thing too. Here it is:


By 663highland - Own work, CC BY 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=15815766

It is also present, since 2000, on the 2000 yen banknote:



But anyway, back to Ririko and Yuuji.

Yuuji, wait here please.
Why? I will come with you.
Just to be safe. It may happen again. If they are following Kaneshiro-san, that would not be good, right? I will leave the bag here; as a last resort, please take it with you to Tokyo.



What last resort? Don't say stuff like that!
I'll be fine, I'm sure. But just in case, keep an eye out.
Sure... if you say so.
I say so.

Ririko gets out of the car...

(When I exited the car, a man with a white cap was standing there.)



The shirt patterns in this game are something else, right?

Kaneshiro... Mitsuru-san?

Sure, why not, let's meet another random dude whom we don't know. Kusanagi certainly didn't bother to give us any kind of pictures or description of these guys or anything like that...



I'm Takeuchi Ririko.
I'm glad that you're safe. It's good that you figure out the other guy was a fake.



But, the bag... is that it?
Yes, I brought it with me.

But she left it in the car? Ah, no, it's just the game cheating here a bit and failing to be clever at it. You'll see soon enough.

Then, I will look after it.
Um... what about Uehara-san?
Don't worry, I will definitely get it to him.

Well, now this guy is starting to sound like he's fake too?

No worries? But I couldn't even get in touch with him?
Uehara is a cautious man. He's probably hiding because he knows the danger that he's in.
But, you just said... that he might have been caught?

Oh my god, why are these criminals so incompetent!





Somehow, there is a "check" here. I know, we all pretty much forgot by this point that that mechanic is even in the game still--it certainly never amounted to much to begin with. None the less, we do have one here!



Kaneshiro: He supposedly has broken ribs, but his body movements are quite exaggerated.

Mouth: His story is inconsistent, I can't trust it.

Eyes: Looks scared, avoiding eye contact.

As you can see, these three options are all pretty much the same, so I just picked the first to move on with the dialogue.

Kaneshiro-san, you said you had broken ribs, correct?
Yeah, they pushed me down the stairs.
Who are "they"? How did you find out?
Well, um... there's only one group of people who would do such a thing...
Also, you just mentioned about how I spotted a fake. But I didn't tell you about it at all, so how do you know it?
......

And then... the least surprising thing of all happens.



You! Goto... Masayuki!
Kaneshiro-san has a family to worry about, so you should stop bothering him wich such questions.

Ah yes, in that detention centre where families of half of Japan are being kept as blackmail.

Kaneshiro-san... you betrayed...?





Takeuchi-san, I'm sorry... But I was threatened... I had no choice...
Now you can see the dilemma that Kaneshiro-san was in. He was working for a good cause... but then, his family is also important to him.
Don't give me that fake "being reasonable" speech.
In any case, Ririko-san, we need to go somewhere together, now. You see the handgun in my pocket, right? You can't escape. Also, it's not like I care if I have to deal with you right here on the spot.

Well, this makes no sense. Either you want her alive or you don't. Which one is it? I mean if it's not a problem to get rid of her, right here, then why are you taking her with you?

As long as we have the bag, we have no further use for you. All right, let's go, the car is over here.

Ok, well, exactly what I said. Why are you taking her with you and risking that she causes further problems? All right, I'll shut up for a few seconds now, sorry!

In the car...




Don't make a noise.
How far are we going?
Shut up and don't worry about that.
You guys killed Shingi, right?
Shingi...?
Suzuki Shingi, the lawyer.
Ah, that guy. What about it?
Who ordered it? Was it Asakura? Or Tanaka?



You don't need to know that.
Why wouldn't you tell me? You're going to get rid of me anyway, aren't you? Which one of them do you get your orders from?
I'm not anybody's dog.
Dogs are better anyway.
I'm not going to play your game. Don't bother trying to provoke me.
Provoke you? I'm not trying to provoke you, I'm just curious. You're the one who conveyed Asakura's orders to Ishihara and his people, right?
That's right.
It's no coincidence that you married Chiharu, right?
Correct.
But, Shuumei is no match for him, either. Isn't that so?



That was an order from Asakura-san. Tanaka and Yazaki had their usefulness.
Past tense? Is it ok for you to say it like that? Don't these guys in front work for Shuumei?
These guys? No way, they are Ryou's soldiers. Look, he's got a lizard tattoo on his shoulder. I've got one too, do you want to see it?
Don't be ridiculous.
I don't think you understand. Ryou-san is a very special person.
But, you don't know? Asakura is dead.
I know. That's why Shuumei doesn't need you any more.
I don't understand.
You'll understand soon enough.
Asakura was taken care of by Kusanagi. So he's no longer with us.



Where did he go?
Who?
Your husband.
Oh, that. He's gone off somewhere.
Did he perhaps leave for Hatoma island?
What's there?
So he did go there, huh.
Answer my question!
Don't you think this conversation has gone on long enough? Well be arriving soon, so let's keep quiet until then.

And we do indeed arrive soon, to a corner building.

    

We're going to the third floor.
Who are you taking me to? Just so I can look forward to it.
You're a bit too impertinent for your own good, you know.
I mean, it's now or never, isn't that the saying?
I'm definitely getting rid of you...
That's right. I can't wait.

Ririko is taken again into an office, and...





Tanaka... Shuumei?
I see you remember me. What an honour.
How could I forget! You're the one who killed Asakura Tetsuya.
I really should thank you for that one. We were also trying to find that priest. You really are a detective... it never occurred to me that the book editor might know his whereabouts.



Why did you pretend to be the priest back then?
Oh, that? I guess I wanted to avoid having to kill you. But you can see how it was difficult for me--I don't really have it in my character to be a priest. If you had just let it go, we wouldn't be here right now. You see, murder is not my thing.
But you killed Asakura Tetsuya, didn't you?



What guys?
Asakura and his people. You know what I'm talking about... right? Killing leads to more killing and the cycle of negativity continues. So it's better not to kill people who don't need killing.
Well, if you hadn't killed my father, I wouldn't be here right now.
You've got it all wrong, Ririko-san. It was Asakura who ordered that, it has nothing to do with me. His father was indiscreet so he kills anybody who finds out about it. It's completely rubbish, but that's how these guys roll.
Then what about Shingi? Who killed him?
That was also Asakura. A detective named Mizutani came to inform me about you and Suzuki-san. As you can imagine, at the time, I thought it was better to not get involved in that. It seems you have a close relationship with the police and it was the important time before the election, so I really didn't want to make a mess of things. But then, you see, Ryou showed up. And well, you know how he is.



He hid Mizutani's body and made Suzuki look like a suicide. It took some effort to clean up all that mess.
You talk well.
No, it's all true. It was all becoming a nuisance because we were trying to carry Yazaki through to a reelection.



If we don't get the casino through quickly, the situation may change again after the general election. If Republicans lose, the bill will definitely be shelved immediately. As you can see, I've got a lot on my plate right now. Threfore, Ririko-san, I don't really have time right now to keep cleaning up after those guys. Give me a break already!
It's me who should be asking you to give me a break already!
I guess I get no sympathy from you then, huh?
Hold on! There's something I don't understand.
What is that?
Why didn't Ryou kill me? If he wanted to, he could have done that easily.
Well... I also don't know. You should ask him... but I guess you won't get that chance again, will you?



Well, I'm really sorry, Ririko-san, but at this point you simply know way too much. I am not a fan of murder, but at the same time, I do also want to achive the greater good.
Are you trying to make me laugh? What greater good! Don't you just want to monopolise the casino profits for yourself?
Those who refuse to take parts in power games, cannot survive in human society. That is a historical inevitability.
I thought you just said that it's a bad idea to have a murder during election season?
Ah, but we're not in Tokyo here. We'll just dump you in concrete and nobody will be the wiser.

Then, Goto's mobile phone rings.

    

Yes, this is Goto.
Is this supposed to make me scared?
Not really. I'm just being transparent about what's going to happen to you. Anyway. This conversation has gone on for long enough. Goto-kun, hand me the suitcase.
Yes... that's right. On Hatoma island.

Goto is having his own conversation with someone on his mobile phone.

Goto-kun. Did you hear what I said?
Five people, including me. Yes, that's right.
TURN OFF YOUR PHONE!

He does.



Goto, hand me the suitcase!

He does.

    

What the hell is this? What is this?
Sorry... I guess that's just Yuuji's change of clothes.

There is a sound of footsteps outside the office...

Son of a bitch...!



...and then the door opens.

        

        

What are you...

        

Ryou-san! You did it!

Ryou-san? But then... who was the guy killed by Kusanagi last time?

        

Then he turns to Ririko...



Oh, hey, a dragon tattoo on the forehead! The other guy has his hair over the forehead so we could not see if had a tattoo or not!

Who are you?

He pulls the trigger, but is out of bullets.



I guess it's your lucky day.

And he just hits her on the head, rendering her unconsious.

    

This seems to be happening quite a lot to Ririko lately... Also, he sets the building on fire.



On my own... again.

Meanwhile, back in the burning building, a few minutes later...

    

(Ugh... What happened...? I need to get out of here!)



    

(It's already full of smoke! No panicking. What should I do?)



(That's right! Nakamura-san from the research institute said that... uh... it's the smoke that's the problem more than the fire! You will get suffocated by the poisonous fumes long before the fire burns you. So the first thing to do in a fire is to get away from the smoke! Smoke rises upwards, so stay low. Stay low so you don't inhale the smoke...)
(I remembered Nakamura-san's words very clearly... "When there's a fire in the building the smoke accumulates at the top of the stairs. So don't try to escape to the upper floors." Her words were my only lifeline.)

    

Ah! Through that window!



Moments later, outside, with the sound of sirens approaching...



Still alive?
Somehow. Did you call the police?
I did. Sorry, I was a bit delayed getting here. I got stuck in traffic and lost their car for a bit. I am sorry, really.
Don't worry about it.
Can you get up?
Give me your hand.



Like I said, this last chapter is positively action packed compared to the previous interminable one. So the big question is now, who the heck was the guy that Kusanagi killed? And... why should we care, when all of this plot is being introduced now in the last five minutes in a ridiculously haphazard way through constant info dumps! It should have been possible to have Ririko discover at least some of this through her own efforts over the course of the game... but instead, here we are with the criminals she's after calmly explaining everything to her. Oh well.

Next time: Even MORE new plot elements being introduced into the story, of course, via huge info dumps! Also, and I am not kidding about this one, the Schrödinger's corpse! Please look forward to it!




    

gimme the GOD DAMN candy
Jul 1, 2007
it's gone from bafflingly stupid to simply incoherent.

cardinale
Jul 11, 2016

This game is bewildering. I can't keep track of who murdered who and why. RIP Shingi, you were kind of cool i guess.

Robindaybird
Aug 21, 2007

Neat. Sweet. Petite.

Man, I think I kind of can put my finger on there's so much in the home stretch.

This is a writer who has zero confidence in the story they're telling, so they feel compelled to keep adding and tacking on elements to make it exciting and dramatic because they don't think the readers would be satisfied with a more low-key affair.

CremePudding
Oct 30, 2011
Somehow, both the game and Ririko are reverting back to being an utterly incoherent mess like it is in Chapter 1. This is kind of sad.

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


Keep it together game you're almost there.

Blaze Dragon
Aug 28, 2013
LOWTAX'S SPINE FUND

Seraphic Neoman posted:

Keep it together game you're almost there.

This game has never kept it together and it will most certainly not start now.

ivantod
Mar 27, 2010

Mahalo, fuckers.
Oh, man.

I was playing through the next part of the game to prepare the next update, and I literally fell off my chair. As in, fell off my chair laughing.

The game pulls one last cliche out of its bag of cliches, and boy, is it a doozy....

I'm not going to say it directly what it is, but here is the picture of a Japanese character which describes it, so you can look it up if you want:



I don't think anybody here really cares about the plot of this game any more (and anyway, there's only two updates left), so if you do look it up (or you already know what it means) feel free to discuss it here in the thread, I have no issue with that lol.

This update is going to be fun, I think. :v:

Seraphic Neoman
Jul 19, 2011


Hahahaha we come full circle

CremePudding
Oct 30, 2011

How did the writer manage to get a second game out despite this atrocity? Like, seriously!

Akumu
Apr 24, 2003


Is it that the ghost girl Ririkko has been seeing is just hallucinations brought on by a brain tumor?

ivantod
Mar 27, 2010

Mahalo, fuckers.

Akumu posted:

Is it that the ghost girl Ririkko has been seeing is just hallucinations brought on by a brain tumor?

Haha, not quite, it's even more ridiculous than that! Turns out, Kusanagi was diagnosed with cancer with only a few months to live, and that why he was so reckless about chasing those criminals and all that!

By the way, for those who want to know, the character I posted means cancer, as in, the illness.

Taberquol
Jun 16, 2012

*Looks up character* Oh motherfucker I take back what I said about the writing not sucking

I tried looking up spoilers but I think this might be the only place talking about the game in English. Maybe at all.

ivantod
Mar 27, 2010

Mahalo, fuckers.

Taberquol posted:

*Looks up character* Oh motherfucker I take back what I said about the writing not sucking

I tried looking up spoilers but I think this might be the only place talking about the game in English. Maybe at all.

Check the spoilers in my post above yours if you want to know.

DTaeKim
Aug 16, 2009

Can someone summarize everything at this point? I had a grasp and well, we know what just happened.

ivantod
Mar 27, 2010

Mahalo, fuckers.

DTaeKim posted:

Can someone summarize everything at this point? I had a grasp and well, we know what just happened.

I will tell you this: even as a LP-er here I have long since stopped paying attention and trying to make sense of the plot. Honestly, when you think about it, there isn't even that much of a plot, it's just a bunch of random things thrown together somehow. You know, you have this serial arsonist that Ririko's father was investigating decades ago, but then he decided to look him up again. Then there's these guys that are illegaly dumping rubbish, but then it turns out they're all connected to some politicians who want to build a casino on Okinawa. But then this arsonist guy, who I guess is also a drug kingpin and also works with the politicians, shows up and randomly kills half of the crew, oh and also, it seems that Ririko's husband has somehow randomly infiltrated this group, and uh, I guess that's approximately where we are now... Oh, I guess there's that other guy who Kusanagi killed who we thought was Ryou, but actually isn't.

Yeah, when laid out like this, it's pretty clear to see that the plot of this game is... not great, to put it mildly. Oh, well, just wait until you see the Schrödinger's corpse in the next update!

Psion
Dec 13, 2002

eVeN I KnOw wHaT CoRnEr gAs iS

ivantod posted:

Oh, well, just wait until you see the Schrödinger's corpse in the next update!

oh boy

but also

oh no

Mraagvpeine
Nov 4, 2014

I won this avatar on a technicality this thick.
Looks like I managed to catch up with this LP just in time for the finale.

ivantod
Mar 27, 2010

Mahalo, fuckers.


So last time, Ririko went to give that bag to someone from the citizens' group, but he turned out to be an impostor, so she got herself kidnapped again, this time by Goto and company. Turned out that Tanaka was behind all that, but then a dude with a tattoo of a dragon on his forehead showed up and killed everybody, except Ririko, because... he ran out of bullets? Therefore she was left knocked out in a burning building, only to regain consciousness just in the nick of time and escape. But the question is, if the guy who killed everybody is Asakura Ryou, then who is the guy who was killed by Kusanagi earlier in the chapter? We will find out in this episode, but once you know the answer, you will be sorry that you ever asked that question, to be honest. Today, in our penultimate real update, we go back to a more conventional format of non-stop talking heads. Oh, and before I forget, one final ridiculous plot development to finish this one, and then to bring us into the grand finale... the Schrödinger's corpse (that we have all been waiting for!).

But first, Ririko and Yuuji, leaving the site of the fire!




Ririko, what's happened?
Did you notice the guy?
Only after the fire really started. Nobody saw him on the street.



Tanaka Shuumei, Goto Masayuki... he killed them all.
Who?
Asakura Ryou!
But, isn't he dead!
Maybe... maybe not.
Maybe not?
I saw the body. Also...
Also?
Kusanagi himself told me that had killed him.
Then what? Did Ryou somehow come back to life?
That's not possible. But, still...?



Anyhow, let's just go and have some rest.
Let's go back to the hotel, probably we should be safe there.
All right. Let's do that.

    

Oh, good, it's you, Takeuchi-san.
What is it?
I was contacted by Kusanagi-san. He said he could not reach you on your mobile phone, so he was worried.



No, it's not that, my phone battery is dead. Yuuji, can you please try calling him?
All right.
I'm sorry, what was Kusanagi-san's message?
He gave me the phone number of Uehara-san and said to try calling him here. It's the "Whale" guesthouse on Zamami.



Zamami?
It's a remote island. About an hour from Naha by fast ferry.

All right, let's just get our map out again...



Zamami island is marked with the red pin, so basically next door to Okinawa. The islands we discussed previously, and the island Kusanagi went to, are part of the group of islands in the bottom left corner (the ones off the coast of Taiwan). Anyway, let's continue.



I see. Well, let's stay here for today.
All right, I'm going to get some sleep...
No way, we can't go to sleep yet! We still need to listen to that tape!
Oh, I forgot!

Up in her room, while Yuuji is checking out the tape, Ririko calls Uehara's number...



(After returning to my room, I called the number of the guesthouse where Uehara-san was staying and asked to speak to him.)

This is Uehara.
This is Takeuchi Ririko.
Ah, Takeuchi-san, I was waiting to hear from you. I heard everything from Kusanagi-san.
Safety is most important. Did you hear about Kaneshiro-san?
He was pushed down the stairs?



No. That was all a lie from Kaneshiro-san.
What do you mean?
Kaneshiro-san was blackmailed by Goto.
Goto?
One of Asakura's minions. Anyway, Uehara-san. Can we meet tomorrow? I have a bag that I need to give to you.
Tanaka and his people are after me. It's too dangerous for me to return to Naha.
Tanaka Shuumei is dead... to be more precise, he was killed.
By whom?
Asakura... I think. Tanaka and Goto... they're all dead.
Is that so... That's a very odd story. Kusanagi told me that he had killed Asakura.
Did he tell you that?
Yes, that's what he told me.
(So, who was that man...?)
All right, I understand. Let's meet tomorrow.
Where and when?
Well the ferry leaves from here at 8 and it takes one hour. So how about we meet at 10?
Where?
Let's meet at Fukushuen, I will wait for you at the waterfall.

Again, these are real places around Naha, but we'll learn more about them a bit later when Ririko actually goes there!

Fuku-shu-en?
It's a Chinese garden, we can talk there in peace. Just ask for directions at the entrance.
All right, see you there at 10 o'clock.

*click*



Yeah.
Ririko, you must be tired. Why don't you get some sleep.
What about the tape?
I'm listening to it now, but it's a bit disjointed and difficult to follow. I'll wake you up if I find something.
Thanks. Then I'll rest for a bit.

Some time later...



Ah, Yuuji. What's going on?
Sorry to wake you up, but you should listen to this bit... Asakura Ryou is talking to someone.
Really?
No doubt. Let me play it.





Let's listen to it, I guess...



quote:

That's why Shuumei looks down on me!
This is enough, Ryou! There's been enough killing. Haven't Ishihara and his people already taken care of Takeuchi and Kitamura well enough?
Well enough? Are you kidding me! Because we let Ishihara handle this, now that silly woman has come out of the woodwork!
Anyhow, this is enough. We really have to stop. This is a very important time period before the election. You know that if the casino bill passes, we'll have the monopoly on the smuggling routes in Southeast Asia. Do you even understand how profitable that would be for us?
Money is not important. We can just steal more when we need it.
What are you even talking about! You started all this mess because you talked to him so much.
Ha ha, I have no idea what the priest was thinking. I just wanted to cause him trouble, I never knew he was going to write a novel like that! It's pretty funny.
This is not a laughing matter! Do you know how much trouble we've suffered because of your whims?
But, I've been useful too, no? Didn't I help you many times when you were picking fights with bad-tempered American soldiers in bars?
You talking about Loreley bar in Koza?
Yeah, that's the one. Loreley.
Which specific occasion are you referring to? And also... you didn't save me. You just like to get rid of everything and everybody you don't like.
I guess that's one way of looking at it. But, I do miss those days. I wonder if Miyagi-san is doing well.
Are you even listening to me?
I'm listening. I'm not going to kill the woman. Is that what you want to hear? Fine. I don't care about her, ok? What I really want to do is get rid of Tanaka Shuumei. He treats me like I'm some kind of a stray dog or something. Just tell me when. I'll do it with pleasure.
Well, soon. But for now, unfortunately, we still have some work to do.



Well, no idea who the question mark could possibly be. But I just wanted to point something out regarding the name of that bar. We'll be visiting it soon, and you will see the name also spelled like that, "Loreley", on the sign. So I just wanted to explain that this is not a spelling error, although you have probably usually only seen this name spelled as "Lorelei". However, Loreley is actually the correct German spelling. It is true that the letter "Y" isn't used in native German words any more (it was mostly replaced by "I" as part of the spelling reforms in 1901 and onwards). However it still remains in many "imported" foreign words and, more importantly, it was also kept in spellings of the names of some geographical locations in Germany, such as Bayern, and indeed, Loreley. It also remains in historical spellings of some family names, mainly in German-speaking Switzerland, in spots where you would normally expect to see "I" or "Ü" instead.

Oh, and also, let me just say right now that there aren't going to be any Karate Kid jokes in this update, so you can relax!

Anyway, now that we've cleared that up, let's see what Ririko thinks about this recording!

Almost forgot: Koza is one part of Okinawa City.


Who is Ryou talking to here?
I would also like to know that.
I don't understand anything here! Somehow Asakura Ryou seems to be immortal and then there's even another mastermind pulling the strings behind him!
It looks that way, doesn't it.
Yuuji, check the phone directory, let's get the number for Loreley!
Ok.



Ririko, I found it! There's only one bar with that name in Koza! It's open until 2 AM.
And now is... about 1:30 AM! Yuuji, how far is it to Koza?
About 30 minutes by car... if we go fast.
All right, let's go!

The distance between Naha and Okinawa city is under 30 km, so it's not unreasonable that at that time of night it could be covered in less than 30 minutes, especially if you go fast.

    

Yuuji, can I borrow your mobile phone?
Who are you gonna call at this hour?
I just want to talk to Asuka.

Ririko calls Asuka...



Asuka? Sorry, I woke you up.
Ririko! I was so worried! Are you ok?
For now, somehow. I'm here together with Yuuji.
That's good to hear.
By the way Asuka, do you have "The King of Darkness" close at hand?
Sure, I was still reading it.
Um... can you check if there is an appearance of a place named Loreley in the book? It should be a bar in Koza where Asakura Ryou used to work.
Ah, there is a bar named "Laurel"

But wait, didn't Ririko also already read the whole book? I mean she was literally reading it to us a few updates ago? How is she not remembering this?

"Laurel", is it? Is there a person named Miyagi there?
The owner's name? It's Miyada in the book.
What kind of relationship is it between Miyada and Asakura?
What kind of relationship?



Was it simply and owner and an employee, or was there more to it?
Wait... oh, here, I've got it. Miyada was scolding Ryou when he found out about him trafficking drugs from overseas. But he didn't fire him, apparently he's a guy who likes to give people a chance. Ryou later gout into trouble with American soldiers and killed a couple of them, but it says here that Miyada didn't know about that.
Really?
That's what's written in the novel.
Anything else?
Hm... no, that seems to be about it.
Thank you, you helped me out.
Ah... wait, what's going on over there? Do you think you'll be back soon?
Soon. Surely this will all be over soon.

*click*

And well, that's about it for Asuka as far as this game is concerned. We won't be seeing her again, nor anybody else from the detective agency crew. I guess we can add this to the long list of structural problems in this game--characters are just not mentioned again when they are not needed without even a word. At least Asuka got this last phone call; Sakamot and Mayumi were not so lucky.

But, anyhow, in the meantime, we have arrived at our destination.




Ririko and Yuuji go inside.

We're already closed, you know.
Are you Miyagi-san?





Could we talk for a little bit?
And you are?
Takeuchi Ririko. Wife of Kusanagi Manabu.
So, you're Kusnagi's wife? Are you a detective too?
That's right.
Then, what do you need?
Are you aware of the opposition movement regarding the plans to build a casino?
Well, I guess so...
You guess so?



Well, I heard about it from Kusanagi-san... But, civic opposition is not really my kind of thing.
Do you know the group's representative, Uehara-san?
I don't know that man. I just can't bear the Republicans' brute force way of doing things. But I have an old friend in the Labour party, so I introduced him.
To Kusanagi?
Right, to your husband. Also, I felt a bit responsible...
Responsible?
How much do you know so far?
Kusanagi told me to leave the evidence to you in the final instance if something happened.
Did something happen?
No, Uehara-san is safe. So I will give all the evidence to him tomorrow.
Then, what is the reason for this visit?
Do you know Asakura Ryou?
Asakura Ryou?



Brothers?
Right. Actually, they are twins. So similar, they are almost indistinguishable. Well, I guess they would be since they are twins.
Twins?

Ririko is doing a really good impression of Snake in this conversation... Also, twinst? This is what we're going with? And this was never even hinted at in that drat book? Really? Ah, well, at least we know who is the guy killed by Kusanagi and also who was the other person on the tape we listened to... Looks like the other twin is the brains of the whole operation.



What kind of person was the older brother Asakura Shun?
Shun is smarter than Ryou and quick-witted. He is quite shrewd and good and seeing the balance of profit and loss in everything. I guess he went to university when he stopped working here. They were quite well known among the American soldiers here with their drug trade. Their business was going well, Shun was in charge of money and negotiations. Ryou was keeping a watchful eye on everything from behind. Ryou is quite a dangerous fellow. Whenever there was some sort of trouble with one of the soldiers, Ryou would settle it. Usually by killing them. I knew... but I never said anything, It was a different time, and I was younger too, trying to be cool. He used to boast that violence is the only solution to every problem. So, when your husband mentioned the Asakura brothers, I felt responsible. I guess I selfishly wanted to atone for my sins.
What's the deal with the forehead tattoo?
Yeah, that's Ryou. He said he did it because he didn't want to be mistaken for Shun.
I see. Thank you very much.
By the way, where did your husband go?
He went to Hatoma island.

I mean sure, just tell it to a random guy. Why not.

Hatoma island? Did he go alone?
Yes.
Did he say anything?
No, nothing. He just left in a hurry.
I see. All right... well, just tell him next time you see him that the old geezer said to dring slowly, ok?
Understood.

Don't worry, we'll find out shortly what the deal is with this Hatoma island thing.

In any case, we're done here. Let's go.




    

And, well, this time we don't even get to see Ririko tell Yuuji about all of this. We simply move on to the next day, as she arrives to the designated meeting spot at the Chinese garden for her appointment with Uehara.



As mentioned, the meeting is at the waterfall. This whole location is, of course, like most other locations in this game, actually a real place. So, with that in mind, here is a real-life picture of the actual waterfall in question:



As for the rest of the story about this park in Naha, well, I don't have to explain it myself since, believe it or not, the person we are meeting is just about to spent a ridiculous amount of time explaining it all to Ririko! Good thing they don't have any important business to discuss! Oh, wait... yes they do!

Well, let's finally talk to the elusive Uehara-san.




This is the bag I was given by Kusanagi to take care of.



By the way, please accept my apologies for the problems caused to you by Kaneshiro.
Did you talk to him?
Yeah, we spoke on the phone this morning. He said he had no choice because they took his daughter hostage. Please forgive him.

Hold on, but the game title says that... Oh heck, whatever.

It's fine. I can see the situation that he was in.

Also, I managed to not get myself killed purely by chance, because otherwise I would not have forgiven him quite so easily.

I see. Well, it's a relief to hear you say that.



By the way, what do you think of this place? It's quite a beautiful garden, isn't it?
It's true. I didn't know there even was such a thing in Naha.
It's a garden created by Chinese craftsmen, in remembrance of their hometown. Have you heard of Fuzhou, China?
No, I haven't, sorry.
It's the capital of Fujian province in the south of the country.
Fujian... it's famous for its tea, isn't it?
Yes, but it's also famous for another thing, the Chinese expatriates orginating from that area. There are many of them in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.

This is of course, all true. Fujian is one of the oldest tea growing places in China, and also is really known for a large amount of its people who immigrated to the surrounding countries, going all the way back to 14th century.



Since the old times, Okinawa has always bin a trading hub. It has prospered as a transit point for trade in this part of Asia. But the current approach of the Republicans is wrong.
You are talking about Yazaki Kengo.
Right. Yazaki and his people only care about casino related concessions. I'm not saying that the casinos are bad in the absolute, but it depends on how you handle it. They just want to make money for themselves.
I have ony question though.
Yes?
What kinds of concessions are we talking about here?
Well, it's simple really. If people come, then so will the money. If money comes, so will the people. Tourist shops, new buildings, hotels, everyone will come. But the gangsters will also come from other places. So we can't leave it to those guys.
Indeed. By the way, Asakura and his bunch are also from Okinawa.
Well, in their case, they just happened to be born here. No matter how much I tried to get them to think about the future of Okinawa, they didn't care. I guess it was too much to expect from them to actually care about this place.



An island?
Yes, on Hatoma island, just to the north of Iriomote island.
Does he have a house there?
I'm not really sure. But Asakura has been buying up land there, or so I've heard.
I see...
What's wrong? You don't look so good, all of a sudden.
Ah, nothing, but I just remembered there is something I need to do... I'm sorry, I will have to excuse myself.
Ah, Ririko-san...
Yes?

    

Thank you.

Ririko goes back to the car...

    

Yuuji, let's go, quickly!
Where to?
Naha airpot, I have to fly to Ishigaki island to get to Hatoma.
Are you going after Kusanagi-san?
Yes, hurry!
I'm going, calm down.





And so, at the airport...



Yuuji, when is the flight to Ishigaki?



It's true... you're right. Can I ask you a favour?
Sure, sure.
Can you go and have a look if they have a replacement mobile phone battery here to buy?
Oh right, your phone is dead. Wait here, I'll go and have a look quickly.

Having gotten rid of Yuuji at least for a little while, Ririko starts to read Kusanagi's letter.

quote:

To Ririko Takeuchi-sama.

Dispensing with the opening formalities, let me get directly to the heart of the matter.

I need to apologise to you. I was the one who gave the information about the boss and Kitamura-san to these guys. I stumbled upon the crimes of Asakura and representative Yazaki from a different direction than they, though. The boss told me that it's dangerous and that I should pull back, but I didn't. It seems that you're not the only stubborn one among us.

I'm sorry. I was criticising you for this exact thing, but here I've ended up making a mess, too. I pretended to pull back, but in actuality I continued my investigation, and ultimately I was discovered. Shortly after they made their first threat, a relative of mine ended up coincidentally in a car accident. Next time, they said, it will be you. So I couldn't refuse their offer. But I never thought they would kill the boss. I was naive, I guess. But when I heard that he was killed, I knew I could no longer stay around you.



An affair was an absurd excuse, but I had no choice. I didn't want to get you involved in that in any way. So I made up my mind to try and get closer to them in hopes of exposing them. Pretending to give in, I got closer to Asakura and started sniffing around. They were trafficking a lot of drugs from Southeast Asia. If they had the casino concession, the profits would be astronomical. So I joined with Yazaki's side.

As you might have already found out, Asakura Shun and Ryou are twin brothers. The relationship between then was very special, Ryou doesn't listen to anyone, but he won't go against Shun's wishes. It's like a relationship beween an animal and its tamer.



Shun's company, SL Refining collects semiconductors and spark plugs from all over the country. Contracting with landscaping company like Ishihara's or a car scrap yard to buy parts. Then, platinum and other precious metals are refined from the waste. There is a treasure trove in the garbage.

    

Shun is, in a way, a genius. His company is even classified as a "green company" because of the recycling it does, so it even gets government subsidies. His younger twin, Ryou, is not really interested in money. He is, one might say, abnormal. I couldn't believe that I was seeing a person who derives so much pleasure from killing. During the drug deals, Ryou is on the lookout like a hound. He takes care of any trouble... just one person, on his own.



If you're reading this, it means you gave the bag to Uehara-san. When these documents come to light, the Republicans' plan for the casino will fail and Yazaki will be recalled. Only Asakura Ryou remains a problem. As long as he's alive, this whole story is missing the final chapter. Therefore, I went to Hatoma island.

Oddly enough, Ryou can't seem to let go of Hatoma, since this is where his mother died. He always visits the island when he's around these parts. That's the biggest difference between him and Shun.

There is one other thing I need to apologise to you, however. Six months ago I was diagnosed with liver cancer. At the time, I was told that if I refused treatment, I won't even last half a year. I started using drugs regularly to relieve the pain. At Asakura Shun's place it's always stocked up. That's the only thing that kept me going.



But my life is beyond salvation either way. I stil regret that I let that happen to the boss.

Sorry.



My body hurts everywhere so I treated you in a nasty way that you didn't deserve. I apologise for that, too. But I didn't want to talk about cancer, because I promised that I will not die before you. And a promise is a promise, right?

Yours, etc.
            Kusanagi Manabu.

        

LOL WUT.

What even is this?

Why does this game constantly just dump the plot on us instead of letting the characters discover it?

Please nobody ask me to explain the plot because this is just random nonsense at this point.

Oh my god. Just... ugh.

Are we honestly expected to sympathise with Ririko and/or Kusanagi? Really? No. Just, no. This is idiotic.

You know, let's just continue to the end of this update since I'm overdue on my medication anyway.

Ok, where were we. Ririko was about to take a flight to Ishigaki island, near Hatoma.


        

By the way, the building on the picture above is the actual Ishigaki airport, check it out:



In any case, finally we get to Hatoma!

        

You're right, thank you.

Yuuji goes away.

(Suddenly, I noticed there was a crowd, some distance away. I started to get a bad feeling, so I approached the detective who was standing there.)

Said person has no portrait, so will be represented by the usual question mark in the dialogue.



Has something happened?
A murder. Quite surprising for this place...



Over there?
Yes.
Can I look at the face?
Sorry, no, the forensics are in charge.
But I think it might be a relative of mine.
Really?
Yes.
What's your name?
Takeuchi Ririko. I'm a detective from Tokyo. My husband followed a criminal to the island here. So this corpse...
...could be your husband's!
That's right. May I see it?
Go ahead.



Yes. We get to choose what Ririko is thinking. And, when we choose her thoughts, it will also determine the identity of the corpse. I told you, Schrödinger's corpse. Depending on the choice A or B, the identity of the person under the sheet will be different.

But, more on that, next time.

For now, please excuse me while I go and rage futilely at the incompetence of writing in this game.


Rage rage rage



Think this game broke me






Things fall apart


The centre
                cannot
                                 hold




    

Booky
Feb 21, 2013

Chill Bug


:psyduck:

CremePudding
Oct 30, 2011
This is approaching My Immortal level of incoherence :stare:

Blaze Dragon
Aug 28, 2013
LOWTAX'S SPINE FUND

This game sure does not know how to properly present information to the player. Or how to structure a plot.

Like, the twin thing isn't bad in a vaccuum, but it comes entirely out of nowhere here. And the liver cancer...okay, that one's pretty bad anyways. But so is the entirety of the relationship plot in this game, when we saw from day one that their relationsihp was horrendous with or without criminals involved, and now we're meant to believe there's more to it...bit late for that.

Booky
Feb 21, 2013

Chill Bug


"hey ririko heres some info

ps i have liver cancer bye"

the most galling part so far (besides the ps got cancer letter) is that i guess ririkos dad just died, offscreen, without any fanfare????

differentiating
Mar 30, 2019

Yeah, if they wanted to throw in some drama cancer, it would've made more sense to have Ririko's dad be the one with terminal cancer, and thus he decides to go all-out with chasing down the criminal who eluded him back in the day. Having him die randomly because Kusanagi hosed up (despite being previously established as a competent detective?) is just weird. They could've had Kusanagi get involved in all this by investigating his murder and getting caught up in it all if they really wanted to.

The twin thing is just dumb because it comes out of left field - sure, Shun didn't have the famous dragon tattoo, but also it was established that most people knew next to nothing about Ryou in the first place. And don't get me started on how much I hate the idea of this corpse being dependent on a choice that has no actual way of affecting events that happened previously...

Robindaybird
Aug 21, 2007

Neat. Sweet. Petite.

Christ the writer really needs to actually read mystery novels and thrillers to understand how that poo poo works

gimme the GOD DAMN candy
Jul 1, 2007
the best thing about the tattoo is that ririko didn't know what ryou looked like anyway. so, the random guy that died didn't need to be a previously unmentioned identical twin. it didn't fool kusanagi either because he knew both of them, so what was even the point?

Taberquol
Jun 16, 2012

I think the butler did it, might as well go with that

Robindaybird
Aug 21, 2007

Neat. Sweet. Petite.

Taberquol posted:

I think the butler did it, might as well go with that

given it throws every other loving cliche into the game, might as well grab the kitchen sink too.

booksnake
May 4, 2009

we who are crowned with the crest of wisdom

ivantod posted:

I told you, Schrödinger's corpse. Depending on the choice A or B, the identity of the person under the sheet will be different.

This is NOT how you put choice into your game/visual novel. I feel your pain.

Robindaybird
Aug 21, 2007

Neat. Sweet. Petite.

And there's no game I can even think of where Schrodinger's Corpse would be beneficial, and every game I can think of, it would just weaken the story considerably.

Mraagvpeine
Nov 4, 2014

I won this avatar on a technicality this thick.
Man, this game really likes throwing all these elements together without making them fit together.

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ivantod
Mar 27, 2010

Mahalo, fuckers.

Mraagvpeine posted:

Man, this game really likes throwing all these elements together without making them fit together.

This seems a very good description of exactly where we are right now with this game. It really had a lot of potential, but in the last two chapters everything just completely implodes. I mean, it's not like it was a masterpiece before, but it was not nearly this bad. Anyway, there's only two parts still left, because of course I'm going to subject you to seeing both possible endings! Well one is actually relatively short, so it's not that big of a deal--it certainly took some effort for me to be motivated to actually do the last few updates, but I haven't abandoned a game yet and I don't intend to start now.

I honestly didn't expect this would turn out to be by far the worst game in this thread at least as far as writing goes--audio/visual technical aspects of this game are certainly pretty good, but what's the point when there is no writing to back it up. Oh well.

ivantod fucked around with this message at 18:12 on Aug 5, 2021

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