|
It's a good thing Hogstein is completely ineffectual because those two sure could've (should've, really) gotten killed there. Also yeah, I did not want to get to the romance but it was going to happen, at least we're out of the CGI territory now.
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2021 18:15
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 27, 2024 01:40 |
|
|
Ya reckon he took the Pocky out of his mouth to kiss her, then stuck it back in again? lmao. Man, I don't know if it's just fatigue from the rest of the game, but this route is really a boring dud.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2021 21:29
|
|
|
cardinale posted:Ya reckon he took the Pocky out of his mouth to kiss her, then stuck it back in again? lmao. They probably did a Lady and the Tramp thing were Saki bit the other end and they gnawed on it until their lips met.  It's probably fatigue. I know that from a personal standpoint, I tend to get crankier and angrier at the characters the longer an LP goes on. It could also be a case of of Shirabe's route being the culmination of information from every other route. His route covers basically every single piece of information we've picked up from the other guys, so all of the big shocking revelatory moments in Shirabe's route fall flat since we've known about them for ages. Blaze Dragon posted:It's a good thing Hogstein is completely ineffectual because those two sure could've (should've, really) gotten killed there. My number one complaint with this game so far has been the lack of stakes. I know this is a Teen-Rated Otome game, but they could have thrown in at least 1 death in order to back up the threat of this whole situation. If Hogstein had just managed to kill 1 person, then at least we'd go through this game knowing that he is completely serious and our protagonists are in danger. Sure, everybody except Saki dies in Urabe's bad end, but that's essentially non-canon.
|
|
#
?
Jul 30, 2021 22:02
|
|
|
Psycho Knight posted:They probably did a Lady and the Tramp thing were Saki bit the other end and they gnawed on it until their lips met. Psycho Knight posted:It's probably fatigue. I know that from a personal standpoint, I tend to get crankier and angrier at the characters the longer an LP goes on.
|
|
#
?
Jul 31, 2021 21:52
|
|
|
cardinale posted:Yeah, you're right, good point. Hopefully the Hogstein reveal will be something new and interesting. I mean, it's one of the few things we don't yet know. It has to be at least mildly interesting. I've pretty much given up on the rest of the mysteries. I doubt we're ever going to learn exactly how Urabe's dad managed to engineer a bus crash that killed everyone while making it look like a medical issue on behalf of the driver.
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2021 13:00
|
|
|
My theory is that the bus driver had a heart condition and urabe's dad's goons switched out his heart medicine to sugar pills or whatever and he just happened to have a heart attack at the exact place and time
|
|
#
?
Aug 1, 2021 16:16
|
|
|
Update XLIX: Sugar Daddy This is it. The finale of Shirabe’s route and Sweet Fuse as a whole. Definitely the last update right here, yes sir.   I looked around, my mind still fuzzy. Yay! The goofy costumes again! Too bad we know that they aren’t going to get used this late in the route. My best guess was that we’d been hit with some sort of sleeping gas. We appeared to be in some kind of dressing room. On the walls were several costumes, and there were a number of fitting rooms with large mirrors. Urgh…! As soon as I tried to move, though, I realized that my hands and feet were bound. You awake? Yeah… I twisted my head toward the voice, and saw Ayumu tied up next to me. Can’t believe I fell for that… We hadn’t expected him to give up so quickly. Of course, he hadn’t actually given up…That’s why you shouldn’t have been caught by surprise. He gave you every indication that you were being drawn into a trap. I wonder where we are? Who knows. One of the attractions, probably. Oink oink oink. Are we awake? Hogstein’s voice filled the room. You bastard… That was a pretty dirty trick. What are you going to do with us? Oh noooo… the same plot device you already used twice in this same route… Don’t.  What…? It’s already the seventh day?! My old hostages were getting boring, so I thought you guys would help spice things up! You’ll only have to wait a bit longer for your appearance! Oink! Then he was gone. So we’re the reward…? Sounds like it. If we don’t do something, we’re just going to make things harder for the others. Yeah. We need to get out of here. Somehow… If I could just loosen these ropes a little… They’re so… tight… We struggled for a few minutes in an attempt to loosen them, but it was no good. Minutes ticked by, and we were no closer to escaping. (What do we do? If we can’t escape, we’re just going to get dragged off to be hostages…) …Wait, that’s it. What’s it?  Uhhh…. Um…? (Well, yes, I think I can, but…)*Choice time. Let’s not make this conversation any more awkward than it already is* It’s a stretch, but… Why?*Affection up*  Thank God. The pistol I got from Shidou is in my back pocket. I want you to grab it.Then just say “Back pocket”! Don’t make it weird, man. R-Right! Phrasing, please for the love of God, phrasing. Okay, here… we go… I twisted my body toward him, and stretched my hand out until I could feel the hard metal of the gun. (Just a little further…) There! My fingers finally wrapped around the tip of the gun. Got it. Good work. Now hand it to me. Okay! I twisted my around [sic] and handed the pistol to him. All right, now… get behind me. I scooted up next to him on the floor. He pointed the gun at one of the large mirrors and pulled the trigger. Aah! Are you okay? Y-Yeah, just surprised. This should do the trick. After a little bit of trouble, he managed to pick up one of the fragments. Hold out your arms toward me. He pressed the shard of mirror against the ropes, and started to saw back and forth. There…! I felt the pressure of the rope disappear from my wrists. Would you stop that? Please? Hold on a sec… I carefully took the piece of mirror out of his hand and cut through the rope around Ayumu’s wrists. Once that was done, cutting off the rope around our ankles was easy. All right, let’s get out of here. He tried to climb to his feet, but grunted in pain when he put weight on his ankle. Right. Thanks. With one hand on my shoulder, he managed to stand up. But just as we were about to leave, two piglets rushed into the room. Guess they heard the gunshot. …! They started to move toward us, but Ayumu held up the pistol almost casually. …?!  Ah, I wouldn’t move if I were you. I don’t want to shoot you, but I’m still feeling a little shaky. If I accidentally pulled the trigger…Do it anyway. I hate them. There’s also been a surprising lack of death in this game about death traps. … He grinned as the piglets slowly raised their hands into the air. (Whoa… this is like a scene from an action movie!)Eh… daytime soap opera, at best.  It really does take very little to get Saki hot and bothered. (Oh jeez, he’s so cool!)”The way he abandons his daughter and has no semblance of work-life balance is just soooo awesome!”  …Let’s blow this popsicle stand. I just stared at Ayumu for a long moment until I realized that he was actually talking to me. O-Oh, right! *Two piglets briefly show on the screen* More of them. …! There were more piglets waiting for us— Three this time. …! Don’t move. As soon as they started toward us, Ayumu lifted the gun. Go on. Give me a reason. …! They threw their hands up and froze. He gestured with the gun for them to move out of the way, and they complied. (I think we’re going to make it!) I pulled out my phone to check the time— Already half-past noon. Whew… I’m real glad none of those guys actually tried to jump us. If they’d called my bluff… Wait, you mean… you wouldn’t have actually shot them? He nodded and gave me a crooked smile. You managed it pretty well when you shot out that mirror while your hands and feet were tied. And I don’t think I’m ready to be a killer quite yet. (Oh, I get it…) Of course, if you were ever in any real danger that might, uh, change…You mean like the danger of the piglets capturing her and using her as a hostage in a death game? Ayumu, if you threaten to do something under certain conditions and reaffirm your commitment to it, then it’s not a bluff. He looked over at me and his mouth tightened. There was no question that he was serious.”It’s a good thing they backed off and didn’t endanger you, because I was only bluffing about shooting them. …Of course if they had endangered you, I would have shot them.” Ayumu…Ladies love it when you contradictorily tell them that you never intended to actually kill someone to protect them, but that you might kill someone to protect them.  Damnit. We heard a sudden low noise of movement from all over the park, as all the piglets began to search for us. Over there. We need to hide. We ducked behind some shrubs and crouched down. Now… what should we do? (What should we do?)*Choice time* We have to go confront Hogstein! He nodded.*Affection up*  Besides, they told us to figure out the truth. Can’t go back on that now.They told you that under the assumption that you wouldn’t get immediately captured and used as hostages. Yeah. I want to know what’s going on with all this too. All right, then that’s that! Let’s go! No mercy, this time. Ayumu hefted the pistol.”Except when it comes to using the gun. I don’t intend to become a killer… unless he endangers you, in which case I will become a killer.” …Aaah! … Just as we went to leave, several piglets appeared in front of the attraction. There were at least six of them. There’s enough of them that I couldn’t hold them all off, and they’d know it. Let’s stick to the shadows. We cut across, keeping out of sight, and eventually reached Alice Kart Grand Prix. (There are piglets here too…) I think we can make it to that building over there. Yeah. We held our breath as we waited for the piglets to pass. (Just… go away already!) As I watched the piglets amble slowly by, I heard Ayumu speak up. …Yeah. (Right, he’s a nervous talker.)I honestly forgot about that personality quirk and was about to rib him for making small talk at a time like this. We all got thrown into these insane games with a bunch of people we’d never have met otherwise. I’ve done a lot of nutty things in my life, but I think this probably takes the cake. I nodded. Me too.Oh yeah, I bet Saki’s done all sorts of crazy stuff. This one time, she hiked the skirt on her school uniform up by 2cm. Living life on the knife’s edge, baby!  I mean, I know I’m not even twenty yet, but I’ve never been through anything even close to this. I think the biggest surprise was you, though. Me? Yeah. You’ve got a point. Sure, it’s been dangerous, but… I wouldn’t trade this for anything. …Oh, hey. Oh, they’re gone. Let’s go. It’s time to uncover the truth and finish this game!Yes, please! Not that I haven’t enjoyed doing this LP for all of you, but this game has definitely worn out its welcome for me. Right. We nodded to each other, and headed off for Castle Hogstein. Finally… Took us a little while, though. Looks like he’s got them patrolling here too. A number of piglets milled around in the plaza. Yeah, but they’re only in the plaza. See? The area closer to the castle is clear. Makes sense, I suppose. He probably figured once we escaped, coming back to the castle would be the last thing on our minds. True. Good news for us. Let’s go.*Fade transition, although we don’t change location*  Um… I think that button was… somewhere around… here! This is it, then! The real final battle!Is it? Because we’ve been faked out on that a few times now. Here goes! In the middle of the main hall was a huge cube with a blue cloth draped over it. (That wasn’t here yesterday…) What’s that!? We saw it on the first day, remember? It’s the cage with all the hostages in it. Just at that moment, Hogstein appeared from behind the cage. What are you going to do with them!? Well, since you two jokers escaped, I have to get my hostages somewhere else! It’s not as fun as I’d hoped, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. The moment your friends fail, everyone in this cage goes bye-byeeeee! What!?That was the plan the entire time. What about that changed? It’s not like he let all the hostages go when he captured the two of you. Enough about me, though. Why did you come back? He looked genuinely confused.He’s wearing a mascot costume, how the hell can you tell what confusion looks like? Ayumu fixed him with a hard stare. We want to talk to you one last time. Me? Well, unfortunately there’s nothing I want to talk to you about. Maybe I didn’t ask politely enough. As he spoke, Ayumu pulled the pistol out of his pocket and pointed it toward Hogstein.You realize that’s an empty threat, right? If you shoot him, the hostages will presumably be killed instantly. Oh ho! Well, when you put it that way… Please, walk this way. Alone…? Be careful!He won’t be. I know. I’ll keep an eye on him. Plus I’ve still got this bad boy. I’ll be fine. You wait here.Ah, yes. The gun that you told us you had no intention of actually using unless Saki was put in danger. Okay… He walked slowly toward Hogstein, his left foot still dragging. Finally he stood in front of the pig, his hand wrapped tightly around the pistol. (I hope he’ll be okay…) All right Hogstein, I— He pointed toward me and shouted. What?! Saki!  Oink oink oink! Oldest trick in the book! I hate that that worked. Why are all of you so stupid when it comes to dealing with this guy? Gaaaaah! Hogstein laughed and slammed his foot into Ayumu’s bad ankle. He screamed in pain and collapsed, the pistol flying out of his grip and skittering across the floor. Ayumu! Bastard… urgh…You deserved that. I can’t believe you fell for “Look! A distraction!” (He used me as a distraction?! That’s low!) The pistol finally stopped, coming to rest near my feet. (Wait…) … I reached down and picked up the gun. It felt oddly heavy in my hand. Hogstein! He turned toward me and grinned. Ha ha ha! Are you telling me you actually know how to fire that thing? No... don’t… Yes, do it. I… A sickening sort of power radiated out of the cool metal. I could kill someone with a single finger. My hands began to shake.Correction: You could kill the guy that kidnapped your uncle and is trying to kill you and everyone you know in this park. (What was it he said…?) We flash back to like 5 minutes ago, where Shirabe talked about not shooting anyone, but also totally shooting someone. He nodded and gave me a crooked smile. Of course not. I don’t even really know how to fire this thing. I’d be as likely to kill them as wound or scare them. And I don’t think I’m ready to be a killer quite yet. (Oh, I get it…) Of course, if you were ever in any real danger that might, uh, change…*END OF FLASHBACK*  I steadied my hand and pointed the gun at Hogstein. No! The moment before Ayumu yelled, I pulled the trigger. The bullet grazed Hogstein’s arm and buried itself in the throne at the top of the stairs.Booo!  I want you to listen to what Ayumu has to say. I didn’t let the barrel drop. …All right. Go on then. Let’s hear it. (You can do it…) Ayumu climbed slowly to his feet, then turned to face Hogstein. When we get out of here, I’m writing a story about all this. Everyone’s going to know what Urabe’s old man did. Sure, that crash is twelve years old, but the truth has a long shelf life. … I assure you, the world will not care. Do you know how much death and suffering happens every day? Check the headlines on Google News right now and I’m sure you will see reports of something else that grossly eclipses what anyone involved in this went through. NOTE: Don’t actually do that. It’s bad for your mental health. Trust me. …Yes, Hogstein, even you. … Do you really expect me to believe that? He sounded… sad, or maybe disappointed. (Wait, he sounds… different?) They were clamoring at the newsstands for your filth last time! I’ll bet you can’t wait to line your pockets! … You’re a hack! All you know how to write is sensationalist trash! Now you want sympathy?! What a hypocrite! (Wh-What?! Come on now, that seems a little harsh!)Not really, no. It’s perfectly accurate as far as Hogstein is aware. (He’s just yelling at him! If Hogstein thinks everything Ayumu writes is junk, he’s not going to listen to anyone who says otherwise!)Whatever. The people still demanded that Saki get mad every time, so we’re doing this.  I am not going to miss you, graphical tearing.   You’ve already decided what the truth is, and you won’t let “facts” stand in your way! You’re the hypocrite here! Yeah, that article was terrible, but it wasn’t his fault! What the hell do you know about it?! I’m not done talking! Be quiet! He really tried to do the right thing. But… his boss didn’t want that. …What? He told Ayumu to exaggerate, throw in some wild, exciting theories— anything to get people riled up. But Ayumu refused. So his boss took the article, re-wrote it, and printed it. No… no, that’s a lie! …It’s not. It’s the truth. His voice was soft and quiet. Why didn’t you say anything when I took your daughter hostage? I wrote the article in the first place. It got printed with my name on it. As far as the world’s concerned, it’s mine. I lost control of my story, and that makes me responsible.Thank god that Ayumu is at least maintaining some level of responsibility. Hogstein dropped to his knees. (He looks shocked…) It is. You have to believe me.Let’s say he does believe you. What would that change? The fact of the matter is you still went digging up people’s past trauma for the sake of your career. They didn’t come to you to have their stories told. You tracked them down and badgered them with your (at the time) conspiracy theories. No! Noooo! Suddenly he leapt to his feet and grabbed Ayumu— Ah! The whole gang has finally arrived. Is this the moment we’ve been waiting the entire LP for? I spun around. Guys! Graaaaaaaah! He stumbled backward, away from Ayumu, then turned and began to run up the stairs in front of the throne. Hogstein, wait! But Hogstein didn’t hear him or didn’t listen, and disappeared through the curtains behind the throne. Hogstein! Saki… Are you okay? He was hobbling toward me as fast as he could. Ayumu! I rushed to meet him and slipped an arm around his torso. No, I have to go after him… But… What are you doing here? Hogstein didn’t show up after we beat the game. We thought that was strange, so we came over here. The doors were open, so we just went in. Huh… You saved us. All in a day’s work. Now if you could, um, give me back my gun… Oh, right. I’d almost forgotten I was holding it. Never thought we’d actually have to fire it… Yeah, me either. I’m just glad the two of you are safe. Are those the hostages over there? Yeah, that’s their cage. Get them out of here. I want you to leave Hogstein to me. …All right. You need the gun? No. I don’t think so. Okay. We’ll go see to the hostages. …Yeah. They trotted off, and Ayumu and I were left alone again. Grab onto my shoulder. Right. Thanks. Together we made our way past the throne and through the curtains where Hogstein had disappeared. It’s an elevator! We pushed the button, and after a short wait the doors opened. Let’s go. As the doors closed, I heard a single gunshot ring out— probably Shidou breaking the lock on the cage. (The hostages should be safe now.) All that was left was to figure out Hogstein’s secret. The elevator hummed as it carried us toward him. Ayumu and I hobbled out of the doors and looked around. We were in a small room with several television screens along one wall. There’s no one here… drat. I guess I didn’t get through to him after all.Well, I guess there’s no identity reveal this time, either. Figures. I felt his shoulders slump. (No…) M2! Hogstein, is that you?[???]: … (He’s not saying anything… Why did he call?) The person on the other end didn’t say anything for a long time. Ayumu waited.[???]: …I… I heard the tinny voice of a young man from the speaker. …Wouldn’t think so. I don’t mind. Take however long you need.”I’ve got nothing better to do, after all.” He hung up… Ayumu turned to me and grinned. Well, it’s over now. …No, scratch that. Maybe it’s finally begun. …Yeah, you’re right. But it was the end of Hogstein’s games. All of us, even the hostages, could finally leave. (It’s finally over…) I felt a wave of emotion wash over me, like I’d been holding them back for the last seven days. Ayumu! I threw my arms around him. He blinked in surprised, [sic] then grinned and hugged me back. The warmth and love of his embrace was like nothing I’d ever felt before. It had really captured the public interest for a while after we were released. Fortunately though, Shidou was able to keep the seven of us hidden from the prying eyes of the media. ”Which he promptly walked away from, because he clearly had connections inside the police department.”  The case regarding the bus crash was re-opened. Just as Ayumu had thought, the piglets turned out to be brainwashed civilians. Apparently they hadn’t remembered anything about what had happened. As soon as his ankle had healed, Ayumu was back at work, busy hunting down information about the crash. He interviewed Mitarashi and Meoshi several times, and began to put together the details of what had happened. Some of them refused to even meet with him, but he kept trying.Ah, of course! Let’s cause further emotional pain to the victims’ families! I see plenty of lessons were learned from all of this. But… Even after six months, Hogstein still hadn’t contacted him. Ayumu didn’t give up, and continued to wait for the phone call he believed was coming. Mai and I played every week, though, which was nice. She’d started living with him again afterward. He had a hard time as a single dad, though, so I went over to his house on weekends to help out.Yeah, he has a hard time because he has no concept of work-life balance. He’s literally back to doing all the poo poo he did before, except now he’s managed to replace his in-laws with a teenager. I helped shop and clean, and although it was a lot of work, Mai helped out and we had fun. But finally the day I’d waited for had come. It had finally opened back up three months ago, but Ayumu had been too busy to come. This would be the first time the three of us had been able to do something together in long, [sic] long time. How’s your story going? Oh, the story’s going fine. …Look, I’m real sorry I don’t get to see you that much. I miss you a lot. …Yeah, I miss you too. Hey! Hey! Hold hands with me! Okay, okay. Ayumu took her right and I took her left, and together we walked through the park. (Mai sure looks happy!) He he! Mommy and Daddy look really happy! I felt my face turn bright red. (N-No! I-I’m not your mommy yet!) Mom, huh…? He looked at me and grinned. (Huh…? What’s he thinking…?)A lot of people would rather you didn’t speculate.  Daddy! Daddy! I wanna ride this one! Okay, okay. You coming? Y-Yeah. I took the hand he’d held out to me, and we followed Mai over to the ride. They were both so precious to me… I wanted to stay with them for a long, long time.  So basically nothing changed, then. Ayumu is still largely uninvolved with his daughter because he’s obsessively chained to his work. The only real difference is that he managed to snag himself a replacement wife that can do the housework and provide some semblance of parental love to Mai. Ugh… gently caress this route. At least it’s done with. It’s all over now…  Although… we never did get much information on who Hogstein really was, did we? It also feels like there’s still a few unanswered questions left.  Son of a biiii— Psycho Knight fucked around with this message at 19:39 on Aug 9, 2021 |
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2021 19:17
|
|
|
final true secret hottie route unlocked? By our powers combined! A man who will be as manly as Mitarashi, as popular as Towa, as nerdy and socially awkward as Meoshi, as inexplicably obsessed with the roundness of Saki's head as Shidou, as easily-forgiven-for-murder-plans as Urabe, and as marriage-minded as Shirabe! The perfect date!
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2021 19:42
|
|
|
Don't tell me Hogstein is the final route lol
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2021 20:27
|
|
|
cardinale posted:Don't tell me Hogstein is the final route lol It's the only thing that would salvage this game for me.
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2021 20:38
|
|
|
cardinale posted:Don't tell me Hogstein is the final route lol I have no idea how to feel about this being a real possibility. It has to be either that or an entirely new character out of the blue. Unless that developer cameo from the 3rd playthrough is it?
|
|
#
?
Aug 8, 2021 23:44
|
|
|
Yeah, Hogstein being the final route is the only thing that makes sense, since it's not like there are any other dudes around for Saki to fall for and most of the questions left revolve around his identity/etc. Though I'm trying to imagine how Saki would fall for him in the first place - hostage situation turned Stockholm Syndrome?
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2021 12:35
|
|
|
Hogstein is most likely the last route, although I can't tell for sure since I haven't started the final route at all. There could always be a curveball in how the game handles this (maybe Hogstein is the sibling to the final route guy? The flashback family had two kids in it, after all). That said, we do already know who the (not very) secret route guy is. He's in the opening cinematic for the game and he's someone who hasn't shown up in any other route (unlike the cameo musician dude):  My bet? This guy is totally Hogstein. The game has been pretty cliché, and Otome titles don't often break the mold when it comes to this stuff (these games are intended for teenage girls, after all. Not jaded 30-something English majors), so I doubt there's going to be any insane curveballs. Again, I think the most out-there reveal we could get from this is that this Mikami dude is actually not involved with Hogstein and Hogstein is actually his sibling (maybe Mikami assumed the other died in the accident, which is why Hogstein is pissed at him and wanted to drag him into this revenge plot). I am guessing that Mikami was the one that was intended to be the original seventh participant, before Saki butted in. Oh, right. For anyone who might be curious, Ayumu's bad ending is barely worth talking about. He loses the will to chase after Hogstein when the latter flees, then he passes out. Hogstein is said to have called him, just like in the good ending, but Shirabe misses it because he's out cold. After that, Saki mentions that Shirabe's leg injury fucks him up long-term/permanently, requiring him to walk with a cane. This bums him out, because he says something about legs being a journalist's greatest tool. Even still, he throws himself back into his journalist work, chasing after Hogstein's identity and the bus crash story. The only mention of Mai is that Saki says she went back to living with the in-laws and Saki hasn't seen her since. So Shirabe's bad ending is basically the same as his good ending, except that Saki doesn't become Mom #2 for Mai and Shirabe's leg is permanently borked somehow. Other than that, both endings have him continuing to devote too much time to work and not enough to his daughter, and no answer to Hogstein's identity.
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2021 15:26
|
|
|
Psycho Knight posted:
You have the same line twice here, and neither seem to have the right portrait. quote:
 (probably meant to be crash, not cash)Okay, this route is done and it sucked. Nothing was accomplished, Hogstein's still on the loose and the game clearly expects us to be sympathetic to him after all he did (even if he keeps being a very unimpressive antagonist). I have no idea what's with this game wanting to justify every lovely person (from the attempted mass murderer, to the terrible father who'll keep causing emotional damage to everyone around him, to the terrorist) but it really shouldn't. It doesn't make the routes any better. This one definitely wasn't better for it.
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2021 16:14
|
|
|
Psycho Knight posted:Hogstein is most likely the last route, although I can't tell for sure since I haven't started the final route at all. There could always be a curveball in how the game handles this (maybe Hogstein is the sibling to the final route guy? The flashback family had two kids in it, after all). There's an even simpler reason that this guy is probably Hogstein: Makoto Mikami = M2 Though, like you said, there's a chance that Hogstein is his sibling and also happens to have a first name starting with M.
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2021 19:11
|
|
|
The guy with two Ms for an initials is M2? Nah…
|
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2021 19:13
|
|
|
Blaze Dragon posted:PK's stupid mistakes Thanks. Both of them should be fixed. "Cash" was actually supposed to be "Case." I think the redemption stuff is just a symptom of Sweet Fuse being an Otome title. Remember that Otome games lean more towards the idealized or fantasy of romance as opposed to the reality. Guys like Urabe, Hogstein, and Ayumu get a pass on their lovely/illegal behaviour because they are love interests. The idea is that any girl that has latched on to them enough to go down their respective routes will believe in the old adage of "I can change him." The idea that one girl/boy can completely rehabilitate a lovely person through the power of their love is one that just about every teenager buys into at some point. You still get a bit of this even in Josei games, although lovely people in those games tend to be the antagonists and have a much higher chance of getting killed off at some point in the game (or they are involved in a Bad End/Evil Route option). If this were a Josei game, then I would bet that Hogstein would almost certainly have been shown killing at least one person on screen. I'd also wager that Urabe would have died in every route except his own (either in the Hospital or as a result of a heroic sacrifice). Bloody Emissary posted:There's an even simpler reason that this guy is probably Hogstein: Makoto Mikami = M2 CuppaGodot posted:The guy with two Ms for an initials is M2? Nah… I'll be honest, that name thing did not click for me until just now. Psycho Knight fucked around with this message at 21:14 on Aug 9, 2021 |
|
#
?
Aug 9, 2021 21:11
|
|
|
Sorry for the delay. I sat down to do the update yesterday and realized as soon as I started typing that I needed all new character portraits because this guy hasn't shown up in any other route. Update 50: Paranoia Fuel  Secret route time! That’s right, we’re still not done with this game! …Yay for me…  Here’s the thing: This upcoming scene has actually been happening since we started Towa’s route. The secret route is unlocked after you have completed the game a single time, which strikes me as a little weird. You’d think that a route like this would only become available after every other route has been finished. (Ah! This is my stop! I sure hope nothing bad happens today!)*The screen goes black and the text box shakes* Whoa—! As soon as the door opened, someone slammed into me, knocking me off onto the platform. I was checking the time on my phone and almost dropped it. (Ah! Whoa whoa whoa—!)[???]: Look out! I was about to stumble off onto the tracks when someone caught me. I turned around to see who it was…  Are you all right? He looked cheerful and friendly. I thought I could smell the faint aroma of citrus… Th-Thank you! Huh? Is that KANE DE BOO? This is the choice that determines whether or not you can start the secret route. It doesn’t lock you in, though. If you answer “You know who he is?”, however, then this dude disappears for the rest of the game. Somebody I know who works at the park gave him to me. You really know someone who works there? Wow, I’m jealous.*Affection Up*  Well, be careful, okay? With a grin, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.This is the last we see of this mysterious new guy until the end of Day 1, but there’s something I need to point out about this route before we skip ahead to after Samurai Fantasy VII.  The number of affection points for the new guy is very limited. There’s only 1 affection point available for him per Stage during the Generic Route. That means you need to make sure not to rack up too many affection points for any of the other guys. Mitarashi and Shidou have 5 affection points available before the route lock near the end of Stage 3, for instance. Urabe, Wakasa, Meoshi, and Shirabe all have 6. Furthermore, if you go with Wakasa and Shirabe during the Bloodstained Hospital, then there is an unavoidable affection point for Wakasa. You also have to choose someone for break time during the end of Stages 1 and 2. Keep this all in mind while you are attempting the secret route. As long as you spread out your choices and aim for non-affection options, then you should be fine.  Okay, with that said, let’s get back to it. The next new scene will happen just after Saki gets mad at Hogstein after escaping from Samurai Fantasy VII. He says this just before he cuts communication with the group. Huh? He was looking straight at me, but before I could respond the connection was cut. (Was… he talking to me? Why?) Then again, it had been my fault Mitarashi got hurt in the first place. Perhaps that was why… He grimaced and pressed a hand against his shoulder. Why don’t we sit down on that bench over there… I helped him over to the bench, and by the time we reached it his breath was coming in pants. Are you okay…? I’ll check the storage room Hogstein mentioned, maybe they have some pain relievers. Can you wait here for a bit? All by yourself? You sure you’re gonna be all right? Today’s game is over, so I should be fine. You guys go get some rest. You don’t have to tell me twice! I’m starving. See you all at the restaurant. I’m going to go check out the arcade. Been wondering what they have here… Then I’ll go have a look around the park. If I’m lucky, maybe I’ll turn something up. What do you say we all meet up at the restaurant before we move on to the Adventure Village? We all nodded.It’s a little weird that absolutely no-one insists on going with Saki here. You would think the cop at the very least would insist on accompanying the teenaged girl through this place during the night. After all, none of them have any idea yet of what Hogstein may or may not do before or after game hours. What are you going to do, Mitarashi? Once I’ve fixed him up, we’ll head over to the restaurant. Sounds good. I’ll see you two later, then.  Odd. I don’t think that thing was there the last time we saw this place… I followed the map in the plaza to the main office, and found the storage room door unlocked. (Well, I guess it would be kind of stupid for Hogstein to tell me to go somewhere and then lock the door.)Yeah, but it’s also stupid to go to a dark isolated storage room by yourself when the terrorist bomber dude in a pig costume tells you to, so anything goes, I guess. The power appeared to be out, though. I tried the light switch, but it didn’t work. I shrugged. It looked like the only light I would be getting was moonlight. (All right, it’s probably on these shelves somewhere… huh?) (What is that…?) I looked closer. There was something moving, something… pink? (Is that…) There was no mistaking it: The pink thing was a KANE DE BOO with its arms tied behind its back. As far as I could tell, it was rocking back and forth, trying to untie itself.Things not depicted in that CG: KANE DE BOO with its arms tied back. Those arms aren’t even long enough to tie behind it. It’s got little stubby T-Rex arms. Hold on, let me help you! Part of me said what I was trying to do was a bad idea, but I couldn’t just leave it… Once I’d pulled off the ropes, I unzipped the suit… “Oh dear God, fresh air! It smelled like sweaty balls and farts in there!”  Aah! Like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, a man unfurled from inside the suit. I was old enough to know people were inside the animal suits at parks, but knowing that and seeing it were two different things.Now I can’t stop thinking about the Rhino scene from Ace Ventura 2. Wow, it sure was hot in there! (Wait… He looks familiar…) He was wearing a set of pink coveralls, but it was his face that I was sure I’d see [sic] before… …Hey! Huh…? Oh! (Of course! He’s the guy I ran into this morning!) He’d helped me through the crowds at the train station. Wait… you’re the girl I met this morning at Kanehama, right? Yeah, that was me. Oh, sorry. Where are my manners? I’m Makoto Mikami, 20 years old, and a college student.If you watched the animated intro for this game, then you would already know who this is. Despite only showing up in his own route and nowhere else, the game includes him in the opening. Makoto is voiced by Chihiro Suzuki. Mr. Suzuki also voices Kisumi from Free!, Luke and Asch from Tales of the Abyss, Kouta from Elfen Lied, and Vyers from the Disgaea series. I’m Inafune Saki. I’m still in high school.This is one of the very rare times (possibly the only time) in this game where a character introduces themself in a Japanese manner (Family Name – Given Name). The localization has changed things around so that everyone abides by the Western practice of “Given Name – Family Name.” I think it was done here to spotlight how Mikoto is automatically using Saki’s given name despite the two of them not being close, which wouldn’t be strange in Western cultures, but would be in Asian ones. Well, it’s good to see you again, Saki. He gave me a gentle sort of smile, the kind that felt like it would immediately make anyone like him. I never thought I’d see you again in a place like this. Me either… What a coincidence. Are you sure? Huh? O-Oh… (Man, he sounded like some kind of romance novel…) So, um, how did you get tied up like that?  But right before it started I got attacked by some weird… thing… and when I woke up I was here. (Was the “weird thing” he was talking about one of the piglets…?) Getting knocked out was bad enough, but when I finally woke up I couldn’t even move. If you hadn’t happened to show up… You’ve been through a lot too… ‘Too’…? What do you mean? Um… As quickly as I could, I explained everything that was going on. How Hogstein had interrupted the opening ceremonies and taken the management hostage… How myself and seven others had been forced to play a game for the lives of the hostages…Technically you weren’t forced. You volunteered for it. Since he’d apparently been knocked out from the very beginning, I made sure to tell him everything. Fweee… When I was finally finished, he let out a strange noise, but I couldn’t really blame him. If I hadn’t been there, I probably wouldn’t have believed me. I know this must sound crazy, but I swear, it’s all true. Yeah, it seems… unreal. Still, I did get attacked… And from what you’ve said I think the thing that hit me was probably one of those… what did you call them… piglets? He seemed to be taking everything in stride. Right then! I’ll go outside and call the cops. As, you know, a token of my appreciation. Wh-What?! It should be pretty easy to sneak out of here in the dark. N-No, you can’t! Why not? Hogstein will kill the hostages if you do! Why do you think the police haven’t stormed the park already?!Budget cuts?  Ah, I see. We have to act carefully, then. He nodded thoughtfully, but I got the feeling he didn’t fully grasp the gravity of the situation. Although… *Sigh* I’m not exactly a careful person… (He does seem like he wants to help, though.) Wait, didn’t you say you knew one of the people in management? Are they one of the hostages? …Yes, my uncle.  Now why would you automatically ask that? ”Wait a minute… you mean the guy I donated like $200 to for Mighty No. 9? That jerk?” Do you know the president of the construction company? Hmm? Oh, no, I thought he might have been someone I met during an interview for a part-time job a while back. He was nice so I was kind of curious, but it sounds like your uncle’s not the guy. He sighed, then rolled his head around his shoulders and let out a groan. All right, we can’t call the cops because the bad guy has hostages. What does that leave us with…?  Oh. Why don’t we rescue the hostages first? His eyes sparkled, and he grinned at his own cleverness. That’s it! That’s what we’ve gotta do. I can help the hostages escape. Huh? I’m sorry, I don’t understand… But that’s dangerous! What if they realize you’ve escaped?! I’m sure they’d start hunting you down… Don’t worry, I’ve got that covered. If I leave the KANE DE BOO suit here, they won’t think I’ve gone anywhere. Trust me, I can do this! I’m going to need you to keep this between us, though. You can’t tell Hogstein, or even your teammates. Why not…? The fewer people that know about me, the lower the chance I’ll be caught. Right? The correct choice here is the opposite of what you’re probably thinking. I understand what you’re saying, but… I don’t think it’s a good idea to keep it from my teammates. Mikami’s eyebrows shot up for just a second, but then he smiled. …You’re honest. I like that.*Affection up* Sorry to turn this around on you, but… Do you really trust them? Um… I wasn’t sure what to say. I certainly wanted to trust them. We were going to have to depend on one another for the next six days, after all. (I know their names, and what they do, but… that’s about it.) That’s what I though. [sic] I’m not saying one of them is a traitor or anything, just that you never know when Hogstein might be listening in, you know? I didn’t know what to say to that, so I just nodded. I’ll be all right. Be careful, Mikami. I will. Thanks. Oh, and could you stop calling me that? Just ‘Makoto’ is fine. We’re friends, right? Are you sure? I mean, we just met… So? And don’t act so stiff all the time. It’s not like I’m an adult. You can relax around me.Sorry, but 20 is definitely an adult. You are a kid until you turn 13, then you are a teenager until you turn 20. Well… All right, if that’s what you want, cool. I can do that. See? Feels better all ready. He grinned. So. I’ll go rescue the hostages, and you go beat those games. Looks like we’ve got our work cut out for us. Hopefully we can pull this off. Yeah. Just… don’t do anything dangerous, okay? I’ll be careful. You should too. See you later! And with a wave, he disappeared into the darkness. (He’s… kinda weird, isn’t he?) Still, it was nice to discover we had another ally. My chest felt a little lighter. (…Oh jeez! I totally forgot about Mitarashi!)  Hey, there you are. What took you so long? Get lost or something? N-No… I hoped he wouldn’t press me for details, since I wasn’t sure how convincingly I could lie, but fortunately Mitarashi didn’t seem to suspect anything.I think he has more pressing concerns at the moment, such as his crossbow wound. Well, as long as you’re okay. Did you find that first aid kit? Yeah, I did. It’s got some bandages, some antiseptic, and… lots of painkillers. Awesome! All right, let’s get this over with. I’m starving. Right. Now… And that’s all for this day. Let’s skip on ahead to the night of Day 2, after Alice Kart.  I glanced around, and spotted a piglet watching me from the hallway. I cocked my head, and it began to wave. It seemed… oddly cheerful. I was still trying to figure out what was going on when it walked up to me. One day no see. How’ve you been? (I-It’s talking!) Kill it! He’s broken free of the brainwashing and could jeopardize the entire game! I hadn’t seen any of the piglets say a single word during the last two days. Was this one different somehow? (…Huh?) Perhaps I hadn’t noticed it before, but I sudden [sic] realized the air was filled with the smell of… lemons… Is something wrong? The voice sounded familiar. I kept my voice in a whisper, and he responded with a curt nod and beckoned me over behind one of the pillars. Seems like I’m always dressed up as something when we meet, huh?It’s only happened twice. You weren’t dressed up when we first met you, either. He grinned at me as he pulled the mask off. That suit… Oh, yeah. I found it yesterday in the storage room, so I figured I’d borrow it for a bit. Probably, but it still seems dangerous. He shrugged, and proceeded to tell me that he’d gotten into the castle. Sneaking into enemy territory… Hogstein had called us “heroes,” but Makoto was doing all the actually heroic stuff. I’d better keep this short. I don’t want the others getting suspicious. First the hostages. You were right. They’re all in a cage in the castle. The cage was covered though, so I couldn’t get a look inside. I did see them getting a meal, so I think they’re probably okay. He help [sic] up a finger as if to say “One more thing.” While I was watching, Hogstein left his throne and took the elevator up somewhere. I figure that was when he called all of you guys. Around noon? Noon was when the game usually started. I tried to get close to the elevator, but that made the other piglets mad. This is just a guess, but I think he can monitor the whole park from up there. I think that’s everything I learned today. Oh, wait, did you already know all that stuff? No! I didn’t know any of it! It all sounds really important… I don’t think we’d ever have been able to find that stuff out on our own. He laughed. …Um, can I ask you something? His face was suddenly serious, and I jumped. It felt like even the air around him had changed. You mean… leave the park? I hadn’t considered that I might be able to escape on my own…Choice time. You probably know how Saki would answer this, though. I… I wouldn’t go. I couldn’t just leave everybody behind. …Huh. You really are an honest, straightforward kind of girl, huh?*Affection up* He smiled at me again. Why did you ask me that? If you had even the slightest inkling that you just wanted to quit, then I’d have done whatever it took to get you out. But… Ha ha, I guess it was a silly question. Sorry. Oh… It seemed like he was honestly worried about me. He was probably right to be: The games we were playing weren’t safe by any stretch of the imagination. They certainly weren’t anything a normal person would be prepared for, let alone a high school student. Sorry. Thanks for worrying about me, though. Oh, you don’t need to apologize, I do. I shouldn’t have pried. Oh, that reminds me. Could I get your number? Technically I’m not an outside, so it shouldn’t be against the rules for you to get in touch with me. Right, sure. One sec… We exchanged phones [sic] numbers quickly.Game, please. We’re so close to finishing this. Just… try and pull your spelling together for a little bit longer? For the sake of my sanity? Got it. I’ll give you a call when I find something. He waved, spun around, and disappeared. (Wow… That was pretty impressive, actually. I’d never have found out all that stuff on my own.) The question was whether or not I should tell the others what I’d learned. I felt like they should know, but I couldn’t think of any way to explain it without revealing Makoto’s existence. And Shirabe had been making me nervous. I’d caught him doing… something. If he was a traitor… (I should just hold onto this for now.) After all, I could always tell them after I’d gotten everything straightened out. (Yeah, better to wait until I trust them all completely.)Not like they could scold you for it anyway, given the fact that they all instantly forgive Urabe despite everything he has done. My mind made up, I stepped out from behind the pillar and headed off down the hallway.Just two more skips and we’ll be on to Stage 4.  The next scene is near the beginning of Bloodstained Hospital. I don’t think it matters who you go with, but I selected Towa and Shirabe, since I had been picking up affection points with Subaru and Mitarashi. ?! I felt a hand grab my arm, and my heart began to pound. Calm down, it’s okay. It’s just me. gently caress you, “calm down”! Never sneak up on and grab or pop out in front of someone in the middle of a dark and spooky area. That’s a stupid move in basically all situations. The very least you can do is whisper to them to give them a bit of a heads up. The gentle voice in the my [sic] ear and the scent of lemons stopped me from screaming, and instead I hissed a whisper. Makoto?! Bingo. I turned around and there he was. Sorry. Did I startle you?What do you think, genius? What do you think? You came out nowhere. [sic] I should stop asking for a reprieve from the grammar. It’s only making things worse. Almost on cue, my watch began to beep. I’m glad I found you. I turned up some really important stuff and I’ve been looking for you. What is it? O-Oh… Well, I’d love to hear it, but could you let go of me first? Huh? Why? Part of this game is that I’ll get a game over if my heart rate goes too high. I’m trying to calm down, but… Yeah, I think so. As he released my arm and stepped back I felt my heart rate begin to slow down again. Um… so, this important stuff? Oh, right, right! I’ll make it short, since we’re both in a hurry. Last night I made it up to the top floor of the castle while Hogstein wasn’t around. He came back while I was up there, though, and started talking to somebody. What?! Sorry. He was pretty clear. I think one of your teammates might be working for Hogstein. …! It was shocking, sure, but it did line up with what Hogstein had said to us about a traitor. I know this is a lot to take in, but… I hope you can trust me. (A traitor…)Choice time again. Just like last time, it’s not the option you would expect to pick on a person’s route. …Hold up. I frowned. It was true that some of them had been acting suspicious, but I still wasn’t ready to believe that they’d betrayed us. I don’t think you’re lying or anything, it’s just… I don’t want to jump the gun. …You trust them? I want to. *Affection up* He grinned and scratched at his cheek bashfully. I’m not trying to break you guys up or anything, just, you know, be on the lookout. If any of them are doing anything weird… I know you wanna trust them, but Hogstein’s not shy about killing you all off. Pays to be careful, yeah? …I guess you’re right. What Makoto had learned did worry me. It wouldn’t hurt to just keep my eyes open. I nodded. Well, don’t worry. If anything happens I’ll come running. Remember, I owe you. He tapped his fist against his chest and grinned. There was no denying his charisma. I still didn’t know him that well, but I got the feeling he was telling the truth. All right, I gotta get going. Just… don’t forget what I told you, okay? He whispered good-bye, and then disappeared into the darkness. I composed myself, then set off after the other members of my team. The final scene for the Generic Route is when the hospital explodes. Whoa, watch out! Just as I was about to tumble to the ground, an arm caught me. The voice… Mako—… See? Told you I’d come rescue you. Another explosion roared through the air around us, drowning out his words. I felt his body stiffen— Then a shockwave slammed into my body, and my consciousness winked out. My eyes fluttered open. Sh… Shidou…?! Yes. Thank goodness you’re okay. He leaned back and let out a sigh of relief. Somehow I seemed to have escaped the explosion, but the hospital hadn’t been so lucky. All that was left was a smoking crater. I looked around. The others were sitting nearby, looking battered and shaken.  Some things never change. (Urabe… Urabe’s not here… And neither is Makoto…) I had a feeling Urabe had chosen not to join up with us, but… what about Makoto?*The next little bit is the same as usual*  The moment I’d closed the door, I collapsed onto my bed, expecting to be asleep before my head hit the pillow. That didn’t happen. *Sigh* I couldn’t seem to get my thoughts straight. I took a deep breath, and tried to calm myself down. (I wonder if Makoto’s all right…) As the fog began to clear from my mind, he was the first thing I thought of. But he had. If it wasn’t for Makoto, I’d definitely have gotten caught in the hospital explosion. (I hope he didn’t get hurt…) When I’d woken up he was gone. I felt a little bad for passing out… (Oh! That’s right, I could call him!) I’d completely forgotten that we’d exchanged numbers the day before. … (…He’s not answering.) I tried a few more times, but it just went straight to voicemail. (I hope you’re safe, Makoto…)And that’s all for Makoto’s Generic Route! Exciting stuff, I’m sure. I have a feeling that basically everyone has figured out where this is going by now, though. We’ll find out next time, as we get into Stage 4 of the secret route.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2021 17:45
|
|
|
Really plot-heavy games are likely to force you to complete all routes before you can unlock the true, but I'm not sure this counts as really plot-heavy. There haven't been that many interlocking reveals in the earlier routes and there has been a lot of repetition. A lot of otome players are only interested in a few of the 'cutest' guys in the roster, so it might be set up to allow "play one or two of your favorites, then jump ahead to the ending if you want to wrap it all up" as a valid playstyle. It sounds like they've balanced it here so that you have to complete at least one or two routes and get a basic idea of the story before you can start to meet this character, and then actually getting his route is a little tricky, so you're not likely to get it right away unless you were specifically gunning for it. That way a player isn't likely to accidentally trip over the true ending quickly and spoil the rest of the game, but they aren't forced to drag the whole thing out if they don't want to. Mildly surprised it doesn't require Urabe's route though.
|
|
#
?
Aug 14, 2021 18:28
|
|
|
Makoto couldn't be more suspicious if he tried, huh? This game still has no concept of subtlety.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2021 00:03
|
|
|
Agreed that it's surprising that this route is technically available so soon. It seems like an easily-available "answers" route would make certain other routes (like Shirabe's) not even worth playing, since you don't need that info to piece things together/get the true route. Makoto is revealing his hand pretty early, asking Saki if she's related to Urabe Sr. I'm guessing part of the reason he's interested in her/helping her in a sense is because he sees her as an entirely innocent bystander. Wonder if this is the logic behind why they made Hogstein cave so quickly when Saki yells at him in prior routes, too. Saki should really be more suspicious at his apparent ease at sneaking around undetected, though! Also the game seems to really be emphasizing that he smells like lemons. I don't remember if other routes noted that Hogstein/his costume smelled lemony, but my guess is that this is going to be a key part of what makes Saki connect the dots at the end of this one.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2021 06:17
|
|
|
Oh god there really is a Hogstein route. There’s no way this isn’t it. Also surprised at how early it’s available too. Seems like something that’d be locked behind all the other routes. Or at least some of the more overall plot relevant ones.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2021 06:33
|
|
|
Whoever directed the art of this game really sucks at their job.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2021 08:52
|
|
|
gegi posted:Really plot-heavy games are likely to force you to complete all routes before you can unlock the true, but I'm not sure this counts as really plot-heavy. There haven't been that many interlocking reveals in the earlier routes and there has been a lot of repetition. A lot of otome players are only interested in a few of the 'cutest' guys in the roster, so it might be set up to allow "play one or two of your favorites, then jump ahead to the ending if you want to wrap it all up" as a valid playstyle. That's a fair point. He does show up in the intro, so forcing players to go through every other route in order to get to him is asking a bit much. Blaze Dragon posted:Makoto couldn't be more suspicious if he tried, huh? This game still has no concept of subtlety. If his was like the very first route we encountered, then maybe there would be some room for doubt or speculation, but as it stands, yes, everything he says and does is absurdly suspicious. differentiating posted:Also the game seems to really be emphasizing that he smells like lemons. I don't remember if other routes noted that Hogstein/his costume smelled lemony, but my guess is that this is going to be a key part of what makes Saki connect the dots at the end of this one. Lemon smells were part of Shirabe’s route when Mai disappeared. Saki talked about smelling it when she was half awake and it was later attributed to Mai eating lemon candy. So we can assume that this means Mikoto is the one that entered Saki's room in Shirabe’s route and took Mai. Even if the game explains that Mai really was eating lemon candy, we also need to remember that Mai talks about playing with someone in pink shortly after Saki and Shirabe find her. It was definitely Mikoto. Araxxor posted:Oh god there really is a Hogstein route. There’s no way this isn’t it. It has to be, if for no other reason than this is the only guy left with a character portrait. The only way it couldn't be Hogstein is if the game is holding a totally unique character sprite purely for the Hogstein reveal, which... well, that happened with the cameo dude, so I guess it is technically possible. I doubt it, though. CremePudding posted:Whoever directed the art of this game really sucks at their job. They do vary quite a bit in quality. The artists seem to have a thing with showing guys creepily holding Saki.
|
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2021 13:27
|
|
|
The manga goes straight into this after Samurai Fantasy, possibly because they were already aware they weren't going to have time to do everyone's route (even though, again, it never made it past this chapter anyway) Pictured: KANE DE BOO with its arms actually tied behind its back and Saki's heroic rescue. They didn't meet outside the park so that dialogue is missing but it's basically the same scene otherwise. 
Polsy fucked around with this message at 18:00 on Aug 15, 2021 |
|
#
?
Aug 15, 2021 17:39
|
|
|
Update LI: Psyche Out We’re on to Makoto’s route for real! …It’s uh… it’s not going to last very long. So, yeah, prepare for that disappointment, I suppose. This update is made up of about 8 minutes of footage. Usually 15-20 is a full update’s worth for this game.  (Who could be calling me this early…?) I didn’t want to wake Mai up, so I crawled carefully toward the side table where I’d set my phone. …What?! The name on the display blasted away the last bits of sleep from my mind. It was Makoto. Hello? Makoto?! He sounds like he’s doing good. There was no mistaking his voice, but it sounded small and weak. Thank goodness you’re okay! I’ve been trying to get ahold of you but you didn’t pick up! I was so worried… It’s… it’s not looking good. What?! Wh-What?! Oh no! Unngh… I probably won’t be going anywhere for a while. Ha ha… That sounds serious! Where are you right now? The storage room where you got me out of that costume. …drat, somebody’s coming. Makoto—! …He hung up. I stared down at my cell phone. He’d been caught in the explosion, and he’d been hurt… In fact, he’d been hurt so badly that he couldn’t move, and he didn’t sound very good. (What am I going to do?) I wanted to go check on Makoto and see if I could do anything to help, but I still hadn’t told anyone about him yet. …What’s going on…? Oh… I’m sorry Mai, did I wake you up? …Were you talking to somebody? What?! N-No, I don’t think so. I was probably just… talking in my sleep. Really…? Um… okay! (I don’t like lying to Mai, but I don’t really have a choice…)*Black wipe transition* We finished our breakfast and got dressed, but I still didn’t know what I was going to do, only that I couldn’t get Makoto out of my head. (But… the game’s starting soon…) The only way I was going to get to see Makoto was if I got out of the game somehow. I was deep in thought when I heard a knock on the door. It’s Shidou. Do you have a minute? Yeah, hold on. I’m coming.*Shidou enters, or Saki answers the door. Something happens that makes Shidou show up on screen, okay?* We should get moving soon. Are you ready? Yeah. Did you come here just to ask me that? That, and… I need to talk to you about Mitarashi. Oh? What about him? I’d been so preoccupied with Makoto that I’d momentarily forgotten Mitarashi had gotten hurt too, protecting Wakasa. He doesn’t look like he’s totally recovered yet. I think it’s going to be best for him to sit this one out. Is it that serious?  Anyway, it’s just going to be the five of us today. I’m sure that’ll make today’s game harder, so I just wanted to give you a heads-up. …Okay. Thanks. Is something wrong? N-No, nothing. I’m fine. If you say so. I’ll see you in the lobby in ten minutes. Don’t be late. (So Mitarashi isn’t going to be in the game either…?) Maybe you shouldn’t be doing it? I mean, I understand being worried about the guy, but if the group fails to complete a game then they all die and your uncle most likely bites the dust shortly after. Priorities, Saki. Make sure you straighten them out.  As soon as we stepped off the hotel, we headed for the plaza. The path took us past the hospital, or perhaps more accurately the remains of the hospital. I’d been too shaken the day before to really look at it, but the dust had cleared and I was able to see what the explosion had done. …drat. There’s nothing left… It’s hard to believe there was a building here yesterday. After that explosion, I’m not really surprised. … I looked at the ruins of the hospital and shivered. But even though the explosion had been powerful enough to level the entire building, no one had died. That had to be some kind of miracle.The miracle of CERO B. We hadn’t gotten through entirely unscathed, though. Mitarashi had gotten hurt, and so had Makoto… Mitarashi was recuperating back on the hotel with Mai, but Makoto was hiding, along, and in pain. And it was pain I’d caused him… (I have to go!) I couldn’t just leave him alone to suffer, especially if he was suffering because of me. Excuse me! Everyone turned to look at me. Um, would it be okay if I, uh, leave? Hold on a second, what’re you talking about? I’m sorry, I know this is selfish, but there’s something I really have go [sic] do. Whoa, wait, if you ditch us then we have to beat today’s game with only four people! Why do you want to leave? … Are you saying there’s someone else in here besides us?And Mai. I nodded. Please, enlighten us as to why the hell you apparently didn’t feel it necessary to communicate this fairly vital information?!I don’t know Ayumu, why don’t you loving enlighten us as to why you didn’t explain that you were sneaking around and talking to Hogstein behind everyone’s backs? Don’t you dare try and take the high road on this. You’re the biggest secret keeper next to Urabe, after all.  It’s almost noon. We need to get to today’s game. Ugh… …Fine. Leave. If this person really is injured, we can’t just ignore them. Thank you so much! As crystal! As soon as I’m done I’ll come join up with you guys. Before Shidou could change his mind, I turned and took off toward Makoto.I just want to point out that the level of anger/upsetness from the group towards Saki for keeping this small secret is way more than Urabe got for stabbing the goddamn group in the back and nearly killing them all. Urabe reveals to everyone that he was totally planning for them to all die in service of some personal “gently caress you, dad!” scheme and he gets treated to a big Hallmark moment where everyone tells him not to worry about it and he’s a friend and a teammate and yadda yadda blah blah. But Saki keeps a secret that there is someone else in the park and everyone looks at her like they are 2 seconds away from wringing her neck.  I tell ya, if this really is a Hogstein route that is trying to garner sympathy for him by making me hate everyone else more, then they are quickly succeeding with that approach. There was no response from inside the storage room. Is… is anyone here…? Had Hogstein found him? Perhaps he was just asleep. Or perhaps his injury had gotten worse, and he… Hundreds of possibilities, each worse than the last, tumbled through my mind.What are the hundreds of possibilities, exactly? There’s only 4 plausible outcomes. Either he died, got found by Hogstein, managed to flee, or he’s here and simply can’t respond because of weakness/injury/sleep. What, are you imagining a scenario where the Kool-Aid Man broke through the wall and rescued Makoto with the power of flavoured sugar water? Makoto…? I began to search every inch of the room: behind the shelves, in boxes, even in the suit he’d worn on the first day. After several nerve-wracking minutes, I finally spotted him, lying on the floor in the corner. Makoto! …Un… He moved and groaned at the sound of his name, and his eyes fluttered open. Muscles I hadn’t known were tense suddenly relaxed. Are you okay? Oh, right… I called you… Sorry about that, I was just feeling kinda vulnerable… He sat up, and hissed in pain. Didn’t really expect you’d come to see me, though. What about the game? Shouldn’t you be out there? (I should, shouldn’t I…)Choice time! Like a lot of Makoto’s options so far, you go with the opposite of what you’d expect. Instead of saying that Saki was worried about him, you say… They’ll be fine. I told them I had to go check on someone. I’m sure they can handle whatever the game is until I get back. …Yeah? I guess you guys are getting along pretty well, huh?*Affection up* So how are you? Are you hurt really bad? Oh, right… I gave myself a little first aid and stopped the bleeding. Still, uh, hurts pretty bad, though. He grimaced a little as he said it, and absently pressed his hand to his stomach. Y-You were bleeding? That sounds pretty serious… Sounds worse than it was. Just a scratch. I stopped the bleeding right away. My plan for saving you was way cool, but… guess I kinda screwed that one up, huh? …Owwww…Nah. Everyone knows getting hurt in the process of saving someone just makes you look better. That’s how you score hero and sympathy points. You need to rest and let yourself heal. Is there anything I can do…? Shouldn’t you be getting back to the game? I know I kinda made you come all the way out here, but I’m fine now. Once I saw your face I felt way better. He grinned, but I shook my head. I’m going to stay here a little longer. I still feel bad. You only got hurt because of me. Nah, that was my decision. I jumped into that explosion all on my own. Wasn’t your fault. But if you’re really not going to leave, and you really do want to help, then I might have a… favor to ask. …What is it? Lemme explain. Another Japanese-ism that I don’t fully get: Lap pillows. I mean, I get the “visual” aspect of it when you’re a dude and you’re looking up at a lady, but I don’t really understand the comfort aspect. It just doesn’t look comfortable. Well, at least not the way that anime typically depicts it, with the person’s head like all the way up in there like that. This is coming from someone who sleeps with like 2 pillows and will probably develop neck cramps because of it later in life. A-Are you really sure this is what you want? Yeah, it’s perfect. Really…? Well, I guess as long as you’re happy… My voice wavered. (I didn’t think he’d ask if he could put his head on my lap…) Then get that KANE DE BOO costume. It’s a mascot costume, so it’s probably pretty soft.  I was working hard to look anywhere but into Makoto’s eyes, but his position was making that difficult. A man laying his head on my lap certainly hadn’t been on the list of things I’d expected to happen that day. What? Why? Uh, how do I put it? Like, you all have to work together and bust your butts to triumph over adversity, right? Just seems like you’d have a lot of… what’s the word… comraderie. [sic] Helping each other out, building trust… I dunno, it seems like that could be kinda fun.Slight side note: That’s the first time I’ve seen someone attempt to combine two different spellings of that word and end up with that mutant abomination. Granted, it’s probably more common than I think and I simply haven’t run into it very often. Fun… I was surprised to think he’d see it that way. I was sure none of us had thought it was fun at all.I dunno, all things considered I think Alice Kart still seemed pretty rad. Minus the ceiling spike trap and live pistol rounds, I mean. Although, since you’re actually out there in the thick of it, you probably think I’m nuts. I guess it just looks different from out here. Hey, don’t say that! I think of you as one of us! Really…? Man, I hope you really mean that. Thanks, Saki. He smiled, wide and slow, and then his eyes began to droop closed. M-Makoto?! Are you all right?! Yeah… fine… Just… a little sleepy… His eyes closed, but moments later I heard a quiet snore and let out a sigh of relief. (Should I call the others? I’m worried about what’s going on with the game…)Well you’ve got to do something. We can’t spend the rest of this update just sitting here lost in Saki’s thoughts. It was already past noon, though, which meant they’d probably entered the attraction. There was no way for me to get ahold of them. I should have realized that was what would happen. I sighed. Uhhh… how are you here? Oh, right. Nevermind. We saw in Towa’s route that there were 2 Hogsteins. Either that or this game is about to pull a huge twist on us. !? The door slammed open, with such suddenness and force that I nearly jumped out of my skin. I held my breath as I listened to the heavy, thumping footsteps come closer. Oink! I’ve been looking all over the park for you, you little sneak! Hogstein rounded the corner and came into view, a gun in his hand. (What is he doing here?! Shouldn’t he be supervising the game?) He began to walk toward us, his massive body shaking with each step. I held out my arms in what was probably a vain attempt to protect Makoto. How are they doing? Are they okay? They’re in the middle of my game right now. A piglet is keeping watch while I take care of some important business. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a rat to exterminate. Desperately, I tried to convince Hogstein that since Makoto had been in the park since the beginning, he wasn’t breaking any rules. It seemed to work, and he admitted I might have a point. All right then, how about I give you a choice. What choice…? Leave? You mean… you’d let me go outside? He continued on, explaining that because I’d volunteered and Makoto was here by chance, neither of us was part of his larger plan. Therefore, letting us go was better than keeping us around, where we might mess up his game. Ah, forgot to mention. If you choose to stay, then I’ll kill him, right here, right now. What?! So, what will you do? What will you choose? (This is horrible…)We’re given three options here: “Leave with him,” “Stay,” or “I can’t choose.” This is kinda tricky. We actually need to be indecisive for this one. …I can’t choose. You’re asking me to abandon my friends or leave Makoto to die, and I won’t do it! I’ll save Makoto, and stay here to play your ridiculous games! That’s my answer! I knew I was being reckless, but if there was another way I would have taken it. …I knew it. Huh? I looked down at Makoto. He was smiling. He sat up. Ow… Are you okay? Yeah, it’s not as bad as I thought. Still… talk about being hoisted by your own petard… The entire thread: “Called it!”  That’s the best response! His tone was so congratulatory, I almost expect it to be followed by some sort of cheesy “Tah-da!” sound effect.Personally, I am very disappointed that this game didn’t include a joke route where “Ashten Kitcher” jumps out at one point and reveals that this entire thing was an elaborate fake for the hit new show “Prank’d”. Wow! What a thrill that was! As a token of appreciation, I would like to invite you to be my guest! What…? Your guest where? Why, at my castle, of course! The glorious Castle Hogstein! He gave me a clumsy salute and waddled closer.*A white filter briefly passes over the screen*  (What is this smell…?) It was almost sickeningly sweet, and suddenly my brain felt clumsy and slow. (I can’t… keep… my eyes… open…)Good old movie chloroform. Instant, easy, and nothing at all like how it works in reality. That brings us to the end of Stage 4. I told you it wouldn’t last very long. This is barely a third of any regular update. I wonder if the others will be just as short? Furthermore, I wonder what the deal is with Hogstein and Makoto? Maybe these are the two siblings from the flashback family? Who knows? One last unnecessary question mark? Psycho Knight fucked around with this message at 17:05 on Aug 19, 2021 |
|
#
?
Aug 19, 2021 14:24
|
|
|
You called Makoto "Mikoto" several times in the update.
|
|
#
?
Aug 19, 2021 17:03
|
|
|
Blaze Dragon posted:You called Makoto "Mikoto" several times in the update. That's what I was afraid of. I'll go back and change them. I was constantly making that mistake while typing the update, too.
|
|
#
?
Aug 19, 2021 17:04
|
|
|
Saki looks like she's ready to brain a spineless pig
|
|
#
?
Aug 19, 2021 18:03
|
|
|
CremePudding posted:Saki looks like she's ready to brain a spineless pig There are a weirdly high number of CGs in this game where Saki looks weird. Urabe's was understandable because he was being terrifyingly creepy, but she also looks off in Ayumu and Towa CGs. And remember how she looked in Kouta's ending? 
|
|
#
?
Aug 20, 2021 17:05
|
|
|
With the lap pillow CG I feel like her expression is a mix of "Welp"/fear/thinking she might be sick on his face.
|
|
#
?
Aug 20, 2021 17:12
|
|
|
Update LII: At least one girl was totally into this  I blinked my eyes slowly and sat up to find myself in a strange room. (What… happened…?) I wracked my still-clouded mind to try and remember, and it wasn’t long before I did. (What was in that bottle…? One spray was enough to knock me on my butt. My head still feels funny…)You really need to see a doctor when you get out of here. On top of the poison gas from Samurai Fantasy, you’ve also inhaled smoke and ash from the building explosion and some kind of strange knock out gas. That can’t be good for your long-term health. It also seemed to have given me a pounding headache. Hogstein! What do you think? This is the top floor of my castle. Usually only super-duper VIPs get to come up here. The… top floor…? I looked around the room. One wall was covered in television screen, [sic] showing what appeared to be camera feeds. Around the screens were dozens of notes. (Wait, where’s Makoto?!) The only other person in the room was Hogstein. He’d threatened Makoto earlier, and after he knocked me out, he could have… Oh no…Give her a second. She’ll catch on eventually. Hey! Where’s Makoto?! We’ve got another special guest here with us today. He ignored my question, and pressed one of the buttons on his console. The screens changed to show a single image. It was a dark room, lit only by dim lights. The walls were lined with aquariums full of tropical fish and— (What?!) Tied up inside of a huge aquarium was… Urabe. Urabe! Oh, hey. He’s awake this time. He slowly lifted his head. It looked like we could hear each other. What are you doing there…? Hogstein brought me here, but what about you?! Are you okay!? I am fine. I am happy that you… are safe… He was working hard to smile, but he looked exhausted. Not only did he betray me, but he had the nerve to try and tell me what to do! I had to imprison him on the spot, of course. Urabe had been fighting for us, even when we didn’t know it.He only started fighting for you after changing his mind about killing all of you. I’m not going to let that plot point go, game.  …Let us end this now, M2. All this game can accomplish is to take their lives. Whatever their connection to it, this will solve nothing!Then why the gently caress did you agree to help him with it? (Connection to what…? And I feel like I’ve heard “M2” somewhere before…) The point isn’t to solve anything. The point is punishment. What…? I had no idea what they were talking about. …Why don’t I tell you a story?Yay! Story time! Hang on a second…  Okay. I’m good. Hogstein looked over at me and began to speak. Twelve years ago, there had been a horrific traffic accident. One of the Kanedo city buses had gone over the center divider and crashed into a car. Both vehicles had caught on fire, and nearly everyone in the crash had been killed. After only a week, however, they’d decided that it had clearly been an accident, and the police investigation was closed. The accident had been big news for several days. …So, there you have it. That’s the case that Ayumu Shirabe has been after for the last several years.Booo! We already heard that story! Tell a new one! Case…? Wait, I thought the police had decided it was an accident… Shirabe had said he’d come to the park chasing a mystery… (So that’s it, huh…) Now that I thought about it, Shirabe had mentioned someone named M2… …And Urabe had just called Hogstein that. (Does that mean…) I glanced over at Hogstein. And you, Mr. Urabe. You’re linked to it too, aren’t you? …! Urabe twitched as if he’d been hit. After several long, silent moments, he lifted his head and spoke. My father was the cause of the “accident.” His voice was flat, drained, and resigned. It didn’t take long for me to understand why. I was still a child when it happened… One night I overheard him giving the order, and a few days later… He murdered a bus full of innocents to remove a single man.Your dad really sucks at the mob boss thing. He could have drawn way less heat by simply having a hitman disappear the dude or cut his brake line or something.  Small wonder, then, that I began to loathe my father… and myself, for having been raised with money I now knew was stained with blood. Some time after that I met M2. I began to study fortune-telling at his casual suggestion, but soon found myself entirely absorbed by it. So when M2 asked for my assistance in destroying a theme park, I did not hesitate. My father had been contracted to construct the park, so I saw it only as an extension of his corruption. And that park… His voice sounded cruel and mocking. This game is meant to punish him! My father is imprisoned with the rest of the hostages, yes? Why not simply punish him directly? Please… Stop putting innocents in danger… (Urabe…) I’m begging you, M2. Please. Are we not comrades, you and I? … When he spoke, Hogstein’s voice was cold. (What? He sounds like a completely different person…) I’m all alone. I have been for a long time now. I don’t have “comrades.” …Okay. So then why didn’t you do what Urabe suggested and punished the man you are currently holding captive? How exactly is he being punished right now? Other than the possibility of dying if everyone fails, I mean. Not to mention that in some routes you just let him walk free before the game is even completed.  Wait… don’t tell me you mean to— Before he could finish, the screens blinked off. I looked over to see Hogstein with his hand on a button. That’s all he has to say, I think. So, do you understand now? Why I started this game?Nope. Still a little unclear about it. Other than Ayumu and Urabe, you haven’t really laid out any reasons for involving anyone. He turned to look at me, and I felt something… strange from him. Why did you tell me all this? We just looked at one another for several long moments, until Hogstein reached up and adjusted the skull on his chest.*Hogstein no longer has the voice modulation at this point*  …! I could see that the person standing in front of me was Hogstein, so why did he sound like… …Makoto? He gave a small nod, then began to unzip the Hogstein suit. Makoto Mikami… take my Initials [sic], MM, and you get “M2.” Not very imaginative, I admit.At least you’re honest about that. He climbed out of the suit and gave me a smile and a shrug. (Makoto is Hogstein?) Still, I was sure what I’d just seen was very real. …So you’ve been lying to me? There were a hundred different questions swirling around in my head, but that one had clawed its way to the top. If Makoto had always been Hogstein, then everything he’d told me was a lie. He smiled helplessly. Sorry. I thought you were really interesting, so I decided to keep an eye on you. Well, you’re a jerk! …Guess I can’t disagree with that. Originally I was going to be the seventh player, but once you volunteered I was out of a spot. It turned out that you were good at moving things along, so your participation was working out pretty well for me. But the longer I watched you, the more interested I got, so I arranged to meet you in person that first night. His voice was detached and unapologetic, and I felt anger start to boil in my chest. (He thought I was interesting? That’s it?)That’s basically the only reason Urabe had a change of heart, and you forgave him for everything immediately. (Did he lie about being hurt too? I was worried sick about him… I trusted him! I can’t believe he lied to me like that!)  His eyebrows went up and he stumbled back a step in surprise. I just wanted to satisfy my curiosity at first, but now I honestly regret tricking you. So… do you think you can hear me out? I’ve got another Hogstein supervising the game, so we’ve got plenty of time. (Another one…?) He looked at me and his mouth bent into a crooked smile. Did you know anything about that accident I was talking about earlier? I shook my head. I’d still been a kid back then. If I’d heard anything, I didn’t remember it. The papers bring it up again every so often, but most people have forgotten. That’s society for you, I guess.What, you expect the whole world to remember every minor tragedy that happens for the rest of time? Were you involved in it somehow…? … Oh no! Not the horribly disfiguring anime scar of outcastment! The kind that makes you look like a badass, is easy to hide if you want to, and/or doesn’t impact your gorgeous supermodel face in any way! Truly, a man worthy of our collective sympathy. Without speaking, Makoto rolled up his left sleeve and stuck his arm out toward me. …! I usually don’t show this to girls. Most of ‘em get kinda freaked out. A huge, painful-looking scar ran from near his wrist all the way up to his shoulder. This was my reward for being the only survivor. What…? As he rolled his sleeve back down, Makoto gave me a melancholy smile. The rest of my family died in the crash. …! It was me, my dad, my mom, and my little sister. My sister and I were really happy because we hadn’t all done anything as a family in a while. …If it wasn’t for the crash, it would have been just another great family memory. We were on our way home when the bus crossed the median. I screamed at them, called their names, tried to wake them up… But it didn’t do any good. They were already gone. And after that, he must have been alone, just like he’d said. Is that why you’re trying to get revenge? Revenge…?  This isn’t revenge! It’s punishment! It’s justice! As soon as I’d mentioned revenge, his face had contorted with rage. They called it an accident but it was murder! Innocent people died because of that bastard’s greed! He’s a monster! My family is dead, and the man who killed them is alive and free!So, again, WHY ARE YOU NOT PUNISHING HIM? When my family died, I made up my mind. I would find out the truth, no matter what it took.  Oh, Jesus! I was not prepared for that portrait change. The crash was ruled an accident after a politician pressured the police to leave it alone. And who was behind that politician? A man named “Urabe.”…Okay. So why aren’t you punishing the politician as well? Why did that guy get a pass on the murder games? That was when I approached Kimimaro. I let him think it was mere coincidence, but of course it wasn’t. I needed him so I could learn about his father. Not only that, but he’d leveraged his entire company to win the bid. It could make him rich beyond belief, but if something went bad… So I began to plan.But the park was already finished. How does a terrorist blowing it up reflect on the construction company at all? Payment’s already been handled, my man. If you wanted to destroy his company, you should have messed with the park while it was still being built. You would have needed to pin shoddy construction, poor safety of the attractions, or unsafe work conditions on the company. I would destroy the park, and ruin what would have been the best moment of that monster’s life!I truly doubt he gave a poo poo about the park itself. He was probably totally satisfied with the cash. I was speechless. The park my uncle had created as a place for dreams to flourish was instead the focus of an old, vicious grudge. Makoto wanted nothing more than to blow it up. Do you know why I told you all this? I shook my head. You were never supposed to be part of this anyway. Having you around is interesting, but my goal is more important. You understand, right? If you can sympathize with me even a little bit, please, agree to leave. …Choice time. And that choice is, “Absolutely no drat way in hell.” …I can’t do that. You can’t? Why not? I understand where you’re coming from, but… this is wrong! Besides, I couldn’t just leave my friends behind. Makoto smiled. *Affection up* …Please Makoto, just stop this whole thing. Couldn’t you release the hostages, at least? … …I’m afraid I can’t. I can’t stop until I’ve punished him.Okay, but what if you just release all the hostages except him? Then everyone is happy! Makoto! He let out a long sigh, then turned and began to walk away from me. That’s enough chit-chat, I think. See you tomorrow. He stepped into the elevator and the doors closed behind him. (…This is a lot to take in.) (I wonder what Makoto’s going to do with me…) He’d said he didn’t want me interfering in his game, so why hadn’t he just gotten rid of me when I refused to leave? (…Oh jeez!) I’d totally forgotten that the game was still going on. As much as I was worried about myself and Makoto, I still needed to get back to the others. But no matter how many times I pressed the elevator button, nothing happened. Makoto had likely shut it off. (Well, I’ve still got my cell phone… …Dang.) I mean, you could have tried using the surveillance system right in front of you. Just a suggestion. Regardless, that’s where Stage 5 ends. Yes, it was also very short. Hell, maybe I’ll be done with this LP sooner than I thought! We’ll find out next update, when Stage 6 kicks off.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2021 18:31
|
|
|
I guess his logic is that Makoto wants to make this an ironic punishment of sorts? Like "hey man you were the reason that I couldn't go to a theme park, so I will destroy yours"? Which is really stupid reasoning as pointed out, as Urabe's dad probably doesn't really care what he builds, as long as he gets the cash for it.
|
|
#
?
Aug 21, 2021 18:57
|
|
|
Space Kablooey posted:I guess his logic is that Makoto wants to make this an ironic punishment of sorts? Like "hey man you were the reason that I couldn't go to a theme park, so I will destroy yours"? Which is really stupid reasoning as pointed out, as Urabe's dad probably doesn't really care what he builds, as long as he gets the cash for it. Maybe? Except he and his family were on their way back from the theme park, not going to it. I don't know. I just don't see any logic here. If you wanted to punish Urabe's dad, then destroy what he loves, which would be his company (I assume). Waiting until the park is done accomplishes nothing, because the construction company has already been paid and a terrorist attack on something they built wouldn’t be their responsibility and wouldn’t ruin their reputation. I also really hate how a corrupt politician is mentioned as being complicit in this cover-up, but was seemingly not involved in the revenge scheme at all. Meanwhile, people like Ryuji and Towa are apparently worthy of punishment even though they had no direct involvement?
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2021 00:10
|
|
|
Ah I missed that they were coming back from the park. I did find strange that they were going to at during the night, but I'm not questioning this game's writing anymore. Also yeah, I'm just looking for any connection that would make sense here. I'm really far from actually deducing the logic as well.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2021 00:30
|
|
|
Oh god it really is the Hogstein Route. There really was no other way this game could end. He's basically just throwing a tantrum over all this instead of just targeting the person responsible. Looks like from his rant at Saki at the end, seems like the main choices that get affection in this route are the ones that are making selfless choices. So I guess you're not really trying to appeal to Makato himself here so much as show that Saki is a good person.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2021 00:38
|
|
|
God, the more we learn about Hogstein/M2/Makoto, the more insane and stupid his plan is. Which I guess, to some extent, is the point, that he's definitely far gone and none of his moves are even remotely logical - but it's not like anyone else points it out. Urabe could literally just tell him "let's kill my dad and move on" but no, he's now on the "save everyone" train. The whole thing makes me think that it's basically a coincidence if there's any sort of logic to Makoto's actions and the writing's just bad, instead of showing he's completely insane and has lost his actual target long ago. But at least the insane Makoto portraits are pretty good.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2021 04:34
|
|
|
Blaze Dragon posted:But at least the insane Makoto portraits are pretty good. Too bad he just, like, apologized on reflex to Saki again. It really annoys me that Saki is getting mad about being deceived but not the fact her uncle is being held hostage. Why is the game so obsessed with making Saki toothless but also making everyone cowers at her briefly?
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2021 08:48
|
|
|
Space Kablooey posted:Ah I missed that they were coming back from the park. I did find strange that they were going to at during the night, but I'm not questioning this game's writing anymore. It is only Stage 5. We still have two more to go. Maybe we'll get some thread from him that connects everything, but for the moment, it sure does seem like he's just insane. Araxxor posted:Looks like from his rant at Saki at the end, seems like the main choices that get affection in this route are the ones that are making selfless choices. So I guess you're not really trying to appeal to Makato himself here so much as show that Saki is a good person. That would be an interesting way to end this game/route. If this somehow turns out to not so much be a "Hogstein Route" but a "Saki Route", then I think that would improve my opinion of this game at least a little bit. Sadly, I think we all know that this route will almost certainly end like the Urabe route, where maybe Makoto goes to jail for a little bit but Saki waits for him or some crap. They're already taking every opportunity they can to try and counterbalance Makoto's "I want to punish everyone who hurt me!" with "Saki sees a tragic soul in need of love." Blaze Dragon posted:God, the more we learn about Hogstein/M2/Makoto, the more insane and stupid his plan is. Which I guess, to some extent, is the point, that he's definitely far gone and none of his moves are even remotely logical - but it's not like anyone else points it out. Urabe could literally just tell him "let's kill my dad and move on" but no, he's now on the "save everyone" train. The whole thing makes me think that it's basically a coincidence if there's any sort of logic to Makoto's actions and the writing's just bad, instead of showing he's completely insane and has lost his actual target long ago. Again, that would be a decent route if that's what happens. If the game ends with Makoto realizing that he's suffering from some kind of clinical insanity and nothing he's been doing has made any sense, then that could be pretty cool (not the mental health part, of course. I just mean the narrative twist in general). I think it's more likely that Saki just convinces him that they can bring Urabe's dad to justice through testimony, though. We already saw shades of this with Ayumu's route, where Makoto realizes that most of his hate for Shirabe was predicated on a misunderstanding. As for the insane portraits, that is one point I can give to the game without caveats. They have done a good job on making mentally unstable Urabe and Makoto look unsettling as all hell. It remains to be seen if we'll get a Makoto CG as creepy as that Urabe one, though. Fingers crossed. CremePudding posted:It really annoys me that Saki is getting mad about being deceived but not the fact her uncle is being held hostage. Why is the game so obsessed with making Saki toothless but also making everyone cowers at her briefly? This is something that could have worked if the game had felt like exploring it. The only people who it makes no sense for are Ryuji and Shidou. For the others, the game could have subtly justified the guys cowering from Saki's outbursts at them: Towa - Towa is a pop idol. He's not used to girls yelling at him out of legit anger, he's used to them fawning over him. Shirabe - Shirabe has a daughter that is (sort of) close to Saki's age. He's already not sure how to deal with his own daughter, so having a young lady freaking out at him is something that throws him off. Kouta - A shut-in. He's not used to dealing with other people in general, let alone a girl his own age that has been nice and caring to him. Urabe - Urabe has some creepy fixation on Saki, so it would make sense for him to be knocked off balance by Saki suddenly screaming at him. He's also got a martyr complex. Makoto - He had a little sister that died in the accident, which Saki might remind him of. You could easily spin that into an explanation as to why he constantly backs down when Saki yells at him. But of course, this game isn't hinting at any of that stuff. The reason everyone temporarily/permanently backs down when Saki yells is because "Haha! Angry anime women are the scariest thing ever!"
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2021 12:58
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 27, 2024 01:40 |
|
|
Psycho Knight posted:But of course, this game isn't hinting at any of that stuff. The reason everyone temporarily/permanently backs down when Saki yells is because "Haha! Angry anime women are the scariest thing ever!" Saki makes her outbursts and people back off for like one sentence before resuming walking all over her, or knocking her out, or doing their villain exposition and making dramatic evil faces. Usually when the protagonist snaps in an Otome game, it's the big plot beat to getting through to people and giving them an epiphany or something. Sometimes it doesn't work, but Sweet Fuse basically takes the worst of both worlds with this weird decision of them making a reaction and then acting the opposite way.
|
|
#
?
Aug 22, 2021 14:38
|
|