Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Always Remember Me

$20 - Free Demo - From Winter Wolves

Amy is desperate. A car accident has caused her boyfriend Aaron to get amnesia. Can she help him regain his memory, or will she fall in love with someone else?

I don't remember if this was my first Winter Wolves game or not, but it is one that I adore. I originally had little interest in it, but had some free time so I decided to download the demo. I was immediately hooked.

While it is a stat raising game, it doesn't feel repetitious the way so many of them do. There's different things you can do at different times and on different days. Also, you don't just choose one activity for the day. You work each weekday, with the option of picking up some overtime on the weekends. That extra cash comes in handy for some of the various products and classes you can buy - things that will help raise certain stats.

To be honest, as much as I enjoy the gameplay itself, the real reason I just had to purchases this game was because upon first meeting one of the guys, I could have pointed at the screen and said "Him. I want to date him."

Which brings me to the characters. First, Amy, our heroine. I really liked her - and not just because we share the same name. Amy was a really down-to-earth girl, her personality barely changing depending on the path you're playing. There was one, maybe two instances when she really broke out of her shell with a couple of the guys - but her calm, reasonable and mature personality was one of the major factors in how much I enjoyed this game.

Each of the four dateable guys had diverse personalities. And the events that happen during their path is very specific to that character. I assure you, none of these guys act alike. Which gives you the opportunity to really connect with one or two, but there will probably be at least one that you feel absolutely nothing for. My personal favorite was Lawrence, followed in a distant second by Eddy. Hugh was okay, but my least favorite was Aaron.

I loved replaying the game to get all the endings, which made it totally worth the money I spent on it.

Official Website

-Amy

Friday, November 22, 2013

RE: Alistair ++

Free - From sakevisual

Merui loves playing Rivenwell Online. However, when the prize for a big boss battle is stolen out from under her nose, she makes it her mission to discover who this thief named Alistair is. Alistair agrees that, if Merui can figure out who he is within one month, he will return the prize to her. By a fluke of fate, she realizes he goes to the same high school as her...

In case you started to think all I did was post reviews of games I didn't like (such as the last couple or three) I thought I would post a review of one of my favorites.

First, any game that has a gamer girl as the MC - one that likes her MMORPG's no less - automatically catches my attention. Honestly, I felt that everything about this game was very well done. The graphics are great. I had never heard of sakevisual before this, but I am certainly interested in their other products now. The CG and sprites are high quality for any game, much less a free one.

Really though, no matter how wonderful the graphics were, what made this game for me was the characters themselves. Merui was a very outspoken girl - which was nice considering how meek so many of the main girls from the games I've been playing lately seem to be. Merui isn't the sort of girl to stay quiet about something and this attitude is really what sets the game in motion.

The guys were a mix of character types and I actually liked them all as characters quite a lot. Personally though, as for the romance... My favorite was Derek, followed by Travis. My least favorite would have been (obviously) Shiro. I didn't hate him, I just seldom go for those type of guys.

I will mention that you will probably need to use a walkthrough to get the best ending for the guys. Not because of the choices you get to make - most of those seemed fairly obvious - but because there are certain things you need to buy and a certain stat you need for the guys.

Official Website

-Amy

Thursday, November 21, 2013

Nacira

Free

Nacira has been invited to the kingdom of Nirwasita to be a substitute dancer for the next King ceremony. She has one month to live in the palace for preparation. However, the last Royal Dancer went mysteriously missing. Does Nacira have what it takes to discover what happened to her? Will she find love in the process? Based on ancient Java folklore.

It is an interesting concept, but I think the creator made the game too confusing and difficult. I usually do not post a review here until I have finished all the paths at least once - but I don't even know how to get all the paths. Maybe I've already gotten all the ones I can... I cannot tell and I can't find any walkthroughs for this game, either.

I've played the game six times and only gotten three different endings. The first time I played the game, I was trying to solve the mystery as well as win a guy's heart. Big mistake because I wound up getting stuck with my least favorite guy. I've gotten that ending a total of three times, not matter what I do and how I answer/ask questions. Then I got the 'everyone' ending twice and the original ending I was aiming for once. Turns out that was no big loss, as I wound up disliking that guy too.

As for the choices you get to make... They were done horribly. So many times, if two options appear on the screen and you choose one, your decision will be overwritten by the game/Nacira herself. Honestly, it seems to make little difference what you chose to do most of the time.

As for good things about the game? Uh... Well, I suppose the setting/culture was interesting. The first time...

Info

Official Website

-Amy

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

The Twins

Free

Honestly, I don't feel all that comfortable writing a review of this, because I didn't even finish it. So, I decided to just drop a couple quick notes about it.Who knows, maybe it'll catch someone's eye and they'll really enjoy it.

Our main girl's mother has been dating a man with teenage twin sons. When the three males decide to move in with the MC and her mother, before the MC has even met them, it is obvious that her life will change for good. Though twins, the boys are complete opposites. One is friendly and easy to talk to the other...is not.

I tend to get really bad headaches - sometimes brought on by things I see - and the background pictures in this game was giving me one. They looked like over pixel-ed photos. The writing was also a problem for me as it wasn't very...mature? Professional? It felt as though the writing was done the same way a person speaks. Some people like the more casual tones - I don't.

One good thing about the game, however, was the amount of choices the player gets to make. Of course, I don't know how much difference what the MC eats for lunch has on the game, but there are a lot of decision moments.

Sounds harsh, I know, but if these things don't bother you - and the idea of two live-in teenage boys appeal to you, you could give it a shot. I will say that the sprites were nicely drawn.

Info and download link.

-Amy

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Princess Battles

$20 - Free Demo

Lillian is a somewhat indifferent princess. It's not that she dislikes her people. She's just a typical teenager. She's rather have fun with her friends and sleep in that study. However, when it comes to her attention that her parents are thinking of making a common-born young woman heir to the throne, Lillian must enlist the help of her palace staff, tutor and cousin to prove to her parents that she is worthy of the throne.

Honestly, I was all set to pass this game by when I read 'card battles'. Immediately I think of Magic: the Gathering. Then World of Warcraft and Yu-Gi-Oh entered my mind. I tried the demo and was enchanted.

The card game part was fun and quite unique however... After finishing the game, playing through it several times to get all the endings... I thought it was rather short and lacked true characterization. Not to say I didn't enjoy the game. Believe me, I did. And it's great that they have a 'free play' mode where you can play the card game.

I would wager that, unless you're much better than I am, you won't be able to get many - if any -  of the guys without a walkthrough. On my first play through I wound up very alone - even though I was going after one of the guys. Also, if you want one of the three guys that don't play a large part in the story, you'll have to time the moments when you go to each location properly, otherwise he'll leave and you'll never see him again. This use of a walkthrough did reduce my enjoyment of the game. I like figuring things out on my own but this was just impossible.

So, really, the card battles were the highlight of a slightly shallow game. I didn't hate it, by no means. It just felt as though twenty bucks was rather steep for the actual game play.

My favorite characters were Edmond and Aurilia.
-Amy

Ristorante Amore

Free - From Cyanide Tea

Lily, the newest employee at her uncle's restaurant, feels like she's stuck in a rut. Over-educated for the position, she isn't even sure what to do with her life. Her co-worker's will provide distracting enough though - maybe even offering her some romance - while she tries to figure out what to do with her life.

I do not like being jerked around. I don't like starting a TV show, being told that it is action/adventure only to find out that it is a comedy/romance. I don't like reading a book that suddenly changes genre's in the final chapter. Simply put, indicate to me that there is something more to the story than what you see - before that shift comes along or you will lose me very quickly. I'm not talking about plot twists, either. I'm talking about whole mass world twists where you're told that pretty much everything that came before was a lie. I read a book like that once, where the first hundred or so pages was one giant flashback that killed the main character - only to find out a page later that he had a fantasy version of PTSD that switched two character's personalities and made us only think the main character was dead.

Brilliant? Yes. Flawed in a way that made me hate that I wasted any time on it? Yes.

This game is much the same. The prologue was pretty typical for these type of games. Nothing ground-breaking, but a mindless, fluffy diversion. Then you reach the 'post-prologue' and everything changed. First, I couldn't actually figure out what was happening. As I started catching on, I also I started getting really uncomfortable with some of the character personalities. Sure, it was more 'realistic' - but I don't play these type of games for realism. I play them for an escape from my everyday life. They're even an escape from the more action-y, violent games that I usually play.

I will say that the direction that the story went was brilliant. I've never seen or heard of anything like this before. I also admit to the fact that I didn't finish the game. Though it is still sitting on my flash drive, I'm uncomfortable with the idea of ever finishing this game.

Really, if the creator would have dropped little hints along the way that there was more to the story - and let it stay an otome game - I probably would have felt a lot better towards the game.

Favorite character? Lily (or, whatever you may change her name to).

Official Website

-Amy

Monday, November 18, 2013

Heartstring Bugs

Heartstring Bugs (Free, by Unbroken Hours)

After a disappointing first year of high school, Elly (name changeable) has decided to break out of her shell. This is help, or hindered, by an alien life form giving Elly the ability to see people's emotions. This alien virus, Vi by name, is also staying at Elly's house. However, most people cannot see Vi...

First I'd like to start by saying I do not like raising stats games (unless it's by Winter Wolves, but different subject) and this game illustrates exactly why I don't like these type. While I do appreciate the fact that the creator gave us plenty of time to get the stats where they need to be for the best ending, however we were given too much time I believe. To get the best ending for a guy, you have to get a selected stat above three hundred, and a secondary stat above one seventy-five. Playing the game in a relaxed manner, I was able to get all the stats (four of them) above three hundred.

The game is spread out over nearly three full years - it starts in September I believe and ends in June - and, really the only important date-y stuff happens from the third Halloween and on, as long as you are dating. There's four different meters you need to increase to get the full story cycle of the guy, however, three of them practically fill themselves. I usually had those three filled by the second Christmas, so I spent almost a full year with little to do.

The good news is there is a skip function on the game, one where you do not need to hold the 'ctrl' key down to skip. However, if you skip through conversations with your two friends, you won't know which guy they are talking about when you need to give your opinion (the way to increase that fourth pesky little meter) and also, you won't know whose birthday you're shopping for and run the risk of buying them an inappropriate gift.

One the good side of things, this was a very realistic feeling school game. You were immersed in things like clubs and arguments and - slightly unusual for these type of games - the guys you didn't chose to date keep popping up. Just as they would in a real high school.

Also, each guy had a very unique personality, they were all vastly different from each other - behaving in different ways. It was very nice to see how well thought out the characters were.

My favorites (in order of favorite to least) are: Blaze, Huang, Lucas, Dimitri and Chase. I didn't hate any of them, but - without a doubt - Dimitri and Chase did little for me in the way of romance. Dimitri would be an awesome friend to have though. Chase, even if I thought I was going to like him, when I got to his story arc, I was left laughing hysterically. I do understand why the creator did what she did, but for me it didn't work. I do know that Chase is one of - if not the - most popular guys, so it might just be me.

If you've got a lot of patience and some free time, you could do worse than this game.

Official Website

A bit more information

-Amy

Friday, November 15, 2013

Heavenly Playgirl Dating Sim

Heavenly Playgirl Dating Sim (Free, Online)

This is a story about a teenage girl who has lived the life of a playgirl. She has broken up every relationship she's ever been in, because of her belief that no guy wants a serious relationship and if she doesn't break her heart then he will break hers. After a horrible accident, she is unable to enter the gates of heaven and, instead, must find mutual true love before her time runs out.

While I don't like some of the implications (specifically, you would have to be a really horrible person to look for someone to fall in love with knowing that you will have to leave them after a certain length of time. Sadly, that little thought never comes up.) it was a fun game. All the guys were interesting and had different reactions and feelings towards the main character. The interesting thing about this game was how events only happened after you gather enough relationship points with the guys and at certain times. Unlike all the other online sims dating games I've played, you cannot hurry this one. You have to play at the pace the game dictates.

It was an interesting concept in that the girl is the player - basically a serial dater - and the guys opinions of her because of this is a hurdle in several of the romances. That was interesting. My biggest issue with the game was the very cookie-cutter endings. It would have been really cool to see the endings personalized, instead of the cut and press ending where the final resolution was the same in each.

As for the guys themselves, my favorite was Ignacio. I really thought he was cool and I loved his style. Rough order of my favorites after Ignacio would be: Nikolai, Vittorio, Ray, Sergio and Angelo. The only ones that really didn't do anything for me were Keagan and Cleon.

You can find the game here.

-Amy

Other Useful Websites

Girl Game Review
English Otome Games
Otome Games
Otome Sweetheart
Otome-Games
Lemma Soft Forums
Mina's Madhouse
Aurora's Otome Wonderland
List Of Free Otome Games in English
Adumbrate & Resilient Love
Anime For Girls
Otome Hearts (Forum)
Bishounen Gemu
Twin Project
Otome World
Game Babbles
Lijakaca's Otome Gaming Blog
It's Raining Men
Otome Game Wonderland
English Yaoi Games
Giant Bomb List of Otome Games
Translation Projects

To-Play List

This is just a list, with links, of the games that have caught my attention but that I haven't gotten around to playing yet.


Matches & Matrimony ($6.99 from Amazon, based on Jane Austen's work.)
The Host Holic ($19.99 or Free with Trial Pay, Free Demo.)
a2 ~a due~ (Free)
Ex Astris (Free, Chapter Format)
X-note ($20.00, Free Demo)
Area -X ($25.00, Free Demo)
The Adventures of Prince Ivan (Free)
Re:Set (Free) Episode 2
Northmark: Hour of the Wolf ($14.95, Free Demo, RPG)
Doppelganger : Dawn of the Inverted Soul (Free)
Fantasia, The Realm of Thanos (Free)
Fantasia, Requiem of The Abyss (Free)
Seraph and Hellion (Free)
Clockwork City (Free)
TAARRADHIN (Free)
The Stolen Diamond Ring (Free)
Defenders Quest ($15, RPG)
The Book Of Legends ($23, RPG)
Idol Crush (Free)
Daisuki Da Yo (Free)
One Leaf Clover (Free)
Star Ocean: Second Evolution (???, RPG, PSP?)
Girlish Love Revolution (???, NDS)
Zenith Chronicles (???, RPG)
Knife of the Traitor (Free)
Pizz'Amore (Free)
Lines of Symmetry (Free)
Rhyme or Reason (Free)
Duael (Free, RPG-ish)
Munster Academy (Free)
Quest Twilight Prince (Free)
Natchtigal (Free)
Left of Center (Free, Friendship)
Amity (Free)
Hierofanía (Free)
Skights (Free, Ongoing)
April Was A Fool
Circus of Soaring Dreams
Reunion of Angel (Commercial)
Summoner Sweetheart
Unplanned AMOUR
WANTED: Dragon
Date Nighto Studio Games
Coming Out On Top
Fest-Off
Academagia
Spiderweb Games
Cyanide Tea Games
Reflections on the River
2 Minutes for Roughing
Cupid
Iris Dream
Just Another Day in Paradise
Love and Romance - A Study of Intimacy
Magical Otoge Anholly
Night at the Hospital
The Lady's Choice
The Phantom of the Hospital
Violet White Hill
Wander no more
War Valentine Edition
XOXO Academy
You & Me
Requiescence
Equilibrium
Stolen Destiny

Upcoming Games

Updated 9/15/16
I checked and only listed the games that still seem to be in production.

A Foretold Affair
A Very Important Date
Alice in the Country of Hearts - Fan Translation
Amplitude
Anges Démoniaques
Apodrasi
Arena Circus

Best Friends Forever
Bitter Truth
Blackout

Caramel Mokaccino
Conspiracy
Courting the Seasons
Crimson Rafflesia
Curse of the Caribbean


Dark Nights
Divide

Ebon Light
Era of Monsters
Essence
Eternal Forest
Exogenesis

Fantasia : Minstrel's Rhapsody

Heart of Thorns
Hocus Pocus Prince

Ichigo
Infurubia

Les Contes Magiques: Marie Lévesque
Love is a Game
Love is Blind
Lovely Little Thieves

Magicians of Delphine
Memorial Tree
Memoirs of an Angel - Remake
Mirage Noir
Monstrous Lovers
My Heart's Flame

Not Another Cinderella Story

Once Upon A Hallows Eve

Prank Masters
Purrfectly Ever After

Queen's Crown

Rock Robin

Seiyuu Danshi
Seven Kingdoms
Skyfish
SoulSet
Speak to Me
Spirit Parade
Star Days
Syphethia's Discoveries

The Pirate Mermaid

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Number Days Sim Date

Honestly, I think Pacthesis makes the best free online dating sims games. I thought about reviewing one of the earlier ones that they created first, but then I decided I might as well review the one I just finished.

Number Days Sim Date (Free - Online Only - Created by Pacthesis)

So, as the main character says, 'I've seen the movies and played the games'. An amusement park is the last place you want to be trapped. It can never end well… (Don't worry, while it might be a little tense, it's not a horror game in any way.)

I had actually been putting off playing this because it didn't sound as casual as Pacthesis' other games. While that is true, it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. The most difficult part for me was how the character's opinions of you could actually drop depending on your response to the conversation. That's certainly new for me.

For all my uncertainty, this is one of my favorite - if not my favorite - game from Pacthesis. The reason for that is because of something she said she was doing differently in this game. She said there were going to be more cut scenes of the group, as opposed to just the couple. I really liked that and I think it worked out perfectly for the type of game this is.

I highly recommend you play around and get as many scenes as you can because most of them are really cool. I especially love the scenes at the movies. They're friends, but you've got all these personality types swirling around and it makes all conversations very interesting.

Speaking of the characters… I always love the people and stories that Pacthesis creates. Usually there's one person in each of the games that I just don’t care for, but I wind up adoring the rest.

In this game, my favorites were Spencer, Arlo and Thane (in that order). Lena was pretty cool, just a little too quiet for me. Bryce just wasn't my type at all. Honestly, how little I cared for him, even after finishing his path, surprised me. (And I think that sentence has one too many commas…)

Anyhow, if you want to read more about the game and see the profile art of the characters, click here.

The game can be found here.

-Amy

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Game List

#

A
Always Remember Me (Commercial - Free Demo)

B

C
Cafe Rogue (Free - Online)
Chrono Days Sim Date (Free - Online)
Cinders (Commercial - Free Demo)

D
Date Warp (Commercial - Free Demo)
Days of the Divine (Free)

E

F
Flower Shop, The: Winter in Fairbrook (Commercial - Free Demo)
Frozen Essence (Free)

G

H
Heartstring Bugs (Free)
Heavenly Playgirl Dating Sim (Free - Online)

I
J
K
L
Loren The Amazon Princess (Commercial - Free Demo)
Love Blossom Extended (Free)

M
Magical Diary - Horse Hall (Commercial - Free Demo)

N
Nacira (Free)
Number Days Sim Date (Free - Online)

O

P
(P)lanets - the life of normalcy has ended! (Free)
Planet Stronghold (Commercial - Free Demo)
Princess Battles (Commercial - Free Demo)

Q

R
RE: Alistair ++ (Free)
Rei (Free)
Ristorante Amore (Free)
Royal Trap, The (Commercial - Free Demo)

S
School Festival (Free)
Signed X (Free)
Summer Found Me (Free)

T
Twins, The (Free)

U
V
W
X
Y
Z

The Royal Trap

What better place to start my review that with the first ever otome visual novel that I have played.

The Royal Trap ($20 - Free Demo - From Hanako Games)

Out of curiosity, one day I ran a google search for English otome games. After much digging, I found a website offering a free demo download. It sounded interesting so I downloaded the demo. After only playing the prologue I was hooked.

Madeleine Valois is the Prince of Ocendawyr's companion. Her job is to make sure Prince Oscar stays safe, doesn't walk into any political minefields and makes an advantageous marriage. Unfortunately, things are not going at all according to plan. Madeleine and Oscar are at coming out party of young Princess Cassidy when things start going dreadfully awry for out heroine.

I won't say anymore about the plot, lest I spoil it. Let's just say, if you like the demo I believe you'll love the game. I know I sure did.

I honestly wasn't expecting to find an action/adventure VN. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this game and, I will admit, not really knowing what to expect going into it made it all the more exciting.

The characters themselves were quite an interesting mixed bag.

Up first is Prince Callum, elder brother to Princess Cassidy.



I chose his path first mostly because I really liked the way he and Madeleine worked together. They made a really great team and, besides, just look at him. Anyway, I wound up really liking his character and what I probably liked best about him was the passion that he approached everything with. Ultimately, he was one of my two favorite guys from the story.

The next guy I decided to woo was none other than Prince Oscar himself.



I figured that he was probably the obvious choice as well as being one of the main characters to the story. I really wasn't that impressed with him. He acted like a bit of a brat sometimes and I just didn't like how Madeleine reacted to him. I'd say his story detracted the most from the strong, independent woman that Madeleine obviously was. I also felt he didn't have much depth to him. For these reasons, he was my least favorite of the romance-able options. (Possibly of all the characters.)

Next we have Prince Nazagi, a visiting apothecary (okay, not what they call him, but what else could he be?)



My other favorite guy. What I liked about him so much was the way your understanding of his character grew a bit over time. Really, I thought he was probably the most interesting of the whole bunch and, after getting his 'happy end', I would love, absolutely love, to continue his story and find out what happens next.

Finally, the last path I followed, Gaston. Of the sparkles.



The second thing you notice about this guy is how absolutely over the top he is. (The first being his very…glittery appearance.) Everything Gaston says or does is with a dramatic flourish. Honestly, I was left thinking that he was the sweetest guy of the who group - even if he is also very odd. This impression (the sweetness, not the oddness) was helped along by a reveal late in his path.

Before I give you a quick summery, I want to leave you with a picture of gorgeous Princess Cassidy, who was the focal point of pretty much everything - some paths more and some less.



Final thoughts is that this game has wonderful replay value - that way you can catch on to all the things mentioned in one path but not the other. I also loved the music that was used - especially the main theme song. Click here if you would like to listen to the full theme song on youtube.

All images taken from the official trailer. (That way there's no spoilers. Well... Except one, that will probably be missed unless you've already played that path.)


Follow that link and you can find a bit more information about the game, the trailer and a link where you can buy the game or download the free demo.

Though I'm not rating it, I will admit that this game has set the bar rather high for other games.

-Amy

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Welcome

Hello everyone and welcome to nova's glow.

I'm Amy and I created this blog as a place for me to talk about otome (and, occasionally, not otome) games that I have played or am looking forward to.

This is mostly so I have a place to collect my thoughts on certain games I have played, which ones I might want to replay and upcoming games that look interesting.

Here you will probably find reviews, links, information on upcoming games. If I get really energetic, I might even post walkthroughs. Though don't count on it. I also don't know how often I'll actually post here. It might be kind of sporadic.

As I am typing this, I still have a few things left to do to get this blog in shape.

I need to make myself a banner. Not really sure what it should be of...

I also have to finish personalizing the fonts and colors.

-Amy