Nintendo Switch otome games are making their mark on the system, with new games and ports of older ones all finding a new home. There’s a lot to peruse, and not all of it is good. Some games are definitely better than others, and you want to jump in with a title that will provide an enjoyable and optimal experience. No sense being alienated from the outset!
Read more
2019 is a big year for otome fans. A region that is normally lucky to get a localization of any otome games is getting the second fan disc for one. It is a big deal. But, someone might also see Code: Realize ~Wintertide Miracle~ about to realize and wonder what is the big deal and how to start getting into this series. Well, fortunately for you, we’re experts on all things otome and more than familiar with Cardia’s journey.
Read more
In the years since Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom made its English debut in 2012, otome games have enjoyed a surge of popularity worldwide. The genre went from an unknown to one that received multiple releases on various platforms each year. Sony handhelds have long been a haven for such titles, with people who own a Vita enjoying the fruits of this bevy of releases.
Read more
The myth of the philosopher’s stone has often been used as a plot device in media. People are introduced to this legendary object capable of extraordinary things through alchemy, may spend most of the game attempting to learn more about it or acquire it, and have peripheral encounters with it. While most forms of media focus on its ability to grant immortality, resurrect the dead, and transmute metals into gold, many Japanese games choose to focus on its ability to create new, artificial life.
Read more
When it comes to otome games, and really visual novels in general, there always tends to be one “right” route. You can pursue different bachelors and see alternate storylines, but one is more “real” than the others. With Hakuoki, you’re only getting the full story if you romance Toshizo Hijikata. In Amnesia, chasing after Ukyo shows what really put the heroine in her precarious situation. It’s a consequence of the genre and why I recommend that anyone who wants the full story in Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ send Cardia off with Lupin.
Read more
It’s pretty easy to see why Aksys has localized and released many of the otome visual novels the company has picked up. With Hakuoki, we’re looking at an established series with anime tie-ins. Picking up subsequent ports is simple enough, since nearly all the translation work is already done. Picking up Sweet Fuse: At Your Side made sense due to Keiji Inafune and artwork by Kumiko Suekane, who drew the characters from Ace Attorney helps. But Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ is a bit of a mystery.
Read more