Ultimately, the more blindly you go into Ib, the more you’ll enjoy it, and I’ve kept this piece as spoiler-free as possible as a result. If you’re yet to play it, you should do so sooner rather than later — and now’s a prime time to do so. It’s a touching and reflective experience, and remains a treasured experience for everyone who originally experienced it first time around.
In this standalone sequel, the character arcs are better written, the art style is even more pleasing on the eye, and the whole underdog premise makes it even more entertaining; it’s nice to see the energy and drive of the player character here in contrast to the rather troubled main character from the original game.
So, do I recommend even if TEMPEST? Absolutely; just consider its weaknesses with its false choices in its gameplay mechanics, its slightly underbaked romances and its relatively short playtime — but know that its highs in its quality, writing, heroine and story more than make up for these shortcomings, making this a must-play otome.
The Price of Flesh’s sexual content is optional, and whether or not you have it turned on does not affect your completion status of the game, since all achievements are unlockable regardless of setting. And with gender-neutral writing and selectable pronouns, it’s a game that can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone who enjoys horror — with the additional option of adding erotic scenes. That said, the developer themselves warns players to expect mostly dicks if you’re going in search of that erotic material; there are two main male characters and just one female, after all. Not like I’m complaining.
Birushana may not have quite knocked it out of the park for me personally, but it’s definitely one that will be enjoyed by plenty of otome enthusiasts. Take your time with it, and don’t come to it expecting anything super new or revolutionary in terms of story. Just know that the heroine, characters and a couple of the routes in particular make Birushana well worth checking out — and then you can join me in celebrating Tomomori in all his glory as best boy, however much he might make your parents question your morality!
There’s no denying how many hours it’s possible to sink into College Craze, even in its current state of development. With its newly added gallery feature, you can see how much material you have yet to find — including 109 CGs (not including multiple variations in some cases) — plus the sheer number of choices throughout provide a variety of outcomes from even the most seemingly throwaway of selections. College Craze already surprises me by being free in its current state.
Billionaire Lovers is a game about trust, and is an experience that challenges your very own preconceptions, giving you plenty of harsh reality checks along the way.
Hooked on You will be quick to remind you that you’re pretty suspicious for trying to hook up with a murderer, so if you don’t mind a game you’ve purchased constantly shaming you for buying it, then be my guest.
There are plenty of fun red herrings and even a few well-implemented, infrequent jump scares — it’s certainly not one to forget about any time soon. With two endings for each character — one good, one bad — and a single playthrough taking around seven hours to complete, it’s well worth its asking price.
I may have some complaints about the game’s overall design choices and gameplay mechanics, but I will certainly give it another playthrough or two and may well change my mind. If that ends up being the case, you’ll all be the first to know, as there’s a ton of potential here. And in the meantime, if you like what you’ve seen and heard so far, you’ll almost certainly find something of worth here — so I encourage you to check it out for yourself.
IMMORTALITY has a thought-provoking narrative; it features unassuming but difficult to master gameplay design, and there’s a harrowing truth to discover, plus plenty of additional mysteries to uncover over subsequent playthroughs. It’s an incredible experience, and I urge you to try it for yourself.
Cut to the Core deserves to be dissected and scrutinised for your viewing pleasure — or horror, it’s a mix of the two really! It’s absolutely vile, terrifying and unforgettable. And that’s why I love it.
Soulstice celebrates the great things about its biggest inspirations while being memorable in its own right. The presence of Sir Donovan as a capable male Chimera fills a void from Claymore, and how the game explores and shows memories reminiscent of the Vestige fragments in Code Vein makes for a nice interlude after countless battle segments and heavy plot reveals.
Pitstop in Purgatory is macabre yet soothing. It’s a wholesome and, at times, wickedly cruel jab to your heart and senses that still manages to feel like a virtual comforter due to its sheer optimism about death — or rather, the celebration of life after death. With lovingly caring and considerate messages, memorable characters you’ll fondly appreciate and care about, and two key mysteries that will keep you interested and committed to solving from beginning to end, Pitstop in Purgatory is a must-play.
At least I can fondly think of this as “the bi otome game” — even if its intriguing setup did deserve so much better.
Finally, even its ending is as unnecessary as it is lazy. It’s the post-game cutscene from the original game, and it makes even less sense being inserted at the same moment after everything that transpired before it within the new scenario. I can’t fathom how anyone could possibly argue that this DLC is not one of the weakest additional content packages out there and the cheekiest in terms of its asking price. Do yourself a favour and wait for a sale if you absolutely must play it. Please. Lady Dimitrescu is not going anywhere.
With fully realised characters who lead complex lives with some of the most engaging character arcs to come from an indie otome, The Spanish Privateer is truly a riveting time.
While the majority of these features are ultimately rather unnecessary, it adds some pleasant downtime after all the nightmarish sights and descriptions you’ll find yourself interacting with. It’s a perfect balancing act that helps us show that some characters are genuinely redeemable — and that some are absolute, legitimate sweethearts — compared to the majority, who are walking red flags. But that just makes any piece of fiction all the more exciting.
Saint Maker’s design, themes and especially characters make it well worth a shot. It will certainly surprise you one way or another!
I should say thanks to Fire Emblem Engage for gifting us with the Four Hounds though – they are easily my favourite part of the game.