I started on Ayakashibito (because someone asked for it, and I’m running out of hard drive space). The game starts out pretty interesting, with two people (well, I’m not sure if they’re human or not) escaping from a facility on an island (there’s always one, isn’t it?) in the middle of the storm (SO cliched). They actually have a decent mood going, but then we have this.
Having a moeblob on the screen pretty much kills the tension. See, our protag jumps into the middle of the road to stop a car (they need food and clothing), because he’s seen people do this in movies and manga all the time (I know, I know, facepalm). The person he manages to stop is a shady doctor who’s barely worried about having a shotgun to the face, and the comedy just feels…off.
The art isn’t that great. I mean, this is from the guy that did Angelos Armas and Saya no Uta, so the base for the art is good, and there’s a lot of it too. However, the colors, the backgrounds, the clothes, the lighting…they’re a big step backwards from when the guy was drawing for Nitro+. Well, this was Propeller’s debut work, so I guess it’s reasonable (the art for evolimit is much nicer, though never reaching Nitro+ levels…).
The music is nice. There isn’t that immediate haunting quality to it, but there’s definitely SOMETHING. It kinds of reminds me of Air, though they’re nothing alike. Hmm, I wonder why. The voice acting is really nice though. The way that Suzu’s tone changes is ear candy, yup.
I’m still cringing at that dress though…
Calamitous Intent 
Why would anyone put a dress like that on their body? Just…ew.
Well, it’s not hers. The dress belonged to the deceased daughter of the hostage doctor whom they captured, so it doesn’t really fit her (which is why I think it deliberately tries to to look unfitting).
Suzu doesn’t have her own clothes because she’s something not human.
Ah, I see. It’s still pretty unattractive though.
Thanks very much for reviewing it in the future.
I started playing it myself too as I wanted to play something with voiced protag again (albeit I’m only like several scenes ahead, and my pace is like a snail’s so yeah).
Yeah the cutesy “minicgs” are not something I like either usually. They are mostly well paced aside of the one you picked, and compared with Bullet Butlers, there aren’t as many here (BB had too many of them in my opinion).
Hmm, I’d say I prefer his art in the propeller games rather than the ones he did in nitroplus. I like the CGs a lot more than say Kikokugai or even Saya (as they are a bit more ‘rough’ I’d say), however I agree that in general most character tachies are a bit ‘blander’.
From what I played Ayakashibito is really great so far. I really like the characters (the shota dude, the fabulous zombi, Tonya, the butler, etc), their interactions, and Suzu is a good and complex heroine (kinda sad her route can’t be accessed first time playing).
Hmm…I personally prefer the rougher feel, but Ayakashibito is definitely better than Kikokugai in terms of art. Kikokugai’s quite a bit older though. It’s almost like comparing this to Muramasa (though there’s a year difference).
From the looks of things, you’re more than a few scenes ahead of me. Fabulous Zombie? That I gotta see.
Aah…Ayakashibito my favourite VN.Would definitely
like to read your thoughts on this one.Like izmosmolnar wrote,great characters (even the secondary ones).All the routes are also very good and varied enough.From what l remember the mood changes frequently so if you expect an atmospheric setting you maybe dissapointed.
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