I love those two together so much <3 I'm so happy that they're keeping up with the cute scenes! Interestingly, they're the only ones to have that, the other protags are simply shown next to their pokemons.
My reactions to the new episode here, for those who watch Horizons! (it just had a "reboot" by the way)
I love those two together so much <3 I'm so happy that they're keeping up with the cute scenes! Interestingly, they're the only ones to have that, the other protags are simply shown next to their pokemons.
My reactions to the new episode here!
Download link to the ZIP here
Password hint: It's Yunyun's catchphrase! (all in lower case)
I've got 41 out of 45 so if anyone who cleared the harder achievements would be willing to share the remaining ones, feel free to send them in the comments!
I just 100%'ed the game or almost (I got 46 out of 49 achievements). It took a while even with the auto keyboard, there was just so many different conspiracy theories to max out (69 no less) and endings to unlock, that was a lot of text to religiously appreciate! And I'm even more blown away now. So here's a short update to the love letter that I wrote about the game. Spoilers ahead.
There's notably one ending with "the power of thought" that was very inspiring. It's when Q realizes that everything, the whole world exists in her head, since she's perceiving/experiencing everything as electric signals in her brain just like all of us, so she can "change her world" with the power of thought and imagination and feel happy and fulfilled:
"Mom, dad, the bad memories, the outside world, and even Yunyun... everything is but my denpas...
So what I love, what I hate, my emotions and Yunyun... everything was here... in me...
I didn't know that I was so... fulfilled."
It's relatable as well. It's like the distinct happiness that you get from your "otaku powers" like the power of Passion, which was referenced later on in the game, during the final bits of dialogue when you get the final "Thank You for Playing", "I'm so happy that you have played with me!!" screen with the last fullscreen 2D artwork in one masterful finale:
"The universe is all denpa..."
"Ahaha. How do I say it... 'The world... is so beautiful.' Isn't it?"
Relatable otaku bliss all around! We know these "denpas" of Passion and love toward fictional characters are the way to live and be happy.
There was also a certain line which deeply echoed how I was feeling after my first spiritual experiences of Passion:
"As long as I'm with you, even infinite hell is happiness."
My experiences were just so powerful and life-changing (it's "something else"), that they made me feel like the luckiest person and Earth, and like I could give anything in return as thanks, even going through an eternity of suffering (I distinctively remember thinking that and believing it). It may not be exactly the same context and message, but Q's feelings toward Yunyun and her "important things" are so deep and powerful that it will make her happy even if she had to endure "infinite hell" (which I believe was also meant as a metaphor for our life in this harsh world), so that line resonated with me deeply.
The icing on the cake is that the game even has its own message about "the fear of death" (which is a relatively common philosophical theme in J-RPGs or even games in general):
"I will always be with your soul, Q. You are not alone, never. Everything's alright/it's okay/daijobu."
And here again I can deeply connect with that, because I always believed that all those powerful experiences will stay carved in the "soul", even after death. They will remain in some "other realm" of spiritual nature, that we can't comprehend or explain with words (but that I actually felt "as close as a few centimeters away from my outstretched fingers", to quote a certain momentous anime). They're just too powerful not to. That's what I believe in. So similarly, Yunyun (or what Q feels) will "always be with her soul" to quote the game (they used "soul" for the first time here and not "heart" or "brain" like previous times, implying that they mean something that will remain after death/go beyond death).
Again it's mind-blowing that a game would talk about some of my deepest beliefs.
And I'm grateful for that message of support overall. Here's hoping that it could help with my own fear!
And last but not least, I spotted one dialog line from Yunyun, in the context of a conspiracy theory about alcohol being good for longevity, which apparently supports drinking:
"Drink and enjoy yourself! A life without stress is the best for health!"
...It should not be surprising considering their upcoming game, Drunken Goddess Reflux!
And with that being said, cheers! 🍸
I want to give all of my love to this game so I just had to see it to the very end, again it's just so relatable on a deep level and I love how it connects to the niche of otakus who feel powerful things.
Thank You for the understanding and the support <3
I'm familiar with it so I did a double take when I saw that in the game haha. This will probably only be funny for the few people like me who like to nerd about that kind of details though. For those interested, both PlantFactory and Vue from e-on became free (while they used to cost a leg, Vue xStream especially), so if you're looking for a professional-grade world generation program to play with, head to the download page. I know Pragmata uses SpeedTree, but I still felt the urge to headcanon that the in-universe Delphi engineers who modeled the plants of the Terra Dome's Plant Factory might have used... PlantFactory!
I just finished the game and I'm blown away. Its content is echoing the kind of feelings that I've always had as an otaku, and the game itself is a letter of love and support toward otakus and "people who feel powerful things", and so I wanted to express my gratitude with my own love letter, further spreading these beautiful morals and the word about the power of Passion!
(This post contains major story spoilers so only keep reading if you've finished the game.)
There are many hidden meanings and positive messages scattered throughout the game, and I appreciated them all (I took 300+ screenshots). The two main morals, from the True Ending, would be:
"Love yourself for who you are" and "Believe in what you love"
Accepting yourself (and every part of yourself) is paramount in general, but especially for otakus, there is pride in the powerful things that we feel, all those powerful emotions, that special sensibility, etc. As Q says, "I am the only one to truly love myself. It's... My Truth, and my big pride."
For those who would need it, the game is teaching people to love themselves, which is the first step in living, really.
Even if I'm "different", "weird", "crazy", or "creepy"... I'm proud to be!
To quote Yunyun, "I love you because you are Q. You are precious because you are you." That "inner discussion" is a proof that we have all the love that we need inside of us and we can manage to live happily on our own, and I recently watched someone else say the same thing in a video. And to quote Q, "All alone, it might be hard, but with Yunyun by my side, it will be ok. So... let's live together, Yunyun."
The game is also supporting otakus in "believing in what they love" instead of going for "the endless possibilities of reality". And as someone who's been backstabbed and let down by reality a lot, I appreciate that moral so much. For once, it's not about suggesting to get back to reality... No, the game is actually encouraging us to keep pursuing our Passions, and this must be the first time I'm seeing such a message in a game (and I played countless J-RPGs). I would have kept walking my own path and kept playing J-RPGs instead of going out either way, but that validation/acknowledgement is nonetheless appreciated. It makes me feel like I'm not alone!
Screw reality, 2D > 3D!
And as Q said twice: "Reality or daydream... The whole world is but electric signals received by the brain. What's wrong with wanting them to be happy and about what I like?"
Indeed, all those fictional/virtual things are as real as reality, because we feel them... We can listen to the music in games, we can feel emotional from a story, we can look at a character... It's all things that we feel first-hand, and it's as real as it gets (the only thing missing is perhaps the "touch"!) Some people are close-minded and they denigrate us by saying that the things that we feel from games are nothing compared to reality (like my dad) and it's too bad that they don't respect us when we do respect them and what they take out of reality. We just like different things. Fortunately, there are people who do understand us, such as the creators of this game! So let's keep making our "own world of positive things"!
Going further on the topic of "embracing the otaku life", the game is encouraging us to meet with our inner self and discover the hidden power within. Otherworldly powerful emotions of Passion is one example of such powers, but there are others, spiritual or not, such as imagination, chuunibyou, feelings for a fictional character... Many are talked about in some way in the game.
And I'd have a fitting story to share to give an example of how such "powers" could help us facing life's hardships, the same way Q's feelings for Yunyun helped her overcome her mom's death in the game. Around 15 years ago I once fell and one of my arms got paralyzed. I could have been worrying a lot, but instead, I pictured in my mind a certain wallpaper of Asuza from K-On that I had set on my computer and that I had seen shortly before falling. The powerful things I felt for that wallpaper and that anime, helped me face this ordeal and stand strong. I kept my chin up thanks to it, and I pushed through despite not being sure if I would recover. It eventually healed after a few days. I got through it on my own, thanks to the power of fictional characters and Passion!
To quote the game, the world can spin, but I will never lose my "center of the world", which is the powerful things that I feel for all those characters, games and animes. It empowers my life and makes it way better than "a normal life"!
The same way, those who have tulpas (like Q has Yunyun) or 2D waifus can feel supported by the game and its creators.
I always wanted to send my undying support to otakus and people who feel powerful things for fictional characters (because I can relate), and a game has been made with that same message of support, which makes me very happy.
There are also the very "real" messages from the game such as "Reality is unfair", "Others don't really love you", "When it got harsh nobody helped me", "Only you can save yourself"... All lines in acknowledgement of what we went through in this "cruel world", and support toward our natural conclusion, that sometimes you're on your own and you gotta care about yourself because no one else will, except those 2D girls! We can draw power from those fictional things and the powerful emotions that we feel toward them. They will never betray us.
Yunyun also says at one point "Fiction will always be at your side. Screw the real world. Let it spiral." so that's another message toward "not carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders" (as the True Ending says, "I don't care") and "staying happy and empowered by the power of fictional things".
She also says "It's ok to escape in your daydreams or in fiction. As long as you stay alive... This reality that is making you suffer... it can spiral."
Such messages are also spread on the in-game Wikipedia page for Yunyun, where the creator says that Yunyun's catchphrase "Rim de Lacent" means "Onwards to the imaginary world" or "It's ok to escape reality". Such messages obviously make me very happy because it's what I believe in as well! The page states that the original work Yunyun is from, Execution Angel † Guiltina, was created by Who You, so that must be a direct message from Fuyuki Hayashi! I played his other games Crystar, Monark and Crymachina (I highly recommend them all) and I always appreciated the distinct creative direction, concepts, stories and "soul" of those games a lot, so I'm not surprised to see such deep and relatable messages here, and it's just wonderful. That's why I will keep playing his games, there's just so much depth and emotion!
To quote the game again, that is what "dokidoki" is... That is what it means to "live"!
Q says that without Yunyun, she wouldn't have "awakened", she wouldn't have started to "live", and again I can relate with my own "powerful things". FF9 changed my life, and J-RPGs and animes made me awaken to the power of Passion, and I feel like the luckiest person on Earth because of those otherworldly experiences. My greatest wish in life is to say "Thank You" to whoever is responsible for those powerful experiences (maybe it's only "my soul" though), and just like Q says, it's wonderful (even if reality is still harsh and it's not easy).
At the end of the game Q decides to keep posting online and sharing those denpas. They trigger "Yunyun Syndrome" around the world and cause the world go haywire - for example one could interpret that as otakus not having kids and thus causing a decline in birth rate. However she doesn't care, and says "I just need to make my posts the way I want". So the same way, I will keep spreading love and Passion with my love letters! Keep being yourself, and keep feeling powerful things!!
At the end of the game, Q and Yunyun say together literally as one "Thank you for receiving my denpas."
And I want to reply (to the creators of this game), thank YOU for emitting these denpas..!
Also when completing the final song, the "trend information" screen displays the following:
"I love Yun... I think Q..."
I think it's a play on words, and it's meant to say:
"I love you... I thank you..."
I use to appreciate the hidden meanings and heartfelt messages sent to the players in J-RPGs (I dare say it's one of the distinguishing features of the genre), it's one of the main reasons why I'm dedicating my life to that genre, so when I see that, I can't help wondering if it wouldn't be someone from the staff expressing their love and gratitude to the player, in a "Thank You For Playing" way (which has been referenced in the game as well). At least, I know that if I made a game, I would do exactly that kind of things! So if it really is a hidden message to the player, I can relate, and I feel the same love and gratitude!
Similarly, the ending credits end with "And You" (which was referenced in the game, Q says that it's a secret code to say "Thank you for playing"), and it's just so wholesome and sweet! Now I want to write up my own theory about the meaning behind "Who You" and "And You"..! Like the kind of theories that Q is posting, haha. Starting from the canon explanation that "And You" refers to the "Thank You For Playing" traditional line at the end of ending credits in J-RPGs (I'm always on the lookout for it but it happens more rarely lately), maybe the "Who You" is asking who is the "you" in that line, and it replies "it's you and you" (the players), but maybe there's something more to it... I'll keep sending these denpas out there..!
And as if that recurring gratitude wasn't obvious enough... The only debug command that works in the "Debug Mode Ending" says "This is a test: thank you"!
I also noticed another hidden thing. In the game files, there is a text file named "2112_A_Dream_Odyssey" (awesome reference to 2001 A Space Odyssey!) and inside there are instructions to put the following in the Steam launch options:
-dreamtime=2112-09-03
I tried it but nothing special happened. Maybe I need to do something particular in the game for something to happen..? It seems to indicate a date in the future, the date of a new "dream" like those that you load in the game? But I saw no new data file added. Maybe I need to 100% the game first? I still haven't unlocked all the endings.
I found no information about this online, so maybe I'm one of the few who discovered that hidden file!
I also appreciated all the awesome direct references in the game, including to Code Geass, Haruhi... and even to Who You with the silhouette of Fuyuki Hayashi's avatar on Twitter/X appearing in a post in the game!
And there are many more hidden meanings and interesting messages that I spotted in the game, such as Q's view on true love, Creative Works affecting Another Dimension, or hikkikomori/otakuism being "spiritual training for reincarnation in another world"!
And how could I not mention the amazing 4th wall breaking in the "Beware of the speed of the 4th dimention" ending, and the messages stating that "the order is inverted" and we are the ones inside Q's world! Such crazy and creative moments in games remind me of Death end re;Quest 2's Fallen Ending, one of my favorite gaming memories!
Yunyun Syndrome Rhythm Psychosis was such a pleasant surprise, a rhythm game that is quite deep and filled with hidden meanings and support toward the player! It's exactly the kind of heartfelt and soulful games that I'm looking for, and with this one in particular, it actually talked about topics very important to me such as the important things that we feel as otakus.
Thank You to Fuyuki Hayashi and to everyone who worked on this game, for the wonderful positive messages and for the emotions! I was smiling wide at many moments throughout the game! (Which was Yunyun's goal for Q!) "Otaku spirits unite", as Alliance Arts have it!
I love you all, otakus and game creators! Keep making the games that you want to make, keep believing in your values and what you love, keep being yourselves!
I'm very much looking forward to the upcoming game from Alliance Arts and Who You, Pukey Goddess Shot Trick ~ Drunken Goddess Reflux!
And thank you for reading! Keep living with Passion!
"If it's what you believe in, then it is true. In your own world."
Pragmata is a game that I've been awaiting since the day it was unveiled in 2020 during the PS5 reveal livestream, and I was always very excited about it because of how my parental instincts could potentially resonate with it. It was my most awaited game of the year and I finished it the other day (including postgame and True Ending). I wanted to send this love letter out there to express my gratitude to the creators of the game and for other fans to potentially connect to.
It's hard to know where to start. I guess I'll start with the first emotional moments. During the intro cutscene of the game, with the spaceship arriving at the moon and landing. The certain musical direction for that cutscene, and its BGM, created some kind of magical, mystical feeling, I don't know how to explain it but it was emotional. You could tell that a lot of love was poured into the game, its presentation, its storytelling, and how that moment was handcrafted to be special. It pictured that "first step into the unknown" that must be even more emotional for the space nerds who dream of flying to the moon. I'm not particularly into "space" and it was already quite emotional for me.
Then I guess I need to dive straight into the main topic. It will be hard for me to write this without getting too emotional, as I feel a lot for this game... and for Diana.
From the moment when we meet Diana for the first time, and throughout the first third/half of the game, she made me tear up several times. I'm kind of an emotional person but it still doesn't happen that often in games.
As a single 36 years old gamer with apparently strong parental instincts, Diana's character and the father-daughter relationship that you develop with her throughout the game was as emotional and impactful as I could have dreamed. It's like I was living a dream with this game. I understand that for the players who are dads and who already have a cute daughter like Diana, that part may or may not be as emotional (because they already experienced it IRL, and I'm sure it must be very emotional too). But for me, it pushed all the right buttons, it confirmed some things about myself, and it made me experience something unique that I never quite experienced before in all those years of gaming. And for that, I'm very thankful to the creators of this game.
Along with the initial concept and the wholesome feelings poured into the game, palpable at many moments and with many aspects of the game, there are notably a few special moments or features that are giving a lot of heart and soul to this game and I appreciate it a lot.
For example the short jingles/melodies that play after you loot a REM, sounding very cute and wholesome/childish, hinting at the emotion that you feel as you look forward to showing something new to Diana at the Shelter and playing with her and how she reacts with "I wonder what it is!" and lines like that. It's a special attention that could only have been added by people who "feel it" and deeply care about bringing a heartfelt and bold creative vision to the players, making them experience something new.
Another example is the drawings that she gives you as gifts at the Shelter (there is even a trophy for it). I made sure to talk to Diana every time throughout the game to get all of the existing dialog lines, and I was basically roleplaying as a dad with an adopted daughter, immersing myself in Hugh's character, so such tender moments were utterly emotional. They managed to capture that emotion from having your daughter gifting you a drawing, in a game. Although some people who experienced it IRL might correct me with "But this is nowhere like how it feels IRL with a real person" etc. As far as I'm concerned, this is already amazing and I'm thankful for it.
There are also of course all the different dialog lines and custom animations after you've added all kinds of REMs to the Shelter. She has different dialog lines when she plays with the REM in its dedicated spot, when you get back from exploration and you see her playing with one of the items in front of the entry, when she notices an item laying around the Shelter and she says "Oh yeah, that thing!" and she has different dialog lines then, etc. Pragmata is actually half action-adventure, half "daughter simulator"! At least, the wholesome/stress-free aspects of it haha (I assume it takes a lot of work IRL).
Then there's the hide-and-seek games, the quick-time battle events when she saves you, etc. This game is truly a godsent.
Along with the emotional storyline (that was quite "JRPG-like"), those "gameplay" moments spent with Diana were nothing short of wonderful.
I said "throughout the first third/half of the game" because I found out that with more playtime, I got more into the gameplay loops and progressing through the game, and some of that "magic" of discovery of the early game had faded in favor of addictive gameplay. It's just an observation, but it's interesting to notice the personal threshold when the "experience of wonder" fades into a more "playing a video game" mindset. This is something that will vary for every individual, some people might not even feel something special at any point, but for me it was particularly emotional and special during the earlier parts of the game, as well as during the True Ending, which I will talk about next.
>!Like everyone else I had a feeling that the game would first end the way it did, but I did the postgame and when I got that last mod, I figured that it was the key item required for the True Ending and I would trigger it by equipping it. Such requirements are very common in J-RPGs. And when that extra bit of dialogue happened at the end, confirming that Hugh safely got back to the Shelter, I was relieved. Now it's only a matter of a rescue team being dispatched from Earth (I'm actually surprised that no other team got sent after they lost contact with the first - like the Alpha Team got dispatched after contact with the Bravo Team was lost in Resident Evil 1, to reference another Capcom game), possibly with Diana on board, to rescue Hugh. Maybe in a sequel. I hope that they won't do some wicked experiments on Diana in the meantime on Earth... (I'm getting flashbacks from other games) The classic "cycle of life" moral of "adult giving his life to save a child" was cool, even if honestly I'd have loved a "happy ending" with Hugh and Diana happily living together on Earth as a family (we can interpret that the End screen postcard is representing that though, and that's what I'm going to headcanon).!<
>!The one special thing from the True Ending that I especially want to mention, is the 2D art slideshow during the ending credits. Those artworks were utterly emotional for me and made me tear up, and especially those that so perfectly depict the untold yet deep father-daughter love shared between Hugh and Diana, when they just sit next to each other without doing anything particular. All of the artworks are emotional but when I was looking at them again on my screenshots while relistening to the ending credits song "Memories Are You" (kudos to Yasumasa Kitagawa and YU-KA), when this one came up along with that certain emotional moment in the song with the vocals after the instrumental part, I had a new powerful emotional experience of Passion, and it's been years that I didn't have emotions that powerful after playing a game. Even if it may be "easier" to trigger in this particular case because of the parental instincts etc, it's still momentous to me, and I will keep cherishing this very special game forever. There's just something with such shots for me, it's very subtle, but it depicts a lot of feelings. I'm not sure how to explain, but I assume it's part of the special sensibility that is often found in Japanese works and that I can relate to.!<
>!I was also wondering if Hugh would ever say that he considers Diana her daughter in the game or if Diana would ever call him "dad" (and that would likely have been overkill for me), it ended up not happening, but during the final cutscene before the ending credits, Hugh is calling Diana something that a dad commonly uses for his daughter ("ma puce" in French, not sure how it was translated in English), so I'm taking that.!<
Thank You, everyone who worked on this game and who poured their heart and soul into something unique and emotional. That wait of 6 years was worth it and you created something beautiful that I will always fondly remember. Such initiatives are bringing love to the world and potentially making more people awaken to the power of Passion or the power of love. Keep creating and imbuing works with a lot of soul!
And thank you for reading! If you can relate to the emotions that I felt with the game, feel free to comment!
Pragmata is a game that I've been awaiting since the day it was unveiled in 2020 during the PS5 reveal livestream, and I was always very excited about it because of how my parental instincts could potentially resonate with it. It was my most awaited game of the year and I finished it the other day (including postgame and True Ending). I wanted to send this love letter out there to express my gratitude to the creators of the game and for other fans to potentially connect to.
It's hard to know where to start. I guess I'll start with the first emotional moments. During the intro cutscene of the game, with the spaceship arriving at the moon and landing. The certain musical direction for that cutscene, and its BGM, created some kind of magical, mystical feeling, I don't know how to explain it but it was emotional. You could tell that a lot of love was poured into the game, its presentation, its storytelling, and how that moment was handcrafted to be special. It pictured that "first step into the unknown" that must be even more emotional for the space nerds who dream of flying to the moon. I'm not particularly into "space" and it was already quite emotional for me.
Then I guess I need to dive straight into the main topic. It will be hard for me to write this without getting too emotional, as I feel a lot for this game... and for Diana.
From the moment when we meet Diana for the first time, and throughout the first third/half of the game, she made me tear up several times. I'm kind of an emotional person but it still doesn't happen that often in games.
As a single 36 years old gamer with apparently strong parental instincts, Diana's character and the father-daughter relationship that you develop with her throughout the game was as emotional and impactful as I could have dreamed. It's like I was living a dream with this game. I understand that for the players who are dads and who already have a cute daughter like Diana, that part may or may not be as emotional (because they already experienced it IRL, and I'm sure it must be very emotional too). But for me, it pushed all the right buttons, it confirmed some things about myself, and it made me experience something unique that I never quite experienced before in all those years of gaming. And for that, I'm very thankful to the creators of this game.
Along with the initial concept and the wholesome feelings poured into the game, palpable at many moments and with many aspects of the game, there are notably a few special moments or features that are giving a lot of heart and soul to this game and I appreciate it a lot.
For example the short jingles/melodies that play after you loot a REM, sounding very cute and wholesome/childish, hinting at the emotion that you feel as you look forward to showing something new to Diana at the Shelter and playing with her and how she reacts with "I wonder what it is!" and lines like that. It's a special attention that could only have been added by people who "feel it" and deeply care about bringing a heartfelt and bold creative vision to the players, making them experience something new.
Another example is the drawings that she gives you as gifts at the Shelter (there is even a trophy for it). I made sure to talk to Diana every time throughout the game to get all of the existing dialog lines, and I was basically roleplaying as a dad with an adopted daughter, immersing myself in Hugh's character, so such tender moments were utterly emotional. They managed to capture that emotion from having your daughter gifting you a drawing, in a game. Although some people who experienced it IRL might correct me with "But this is nowhere like how it feels IRL with a real person" etc. As far as I'm concerned, this is already amazing and I'm thankful for it.
There are also of course all the different dialog lines and custom animations after you've added all kinds of REMs to the Shelter. She has different dialog lines when she plays with the REM in its dedicated spot, when you get back from exploration and you see her playing with one of the items in front of the entry, when she notices an item laying around the Shelter and she says "Oh yeah, that thing!" and she has different dialog lines then, etc. Pragmata is actually half action-adventure, half "daughter simulator"! At least, the wholesome/stress-free aspects of it haha (I assume it takes a lot of work IRL).
Then there's the hide-and-seek games, the quick-time battle events when she saves you, etc. This game is truly a godsent.
Along with the emotional storyline (that was quite "JRPG-like"), those "gameplay" moments spent with Diana were nothing short of wonderful. The BGM "Shelter" became quite emotional for me too, and maybe I'm not the only one who feels powerful things with it.
I said "throughout the first third/half of the game" because I found out that with more playtime, I got more into the gameplay loops and progressing through the game, and some of that "magic" of discovery of the early game had faded in favor of addictive gameplay. It's just an observation, but it's interesting to notice the personal threshold when the "experience of wonder" fades into a more "playing a video game" mindset. This is something that will vary for every individual, some people might not even feel something special at any point, but for me it was particularly emotional and special during the earlier parts of the game, as well as during the True Ending, which I will talk about next.
>!Like everyone else I had a feeling that the game would first end the way it did, but I did the postgame and when I got that last mod, I figured that it was the key item required for the True Ending and I would trigger it by equipping it. Such requirements are very common in J-RPGs. And when that extra bit of dialogue happened at the end, confirming that Hugh safely got back to the Shelter, I was relieved. Now it's only a matter of a rescue team being dispatched from Earth (I'm actually surprised that no other team got sent after they lost contact with the first - like the Alpha Team got dispatched after contact with the Bravo Team was lost in Resident Evil 1, to reference another Capcom game), possibly with Diana on board, to rescue Hugh. Maybe in a sequel. I hope that they won't do some wicked experiments on Diana in the meantime on Earth... (I'm getting flashbacks from other games) The classic "cycle of life" moral of "adult giving his life to save a child" was cool, even if honestly I'd have loved a "happy ending" with Hugh and Diana happily living together on Earth as a family (we can interpret that the End screen postcard is representing that though, and that's what I'm going to headcanon).!<
>!The one special thing from the True Ending that I especially want to mention, is the 2D art slideshow during the ending credits. Those artworks were utterly emotional for me and made me tear up, and especially those that so perfectly depict the untold yet deep father-daughter love shared between Hugh and Diana, when they just sit next to each other without doing anything particular. All of the artworks are emotional but when I was looking at them again on my screenshots while relistening to the ending credits song "Memories Are You" (kudos to Yasumasa Kitagawa and YU-KA), when this one came up along with that certain emotional moment in the song with the vocals after the instrumental part, I had a new powerful emotional experience of Passion, and it's been years that I didn't have emotions that powerful after playing a game. Even if it may be "easier" to trigger in this particular case because of the parental instincts etc, it's still momentous to me, and I will keep cherishing this very special game forever. There's just something with such shots for me, it's very subtle, but it depicts a lot of feelings. I'm not sure how to explain, but I assume it's part of the special sensibility that is often found in Japanese works and that I can relate to.!<
>!I was also wondering if Hugh would ever say that he considers Diana her daughter in the game or if Diana would ever call him "dad" (and that would likely have been overkill for me), it ended up not happening, but during the final cutscene before the ending credits, Hugh is calling Diana something that a dad commonly uses for his daughter ("ma puce" in French, not sure how it was translated in English), so I'm taking that. Also, I was hoping for at least one hug at some point, and it happened after repairing Diana, so I'm very happy. When Diana was standing there looking at Hugh during that cutscene, I could relate to his urge to hug her! I got everything that I wanted and more.!<
Thank You, everyone who worked on this game and who poured their heart and soul into something unique and emotional. That wait of 6 years was worth it and you created something beautiful that I will always fondly remember. Such initiatives are bringing love to the world and potentially making more people awaken to the power of Passion or the power of love. Keep creating and imbuing works with a lot of soul!
And thank you for reading! If you can relate to the emotions that I felt with the game, feel free to comment!
This is one of those niche (I dare say "SuperNiche"!) J-RPGs shining with their boldness and soul, that I'm especially looking for. And Etrange Overlord delivered for sure. A polished gem in the desert of "hell", it is imbued with lots of feelings from its creator/writer. Sohei Niikawa (pen name Roman Kitayama) is known for Disgaea and Rhapsody (AMA here), and this is the game adaptation (under his own studio SuperNiche) of the first novel that he wrote after leaving NIS (under his Chimera Bunko initiative), co-developed with Gemdrops, whose president is an old friend who worked on Rhapsody with him in the past! This is a new start for Sohei "Shinkawa" Niikawa ("shin" means new/revival in Japanese, think "Shin Megami Tensei" being a revival of the "Megami Tensei" series) and I have a feeling that Etrange Overlord was the perfect game to kick it off with.
First of all, the game feels very personal. The concept of a girl getting executed for a crime she didn't commit and going to hell, but keeping her head high there and refusing to "repent" to live her Happy Life there instead (there's even "Happy Life EXP"), getting a "new start", feels symbolic in regards to the author leaving NIS and getting a new start in the industry. In general, many cutscenes and dialog lines in the game feel very personal and written with the heart, and this is exacty what I'm looking for. A work of art handcrafted with a lot of heart and soul. Not just a good game, but the expression of someone's deep feelings, and a heartfelt message sent out there for players to potentially connect with.
And I just so happen to be able to relate to Étrange's character a LOT. Like I wrote in my late comment on the AMA back when I was still at the beginning of the game, Étrange's story is something I can personally relate to because of some things I went through in my life. Just like her, I've been "witch-hunted", yet I know it's an injustice and I am in the right, and I will always stay true to my values, even if I have to face hell's overlord, or even god..! Niikawa-san imbued that spirit into Étrange's character and said that he hopes that she could be an example for people and motivate them to stay strong in the face of injustice. The overarching moral of "stay who you are no matter how tough it gets" is very appreciated, and like I wrote in my comment, it's not just that I'm getting inspired by Étrange... I AM her! It's very rare that I can relate to a video game character this much, and it's something that I've been appreciating all throughout the game. Étrange is very strong and her resolve might resonate with you or inspire you, and just for that reason, this game is very much worth playing.
Etrange Overlord does a lot of things "differently" and it makes for some thought-provoking moments, and for some wonky humor that is some of the best I've seen in a video game. The Disgaea fans will probably feel right at home! (It's one of the few J-RPG series that I still haven't dived into, sadly - but I played other NIS games.) This game isn't afraid to break codes or to be shocking (in a good way). It doesn't follow some agenda. It's just unbridled mayhem and artistic expression. And it's exactly the kind of unique and bold initiatives that I'm looking for. I could give a few examples but I don't want to spoil any of the surprises of the game! I'll just say that any hardened J-RPG veteran will have LOTS of fun with it!! This is a game from industry veterans who've roamed the land of J-RPGs for a long time (Disgaea came out more than 20 years ago!) and you can feel the love they poured into the game and the affection they're sending to gamers through the ambiant friendliness and wholesomeness of the game, among other aspects.
There's also a lot of soul in the musical part, because yes, this is a musical! As mentioned in the interview, that's the "Rhapsody" part that they couldn't resist adding! It does add a lot of charm and identity to the game. And the seiyuus all did a great job.
The story has its share of surprises, it's fairly short (I still spent 33 hours into the game - and I platinum'ed it) but it's epic, and the "different" aspects make it very refreshing, interesting and fun. The wonky and chaotic (in a good way) vibes, and how the game isn't afraid to go crazy (similarly to Disgaea which was the Final Fantasy-esque "final hope" of the company, or so I've read), made it so that I never knew what to expect, and it's rare to have in a J-RPG when I played countless ones. This is almost an "anti-JRPG", but in a very good way! It's like an "antihero" cool character. The writers and devs are just that cool..! And even when I was standing before the last battle, I still didn't know what to expect, and I was still surprised! Even though the storyline in itself won't be exactly ground-breaking, it is very impressive in its own way, and refreshing. Most importantly, it is the tale of Étrange which was written with love, and this is a very unique tale!
The game also has its share of character depth. I'm especially thinking of the main villain, I wasn't sure what was going to happen and I didn't expect that they'd give them proper backstory/depth/development, and the game ended up providing, a LOT. I got what I wished for! It's like this game is telling thoughtful players like me who use to appreciate a game's depth, "Yes, you, we thought of you and made this". The game was already selling itself with its concept and Étrange's character, and I thought some other aspects such as story and chara depth would remain more on the light side, but nope, they actually went all-out, these madmen..! I love them so much.
Now for a tiny little bit of criticism, there was a few moments in the game when I thought that something was missing, or that it was too unrealistic, or that it didn't make sense. It's like a cutscene was missing. Even with the intended crazy-ness and the "We're doing things differently" aspect of the game, I thought a few moments in the story deserved more polish or extra explanations. I don't mean the few minor plot holes that I noticed (for example they never explained how Sweetia got killed in the real world), I mean when something ends up a little bit confusing and I'm like "Oh okay, I guess we're gonna leave it at that". Not a deal breaker in the slightest, but that may be the only weak point of the game in my opinion!
About the OST, it's quite awesome and I only really noticed it at a certain point when a medley of some BGMs from the game played. It's very solid and knows how to be emotional when needed. Some epic guitars and choirs here and there that will sadly remain unnoticed for the most part, but that I spotted and appreciated. This is a niche game but it has the guts of a giant, and the assets to back it up..!
Also special mention for a special "BGM editing" thing they did, that I don't think I saw in a J-RPG before. It's only a minor spoiler, but during certain cutscenes, the BGM will >!fade into a "dark" version of itself, reflecting the dark feelings of the villain in the scene, and that fade-in was so perfect, you'd think it's actually the same track!!< I could tell that they worked closely with the composer/sound editor to integrate that feature into the game for storytelling purposes. And that's something else part of the unique creative direction of the game that I appreciate a lot!!
The game actually shows a lot of lore and world-building, but it sadly doesn't get expanded on aside from a few mentions! Which hints at a possible sequel!! And that would be so amazing!
Gameplay-wise, it's pretty solid. The concept of the moving "sushi lane" where you grab different kinds of buffs and special attacks on the battlefield and you have to wait for them/look for them/move to them, makes the battles quite lively and fun! I can picture the devs coming up with that idea as they're eating at a sushi restaurant with a sushi lane, ha! So lovely! I also like the (albeit limited) exploration with the truck >!and airship!<. So full of charm! And of course, I'm always a big fan of cooking systems! And special mention for all those culinary cutscenes!! The food critic in me adores to use those same expressions of praise that Étrange kept using, haha.
Now a quick word about the ending and morals, for those who already played the game... Major spoilers ahead, so only reveal the spoiler tags if you've finished the game!!
The twist with >!Angélina actually having reincarnated 100 times was epic and unexpected! I was fearing that someone as bad as her would get redeemed like everyone else at the end (even God got redeemed and became Étrange's little brother while he wanted to kill her the second before, which I thought was too weird for my tastes, but I could ignore it as part of the game's wonkiness), and her backstory made it so that it wouldn't be too bad. She did get redeemed in the end, as Étrange offered to take her in as her sister, but the BIG difference is that Angélina understands that she doesn't deserve it and prefers to kill herself (well, she knows that she's going to be reincarnated while keeping all her memories and magic, so she actually doesn't really "die", so it's actually not much..?) and her parents and the prince join her and they all start a new life. Even if someone who was as bad as her couldn't possibly become all apologetic just because she's been defeated, having it end that way instead of the usual "Oh everything is totally fine and forgiven, you can become my nakama/party member now", is much better and I appreciate it.!< Again they did things "differently" and it's part of the unique charm of the game!
The main moral and message of "pushing through with your values in spite of everything" is something I appreciate a whole lot, and again I relate to Étrange's character a lot, so I can feel empowered by that message and how I'm not the only one in this situation. I only wish I could send the same support and love to the creator! (hence this love letter!)
There was also, of course, >!the same classic moral that is given in just every J-RPG: "bonds are the true power", "together we are stronger", "I got here thanks to my beloved nakamas", etc. As someone who plays J-RPGs for their deep messages and wholesome morals, I always appreciate it, but I want to add one important note. That moral is only true in the wholesome worlds of the games, where everyone is kind and the MC magically meets like-minded party members throughout the game, and they all happen to be good people who won't betray her, so it works. IRL, there are a lot of bad apples out there and you have a 50% chance to end up backstabbed and hurt (I can tell from first-hand experience, like I explained in my comment). So even though I'm the biggest fan of nakama/party members spirit and love (and I long to find the same thing IRL), it's always a bit frustrating because reality is different. I'm just like Étrange IRL, but the difference is, I'm on my own! And I must not be the only one to be in this case. In the games, everyone is kind and it all works because all those characters aren't different people who exist, they're all written by one (or several) writers. So it doesn't work IRL because of human nature.!<
Similarly, they say in the game that >!she got all those nakamas because of her "aura", but that's actually not the only thing required. The other thing is actual physical (or magical, in Étrange's case) power. If Étrange didn't have powerful black magic, the game wouldn't have happened. If she didn't make all those characters literally bow down to her with brute force, overpowering them with her black magic (starting with the 3 first party members at the start of the game), then they would have beaten her instead, and she wouldn't have had her way, she wouldn't have become overlord, etc. What the game doesn't say, is that it's all possible because Étrange has actual power, enough to beat opponent and impose her law (because it's "survival of the fittest"/"might makes right", and they did mention that a few times in the game). And it's the same thing in every J-RPG: even if they manage to save the world thanks to "the power of friendship", it's also simply thanks to the sheer strength/power of their attacks and skills. I get that it's an unwritten rule because "there needs to be battles" but the thing is still there. IRL, we don't have the actual power to rally others to our cause and to save the world. So it's frustrating when you always get that moral in games, because it's can't actually be applied IRL, sadly.!<
Still, especially with a game such as Etrange Overlord, I have the feeling that maybe the creator went through some hardships as well, and so they and the players can "connect" indirectly, supporting each other with their "different" values and giving each other strength! Plus, the writer said that he makes things for "some percentage of people out there who like the things I like", so especially with Étrange's character and the main moral of the game around her determination, maybe the "small percentage" of players who will truly understand/relate to Étrange and this game, will be "connected" in a way, even if it's impersonal and indirect! We are not alone!
And on that note, I want to thank Sohei Niikawa, as well as everyone who worked on Etrange Overlord, for this wonderful experience and for making me feel understood! We are in the right! And I like to think that if we were inside a J-RPG's world, we'd totally team up as nakamas/party members and save the world together! And eat a lot of sweets together!
Thank You for pouring your hearts into this game, and for creating something unique, that only you could create. I will never stop appreciating soulful works of art like these. I love you all!! Be happy, you deserve it!
And thank you for reading :)
Lastly, I invite everyone to check out the official website for Chimera Special Agency (another project by Sohei Niikawa), and to translate and read the text there.
One game is already promoted as part of the group, it's Space Galaxy Wars made by Yoshitsuna Kobayashi the Director/Designer of Disgaea 1!
The next game adapted from a novel written by Sohei Niikawa aka Roman Kitayama is already in the works, it's called Demons Night Fever and it's co-developed with Drecom and published by Arc System Works, and it will come out this year!! I'm excited for it!
Long live NIS veterans and Chimera!!