お言葉みほ (Miho Okotoba). The impassioned dreamer who aspires to serenade the world with music and delight, and to nourish everyone's dreams.
It's the love month! Did you prepare chocolates and gifts for your loved ones? I'm hoping that your Valentine's Day was filled with romance and joy with your beloveds.
And since February is indeed packed with everything pink and red, I think this is the opportune time to launch a new segment. By just reading the title of this entry, you can already infer what this segment will be about--that is if you are an otome yourself!
Otome, in Japanese, literally means 'maiden', but nowadays it's used to refer to the female otaku demographic. In simpler terms, an otome is a girl who likes watching anime, playing games, and enjoys Japanese pop culture in general.
And... otakus are very much welcome to read and participate in this segment, as well!
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For the pilot episode of our new segment, let's start off with a short game review.
Re: Alistair++ is one of the first otome games I've played and it actually occupies the top spot on my list of the best female-oriented games. If you're a girl gamer, then you can easily identify yourself with the protagonist, Merui.
Plot: Merui, a 16-year-old student, goes by the name "Rui" in the hit MMORPG "Rivenwell Online". She often plays with her best in-game buddy, Fiona. After defeating a boss monster together, someone named "Alistair" steals the rare item from them. Due to Merui's short temper, she is determined to hunt the looter and make him pay. The thing is... she doesn't know who Alistair is in real life.
She then meets three boys in school: Travis, the stern computer club president; Shiro, the half-Japanese shy guy; and Derek, the conceited basketball player. Could one of the boys be the culprit? Merui has a couple of days to discover who Alistair really is and, in the process, find romance!
Let's now proceed to the specifics, shall we?
Title: Re: Alistair++ (Originally, it was called "Re: Alistair", but the "++" indicates recent changes and implemented bonuses.)
Developer: SakeVisual
Platform: PC (Mac, Linux, Windows)
Style: Visual novel, dating sim
Playthrough: 30-40 minutes
Cost: Free
Graphics: ☆☆☆☆☆ (Of all the otome games I've encountered, this has the cutest, most detailed illustrations ever! The bright colors also add to the eye candy.)
Story: ☆☆☆☆☆ (The hunt for stranger--such an exciting premise.)
Characters: ☆☆☆☆☆ (The characters may initially be stereotypical, but further into the game, they become more real as their secrets are revealed.)
Moe Factor: The main character herself is an otome since she enjoys playing "Rivenwell Online".
The guys are all good-looking and have their "deeper" sides to dig into.
Bonuses include character profiles that can be unveiled every time you clear a route, and a funny surprise ending to watch out for once all the routes have been cleared.
A little treat for cross-dressing fans toward the end of the game.
Miladyness Says...: When I first stepped into the game, I was a bit puzzled because I had really thought it was some sort of MMORPG--that is how great the graphics are! Regarding the boys, it was slightly difficult choosing which route to take first, but I eventually planned to end up with Shiro, clearly because he's the shy one.
Unexpectedly, Merui ended up with Derek! That was when I decided to take a peek at the walkthrough and follow Shiro's route for my second attempt.
I certainly enjoyed the game that I even went for a third playthrough to know Travis better. Having cleared all the routes, I managed to unlock the bonus ending!
It was absolutely entertaining up to the last minute. I definitely recommend this to everyone; whether you're a veteran otome gamer or a newbie, you'll surely have lots of fun playing Re: Alistair++!
Do you have some otome topics to recommend? I'd be very happy to hear from you.
Stay tuned for more moe news. Catch Otome Delight every Saturday for your weekly otome digest!
Labels: otome delight
