Pabloc said:As for my recommendations, ONE seems like the best choice, since it's Key after all (or rather, it was made by the group of people that later formed Key). It isn't very long, but has a crapton of choices, 6 heroines and the story is rather good (though not as good as Kanon). It doesn't have too many bad endings and obviously isn't a horror though (it has some moments that are somewhat darker than later Key's works). Also, it's old, don't expect good graphics and OP/ED.
Oh yeah. Definitely going to try ONE after I finished Kanon. And maybe after I've played Air, too. That is, if I don't find Air to be too boring (it's Key's oldest release, after all).
Pabloc said:- Koisuru Oukoku - a dating sim with very annoying gameplay that I have put on hold for quite some time (note that I don't like dating sims in general). Other games like that are very shallow and plotless, but here every heroine has a regular story, that resembles routes in normal VNs. And those stories that I have read were quite solid and interesting. The gameplay is a big flaw for me, but it certainly adds a ton of interactivity, as what you do and where you go everyday determines the route/ending.
Yeah, I don't really like VNs with annoying (or boring) gameplay, either (Fading Hearts, for example). I don't mind VNs wuth no gameplay, but when it does, I expect it not to waste my time with crappy boring decisions.
Thus, I'm gonna say here first: forget about the interactivity part of my request. Just focus on the "branching plot" part. In fact, I don't even know why I put "high interactivity" there in the first place. -_-" I'm looking for a story, not an RPG. :P Sorry about that.
Nevertheless, I'll give Koisuru Oukoku a try someday. Not very soon, though, considering the gameplay.
Pabloc said:- Critical Point - a good number of choices with a lot of endings. This VN has unique routes, so I'm not entirely sure if that kind of interactivity will appeal to you (the choices don't only change the outcome, they alter the whole plot - different characters turn out to be villains etc.). It's from the SF/mystery genre, not a horror, but it's still a bit dark. The "GOOD STORY" part is a bit questionable though, but that may be just my opinion. Well, I won't say that it's bad at least.
4 out of 5 reviews criticized the story of this VN. Considering that I'm also not a big fan of overly Sci-Fi-ish stories (that are too detached from realistic/modernized settings), I don't think this would suit me. Sorry. :(
Pabloc said:- Bible Black - personally, I disliked this VN quite a bit. But it certainly has the interactivity, the choices appear often, there's a good amount of endings, including some bad ones too. It has an occult theme, and is slightly closer to the horror genre than the previous titles (but still quite far from it unfortunately). The biggest problem is the fact that it's a nukige - the story is secondary, H is the main focus. It still has a decent amount of plot though, certainly much more than your average nukige, and a lot of people say that the story was quite good. I didn't like it at all though, and I hated almost all characters (and the H was a complete miss for me too). But well, opinions. If you feel like porn with some plot, and large breasts and BDSM are your thing, you can consider giving it a try. Maybe. :P
Tried it for five minutes the other day. Actually, this one doesn't seem too bad. I'm a guy, I won't deny, so porn with good story is definitely worth spending time with for me. :P And yes, I kinda like the BDSM genre, either, but I won't go further than that about my fetish... ahem.
Nevertheless, it's still porn that focuses more on H than plot. So no, won't be playing this for a while, unless I'm bored or something.
Nucksen said: One Rec from me:
Kara no Shoujo.
Initially, I refrained from choosing this VN due to its mystery genre. Story that has too much investigations and not so much on the plot or character development can get too boring for me (compare the latest episodes of Detective Conan to the more character-focused older episodes). Nevertheless, from what you described, this one sounds good to me. :)
Thanks for all the excellent recommendations. Keep them coming, as I still don't quite feel that there's a VN here that could quite top Clannad or School Days in terms of both good story and decision-making, yet (except for maybe Kara no Shoujo). Okay, so School Days doesn't have the BEST story, ever, but it kept me entertained with enjoyable characters and, more importantly, kept me entertained with the sense of choice that made me feel that the fate of who gets sliced and who gets pushed onto an incoming train lies in my hands. Hahaha... |