READ A LITTLE DREAM FOR ME – LC ‘Plays’ A Winter’s Daydream

 

I haven’t been reviewing games for long, but bringing together three of my passions, one can see there’s no question why I love it so much.

1. I get to write.  I have always loved writing, it is something I have done since I was a small child.
2.  I get to express my opinion.  Those who know me well are already aware how much I like to discuss, dissect, and decide on all matter of topics.
3.  I get to play video games.

And in addition to number 3, a little subscript can be added – I get to try out genres which I never would consider.

I had never even heard the term ‘Visual Novel’ before as a game genre.  Sure, I have played a few point-and-click story games, where drawings are accompanied with written text, however those have an element of choice and/or discovery added.  Roam your mouse/controller to explore and find clues.   Choose between dialogue/action bubbles on what the character is going to do next.  Visual Novels are to be judged by their cover, they are stories, no choices, no searching, just a gamer’s edition of a Read Along book.

And I can think of no better way to try one out than with A Winter’s Daydream.  With it’s simple anime style, wonderful soundtrack, and mesmerising story, this was an absolute delight to play.

We start out as Yuu, a young Japanese man on a contemplative train journey from his University home of Tokyo to visit his family in their northern small town during the winter holidays.

We then meet his family at their house; his father, always ready to tell the obligatory dad-jokes at the drop of a hat, his mother who would seem to want to make a career out of doting on her son, and then Otoko, his beautiful but bratty younger sister.

We learn about his past through their personalities, and the story really takes you in at this point – anyone who has had any sort of family can relate to at least a few of the dynamics of domestic life this family presents.

However, because of his strained relationship with his sister, he decides to visit his grandmother who lives in an even smaller, traditional town.  He lets his parents know that it is mainly because she is getting quite old, however the reader realises it is to get away from his not-so-nice sister.

When he arrives in her village, his grandmother of course looks after him well, recalling stories about their visits when he was a young boy stuck in place that had little for a youngster to do.  They also discuss his grandfather who had passed away nearly a year before, how they met, what he taught Yuu about Astronomy, and how much both grandparents adored each other.

It is during this visit, however, that something very magical occurs, which takes the reader on a twist of happenings that is truly wonderful.  Of course I shall not spoil this, as I would leave that for you to be as surprised as I was.  And there is an even bigger surprise after the full story is completed, when you read the author’s inspiration for the story!

The story itself can be completed in roughly 3-4 hours.  A 100% Achievement/Trophy score is guaranteed as long as you go through to the end.  It gives a lovely glimpse of Japanese family life, and that sound, not just the enchanting music but the actual sound effects are really astounding.   And to keep us gamers even more interested, there are several gaming references throughout.

If you don’t mind taking a back seat and letting a game play for you, this is ideal.  An absolute dream to play.

A Winter’s Daydream will be available on Xbox One, PS4, PSVita, and Nintendo Switch on 8th October 2019, PC version available now.  Developed by ebi-hime and console versions published by Sometimes You.

UNDER THERE……..UNDER WHERE? – LC Plays Pantsu Hunter: Back To The 90s

Would you play a game that opens up with a warning such as this?

You’re a gamer, of course you would!

Pantsu Hunter advises you to proceed with caution, however I felt it might have needed two types of warnings. One for the pending frustration you might encounter as you play. The second for the subject matter.

You see, the premise is all in the name, P-a-n-t-s-u Hunter. As in the Japanese term for ladies undergarments. Yes, this game is a virtual panty raid. After the initial shock over the subject matter, I proceeded to give the game a go as it is a point-and-click investigating style game, a genre I’ve recently discovered which I’ve found I really love.

The protagonist is Kenji, a university student who supports himself as a jack-of-all-trades who feels he is missing out as he wants to find the love of his life. He has decided that one can only find the true nature of a girl through her choice of panties. Thankfully these would not be the ones they are wearing, rather ones that they own and found in the places they live. And with his handyman skills, he has the opportunity to meet girls in their dwellings, and access their panties.

Background information is presented in a dialogue box style, as is the communication between characters,. There is voice acting for the girls, but not for Kenji. But that’s a minor point. When you look at each girl’s story chapters, you can see that there would be several endings available, including a True Ending. There are also a number of panties to collect, however as with the endings, not all are necessary to proceed to the next chapter. You will, however, need a set amount of panties to collect to end the chapter.

The game play is easy, just point and click looking for clues/panties. However, if you click the wrong item/area the game ends and you have to start the chapter again. This is where the warning comes into play. It may be frustrating, however you do open up the alternative endings mentioned before and you get to use your deduction skills to play it better next time around. Plus, with the slight comedic tone, it can be funny to see the different consequences to your actions.

The artwork is beautiful, as the title says, 90s style anime. There are some issues with the Japanese to English translations however this is a minor point, you know exactly how the script was meant to be read as so it really isn’t a problem.

One thing I found out when I streamed this, it works very well as an audience participation game online. There are several choices to make, and playing along with viewers was quite fun and engaging. Of course you don’t have to do this, however if you are a content creator, it’s ideal.

If you are a fan of Japanese anime, storybook style games, point-and-click, and slight humour, then this game is definitely for you. Have fun. Just don’t get your knickers in a twist about the less than politically correct subject matter.

Pantsu Hunter: Back to the 90s is available now on PS4, PSVita, PC, Mac, and Linux. Developed and published by Ascension Dreams, PlayStation version ported by Sometimes You