Disabled Girl Dating Sim Katawa Shoujo Finally Available

[Uliana]

I don't know. I get that he had a serious heart condition. But still, he's Superman compared to the other girls there...and he obviously has no problem with sex. But I digress. >_>;
.

You would get this impression if you only played Emi's route. Lilly's route (which is the most polished of the routes - it's the only one with a post-credit ending) has Hisao's heart problems giving him major problems three times. MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD

Spoiler

1. When Hisao, Lilly and Hanako go on a trip to Hokkaido, their shopping excursion is cut short by Hisao's condition acting up. This does trigger a sequence of events that trigger one of the more heartwarming (pun unintended) scenes in the game.

2. The third time Hisao and Hanako have sex, his condition cuts his fun short

3. The "endgame" of Act 4, if you've gotten the good end.

Speaking of the Lilly route, while Hanako's route is my personal favorite, Lilly's route is IMHO the most romantic of the routes. It's the route that gives you warm and fuzzy feelings (shorthanded to WAFF for the uninitiated) that linger long after you finish the route. And if you get the Good End... the way the entire thing was set up glued an ear-splitting grin to my face that lasted for hours.

 

[NeutralDrow]

It's either "I've played this and I think it's pretty right on" or "I have no idea what's going on but I'm gonna judge it anyway." Isn't that everything KS is trying to go against? Stereotyping, making assumptions about things you have yet to experience, jumping to conclusions without any evidence whatsoever. That kind of stuff.

That it is. Unfortunately, for people to get the message, they have to play the game.

That said, I've seen enough people become interested enough to check it out (and, in the process, learn the ideal that drives so many of us VN fans), despite knowing little to nothing beforehand even about the genre, that I wouldn't call this situation a total "preaching to the choir" event.

I ended up giving this VN a go out of recommendation.

I managed to get myself onto Rin's path and got the good ending for it and christ, it was one of the most emotionally/mentally draining things I have ever experienced.
Even days after post reflection I still cannot work out what I felt afterwards. Happy? Sad? I truly cannot place it, but it was definitely a feeling that no game has made me experience.

It's astonishing to me that something like this had such a profound impact on me, some of Rin's scenes were so heart wrenching difficult to sit through and I genuinely feel like the experience as a whole has made me start to seriously re-evaluate some of the aspects of my life.

I can understand perfectly. That sort of experience and emotional turmoil is what cemented my interest in visual novels as a whole. There might only be a bare handful of titles with that kind of power, but they're frequently the ideal of the genre.

Granted, my first such experience was actually with a different game (A Drug That Makes You Dream...and later, Kana: Little Sister and Symphonic Rain). I'm only three in-game days into Katawa Shoujo, so far. But after hearing that praise (and what I've read in the game so far, particularly concerning Rin), I rather suspect I'll find this to be the fourth.

 

[Akimoto]

I love sims, but maybe it's cause I'm single. I gunned for Lilly, found the ending a little cliche. Hanako's was more satisfying, Emi and Shizune somewhat out there and Rin is ... well, it's Rin. She's difficult to get. The effort of 5 years plus was there to be seen and heard. I have one friend who is currently recovering from her disability and you know what? She's independent, but yet willing to form proper and meaningful relationships, and most of the characters reflect that - although Emi takes it a little extreme.

Not mind blasting good, but not up-yours boring. A few years now I'll look back and probably run through the stories again. Good times.

 

[masher]

I am... intrigued. Heavily. I want to play this-- I -will- play this. Thank you.

They sound like genuinely interesting characters. It should be nice getting to know them.

 

[Vault101]

Ive never played or even seen any of this henti/anime stuff

but Ive played a bit and the "disabled" factor doesnt doesnt seem much of a thing at all...its just a visual novel/dating sim that happens to be set in a school for the disabled,

its got nice writing and charachters and everything...aside from the eroctiv stuff...it all seems very innocent

I mean Im assuming its erotic...havnt gotten that far

 

[Alterego-X]

While I won't judge the game without playing it, the concept does make me feel a little off. The idea of a dating sim "but with disabled girls!" does indeed seem like blatant fetishisation (which is objectifying and more than a little creepy), and while disabled people definetly don't get enough representation in games, the way to fix that isn't to make a special section of games for disabled people (or in this case, games for people who fancy disabled people), instead it's just to make games which happen to have disabled people in them

However, as I said, I haven't played this game (but I do fully intend to, seeing as it's free), but those are my initial thoughts going into it.

I do hope to be proved wrong.

I'm glad that you are so open-minded about it and everything, so I don't want to sound too preachy, but here is a tricky question: If it would be a movie or a novel, would you say the same thing? Is there something inherently creepy about setting an entire movie's premise on the life of disabled people? Or a novel that is told from a disabled person's lover's perspective? After all, wouldn't that be vey objectifying, as in "regular novel, but about disabilities".

Of course not, these are the kind of stories that get a bunch of awards (at least if they don't go "full retard" )It is understood, that disability just happens to be the theme that the writers intended to tell. Yet with games, there is somehow this assumption that it's a gimmick, a wish-fulfillment theme.

It tells something very sad about the state of storytelling in gaming, that even us, gamers are barely more familiar with the idea of narratives that are used for the sake of storytelling, than the moral watchdogs who argue that every violent game is about simulating real violent fantasies, or that picking the terrorist side in Counter-Strike teaches you to be a terrorist.

And even among us, it's not just a stigma against dating sims. Just think about the "Killing children in Skyrim" conroversy. No one would think twice about the suggestion, that reading about characters of a fantasy novel, even a POV character, murdering children, might be morally wrong. Yet, there are several gamers that there is something "wrong" with your Dragonborn character killing children.

Still seems kind of weird to me that all these types of disabilities are sent off to a single specialized school. If there are that many types of disabilities then it's usually a normal school setting. Seriously, my high school had kids with most of these disabilities. Except for the short limbs thing.

Actual schools like that exist. I happen to live right near a school for deaf kids. There are also mixed disability schools, just google for them. They are convinient for many purposes, like having medical staff around, specially trained PE staff who can give in therapy classes, a building with above-average accessibility tools, etc.

Okay, I'll bite. I suppose if it's free I've got nothing to lose giving it a try.

EDIT: (Or I would if the download would work. >.>)

Just seach for it's torrent on any major torrent site.

 

[Danceofmasks]

I'm gonna go download this right now.

Not really interested in the game per se, it's just another thing to put in my museum of video game weirdness showcase.

 

[Aikayai]

Play this game. If you're playing the game for the sex scenes, its the wrong game for you. Its all done in context and frankly, me and my girlfriend did some of that when we went to college . Personally I can relate to these characters well, but anyone can develop a bond with any of the girls. This is as much a game for the ladies as it s for the gents though. Its not entirely about living with a disability, that's more a case of what they are rather than who they are. Its more about trying to deal with those deep personal issues we all have and fight every day. Sexuality and drug addiction are questioned, even your own morality comes into some of your decisions, not to mention dealing with mortality because of your characters heart condition.

I love this game

 

[snave]

Discuss:

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For downloads, visit http://dl.katawa-shoujo.com/gold/.

I've got no arms to hug you with...

 

[Irru]

rhodo, you must be trolling. It's obvious you haven't tried it. And no, I don't care you have a collection of Visual Novels / Dating S_y_ms in your closet.

 

[Mr Cwtchy]

I haven't got all that far in yet, I think I'm on the day before the festival.

But so far I'm really liking the story. The characters are fleshed out and believable, and they actually draw an emotional reaction(Kenji is a pillock, Rin is hilarious and Hanako played my heart strings like a harp). The art design and music are both beautifully done as well.

I have no idea who I'll actually end up with yet though, I'm thinking Lilly or Hanako though.

P.S. I have NEVER played this type of game before, so if you're not sure because of the genre I cannot recommend trying it enough.

 

[deidara]

Downloaded this a few hours ago,and have put an hour or so into it. It is really tasteful, the people that are judging it clearly haven't given it the time of day.

 

[Riobux]

There's something a little bit disturbing about this, but I'm okay with this. It's important to acknowledge that disabled girls (and guys, something the game doesn't address, although not sure if that's a good or bad thing though due to narrative) do exist. Although it's hard to tell who the core audience is. I'm tempted to say it's for those with fetishes for physically disabled women, but at the same time I'm not so sure. I'm sure it's done tastefully to the point that it's meant to appeal to a broader audience and acts as raising awareness.

Although I can't help but feel bad making nasty jokes out of this about dating a t-rex having advantages and so on....

 

[Alterego-X]

There's something a little bit disturbing about this, but I'm okay with this. It's important to acknowledge that disabled girls (and guys, something the game doesn't address, although not sure if that's a good or bad thing though due to narrative) do exist. Although it's hard to tell who the core audience is. I'm tempted to say it's for those with fetishes for physically disabled women, but at the same time I'm not so sure. I'm sure it's done tastefully to the point that it's meant to appeal to a broader audience and acts as raising awareness.

The prtagonist is a male, and he is probably at least as important as the girls, if not even more so. By the description, it's easy to write him off as an audience avatar, but actually his inner monologue and attitudes drive the plot.

About the core audience: Since I followed the development from a distance for over a year, I can safely say that the core audience is simply the general Visual Novel-reading audience. The artists emerged from the Visual Novel fandom, not from the disability fetishist community.(if there is such a thing). On every forum that has a VN thread or board, this is hyped by everyone about as much, as smething like Skyrim in general gaming, as the best product of the past few months. The idea that it could have been intended as a fetishist niche game, isn't even considered, but only on outsider sites like this one.

 

[Deadyawn]

I don't really have an issue with the concept as it is, not being terribly interested in this sort of thing, but what baffles me is how somebody thought of this first place. I mean, dating sims are a pretty obscure phenomenon and that the they were created at all is on the other side of unlikely but one about disabled people? Who thinks up this stuff?

 

[White_Lama]

I too went with Emi (I have no idea how, I just ended up there)

Right?! I was shooting for Lilly or...the girl that can't speak whose mane I can't remember right now, and BOOM! Next thing I knew, I was paired up with her. But it's fine now; I actually agree with the whole thing about the great script and the way the story is handled.

And yes, Hizao is just a big derp for not getting her family situation. I don't even think he got it until the moment she...took him to see her dad.

I think it has something to do with the choice you get at the second day of running, to push yourself or take it easy.

At least that changed alot in my second playthrough (went for Hanako and I believe I'm on the right track, yet another sad story, darnit, next time I'll go for the deaf girl, at least she can't possibly be as sad as these two).

 

[Smertnik]

The prtagonist is a male, and he is probably at least as important as the girls, if not even more so. By the description, it's easy to write him off as an audience avatar, but actually his inner monologue and attitudes drive the plot.

Exactly. He's not a blank slate but a fully fleshed out character with his own arc which actually changes depending on the choices you make.

 

[Alterego-X]

I don't really have an issue with the concept as it is, not being terribly interested in this sort of thing, but what baffles me is how somebody thought of this first place. I mean, dating sims are a pretty obscure phenomenon and that the they were created at all is on the other side of unlikely but one about disabled people? Who thinks up this stuff?

It started with a mock concept art as a manga's extra page, not intended to taken seriously. Then 4chan took it seriously, and hold a big brainstorming about how to turn it into a game.

Then a few months later, they managed to collect a few actually talented passerby, who were interested in making an original Visual Novel, and convince them to spend the next 4 years on creating it, for free.

 

[Mathak]

I'm not sure what happened, but I decided to download this game to give it a try, and suddenly it's 4 hours later and I did the whole Lilly storyline.

Good lord, even on 4chan everyone is polite and enthusiastic, like their hearts grew 3 sizes or something. This game is just..amazing.