Poll: Katawa Shoujo: Not Sleezy fetish Sim

[rvbnut]

It is the most emotional piece of gaming brilliance that I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. It tugged at my heart and played with my emotions in a way I never thought a game would. The attention to detail is so precise at drawing the reader in. At times I was nearly experiencing what the main character was.

I was completely in love with this game after 5 minutes. 7 hours later I am still completely enthralled by Katawa Shoujo and I will still be for a long time.

4 Leaf Studios. Thank you for opening my eyes to a new aspect of storytelling and video game design

 

[Lucyfer86]

I think I'll change my avatar to something KS related soon...

Way ahead of you Hanako for life!

 

[ChupathingyX]

Lilly - The ending seemed like an attempt to cause conflict, but it seemed to be done without a good basis.

Spoiler

She hasn't had contact with her parents in YEARS, but suddenly considered severing all her contacts just to go back to Scotland? Maybe I skipped over some important details while reading, because this was a development completely out of nowhere and inconsistent with her character. Also she was keeping it a secret, which is also inconsistent with her behavior, and that would make her a hypocrite, which again, nothing indicated she was.

Spoiler

It wasn't a sudden thing as far as I'm concerned. Many times throughout her story Hisao thinks to himself that Lilly is hiding something about her parents and family and there is some sort of conflict.

Keeping it a secret was inconsistent, once Hisao takes note of this and once the revelation is brought forward he questions her about keeping it from him and she admits what she was hiding.

It basically came down to her choosing between family and friendship, not only her family in scotland, but even Akira was going, the only person who stayed with her at Yamaku after her parents practically got rid of her (at least that's the vibe I got from what Akira tells us).

As for making the decision, she had already left behind friends before and I guess she was willing to do it again if it meant being with her family.

 

[zombieshark6666]

I just fucking died. There. Just like my life. How awesome is that? Loser forever. FML

You need to be more friendly! It seemed fairly easy to avoid that ending really. Only got it once when I was trying too hard to avoid everyone but Rin -__-

See how your own personality can show through jusy a few binary choices? That'S kinda scary.

"A visual novel that makes you feel something". No kidding.

 

[Alterego-X]

4 Leaf Studios. Thank you for opening my eyes to a new aspect of storytelling and video game design

Just make sure to try out some similar Visual Novels. They are not all that rare.

 

[Weaver]

Oh god, I just realized Lilly's cinematic makes so much more sense after you play her route.

Obvious spoilers, don't watch if you haven't done Lilly yet.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-uYx3YvpLY&context=C3448c07ADOEgsToPDskIJhp46bvmldyfFUYV9I5yH

 

[Baller195]

Tears were nearly shed during my Lily playthrough and I still can't get it out of my head!

One thing though: This game is nearly impossible to recommend to friends..

 

[Weaver]

Tears were nearly shed during my Lily playthrough and I still can't get it out of my head!

One thing though: This game is nearly impossible to recommend to friends..

Guess that depends on your friends

 

[TilMorrow]

I have to say that the game is a literal Gem of the internet and throughly recommend that people play it. I've already got through three heartwarming stories and nearing the end of a fourth. I feel sad knowing that once I've completed the last tale in this amazing game that it'll feel like it's over... Well there's always coming back to re-experience it in a month's time as a viable option.

Also Hanako's and Emi's paths are my favourite. Great Characters and endings.

 

[scorptatious]

So I have just got through Hinako's route:

Spoiler

I got the bad ending first. At the point in which I had to choose whether to visit Hanako on her birthday or give her some space, I chose to follow my gut instinct and visit her. Which resulted in Hisao not going any further in his relationship with Hinako.

As a result, I reloaded. I refuse to give up on Hinako that easily. The result of that was Hinako looking back at his own life and how he needs to handle things. Then he decided to reveal his scar to Hinako. It was a way of him letting go of his past.

What proceeded was a slow, but steady revelation of Hinako's past, her feelings towards those who befriended her, and why she locks herself away during her birthday. Finally, Hinako confesses his love for her. And while he still doesn't completely understand her, he and she decide to take things one step at a time in their relationship in order to do so. After that, her route ended with Hinako kissing Hisao. With the screen slowly panning back showing some reactions from the bystanders, which I thought was pretty amusing.

So far, this was the best path I went on. With Shizune's taking second and Emi's third. Now I have to decide whether to go after Lilly or Rin on my next playthrough. And I have heard really good things about the both of them

 

[Weaver]

So I have just got through Hinako's route:

Spoiler

I got the bad ending first. At the point in which I had to choose whether to visit Hanako on her birthday or give her some space, I chose to follow my gut instinct and visit her. Which resulted in Hisao not going any further in his relationship with Hinako.

As a result, I reloaded. I refuse to give up on Hinako that easily. The result of that was Hinako looking back at his own life and how he needs to handle things. Then he decided to reveal his scar to Hinako. It was a way of him letting go of his past.

What proceeded was a slow, but steady revelation of Hinako's past, her feelings towards those who befriended her, and why she locks herself away during her birthday. Finally, Hinako confesses his love for her. And while he still doesn't completely understand her, he and she decide to take things one step at a time in their relationship in order to do so. After that, her route ended with Hinako kissing Hisao. With the screen slowly panning back showing some reactions from the bystanders, which I thought was pretty amusing.

So far, this was the best path I went on. With Shizune's taking second and Emi's third. Now I have to decide whether to go after Lilly or Rin on my next playthrough. And I have heard really good things about the both of them

I liked her route a lot too! Also, her animation (the thing that plays at the start of act 2) was just so damn good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZRFTGWc2_U&context=C38ceccfADOEgsToPDskKWCWr1t1FOYEqhrCnZ64tm

Probably my favourite video out of all of them.

------

I'm doing Rin's now and Lilly's was very good. It had a fantastic sense of... completeness.

 

[lacktheknack]

Just entered Act 3 of the Lilly route. I'm awed. The writing is fantastic, and I adore this VN.

When it came to the obvious "Lilly or Hanako?" choice (go to the village or go to the library), I had to think really hard, as I really like both characters. When a VN about teen relationships with the hook being about disabilities makes me think about as hard as I did for Mass Effect's Kaiden vs. Ashley sequence, IT'S DONE SOMETHING VERY RIGHT.

Lilly is way more pretty than I'm supposed to give a drawing credit for...

 

[Mathak]

So I have just got through Hinako's route:

Spoiler

I got the bad ending first. At the point in which I had to choose whether to visit Hanako on her birthday or give her some space, I chose to follow my gut instinct and visit her. Which resulted in Hisao not going any further in his relationship with Hinako.

As a result, I reloaded. I refuse to give up on Hinako that easily. The result of that was Hinako looking back at his own life and how he needs to handle things. Then he decided to reveal his scar to Hinako. It was a way of him letting go of his past.

What proceeded was a slow, but steady revelation of Hinako's past, her feelings towards those who befriended her, and why she locks herself away during her birthday. Finally, Hinako confesses his love for her. And while he still doesn't completely understand her, he and she decide to take things one step at a time in their relationship in order to do so. After that, her route ended with Hinako kissing Hisao. With the screen slowly panning back showing some reactions from the bystanders, which I thought was pretty amusing.

So far, this was the best path I went on. With Shizune's taking second and Emi's third. Now I have to decide whether to go after Lilly or Rin on my next playthrough. And I have heard really good things about the both of them

You actually got the neutral ending first. You only get the bad ending if you

Spoiler

do not take her into town after Lilly leaves.

Coincidentally, it is also the most soul-crushingly bad ending in the entire game.

I recommend saving Lilly for last, I felt she had the best route by far.

 

[scorptatious]

So I have just got through Hinako's route:

Spoiler

I got the bad ending first. At the point in which I had to choose whether to visit Hanako on her birthday or give her some space, I chose to follow my gut instinct and visit her. Which resulted in Hisao not going any further in his relationship with Hinako.

As a result, I reloaded. I refuse to give up on Hinako that easily. The result of that was Hinako looking back at his own life and how he needs to handle things. Then he decided to reveal his scar to Hinako. It was a way of him letting go of his past.

What proceeded was a slow, but steady revelation of Hinako's past, her feelings towards those who befriended her, and why she locks herself away during her birthday. Finally, Hinako confesses his love for her. And while he still doesn't completely understand her, he and she decide to take things one step at a time in their relationship in order to do so. After that, her route ended with Hinako kissing Hisao. With the screen slowly panning back showing some reactions from the bystanders, which I thought was pretty amusing.

So far, this was the best path I went on. With Shizune's taking second and Emi's third. Now I have to decide whether to go after Lilly or Rin on my next playthrough. And I have heard really good things about the both of them

You actually got the neutral ending first. You only get the bad ending if you

Spoiler

do not take her into town after Lilly leaves.

Coincidentally, it is also the most soul-crushingly bad ending in the entire game.

I recommend saving Lilly for last, I felt she had the best route by far.

Oh well that makes sense. I kind of guessed the first ending I got was neutral at first. In a way though, it was still kind of sad.

Spoiler

Considering Hanako's confession during the good end, about how she felt useless due to people helping her, and how she wanted Hisao to see her as more than just someone to protect. I can probably imagine what was going through her head during the neutral ending.

 

[Baneat]

I've run through the good endings for all but Hanako:

The best path to me was definitely Rin's, it just had better writing, and it has a darker tone throughout the entire path. Probably shouldn't take it as your first path, it's a little depressing and it takes more concentration to follow. This path barely acknowledges her disability. Hisao's written as a complete idiot through this one, but in fridge brilliance, as Rin herself seems to be incomprehensible. Read between the lines, pay attention to her crazy metaphors and it's the best read of them all. She's very difficult to get started on, you have to support the other girls but don't do it so much you fall down their paths.

Lilly's and Emi's were easy-going and light paths. I thought Lilly's gets a bit ridiculous on the cliche'd romance side, notably near the end, but it held me till then. Lilly's blindness enables some interesting conversations.

Emi's the "starter" choice, I've noticed that people naturally end up on her path (Myself included) and although you'll figure out the big plot twist near the end from the start of her route, it's decent and it explores the disability fairly well.

Shizune.. Her path is easy to get to, the story is straightforward, but I thought the portrayal of the character was a complete mess. Exploring deafness is interesting, but it didn't make up for the fact that she was written in a way that makes her not only unrelatable, but confusing in places where it shouldn't have been.

All in all; well worth a read. In terms of sexuality forming part of the path, Emi>Lilly>Shizune>Rin from most prominent to least.

Also, how does one pronounce Shizune? Is it like the M$ Zune or Shizuné with an upwards e and a short u? (Like Sasuke from Naruto)

 

[scorptatious]

Shizune.. Her path is easy to get to, the story is straightforward, but I thought the portrayal of the character was a complete mess. Exploring deafness is interesting, but it didn't make up for the fact that she was written in a way that makes her not only unrelatable, but confusing in places where it shouldn't have been.

As much as I hate to admit it, I do have to agree with you for the most part.

I did feel towards the end things got a bit messy in terms of how Shizune was written. I had to re-read certain parts of her story in order to understand what the story was trying to tell me about her character.

I still liked Shizune's path overall. Not quite as much as Hanako's though.

 

[Chased]

I'm really meaning to hurry up and read it and stop putting it off. It looks incredibly interesting.

I'm a sucker for a decent romance. I like that a lot more in video games than violence. I find it funny that people call pretty much every instance of romance in video games "cheesy" but then turn around and chop up zombies.

I'd be awesome if more games included this, it's such a common human interest that can work well in games but is often overlooked. While playing Mass Effect 2 the other day, I found myself more interested in establishing relationships and conversing with people than committing genocide on the Blue Suns. Video games provide great sand boxes for things like this.

I've heard good things about Katawa Shoujo, I'll give the game a go.

 

[Baneat]

Tears were nearly shed during my Lily playthrough and I still can't get it out of my head!

One thing though: This game is nearly impossible to recommend to friends..

Guess that depends on your friends

Well, I could get away with "Don't take it personally, babe, it just ain't your story (Another Ren'py game in JP style written by a non-JP author)" - but this is well past that.

 

[Weaver]

Just finished Rin's good route. I got the good ending for everyone, I have no interest in seeing the others.

The game, to me, is complete; even if I still don't have 100%. I feel kind of like I can finally breathe again.

It's time for me to live. This time, the way I want to.

 

[krazykidd]

In recent news, the game "Katawa Shoujo" A.K.A Disable Girl Dating Sim, has caused a bit of a stir. Well, having pulled an all nighter ((10:30pm-7:31am so that my wife wouldnt catch me playing it Sneaky Huh?)), and i can proudly say, its not sleezy. It doesnt even feel like a "dating sim".

Let me start off saying this isnt a review, and im going to give you my unbiased opinion based on all subjects of the game, and related to it.

The game itself is a "standard" text based, japanese style relationship game ((Notice how i didnt say dating)), in which you can form ((complex)) relationships with one of the several female characters.

While im not an expert in Japanese dating sims, having only played 3 in the past ((and getting no more then 30mins-2hours into them because they made me feel to much like a perverted freak of nature)), but this one feels quite a bit different from the others. The characters in this game feel like real people, and the actual deal of "sexual relations with a handicapped person" is very minimal as a whole.

This is not a game about romancing and boinking the female you think is most attractive, so much as it is about forging a stable relationship with the person you enjoy being with most, and your character Hisao, coming to the realization that people with disabilities are no different then people without.

I have nothing negative to say about this game. The writing, pacing and characters are VERY well developed, the music ((while a tad bit repetitive at times, but its a Japanese Relationship game, what do you expect?)) is extremely well done, the humor is tasteful, and while the "plot twists" you will see coming a mile away, are always fitting and never feel like they're pandering.

I wont give this a 10/10, a 9/10, nor any other rating. This isnt a review. All i can say is, download and try it yourself. You'll be surprised at what it really it. A game where characters come first, story comes second, and everything else is just gravy.

At the moment, its completely free at the developers site (( http://katawashoujo.blogspot.com/ )).

What are your thoughts on it?
If you've played it, what do you think? Was it what you were expecting?
If you haven't, will you give it a try?

I really want to thank you for bringing this game (?) to my attention . I really never played ( or should i say experience ? ) anything like it. I haven't ever played a dating sim game before. Out of curiosity of your post and thread, i gave this thing a shot, and i am really enjoying it. I am about 2 hours in, and i find the story really compelling. I don't know by what criteria a game like this is judged so i won't comment on it specifically, but i really like it . Once again thank you for sharing something i would have most definately missed.