Indeed, I came dangerously close to missing on that game entirely; and my, what a pity that would have been. This is simply one of the best otomes I’ve ever had the pleasure of playing, a game that ticks all the boxes to qualify for perfect otome in your truly’s eyes.
I’ll come to these boxes in a minute; but first, I have to explain how and why Nightshade nearly didn’t join my precious collection. See, my tepid experience with the Hakuoki series made me wary of all things Feudal Japan; add to this the fact that I’m not fond of works based on historical facts as a rule, and you’ll understand why I was very reluctant to import a copy of Nightshade. Oh wait, did I forget to mention this? The only way to get Nightshade physical is to import the Japanese version, which supports English. That’s a good thing as a rule, and I can only wish more games would emulate this; but in Nightshade’s case, it was yet another reason not to bother with that game. So why did I change my mind? Well, let’s say the glowing reviews and the splendiferous, gorgeous-beyond-belief art swayed me.
One Ebay order later, I was playing Nightshade — and falling freakin’ hard for it. And now’s the time to mention all the Perfect Otome boxes ticked by that game. To quote Britney Spears (again), the gripping Battle Royale-ish story is a must, and Teita’s dazzling character design is a plus; and so are the lush soundtrack, the stellar voice acting and the convenient affection meters and clues. But most importantly, Nightshade is an otome with wholesome romance. It’s not an Otomate offering, which means no confinement route, no fruitcake and no wolf in sheep’s clothing — and my, is it relaxing not to have to worry about the MC’s fortune (and your own sanity) for a change.
Talking about the MC, I really fancied her. Not only does she have very memorable looks, but she’s nicely fleshed-out and undergoes some very subtle and well-handled character development. It’s worth noting that said character development is partly influenced by the guy she wounds up with, which is both very believable and highly interesting. I have to admit I don’t quite agree with the many reviews describing her as your typical damsel-in-distress and mourning her lack of agency and badasseness. Far from being a helpless crybaby, she's a humble and mature young woman who's aware of her limitations and tries to overcome them whenever she can. Not only that, but her attitude is perfectly consistent with her background. Sure enough, she’s a shinobi; but she’s also been sheltered and protected her whole life, and she has to face an ordeal that would basically break anyone. Can you really blame her for leaning on someone in such circumstances? Not only that, but she’s no Rey Skywalker, i.e. a natural prodigy whose innate talents come from her blood; her parents were regular shinobis, which means that she has to work hard like everybody else to progress. And pray tell, how much progress can she expect to make during a couple of weeks on the run? Not much indeed; and yet, she does manage to progress still in most routes.
Talking about the routes, I’ll see you soon with a dedicated report. After that, I’ll sail away from VN shores for a while; not only do I have my fill for the time being, but my gaming instinct now craves more engaging offerings. Until next time, dear fellow gamers, keep playing and take care!
Hmm, given how you can have almost the entire cast die in some routes, I wouldn't call this a 'wholesome' game, but it is certainly a very good one.
ReplyDeleteI'll save my thoughts for the route report, but I really agree with your comments about 'weak' otome game heroines. I've complained about some in occasion, (like in Piofore), but that's only when the writing is bad (my problem with Piofore was not that she was 'weak' per say, but that she never pondered over enough over all the crap around her). Sometimes is makes sense for a heroine to be weak. Like Fiona from Black Wolves Saga, people railed on her, but what can one expect from a chronically ill girl who's been locked up in a tower her whole life and doesn't know anything about the realities of the wolf genocide and deadly plague raving her country? Also the heroine from Bad Apple Wars, I didn't care that people said she had no personality, as I felt her being so 'empty' was pertinent to the story. The whole point of the plot was for her to find a reason to actually live and find value in her life. Plus her 'lack of character' just felt like anhedonia, which as someone with chronic depression, I am extremely familiar with.
Not that I care if they truly have no personality. I'd rather have a blank state than an annoying one. The only thing that bothers me is when they apologize constantly even when people are being jerks to them, but unless it's taken to an extreme and the game is otherwise good, I can look past it.
Well, you have a point... 😅 Yet, what I wanted to express is that Nightshade is wholesome as far as romance is concerned. There's no Toma, Yang or Demento to be found there; all the beaus genuinely love Enju in their own personal way and treat her well. And my, was it lovely indeed.
DeleteAnyway, I edited my post to convey my thoughts a tad more clearly ^^
"Plus her 'lack of character' just felt like anhedonia, which as someone with chronic depression, I am extremely familiar with": I feel you, my friend. I endured an episode of depression not so long ago, for the first time ever; and it was honestly one of the most terrifying and unsettling experiences of my adult life. I cannot even imagine how it must feel to suffer through this over and over again. I may not do much from here, but know that I have your back, my friend.
DeleteI'm sad that you had to go through depression, and I hope things are looking up for you; as for me, it's something I've resigned to dealing with for the rest of my life. Since I know little else, it's not as bad as it would be for a normally healthy person, but it's still a real bother. Especially as an artist; my art progress has been hindered for years because I just can't draw for months at a time, and it saddens me to see younger people surpass me so easily. Alas, just something you gotta power through, like most things in life.
DeleteMy depression only makes gaming more important to me; because it's not a passive hobby like watching tv or reading books, it feels like I've actually done 'something' whenever I play game (even if I generally don't play much during bad episodes either). When you're so exhausted with everything that you can barely do much but struggle through work, making progress in a game feels like a huge victory.
I'm fine now, don't worry. It was a burnout-ish kind of depression: I had too much shit thrown at me over too short a period, and my mind basically folded under the load. With professional help and the adequate treatment, I managed to recover; but man, was it an unsettling experience to lose control of my mind like that.
DeleteThat depression, which I hope will be a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence, acted like a near-death-experience for me. It made me even more determined to enjoy the good things and not sweat the small stuff, in life in general as well as in gaming. In a way, you could say the OWOG system is my depression's grandchild; I'm honestly not sure I'd have devised it, if not for that newfound lust for life and eagerness to enjoy it.
You know, I seriously wonder if gaming shouldn't be a recommended activity during depression, just like physical exercise. I kept playing even when my depression was at its worst; and even though I had trouble enjoying it, it still helped me by keeping me focused and giving me goals.