Okay. I've been playing Tokyo Debunker today, since the release happened to catch me on a day when all I'd planned to do was write fanfiction. I just finished reading the game story prologue (it was longer than expected!), so here's a review type post. If you're reading this post not having seen a single thing about this game: it's a story-based joseimuke gacha mobile game that just released globally today. It's about a girl who suddenly finds herself attending a magic school and mingling with elite, superhuman students known as ghouls. If you look in the tumblr tag for the game you'll see what appears to be a completely different game from 2019 or so: they retooled it completely midway through development, changing just about everything about it due to "escalating competition within the gaming industry."
I'll talk about how this looks like a blatant twst clone at the end.
Starting with the positive: The story is charming. I enjoyed it thoroughly the entire time and am excited to read more. The mix between visual novel segments and motion comics was really nice--it broke things up and added a lot of oomph to the action or atmospheric scenes that visual novels generally lack. I like the art in the comic parts a lot. the live2d in the visual novel parts is... passable. Tone-wise, I think the story was a little bit all over the place and would like to see more of the horror that it opened on, but I didn't mind the comedic direction it went in either. The translation is completely seamless. The characters so far all have unique voices and are just super fun and cute. Of the ones who've had larger roles in the story so far, there's not a single one I dislike. It's all fully voiced in Japanese and the acting is solid. (I don't recognize any voices, and can't seem to find any seiyuu credits, so it seems they're not big names, but they deliver nonetheless.) Kaito in particular I found I was laughing at his lines a ton, both the voicing and the writing.
He's looking for a girlfriend btw. Spreading the word.
The problem is like. The gameplay is the worst dark-pattern microtransaction-riddled bullshit I've ever seen. Hundred passive timers going at all times. Fifty different item-currencies. Trying to get you to spend absurd amounts of real world money at every turn. There's like five different indicators that take you to various real-money shop items that I don't know how to dismiss the indicator, I guess you just have to spend money, wtaf. Bajillion different interlocking systems mean you have zero sense of relative value of all the different item-currencies. I did over the course of the day get enough diamonds for one ten-pull, which I haven't used yet. Buying enough diamonds for a ten-pull costs a bit under $60 (presumably USD, but there's a chance the interface is automatically making that CAD for me--not gonna spend the money to check lmfao), with an SSR rate of 1%. BULLSHIIIIIT.
There's like a goddamn thousand-word essay explaining the dozen different types of character upgrades and equippables and equippables for the equippables!! Bad! Bad game design! That's just overcomplicating bullshit to trick people into thinking they're doing something other than clicking button to make number go up! That is not gameplay!
In terms of the actual gameplay, there is none. The battle system is full auto. There might be teambuilding, but from what I've seen so far, most of that consists of hoping you pull good cards from gacha and then clicking button to make number go up. There's occasional rhythm segments but there's no original music, it's just remixes of public domain classical music lmao. I'd describe the rhythm gameplay as "at least more engaging than twisted wonderland's," which is not a high bar
At least there's a cat in the rhythm bit.
And like, ok, I gotta remark on how derivative it is. Like I mentioned in my post earlier, this game is unabashedly aping twisted wonderland's setting and aesthetic. (That said, most of the stuff it steals from twst is magic school stuff that twst also basically stole from Harry Potter, so...?) However, it isn't exactly like twst: in this one, the characters say fuck a lot and bleed all over the place and do violence. Basically, the tone is a fair bit more adult than twst's kid-friendly vibe. (Not, like, adult adult, and I probably wouldn't even call it dark--it's still rated Teen lol. Just more adult than twst.)
Rather than just being students at magic school, the ghouls also go out into the mundane world to go on missions where they fight and investigate monsters and cryptids. Honestly, the magic school setting feels pretty tacked-on. The things that are enjoyable about this would've been just as enjoyable in about any other setting--you can tell this whole aspect was a late trend-chasing addition, lmao. So, yeah, it's blatantly copying twst to try to steal some players, but... Eh, I found myself not caring that much. Someone more (or less) into twst than me may find it grating.
Character-wise, eh, sure, yeah, they're a bit derivative in that aspect too, but it's a joseimuke game, the characters are always derivative. Thus far the writing & execution has been solid enough that I didn't care if they were tropey. If I were to compare it to something else, I'd say the relationship between the protagonist and the ghouls feels more like that of the sage and wizards in mahoyaku than anything from twst. There's some mystery in exactly what "ghouls" are and their place in this world that has me intrigued and wanting to know more about this setting and how each of the characters feels about it. I have a bad habit of getting my hopes up for stories that put big ideas on the table and then being disappointed when they don't follow through in a way that lives up to my expectations, though.
So, my final verdict: I kind of just hope someone uploads all the story segments right onto youtube so nobody has to deal with the dogshit predatory game to get the genuinely decent story lol. Give it a play just for the story if you have faith in your ability to resist dark patterns. Avoid at all costs if you know you're vulnerable to gacha, microtransactions, or timesinks.
167 notes
·
View notes
Ride 764: Dearest wish
Pag 1
1: The one thing the third year Onoda Sakamichi desires is....?
Pag 2
3: His dearest wish!!
4: Right!!
Pag 3
1: That's definitely Onoda's dearest wish
Pag 4
2: Do your beest
They're so fast!
They move the wind
The jerseys are so brightly colored
3: No no no no
4: That- that's not it
That's not-
Is Sohoku arguing over something!?
Pag 5
1: That- that was just the spur of the moment
I ended up just saying anything
2: That's not my dearest wish at all....
So- uhm
3: Please forget about it, everyone!!
4: No way!!
Yeah
Teh!!
Yep
Yeah
Pag 6
1: That must be our goal this year!! Our third victory in a row!!
Pag 7
1: Yessir!!
On!!
Yeah!!
2: The three day long stage is harsh and long, that's why everyone's strengths will be necessary!!
Yessir!!
3: If we can all unite our strengths and support each other as one...
4: The I'll be able to win brilliantly!! Yeah!!
Just like I did during the prefectural qualification!!
Ohhhh
Tch
Pag 8
1: I'll sprint desperately, Hotshot-san will accompany me, and I'll do a grand finishing dash, just like that day!!
Okay!! You've been saying it over and over again!!
2: You're really a guy who clings to the glory of the past
The prefectural qualification is connected to the Inter High, it's not in the past!!
You're the type of guy I hate the most when you get carried away
Naruko-san was amazing, teh!!
That day, yeah!!
Naruko-san!!
3: Sto-stop iit, you were both amazing that day
4: Come oon... we're in the middle of an important meeting
6: Now that I think about it
Onoda-san's....
7: This is all
Pag 9
1: Can I say one last thing?
2: I also think our goal must be a third consecutive victory
3: There's just one thing I'm curious about we still haven't asked
Onoda-san
5: What's your goal this year?
What are you running in the Inter High for?
6: When I asked you this last year during the first years' race
Pag 10
1: I want to report it
2: You said you wanted to report the victory to your senpai
3: And you
4: Accomplished that
5: Honestly, when I first heard that I thought “what is he talking about, that's such a small goal”
But that day, after the race, when I saw Onoda-san doing it
6: I was shaking
I thought from the bottom of my heart that it was amazing
Pag 11
1: I thought you were super cool
5: Wh- no no
That- I was just reporting, there's nothing cool about it at all, okay
Pag 12
1: So I want to know what your goal is this year
Please tell us what you're thinking about!!
2: Is it “I want to report to that senpai once again”!?
4: Crowning your third victory in a row as the captain!?
6: Is it the mountain's bib!? Is it winning a stage!?
Please tell us... your goal during the race...
7: or maybe for when the race is over!!
8: A.....
9: No no no
It's nothing- yes, it's nothing!!
Pag 13
1: Onoda's goal....
2: I see, what Onoda-kun wants to do....
3: Now that I think about it....
4: What is it!? You started saying it now, “a”!!
Is it “running as an assist”!?
5: Does it mean you don't want to bear the last heavy burden!?
No no no no, that's fine, if the situation calls for it I'll do my best
6: That's enough, Issa
7: There are things Onoda-san doesn't want to say too
No, if it can become motivation for the team then he should say it
Pag 14
1: Onoda-san's goal!!
2: But still, Issa!!
I'm telling you, anything is fine!!
Ah, uhm...
3: It's a really personal thing, so.... don't get your hopes up...
But.... that's... always been.... my dearest wish...
4: Dearest wish!!
5: If we run with all we have in this Inter High.... putting together all of our strengths and deliver our jersey to the finish line
6: If we get the best result....
Pag 15
1: No no, I really can't say more than this
3: Say it, everything's fine. I'm curious too
4: Ah.... if we get the best results.... I....
5: I want to reserve a room somewhere...
6: A room?
8: Prepare teacakes
9: Cakes!?
10: Ask for everyone's cooperation...
Pag 16
1: Gather five people
5: It's something I've been imagining.... since before... entering school in my first year.....
7: Even just for one day
8: Even just a few hours after school
Everyone will bring what they like
9: A.....
Oi.... don't tell me you mean.... you
Pag 17
1: I'm thinking of reviving the anime research club!!
Pag 18
5: No way!!
Pag 19
1: And then, there
2: I think I could call Makishima-san, who likes figures
I feel like you've misunderstood something here
3: And Midosuji-kun who likes anime
Would you be able to hold a conversation with him!?
4: Isn't that good!! The best goal!!
5: You'll gather five people in no time!!
6: Kakaka mine will be the first name you write down
7: Amazing
From England and Kyoto....!!
Pag 20
1: I don't really get it, but somehow that fired me up!!
2: That's Onoda-san's dearest wish!!
3: Ah
4: N-no, it's really nothing much, so I take it back...
Revive the anime club!!
Let's do it, for Onoda-san!!
I don't really know what an anime club does, but I'm in!!
Me too!!
5: Yeeah!!
Let's do it!!
Issa, calm down
Pag 21
2: Your goal is to “revive the anime research club even for just day”?
Oi oi, that's such a small
3: but splendid goal!!
4: You managed to unite the club's intentions as one with such bizarre words!!
5: You're really are an unpredictable guy!!
The plate will soon become green
“Real start”.... the real race will start!!
102 notes
·
View notes