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serenity-writes · 7 years ago

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Collar x Malice Spoiler-Free Review

My first review of a VITA game~ Thank you to @himiko-kaze for the suggestion :)! I’m a little late to the handheld since I just bought one a few months ago for all the gorgeous otome, so I’ve been playing catch-up. This one I picked up because I really love the art style, and I’m so glad I did. So, if you’re still on the fence, let me attempt to convince you to give it a try ;) *This review will contain details of the prologue/basic premise, and all CG’s are taken from the prologue/product page, so there will be no/very minor spoilers.

So, what is Collar X Malice?

Dystopian feelings run amok in a fictional creation of Shinjuku, Tokyo. You play as Ichika Hoshino (name changeable, will be referred to as MC from now on), a rookie cop. Currently, a series of terror attacks have been plaguing the city, all leading up to “X-Day”, a day that the terrorists Adonis promise will purge all sinners. One day, MC is captured by the mysterious Adonis; they lock a collar on her that will poison her if she doesn’t do as they wish. Our dear MC is rescued by the LI’s, and she begins to work with them to uncover the truth behind these attacks and to hopefully prevent them all.

OVERALL RATING: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♡

PRODUCTION QUALITY (ART/MUSIC/VOICES): ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

STORY: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♡

STEAMINESS: ♥ ♥ ♡ ♡ ♡

SUSPENSE/DRAMA: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

MC LIKEABILITY: ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♡

DOES MC HAVE EYES: YES!

Let’s break it down.

If you’ve read any of my other reviews, you know by now that the production quality of a game is very important to me. CxM really hits all the sweet spots in that aspect. I’ve never really seen a game with this much uniqueness and style. It’s really in a category all on its own. Don’t ask me why, but the words that spring to mind when I think of the art are ‘edgy’ and ‘sharp’. This is some of the promotional art:

The CG’s are drawn with a slightly softer tone, but it’s not nearly as romantic as, say, Code:Realize’s art style. It very much suits the themes of the game. The eyes of the characters are a smidge unsettling to me, especially Takeru’s with those snake-like ones, but I don’t mind it too much.

This background and many others are done in this vein to really perpetuate the dreariness that is Shinjuku under rein of terror.

The music does a fantastic job at contributing to the suspense and intensity of it all, as well as the voices. They all seem to fit with the characters, and the actors did a fantastic job with displaying emotion, especially during tough scenes or cute scenes (especially during Mineo’s route <3).

I also really love the way the text is stylized. Dialogue lines aren’t just in the text box on the bottom, they actually jump around depending on the speaker’s location and are color-coded, like this:

And sometimes characters come on the sides instead of having full sprites appear:

They’re such unique touches that I never thought I needed, but ended up really appreciating throughout. With Vita otomes from Aksys in general, I’ve come to expect a very high production quality regardless of story quality, and CxM definitely doesn’t disappoint.

This story is unlike any other otome I’ve ever played. It’s definitely more of a plot-driven story, with romance being more of a side dish rather than a main course, if you know what I mean. It definitely has its sweet, adorable moments full of team bonding and flirty flirting. But if you’re looking for a story that focuses fully on romance, better look elsewhere. Our characters got shit to do, like saving their city first haha. I feel that the main mystery of X-Day and Adonis is interesting on its own. I wouldn’t say it interested me enough that I would play a game strictly with the story and none of the romance, but it was definitely well-crafted and incredibly unique. I was genuinely baffled by the mystery sometimes. I really like that the game takes the time to force you to think about the case and draw your own conclusions.

Of course, I can’t not mention the love interests:

From left to right, it’s Takeru Sasazuka, Mineo Enomoto, Aiji Yanagi, Kei Okazaki, and Kageyuki Shiraishi. They’re all representatives of the typical tropes you can expect to find in an otome, but they didn’t feel overdone and they all had their unique quirks that really made them memorable in my mind. This game, like Code:Realize, forces the player to play through four routes before unlocking the final “true” route. I did the recommended route order of Mineo -> Takeru -> Kei -> Kageyuki first, then Aiji was unlocked. I think this order allows the story and mystery to be unlocked piece by piece, which was the intent. This progression felt much more natural than it did in Code:Realize, for it’s an actual mystery with cases.

There was little in terms of steaminess in the game. The furthest they really get is kissing, with some implications of something more. But it’s sweet all the same, and I don’t think more would have improved the game much in terms of enjoyment. The suspense was ramped up allll the way and I was really left guessing throughout the entire thing. Maybe I’m just bad at these games haha…

In terms of a main character, I really like Ichika. She’s rather outspoken and unafraid. She tries really hard to be a good sister and a police officer that helps the citizens. She has her own sense of justice. She even admits when she’s wrong, and makes efforts to repair things and apologize. I really like the proactive role she takes in these cases, and she actually tries to solve them instead of only relying on the expertise of those around her. Sometimes I felt she was a little naïve, but hey, nobody’s perfect. However, one thing that I could not get over was ICHIKA’S HAIR! It’s this random mix of short, cropped hair at the back, accompanied by scattered long strands at the side that seem to go on forever. It’s pretty much the epitome of anime hair and makes no sense whatsoever. I’d show you a picture but the CG’s that show it are spoilery, so I won’t. Play the game and you’ll know what I’m talking about, haha…

One more shot of some of the boys:

Overall, this game gets a solid four from me. If you can get it on sale, absolutely do it. There were definitely some routes I enjoyed more than others, but I think there’s something here for everyone, no matter what type you’re into. My favorite ended up being my first route, Mineo, though Yanagi is a close second. I know others really loved Kei and Shiraishi, but eh, they weren’t for me. I’ll hopefully be doing a route by route review as well, so look out for that ^_^. Thanks for reading~

#collar x malice #playstation vita #spoiler free review #otome #aksys games #serenity writes #mineo enomoto #aiji yanagi #takeru sasakuza #kageyuki shiraishi #kei okazaki #mineo is my precious cinnamon roll

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innocentignorance · 3 years ago

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Otome Review: Collar x Malice

So to try my hand in something new, I’m gonna write reviews about otome games that I play. I played quite a few and feel like I can judge whether it is good or not. I will try to be objective and spoiler free. If I accidently shit on an otome that you love or anything, sorry (not sorry) in advance lol.

I can also provide an ending guide later on if this is well received.

So! CollarxMalice. Long story short I loved it a lot. It was ride and it was a good one. The story was interesting, the love interests were hot and well written. It very easily became one of my favourites. I loved the characters so much that for the most part I couldn’t bring myself to play the bad endings in order to get all the CGs :’).

Summary

You are the protagonist, a rookie cop, Ichika Hoshino. There is a terrorist group that is active in Japan that has been causing a lot of trouble to the police and the nation in general. So much so that the town that is thought to be the center of their operations is under quarantine. Which is obviously where you live. So one day you’re just going about your business as usual when this terrorist group suddenly makes contact with you and tells (threatens) you to investigate them and find out why they’re doing and you’re like ????. At least you get to do this with a bunch of hot dudes.

Just to warn you there are some dark themes here including mind control, violence, past traumas, death, s*icidal thoughts. I won’t be mentioning them in the summaries but I will put a Trauma Level.

Love Interests (In the recommended route order)

Mineo Enomoto

-Kinda awkward but in an endearing way -A bit stupid -Reminds me of a puppy -Trauma Level: Beginner

So this dude is kinda like a jock that is bad with women. He is a history fan and makes it know in the way he dresses and sometimes speaks. If you say something that can be taken as even slightly sexual, he will freak out. Like all the other otome love interest out there, he has some issues of his own but I think I can say his issues are the lightest among the others. He’s cute but not the type that I prefer in my 2D men. Still 7/10

Takeru Sasazuka

-Tsundere -Kind of an asshole -Sweet tooth like holy fuck -(I love him) -Trauma Level: Medium-Intermediate

Nerd with a really sharp tongue. The dude is a genius when it comes to hacking especially and of course, as the genius stereotype goes, hates stupid people. They have a real good time with Mineo because of that. It’s really fun to watch their banter. Initially, he’s scary as fuck because he really doesn’t seem to give a fuck about your situation and intends to fully use you as a means to get info on the terrorist group. But as time passes you learn that inside that harsh exterior he actually really cares about people. Has issues. Darker than Mineo’s but not as dark as it gets. 9.5/10 (Also, I’ve only known Sasakuza for a couple days but if anything happened to him I would kill everyone on this website and then myself)

Kei Okazaki

-Airhead -Who tf taught you manners?? -Always smiling -(Best boi) -Trauma Level: Intermediate

Your friendly neighborhood nosey fuck. For someone who acts and looks so easy going, he’s also pushy as fuck. Almost always has a smile on his face and texts with emojis that make you go ???. Doesn’t even blink at any insult Takeru or the others are throwing at him. Also, a lot sharper than he looks and will fuck you up. Literal definition of the phrase “Looks like a cinnamon roll but will actually kill you”. He’s also the best boi and will do anything to protect you although sometimes that is the problem. Still, I love him. 9/10

Kageyuki Shiraishi

-Eccentric -Has an anti-fan club -Honestly? Buckle up. -Trauma Level: Bruh

I think this route was a kind of a ride. I recommend playing it 4th as story gets deeper in this one. This dude is really weird but again in a kind of an endearing way. When you see him in other routes you usually just write him off as an asshole or sth, which actually doesn’t change too much in his own route. Initially at least. I mean, the dude doesn’t even remember people’s names unless they are useful. But as he opens up to you and you help him through some shit, you just wanna put his head on your lap and shush him to sleep. Also, there’s a lot of angst in this one. God. I love angst but sometimes it’s too much for my heart. 8.5/10

Aiji Yanagi

-Mature -Chain smoker -Daddy Father figure of the group -Trauma Level: Medium-Intermediate

Aiji’s route is considered the True Route, which means you basically get to learn everything about everything, and get to resolve everything, and tie up all the loose ends that would usually remain at the end of other routes. Get ready for some angst mixed with mindfuck. Tears may also be involved.

As seen from the outside this guy looks perfect. Like he can do everything, he’s mature, he’s good looking, what else could you want. But of course in reality it’s not like that. He has general issues with any kind of relationship, always keeps people at an arms length for reasons you’ll get to learn. Once you’re past that he’s a great guy. He has a sort of a dark past he doesn’t like to talk about, which is why he’s a bit detached. He’s also a surprisingly sensitive guy. All life has value and all. And did I mentioned he can cook? 10/10 husband material. Overall, 9/10

#collar x malice #otome game #otome review #otome recommendation #aiji yanagi #kageyuki shiraishi #kei okazaki #takeru sasazuka #mineo enomoto

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