Disabled Girl Dating Sim Katawa Shoujo Finally Available

[Crayzor]

Played it for a bit.

It's not terrible, but it goes on and on and really isn't much of a game per se.
Which is fine if that's the sort of thing you like, but I find it boring.

So ... the "normal" girl runs 'cos she can't handle the PC's disability, so he has to end up looking to broken girls?
I guess that's logical, right?

It's not that he turns to 'broken' girls because of his failed relationship with the 'normal' girl, as you put it, but because he's in an environment where all the people around him are disabled in one way or another.

 

[Febel]

As you can tell by my post count I don't visit Escapist often, but after playing this game I eventually got led to this thread. As a frequent /v/ goer I've become interested in this VN after what seemed to be an explosion of popularity on the board. After playing it I come to /v/ to see other's reactions. Eventually I stumble upon this image, I think it speaks for itself on how touching the game really is.

http://i.imgur.com/fyIS8.jpg

Ok, I have to say the line "I was prepared to fap /v/! But I wasn't prepared to FEEL!" Is the first time in months something online has made me laugh out loud.
Also, welcome to the escapist fellow #chan dude. We're just as bad as /v/.

 

[DR123]

Just finished going trough Rin's route - now that's some story, I'm at a loss for words at how astonishingly well this was written.

EDIT:

I wonder though.. Does this kind of novel appeal to women as well? I'm thinking about forwarding it to a friend of mine but I'm not quite sure she could be engaged by it as much as I was. That damn thing too nearly 6 hours to read!

I would've never read this except a girl I knew recommended it.

She recommended the Rin route too. My god was it well written...

I'm not someone who typically likes sappy emotional movies and crap like that.. And this definitely wasn't anything like that. The Rin route was dark, frustrating, funny, heartbreaking and amazing all at the same time. It was hard not to think about it a ton even after finishing that route... just... wow... Whoever developed that character and storyline was a freakin genius.. Thankfully I got the "good" ending.

 

[AlchemicalGod]

This has to be one of the greatest and most involving games I've played in a long time, and certainly wont be easily beat, the characters are insanely interesting, and have a depth I can't remember seeing in too many other games, despite a few stereotypes. The school seems real, and the game play, while not appealing to everyone, is very suitable for the experience I find. I've finished Hanako's arc, plan to aim for Rin next after all everyone has said about her story,I am currently working on Emi's, and I am heartily recommending it to everyone I know.

 

[Jack Markley]

People keep calling this a game or a dating sim and that really bugs me. Not to say that games are beneath visual novels or that visual novels are beneath games, but evaluating them as such just doesn't make sense. The choices, in my mind do not constitute enough interaction to qualify as gameplay. 'Dating sim' means something completely different from a visual novel, that's an actual video game where gameplay is focused around dating and developing relationships.

This is a visual novel, it's not a game, it's a story told through pictures, music, and words. You can choose the direction of the story at some selected key points, but it isn't simulating anything, it's telling a story. There are lots of visual novels out there, some are about romance, some are about war, some are mysteries. Some have sex and nudity, some do not, some of the ones with sex and nudity are pornographic, while some of the ones with sex and nudity have artistic merits.

 

[Uliana]

So ... the "normal" girl runs 'cos she can't handle the PC's disability, so he has to end up looking to broken girls?
I guess that's logical, right?

Being "normal" or "broken" has nothing to do with the relationships in the story at all.

Hisao's relationships with the girls at Yamaku happen because they're there, nothing more. It's like wondering why people in the same classroom or school have better chances of hooking up together than people who are from different schools. Her becomes interested in the girls for who they are, not because they have disabilities.

Iwanako (the girl who confessed to Hisao) vanished from Hisao's life due to a variety of emotional conflict, most of all guilt and pity.

 

[jimbob123432]

I'm glad someone finally made this game. I used to be engaged to a deaf girl how always felt bad because of her disability. No guy would hang around her after he found out she was deaf. Sadly, she left me because she finally got the courage to find someone "better" because she realized that people could love a disabled person.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

You guys know what's the worst thing about this? The name.


"Katawa" is actually a really bad slur against the disabled in Japanese, they're not allowed to say it on Tv most of the time. It's like the N word but for disabled people.



Beyond that, it's just one more fetish-centered dating sim. Ah well "I have no arms to hug you with" sounds cute to me but the uncanny valley effect would kill my enjoyment of the game.

 

[Pickapok]

You guys know what's the worst thing about this? The name.


"Katawa" is actually a really bad slur against the disabled in Japanese, they're not allowed to say it on Tv most of the time. It's like the N word but for disabled people.



Beyond that, it's just one more fetish-centered dating sim. Ah well "I have no arms to hug you with" sounds cute to me but the uncanny valley effect would kill my enjoyment of the game.

You really have some poor misconceptions of this game. Yes, Katawa is offensive but not on the level of the n word. It's more like calling somebody a retard in the western world. Accurate? Perhaps, but outdated.

Your second misconception is that this is fetish centered. Why do you think this, because it has sex? Does it matter that the sex scenes make up maybe 3% of the entire game? Or that none of them are particularly long or tasteless? Sex can be used in media without pandering to the libido.

Your third misconception (one that the Escapist unfortunately promoted) is that this is a dating sim. It is a Visual Novel and there exists a distinct difference between the two mediums. For one thing, Katawa Shoujo does not simulate dating. In fact, in simulates nothing. It is a choose your own adventure novel as opposed to the wish fulfillment, RPG-esque nature of the Dating Sim. Where as Dating Sims start you off with the specific goal of seducing one of many potential "scores," this game asks nothing more of you than to read the story and make a few decisions. The main character, far from looking for sex, is just discovering friends in a new and alien environment. Given the right choices, those friends can become something more.

Your fourth misconception is in your use of the phrase Uncanny Valley. The Uncanny Valley applies when something appears to be almost-but-not-quite life like. It is that weird area between complete photo realism and caricature that gives us the creeps. Now I'm not sure about you, but looking at the screens from this game I don't think it will be mistaken for anything approaching photo realism any time soon. It falls squarely on the caricature side of the valley, and as such the term does not apply.

Before you respond with your rebuttal, I would invite you to at least play through the first act of the game and reach your own conclusions based on experience. There are no sex scenes in the first act, so you needn't worry about encountering any of those. Just take a look at the writing and how the characters are handled. If you still disagree with it after that, that's just fine. This game isn't for everyone, even if it isn't what you perceive it to be.

EDIT: Wow, didn't realize how long my post was. Sorry if I come off as preachy.

 

[DrRockor]

after playing this for the last few days I've got to say that the disablity thing doesn't factor into the characters personalities that much and the subject is handled respectful.
I also have to give major respect to the artists. I thought that some of it was photgraphs til I noticed some of the brush marks

 

[Uliana]

You guys know what's the worst thing about this? The name.


"Katawa" is actually a really bad slur against the disabled in Japanese, they're not allowed to say it on Tv most of the time. It's like the N word but for disabled people.

The name "Katawa Shoujo" was chosen because the Japanese artist whose work inspired the game's creation (RAITA, character designer for Valkyria Chronicles) penned his sketches as such. While 4LS would've liked to change the name, the title had already been known as "Katawa Shoujo" for far too long.

Here's the original image in question, which does bear the title "Katawa Shoujo" for the concept. [http://perrablog.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/011.jpg]

So if anything, blame the original Japanese artist for the title. It's likely the developers (who are not Japanese) did not realize the implications of the word "Katawa" until it was too late, by which time the project had been known under that name for so long that they simply couldn't change it.

Pickapok already covered what I wanted to say about your second paragraph, so I won't bother with it.

 

[scorptatious]

At first when I read the title of this thread, I was expecting some kind of rape simulator involving disabled girls.

Thankfully this isn't the case. I'm in the middle of Act 1 and I'm really interested in this game. Or should I say visual novel? I don't know what to call it. But it's certainly doesn't feel very much like a "dating sim" from what I've played so far. The characters are varied and interesting and the story is pretty interesting so far.

Can't wait to play more later.

 

[Jack Markley]

I also have to give major respect to the artists. I thought that some of it was photgraphs til I noticed some of the brush marks

the backgrounds are photographs that have been edited. they describe the process in this blog post:
http://katawashoujo.blogspot.com/2009/12/status-and-backgrounds.html
skip to the end, the 12-step recipe, if you don't care about the whole process leading up to it.

 

[DSQ]

OH and I should probably mention, since no one else has, this IS A HENTAI GAME... have fun.

Thanks for the heads up, I was about to try it out of curiosity.

Just to confirm, you are being sarcastic, right?

I'm not actually. I'm not into porn of any kind.

I would say still give it a try. You can turn off any adult scenes and the worst you get once you toggle that content off is some boobies.

I downloaded it without knowing it way eroge either since, like you, i'm just not into that kinda thing at all. But I did view one of the sceens out of curiosty and all I can say is what happens is exsplit but none of the drawings are that explit - at least in Emi's route.

It is a very intersting game and Lilly's route is very well written but if this is an examole of a good VA then I probs will avoid getting anymore. After the first girl it can get a tad... boring. I have to say I like the Persona type sim a bit better where you can control the character a bit more.

 

[DSQ]

No, that's the comic re-interpretation of the heart condition, used for humorous purposes. In the game itself, it's taken dead serious. He has a kind of arrhythmia which could kill him if his heart is put under too much strain from physical exception, a blow to the chest, or even emotional stress, although barring that, he is likely to live a long life. The main character facing his mortality is a big part of the game.

Bah! You caught me, my research period of the game only lasted about 20 minutes, still I realize the severity of heart problems, and that is why I am kind of worried that people who go for the 'super-athletic girl' will find themselves in a 'bad end.'

Atually when it comes to the main characters health that is the good ending. By going after her the guy becomes healthier and it helps improve his condition by eventially strengthening his heart.

I won't ruin it for you but choosing different girls effects the characters personality and health in different ways and with one of the other girls because of her slow paced kind of lifestyle that you adoped when you go out with her your health gets a little worse and it effects the story line.

 

[shintakie10]

Downloaded it when the story first dropped here and have steadily played through one of the arcs (Shizune's to be exact) and I absolutely adore it. The story was well done and I highly enjoyed the characters. The way the main character grows and the others around him grow is quite enjoyable and heartwarmin.

I do differ from a lot of people here though. While the second sex scene in Shizune's arc was...odd, the first one actually felt like it was...I guess natural is a good word. It actually had some context to it and it was subject of some such awkwardness later.

 

[maninahat]

I played it eventually, just to see what the fuss is about.

Thw writing is excellent, at least as far as the opening is concerned. The sense of frustration and depression after spending months in hospital was very convincing. I really felt for the protagonist, and he seemed like a vey authentic, natural sounding person, trying to get over a real problem. The same can be said for the individual girls, who have diverse, colourful personalities. It was interesting seeing their different methods of coping with their afflictions, and the unique ways in which they express their own frustrations.

After about half an hour in though, I have to admit I found it boring. You'd get long stretches of dialogue between characters, with conversations going nonestop for ages. The lack of variation makes for poor reading, and beyond establishing the characters, the conversation felt like pointless filler. I think the problem was that the objective of the game (form relations and fuck girls) wasn't a very compelling one, or at least, not enough to put up with tiresome "kooky" scenes that go on far too long. I've never played this sort of game before, so maybe it is the done thing. Regardless, I think that a story needs more to it than a promise of tits to keep the pages turning. Maybe some over-arching mystery or plot device to keep the reader engaged. Keep changing the scene regularly, reduce the exposition, and provide the reader with more choices. I think an excellent premise and some very heart felt characters went to waste.

But then again, I don't normally play these things, so perhaps I just don't get it.

 

[Shadowcreed]

For everyone who's about to try this:

Don't EVER finish Rin's storyline the correct way and go back to do the neutral ending
2nd most painful event I've experienced in my life.

Spoiler

Its like you've got to know her for real with the successful ending and when doing the neutral one you strangle her with your own believing of what she wants. (pick the 'arent you happy?' option rather than the 'what if you found someone like that?")

I just completely broke down... This damn novel hurts so damn much ;(
How can reach out to emotions SO damn well? its insane. /miss Rin

 

[chadachada123]

Played it for a bit.

It's not terrible, but it goes on and on and really isn't much of a game per se.
Which is fine if that's the sort of thing you like, but I find it boring.

So ... the "normal" girl runs 'cos she can't handle the PC's disability, so he has to end up looking to broken girls?
I guess that's logical, right?

Having a friend that survived a car accident but is still pretty physically mangled (and will probably never be back to full speaking or walking ability)...I can understand why the normal girl would run. For a time, even though he was one of my best friends, I had trouble answering his phone calls or visiting him in person. It was just not the same, even though he was mentally the same inside (though understandably depressed). Many of his other once-friends, though, can't look past the disability, and don't talk to him anymore.

The main character, since he was in a new school for disabled kids, he met new classmates, who all have a disability of some sort. Seems logical to me. Sure, there would be people outside, but as I've pointed out, he'd have quite a huge difficulty becoming close to anyone from his own school, and since he lives on campus...

 

[BlackWidower]

Wow, I really want to play this game now. Though I wonder. What does that image have to do with it? I assume it's gameplay footage, but I don't see any disabled person in it.

One of the girls have no legs, eh? Hmmm...I guess it'd make it easier to [sentence redacted by the Council on Universal Decency...seriously, what the fuck guy, why would you write that!?]!!!! Hot!

Of course it probably isn't one of those games is it? If that's the case, I wonder why the website bothers to give us the character's measurements.

I think the burnt girl's kinda hot. I know many will think I'm joking, but I'm dead serious.

I know many are commenting on the socio-political implications of having a dating sim featuring disabled people, but I don't think there are any.

I think the really amazing thing is, this game is free! That is the real story. Way to bury the lead, Earnest!