LITV Presents: Katawa Shoujo

[Lost In The Void]

[HEADING=1]Katawa Shoujo[/HEADING]​

Video games have a general trope of featuring heroes. Whether this is Commander Shepard of Mass Effect or the Master Chief of Halo, the general idea is that you are someone capable of greatness, power and strength. You may start out weak, but over time you grow, you are a hero amongst men. Katawa Shoujo a Visual Novel created by Four Leaf Studios, does not make you this hero. You are simply a kid forced to become an adult too quickly as a heart attack takes away his chance at a truly normal life. While this can be only generously called a game due to its Visual Novel status, I feel as if the choices and structure of the piece give it the honour of being called a game.

[IMG_inline caption=The Victim height=350 IMG width=400]http://samukun.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/screenshot0004.png[/IMG_inline]​

Katawa Shoujo, now being called KS for short, takes you into the shoes of Hisao Nakai, an 18 year old that suffers a heart attack due to an underlining condition Arrhythmia. After spending four months in the hospital it is time to decide his educational future. Due to his own disability and the challenges that come with it, it is decided, without his initial knowledge that he will be sent to the Yamaku School for Disabled Children. From there the storyline branches based on decisions made by players in the first chapter and ends with either a Good Ending, or a Neutral ending.

The setting of KS takes place, for the most part, in the School and surrounding areas, however certain storylines will take you to other locations. The locations are taken from real photos and touched up with image manipulation tools to appear more animated. Regardless the environments are beautiful and varied and despite seeing many of the locations multiple times, they never become stale. The art direction is Japanese in origin, which makes sense with the entire setting taking place in Japan. The sharp character visuals contrast against the softly brushed environments that can only be described as relaxing.

[HEADING=3]Its like the world has forgotten this room, and because of that you can forget about the outside.[/HEADING]
-Hanako-

The characters themselves are well rounded as well. There are five girls that you may choose to romance, though once you've committed to one of them the story revolves around that girl leaving no room to back out and choose another. Of course, this being a tale of a boy in a disabled school the girls also have a defining disability. The girls are Lilly, a girl born blind, Shizune, the deaf girl, Rin, a girl born without arms, Emi a girl with two prosthetic legs and finally Hanako, a girl with burns on her face and hand. There are also minor characters such as your science and homeroom teacher, the nurse of the facility, Mishi, Shizune's translator and Kenji, your next door neighbour in the school dorms hell bent on unraveling a radical feminist plot he believes has gripped the school. Each character has their own personality and quirks and while some may fit into your average clichés, each is well enough written that it doesn't show too terribly much.

[IMG_inline caption=The Artist height=300 width=400]http://www.toasterlabs.net/wp-content/uploads/rin-eating.png[/IMG_inline]​

Incorrectly pegged a dating sim by some, KS is nothing like the stereotypical Japanese dating sim. It is instead an interactive story about finding love despite handicaps and barriers and learning acceptance of both the girl's disability and that character's own issues. While some of the dialogue may come off as overwrought and long winded, in general it does well to present the trials and issues with befriending someone and coping with your own shortcomings as a result. This isn't to say that it dwells on the character defining them on their disability, but rather by their personality and how they do deal with their own quirks and shortcomings. It is a love story with a new twist, one that is not usually well done or as tasteful as this one makes itself.

The music accompanying the game is also well done; remaining simplistic but toned to the characters and the settings they find themselves in. The mix of string and wind instruments make for a soft sound that mixes well with the soft imagery creating a relaxed atmosphere for the character to wind through.

[HEADING=3]It is seven years bad luck to comment on an unfinished painting.[/HEADING]
-Rin-

This sort of game is not without flaws though. As stated earlier the text can become a bit overbearing at points and can bore the player with needless overwrought thoughts. There is a limited interactivity with the game due to its visual novel status and a few of the characters can be seen as 'overbearing' due to the need to portray dialogue in text rather than sound. Overall though the game is well put together and tells an interesting story without the tastelessness that I was expecting.

In short, Katawa Shoujo is a game that surprised me. While I initially downloaded it simply to mock its date sim roots that I had been led to believe it followed, I was instead treated to five different stories, each with a fairly well written plot and interesting characters along the way. It not only taught me about their lives, but in retrospect, made me reflect on my own life as well. It is a game that can make you laugh, feel that warm glow in your heart or if you play your cards incorrectly, a cold chill that ends with a hollow feeling in your stomach. It is a great example of gaming and of art and I am glad that I took the time to download it. Katawa Shoujo can be downloaded on their main site found here. [http://katawa-shoujo.com/download.php]

Spoiler: Other Reviews by Lost in the Void

[HEADING=2]Games[/HEADING]
Sins of a Solar Empire [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.145037]
Dragon Age: Origins [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.161457]
MX vs ATV: Reflex [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.165581#comment_form]
Mass Effect 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.171506-Lost-in-the-Void-Presents-Mass-Effect-2#comment_form]
Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.172605-Lost-in-the-Void-Presents-Knights-of-the-Old-Republic]
The Witcher: Director's Cut [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.206375-LITV-Presents-The-Witcher-Directors-Cut]
Golden Sun: The Lost Ages [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.207308-LITV-Rides-the-Epoch-Golden-Sun-The-Lost-Ages]
Amnesia: The Dark Descent [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.264458-LITVs-10-000th-Post-Review-Amnesia-The-Dark-Descent]
Dwarf Fortress [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.273815-LITV-Presents-Dwarf-Fortress]
Mount and Blade Warband [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.283804-LITV-Presents-Mount-and-Blade-Warband]


[HEADING=2]First Impression Reviews[/HEADING]

Bulletstorm [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.259669-Bulletstorm-First-Impressions]
Dragon Age 2 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.269033-LITV-Presents-Dragon-Age-2-First-Impressions#10316738]

[HEADING=2]Satirical Reviews[/HEADING]
The Ice Pick Lobotomy [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.186914-LITV-Presents-The-Icepick-Lobotomy#5696492]

[HEADING=2]Literature Reviews[/HEADING]

Stephen King's Cujo [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.268847-LITV-Reviews-Stephen-Kings-Cujo#10305683]

[HEADING=2]Television Reviews[/HEADING]

Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book One: Water [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.316432-LITV-Reviews-Avatar-The-Last-Airbender-Book-One-Water]
Avatar: The Last Airbender: Book Two: Earth [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/326.335275-LITV-Presents-Avatar-The-Last-Airbender-Season-2]

[HEADING=3]Or maybe I'm the only one who sees it as a stigma. Maybe after time you get used to it, like any other school uniform...[/HEADING]

 

[ChupathingyX]

Just in case...

Spoiler

You said that Hanako has scars on her face and hand, but they actually spread throughout the entire right side of her body and most of her back. I'm not sure whether you didn't mention this due to spoilers or you don't know yourself.

Also, in some cases there is also a "bad" ending and apparently you can die at some points (but I haven't experienced this).

Good review, I was intrigued by this as I had never read/experienced/played a VN before and I was quite surprised by how much I liked this.

 

[Pimppeter2]

Great review, I really loved the formatting.

As far as the game goes, I'm still the type that can't take any of these games seriously because of all the hilariously written porno games that feature this style. Not my type, probably never will be.

 

[Lost In The Void]

Just in case...

Spoiler

You said that Hanako has scars on her face and hand, but they actually spread throughout the entire right side of her body and most of her back. I'm not sure whether you didn't mention this due to spoilers or you don't know yourself.

Also, in some cases there is also a "bad" ending and apparently you can die at some points (but I haven't experienced this).

Good review, I was intrigued by this as I had never read/experienced/played a VN before and I was quite surprised by how much I liked this.

Spoiler

Thats exactly why I didn't mention it, I felt as if that would take away from the moment if they do a playthrough of her path. There are also bad endings, but they take some work to get, especially the death ones.

Great review, I really loved the formatting.

As far as the game goes, I'm still the type that can't take any of these games seriously because of all the hilariously written porno games that feature this style. Not my type, probably never will be.

I do know how you feel dude, hilariously enough this is the first serious visual novel I've done myself. I do recommend it regardless of whether or not its your type because its not my type either, I downloaded it as a joke. But hey to each their own right?

 

[Pimppeter2]

I do know how you feel dude, hilariously enough this is the first serious visual novel I've done myself. I do recommend it regardless of whether or not its your type because its not my type either, I downloaded it as a joke. But hey to each their own right?

I suppose it might not kill me to give it a try. Might not. But I have so much sitting on my desk I doubt I'll give it a fair chance. Maybe in a dry streak.

Also, I was rereading my review of "The Castle", and it reminded me how badass "Raisen" is. haha

 

[Lost In The Void]

I do know how you feel dude, hilariously enough this is the first serious visual novel I've done myself. I do recommend it regardless of whether or not its your type because its not my type either, I downloaded it as a joke. But hey to each their own right?

I suppose it might not kill me to give it a try. Might not. But I have so much sitting on my desk I doubt I'll give it a fair chance. Maybe in a dry streak.

Also, I was rereading my review of "The Castle", and it reminded me how badass "Raisen" is. haha

Thats pretty much the same reason I downloaded it, slow month for me what with Silent Hill Collection HD getting delayed. As for the Castle, I remember rereading the review a couple weeks ago and smiling at the nostalgia. Loved the character Raisen, but goddamn am I glad my writing has improved since then.

 

[Sassafrass]

Good review, Mr Lost. The formatting is pretty awesome too, I'll admit. And you already have my foibles, I've mentioned it already.

As for the game itself, I'll look into it after I've gotten back from sunny old London.

 

[Jack and Calumon]

Hmmm, one thing I don't believe you covered in your review is whether it is friendly with newcomers to visual novel gameplay. Never played a game like it before, so would I just slip right in?

Calumon: ...That's not a nice title for a game. >: (

Jack: Wait, what? What does it say? What does it say?!

It says, essentially, the equivalent of "Retard Girls" in Japanese.

 

[Lost In The Void]

Hmmm, one thing I don't believe you covered in your review is whether it is friendly with newcomers to visual novel gameplay. Never played a game like it before, so would I just slip right in?

Calumon: ...That's not a nice title for a game. >: (

Jack: Wait, what? What does it say? What does it say?!

It says, essentially, the equivalent of "Retard Girls" in Japanese.

Yeah I agree that it was indeed a poor choice in name for the game, but hey you can't win them all eh?

As for its accessibility, considering it was my first visual novel I'd say its pretty accessible

 

[Monoclebear]

It was my first VN too, and i must say it was pretty easy to get into. The characters are great and some storys hit me like the emotional equivalent to a truck full of bricks and i had to cry for the rest of the game.

 

[DeadpanLunatic]

I have removed my words from this site.