This is the most amount of games I've played in a single year since... ever lmao. Thanks quarantine! (So apologies in advance now for all the images)
It's amazing to think that I've been (sorta) lurking here and on Twitter for 7 years now lmao. I always see other reviewers doing roundup and/or awards, so I decided to join in on the fun with my own version. (*•̀ᴗ•́*)و ̑̑✧
Table of Contents:
Game I Played - Otome + Mini Reviews
Games I Played - Non-Otome + Mini Reviews
Events - Personal | Gaming
Awards
・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ
Games I Played - Otome
I feel like putting this here is cheating a bit since I did most of my playthrough years ago in 2013... I only picked this up again to play the one route I never played years ago: mf-ing siscon Nesso. 😂 (Will I ever stop talking about BWS? The answer may surprise you lolol)
P.S. Happy 8th Anniversary BWS!!
Cinderella Phenomenon [PC]
A staple for OELVN and English otoges, I finally gave this game a try since it's been sitting in my Steam list forever, plus there's a fandisc that released recently. For an indie game it's really well polished, but of course no game is perfect. Currently I've played 2 out of 5 routes.
Collar x Malice [Vita]
Cupid Parasite [Switch]
Dangerous Shelter [Mobile]
Ikemen Vampire Temptation in the Dark [Mobile]
You'd think I'd be tired of vampire games by now after my half-decade long obsession with Dialovers but nope! I decided to pick up Cybird's newest mobage since they're starting to release partially voiced routes and the first route they chose is voiced by my favorite Tsudaken. (*´艸`*) This game has only been out for a year but apparently drama cds have been releasing prior to that?! I learn new things everyday haha. Also that Leonardo CD is a mighty need... You can find my Leonardo review here.
First Love Story [Mobile]
In my search to find more otome games that include female love interests, I found this fluffy high school-setting game by Favary Inc. called First Love Story. Currently I'm working on Season 1 of Shino & Asuka (not pictured). P.S. There's story chapters available for them now!
Golden Hour (Beta) [Mobile]
Pinoy representation let's go!! Golden Hour is an indie mobile game I saw a couple years back but forgot about, and it seems like the project is revived once more. The demo so far has beta routes of Rui and Kouya, and currently I'm still working through that.
Thelatest second latest game by LucyDream, this time taking place in a zombie apocalypse! The game follows Jae who's infected and searching for something precious, but suddenly finds herself in the middle of something sinister.. An interesting premise, but unfortunately not as amazing as I hoped it would be. You can find my main review of it here. P.S. Yes, there's also a woman LI~
Everyone's been playing New Horizons on their Switch but I don't have one so.. finally trying to gain some progress on this game since I bought it a couple years back and never really did much. 😂 After I was able to buy a switch I jumped on the New Horizons train since all my cousins play it, and then I redownloaded Pocket Camp that I haven't played for a while and... Yeah. Animal Crossing took over my life lol. ..At least before the burnout hit hard and I stopped playing for a while. Took a while to reach 3 stars because burnout but I did it yay. But my progress in general has been... slow lol. I play during holiday events at least and I can only juggle one of these at a time pff.
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn [PS4]
Back at it again with this wacky high-school murder mystery, this time with a female protag! Monokuma returns, and this time he's got underlings. Like majority of the other games I played I didn't progress very far, but it's amusing how I can immediately pinpoint which character is voiced by Midorin lmao.
It's my early Christmas present lol. I love dancing and I need to exercise more, so this game satisfies both of that! I've really been enjoying myself. The game really pushes you to try it's subscription service, but at least K/DA's "Drum Go Dum" will be free for a couple months.
Another game I started last year but had to restart. It's gotten better throughout the years, but a KH game wouldn't be complete without awkward voice acting and cheesy one-liners! The graphics and character models are gorgeous. Too bad the story isn't as satisfying? Still have a ways to go but it feels like a drag half the time.
Yes, this mmo has been around for over a decade. Yes, I'm finally giving it a try after all these years lmao. I finally upgraded my computer towards the end of 2019, so even though it's not a powerhouse gaming computer, I can finally play more things besides visual novels. 😂 It's been a long time since I've been in the mmorpg scene. Tried it with some friends from uni but uh.. got bored of it pretty fast tbh haha. If I ever did pick this up again it would only be for Akala & Evelynn because of this bomb kpop styled vid from 2018 www.
Havenless [Mobile]
The
Nameless ~ The One Thing You Must Recall [PC]
This wonderful game by Cheritz has been on my backlog for agesssssss. Tadah, all your dolls have turned into humans! So far I've only played Lance's route but I love my awkward ice prince son. I've heard a lot of great things about this game so I'm excited to eventually play more.
Nightshade / Hyakka Hyakurou [Switch]
I've been meaning to play Nightshade on PC for ages, especially since Steam sales are amazing. But apparently the Switch version includes the special scenarios DLC (and a nicer font) so... I bought that instead when it went on sale. (▔∀▔) Anyway, I'm barely through the prologue but apparently Enju is the princess of a shinobi clan and wants to explore the world. Believe it.
Remarried Empress [Mobile]
I didn't think I'd get this invested in the story, but here I am lmao. Based on the popular webnovel, Empress Navier reigns alongside her arranged husband Emperor Sovieshu, but everything starts turning upside when a not-so-innocent runaway slave becomes his concubine. The system is frustrating as a F2P player, but I'm always here rooting for Navier lol.
(Shall We Date?) Obey Me - One Master to Rule Them All [Mobile]
So even though SWD lists this game as an otome... I'd argue it's not lol. This game got crazy popular as people flocked to get trading cards of their favorite demon husbandos and talking about how "great" the story was. I played it for a few months (to get free gems on IkeVamp yeet) and here are my thoughts on it.
Shall We Date? Blood in Roses+ [Mobile]
I started playing this (again) back in 2018 because they were releasing Bridget's route. After reading Celina's lovely route on their Love Tangle+ game, I was hungry for more wlw content. I finally got around to finishing Bridget's route and I loved it. I immediately started Matilda's route after and she is also best wife. Eventually I'll get around to writing reviews for both Bridget and Matilda.
Shall We Date? Love Tangle+ [Mobile]
After the success of Celina's route, NTT Solmare released Ivy's route in 2018. I started it back then but then took a giant hiatus on it. I finally returned and completed her route this year, and her route was so fun to read! You can find my review of it here.
Voltage Love 365 (misc) [Mobile]
Games I Played - Non Otome
Among Us [Mobile]
The hot new game of September 2020 and wow is it seriously addicting. Also the simple art is super cute. Play either as a crewmate who must complete all their tasks, or the impostor who fakes work and stealthily kills off the crewmates. Discussions are held each time a dead body is discovered, and you vote out people who you think might be the impostor. Who will win? Also I can't wait for the updates.
Animal Crossing [3DS/Mobile/Switch]
Thanks to Square Enix offering their Starter Edition free for 30 days, I decided to hop on the FF14 bandwagon lol. It's been years since I've played mmorpgs and surprisingly I enjoyed it! Although I didn't realize that class quests are not the same as story quests oops. Maybe eventually I'll renew my sub to finish the main story at least...
Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony [PS4]
Back at it again with this wacky high-school murder mystery, this time with a female protag! Monokuma returns, and this time he's got underlings. Like majority of the other games I played I didn't progress very far, but it's amusing how I can immediately pinpoint which character is voiced by Midorin lmao.
Doki Doki Literature Club [PC]
Honestly I just have one of my friends to thank for motivating me to play this game lmaooo. We didn't get very far, but considering that I am easy to please I just know that I'll get hooked the more I play this "seemingly" cute game. I think this is my first galge?
Dragon Age Inquisition [PS4]
I bought the GotY Edition when it was on sale for super cheap in 2019, although it was one of the games I lost my progress too. But here's some new screenshots of my inquisitor, Myrla! I was in the process of romancing Josephine on my original save, so of course I had to go for her again. Ideally I'd like to play multiple times so I can romance my ladies Sera & Cassandra (with a bi cass mod) and maybe flirt with Harding but.. one playthrough is enough for now lol. Unfortunately a new save means I'm still near the beginning sob.
P.S. Why do so many people like the egg man?? He's just garbo.
Dungeons & Dragons
 |
| My children. View on tumblr here |
Does this count?? Too bad if it doesn't lmao. I've been playing for 3 years now and normally being a shy person I'm proud of myself for coming so far with it. I've had a few campaigns here and there, but I just finished a nearly 2 year campaign and started a new one with the same players. It was hard saying goodbye to my baby I've played for 2 years but now she's safely put away and I'm attached to my new ones haha. I have so many d&d ocs it's ridiculous but I love them all!
Flower Lane: A Record of Romance [Mobile]
A new super cute yuri game by Maybe: Interactive. Playing as a free user takes some time since you need gems to make choices and there aren't a lot of opportunities for free currency, but I love Kaira.
Grand Theft Auto V [PC]
Rockstar Games was giving away GTA5 for free so I decided to nab it even though I don't exactly have a gaming PC. So naturally I played it but I mean.. it's an alright game. Except for current gen versions having an online version, nothing really feels that innovative compared to when I used to play on PS2? I don't get why it's praised so highly lol. I bet it's the tiddies.
Gris [Switch]
Easily one of the prettiest games I've played ever. A chill platformer that unfolds its story with the help of beautiful, symbolic art. I wrote a review for it here. God I love this game.
Hades [PC]
I told myself I wasn't going to start another game before the year ended, but its Steam icon was taunting me as it sat unplayed... I'm not very far yet but I'm glad I picked this up because it's great and I'm hooked. Also 100% love the character designs. Grab some potions before you escape Zag, this isn't amateur hour lmao.
Heave Ho [Switch]
Pass through obstacle courses while daisy-chaining to your friends and yeeting them to victory! A super fun party game for anyone. I wrote a review about it here.
Journey [PS4]
A game I got for free thanks to Sony's Play at Home Initiative. Another chill and gorgeous game, with a slight twist in the credits I was not expecting! Definitely a game to experience and play through multiple times.
Jump Rope Challenge [Switch]
First Ring Fit, now Jump Rope. Nintendo really be telling us to exercise this quarantine. 🤣 Anyway I kinda forgot about it but at least it's cute how you can change otufits.
Just Dance 2021 [Switch]
It's my early Christmas present lol. I love dancing and I need to exercise more, so this game satisfies both of that! I've really been enjoying myself. The game really pushes you to try it's subscription service, but at least K/DA's "Drum Go Dum" will be free for a couple months.
Kingdom Hearts 3 [PS4]
Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild [Switch]
I've been SLEEPING on this game. It's so good!! Technically I started this in December 2019 but I'm including it here because most of my playing and completion was in 2020. I have no clue how many hours I've truly sunk into this game since I borrowed a family member's switch before I was able to get my own haha. But I do know I've sunk a lot. Anyway, definitely a game to not miss.
League of Legends [PC]
Edit: I joined again with a group of friends I vibe with way more and suddenly it's fun again! Lol. I'm a total newbie surrounded by people who are like level 200-300 but it's still fun and games haha. I'm also totally a simp for all of K/DA's songs now.
Monster Prom classic is such a silly and fun dating sim that I absolutely would recommend, especially if you have friends to join as well. Second Term went on sale so of course I nabbed it. Second Term is a DLC to the first game that adds new events/art, npcs, endings, and of course 2 new love interests! Zoe is my favorite of the new LIs.
Another set of super fun party games. Traverse obstacles and race against the clock to finish your dishes to send out to customers or the world will face its doom! (What? Yes, really) A series I'd recommend for any kind of game night with friends especially. DLC of course isn't necessary, but adds more chefs and challenging levels. I played both games on Switch, but I own the first game on PC thanks to Epic Games giving it away for free.
Pokemon Cafe Mix [Switch] 
Yeah, I've started competitive Tetris. 😎 ...And yeah I kinda suck at it lol. The highest I've ever ranked was #25. ...It's really not that impressive, but I've never ranked high ghldskjf.
So this game is actually still in it's demo phase with an estimated release of 2021, but it's such an amazing VN. If you're a fan of BL games or even curious about them, definitely give this demo a try. Interesting characters + fantasy + pretty art = success. You can read my impressions/review of the demo here.
At the end of 2019, the internet went crazy with Henry Caville being cast in the new Witcher series as Geralt. (Meanwhile I constantly sang Toss a Coin to Your Witcher on repeat lmao) So I decided to buy the game in January because I was hungry for more Witcher content and PSN was having a sweet sale. I'm barely past the first section because I obsessively completed every side quest but I'm still having fun~
Yes they're all ladies don't @ me. Also no ranking because they're all best girls lol. I've already talked about them recently, so check this post out on why I love them.
Look I haven't completed any of these games yet don't @ me... But I have loved so far the parts of it I have played!
Ngl all these games were amazing and it was really hard to rank them. ovo;;
It's really crazy to think I started this blog in high school... Now I'm halfway through my Master's degree haha.
Honestly my interest in otome games started to wane, which is why I pretty much took a 3-4 year hiatus. Between not having money for games, no time because of school, and a period of overall non-interesting sounding games I just... didn't play. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But now I'm back in this never ending hell lmaoo.
Per my update in 2019, I'm officially putting my translating days behind me. Being in the fine arts gets hectic real fast, and I just don't really have the time for it anymore. If I do end up returning to translating, it'll be extremely rarely.
Life is Strange Before the Storm [PS4]
Ah, living my dream through Chloe of being able to backtalk to people lolol. (Because I'd get the slipper if I ever spoke the way she does) I played the first game last year and I knew I had to play this one, although if you've played the first game you know that it ends bittersweet. But I'm always down for some good ol' wlw content in my games.
Minecraft Java Edition [PC]
Never thought I'd get hooked on a game about blocks but here I am lmaoooo. Though to be fair I don't play for the reasons most people do. I play on a multiserver with my friends, but
my main goal is to build a zoo at our base. 😂 My proudest achievement is my enclosure with lots of llamas in pretty carpets, and now my nickname is Llama Mama. Also we beat the Ender Dragon!?
Monster Prom: Second Term [PC]
Ōkami HD [Switch]:
This game is so fun!! I've been eyeing it for literally years and I finally grabbed it when it was on sale. I love playing as Ammy and playing on Switch is the perfect version because using the brush works so intuitively with the touch screen. I also adore the brush styled art and how you can just run around being a little gremlin if you really want, while exploring fun things about Japanese folklore.
Overcooked 1/Overcooked 2 (+DLC) [Switch]
Persona 4 Golden [Vita]
I played the original Persona 4 back on PS2 way back when, but I never got to finish it due to life shenanigans. A friend was kind enough to let me borrow P4G, and it was exciting to revisit this ragtag group and discover all the new areas in the vita port. Still slowly chugging along through this game haha.
A PC port was announced at PC Gaming Show's stream in June and was added to Steam that same day! But I already have my vita version so I decided to play that one lol.
Finally, a Switch game that actually utilizes the touchscreen lmaoo. The art is adorable and so is the food!! (No Context: Eat Yamper's Ass) I also like the mechanic of chaining combos by swirling them around. Unfortunately it does get a little repetitive, and of course the game tries to push its microtransactions.
Pokemon Shield [Switch]
Listen, I'm a hoe for Pokemon lol. This was one of a few series that stayed with me as I grew up. Unfortunately I wasn't able to buy a lot of the 3DS era ones, so I decided to hop back into the series with Shield and WOW I was not ready for that graphics change haha. I didn't buy any DLC though because I'm cheap lmao. I've barely progressed in the story because I just want to catch every Pokemon in the Wild Area sob.
Taiko no Tatsujin / Drum 'n' Fun [Switch] 
Everytime I'm at an arcade with a drum station for Taiko no Tatsujin, I always have to play. So of course when this went on sale for Switch I had to buy it- how could you play this game and not use the motion controls? Syncing the motion can be a little buggy at times but it's still fun regardless. If you are using motion controls though, it definitely works out your arms! For a little exercise bonus, I also added squats while playing, so now I get to feel double the burn. 😂 A fun game that works for both solo and multi-play.
Tetris 99 [Switch]
The Divine Speaker - Extended Demo [PC]
Uyrh no Shohousen [Mobile]
Ah yes another game I told myself I wasn't going to start, but it looked so interesting I couldn't resist. The latest game by SEEC Inc. involves a cursed otome app installed onto the phone of womanizers. Men who have been targeted by this app end up getting sucked inside and the world is nothing what they might have expected, especially once they encounter the "heroine"...
The Witcher 3 [PS4]
Yakuza Kiwami [PC]
I've played this game here and there before on PS4 whenever we have game sesh at one of my friend's house. Dan Steed from Bioware was giving away free Steam codes, and I was lucky enough to receive one, which I'm super grateful for. Anyway, I love my daughter Haruka and as much as I love the game, another part of me wishes the whole game could just be bonding with her g;klsdj. Nowhere near finishing because I love the side quests in this game lmao.
Games Played: 47
Games Completed: 9 || Games that never "end": 9
...Whoops😅
・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ
2020 EVENTS
・ﾟ✧・ﾟ Personal・ﾟ✧・ﾟ
- So back in the middle of 2019, my brand new PS4 glitched out and was stuck in forever safe mode. I tried everything to get it back to normal, to recover my data, etc. If there was a tutorial online, trust me I looked at it. I even tried taking it apart with a friend to recover my hard drive but of course Sony decides to encrypt everything. (*¬_¬) So after sitting on it for months, I decided to bite the bullet and factory reset. It was discouraging losing hours and hours of progress, but I'm now using my console again! Also lesson learned for me to eventually buy an external harddrive for backup haha.
- 2020 was going to be my year! I left 2019 on such a high: I graduated with my Bachelors, started my Masters, and overall was just really happy. And then well... lmao. On the bright side I was productive in other ways, just not as I had planned.
- So after weeks and weeks of stalking stock notifications, I was finally able to buy a Switch! Unfortunately grabbing the Animal Crossing version was a lost cause at that point, but I'm happy as I able to buy my own so I don't have to constantly borrow my cousin's haha (Also I can have zero shame about anything I play now). But then well... more stuff happened in the world and it just didn't feel right to play much of anything for a while.
- Edit: Oh look, Nintendo restocked the Animal Crossing version. Why couldn't they do that months ago lmao
- As always, I bought more games on sale that get to just sit on my backlog for a while lmao... Hopefully I'll get to pick them up in 2021.
- About halfway through the year, my cat went through a lot of health problems, which was especially stressful considering she's an old kitty. It was a pretty big financial strain too since I had to take her to an overnight emergency animal hospital for one of her problems, where the cause of that was never really figured out.. 🤔 For another issue she's been wearing a cone of shame for about 2 months but she's almost fully healed now! Edit: She's now cone-free~!
A mimir!! - Besides gaming and continuing my education, I love to draw on the side. I've drawn a lot this year and I'm feeling pretty proud of myself at my progress!! As always though, there's the constant struggle of too many ideas and not enough time lol. Feel free to check out my art on Tumblr or Twitter.
- I'm a bit too shy to share the link right now, but I started a gaming channel with 2 of my friends. 👉👈 Hopefully we'll get to update frequently~
・ﾟ✧・ﾟ Gaming✧・ﾟ✧・ﾟ
Welcome to the year of bad business practices I guess?
- [March] So there was an Otomate art scandal regarding the Collar x Malice artist (Hanamura Mai) and Psychedelica artist (Yuiga Satoru) and it's... a lot to unpack.
- Update: On April 3rd Hanamura revealed all the tweets about "H" were about her...even tho yuiga didn't publicly name her. She posted this video (or: tweet version) showing her drawing process but the anatomy is still... really odd?? Despite all this, she GAINED followers?? 🤔
- This is a very summarized bullet btw so I would 100% read this post by Yukina for the full story/updates
- [November] Look ma, there's more. 🥴
- [April] On April 12th, seiyuu Fujiwara Keiji sadly passed away at age 55 due to cancer. Some of his iconic roles were Maes Hughes (FMA), Leorio (Hunter x Hunter), Reno (FF7), and Axel (KH). Although his otome roles are sparser, he had that ossan voice. Fan dedications poured out online, and some fellow seiyuu even wrote their own memories of Fujiwara. Some seiyuu include Eguchi Takuya, Nazuka Kaori, Emiri Katou, Ono Yuuki, Nakamura Yuuichi, Kurosawa Tomoyo, Shiraishi Minoru.
- [April] Abracadabra Games is RIDICULOUS and honestly kinda predatory in their game pricing. They released their mobile port of Chou no Doku, which includes all the routes with no waiting time for the incredulous price of... $90 with NO voicing. Or you can purchase individually for $29.99. And that's already supposed to be HALF off???? $90!! What!! As this person mentioned, Abra is known for underpaying the ones putting the game together, and they have the audacity to charge that much?? Just... Don't buy it folks. 😐 Or buy the original Japanese versions instead - you won't have to wait to play and you'll actually have voices! The spicy PC version can be found here.
- [May] Seiyuu pajama party. That's it. Please just look it up. 😂😂
- [May] Seiyuu Maeno Tomoaki & actress Komatsu Mikako married. Congrats! 💍
- [June/July] Not otome related, but popular youtube gamer Cryaotic actually making a video that included him admitting he had cheated on his gf years back with underage girls... yikes. Also lots of people in varying gaming communities have been revealed as predators so lmao yikes!
- Cry was the first example I thought of, but numerous other gaming influencers - including competitive gaming - have been revealed to have similar misconduct. Yikes!! Thanks 2020
- [July] Ono Kensho and Hanazawa Kana announced their marriage. Congrats! 💍
- [July] Paparazzi revealed information about TsudaKen's marriage and private life that was on the down-low. Apparently his wife has received death threats in the past and fans are mad that he's married I'm... Anyway you can read about it here. Also just let the poor man have his privacy.
- [July] QuinRose fans can rejoice because Otomate is bringing back a reboot of the Kuni no Alice series! ...Except there won't be iconic characters like Peter or Julius, and characters like Joker, Nightmare, and the twins all have their seiyuu changed. Surprise?
- [July/August] It's an open secret that Voltage USA, the creators of Lovestruck, pay their writers abysmal rates and give horrid deadlines. Writers formed a union called VOW Together and went on strike to fight for higher pay and better conditions.
- After some time on strike, Voltage released a statement that supposedly stated they had fired their writers. VOW however states contracts weren't terminated, but it's still a threat to them nonetheless.
- In August, VOW and Voltage finally reached an agreement and ended their strike!
- A full thread with other links to articles and testimonies can be found here.
- In general I can see both sides. If you're hired on a contract and fail to deliver, then there may be some consequences. But most importantly, workers should have a fair wage to begin with! Voltage is not the only one with horrible pay rates, and it's up to fans as both potential employees and consumers to hold companies in the industry accountable!
- [August] Speaking of company accountability lmao.. Aksys, sweet summer child.
- It's not secret that Aksys has had subpar translation and QA for years. Here's Norn9 from 2015, and Collar x Malice on the vita had a whopping 1185 QAQC Fails + 164 Mistranslations
- Collar x Malice Unlimited's shoddy release is what finally tipped the iceberg for the OtomeArmada. Between things like typos and descriptive text being placed in dialogue boxes, fans understandably weren't happy. (One of numerous examples: [x])
- Many fans are demanding for some sort of fans. Like other veteran otoge gamers, I said that'd be nice but highly unlikely. Aksys has given out typos for years without a patch, why would they now?
- Well call me Boo Boo the Fool, because surprisingly... they're doing a patch!?
- Meanwhile, fans created a spreadsheet (note: lots of spoilers!) that lists errors found throughout the game. Work that fans are doing for free because the outsourced QA team can't properly do their jobs. And there's over 600 errors!?
- Also in an interview about their latest switch titles, Aksys basically saying fuck you to their female fanbase. They're focusing on edgy and dark games that can also appeal to their male fanbase rather than otome games that are "girly with butterflies and sparkles." Because god forbid a woman wants to play a woman-oriented game for the fluffy romance. 🙄
- [October/November] Surprise! Still lots of errors in the new releases Piofiore and Cafe Enchante. On top of that, even the social media team mixes up characters. I'm tired lmao.
- [November] So between their expensive game pricing and over-sexualization of their poc characters, Nix Hydra - the creators of The Arcana - haven't exactly had the best rep for a while. Their kickstarter promises from 2017 still haven't been fulfilled, and Nix Hydra thought they could just sweep that under the rug by... deleting that reward perk? Too bad everyone had already taken screenshots beforehand lmao.
- [December] Nintendo finally updated the Switch to transfer screenshots via phone or computer! No more having to ghost post on Twitter to save your screenshots lol.
- [December] Aksys announced 3 new titles to be localized!? The lucky (and for some: surprising) contenders are Olympia Soirée, Dairoku: Ayakashimori, and Variable Barricade ✨
- [December] Oof can't 2020 just end on a nice note... Seiyuu Ozawa Ren - known for his role in A3 - has been the center of a controversy, enough to get his contract with A3 cancelled. The main issue is domestic violence but if you decide to look it up there's... a lot to unpack.
- [December] Happy anniversary to the game BUSTAFELLOWS. To celebrate, the game is getting a sequel and... an English release!!
・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ
AWARDS
And now time for the 2020 awards!
First of all, Otome Bingo! Based on Hinano's 2020 bingo card
Hey look I have one bingo! I'm actually really surprised I hit so many squares his year, but I guess it makes sense considering how many games I started. 😂
I suppose BWS would technically fall under "animal ears or tails," but since I only focused on Nesso's route I'm not going to count it lol. I can also think of 2 games I played that most likely have yans, but since I haven't played their routes I won't cross it off... yet lmao.
And now for various top 3! Some also with an honorary mention for those who almost placed but didn't.
Top 3 Best Heroines
- Lynette Mirror (Cupid Parasite) is such a fun and charming protagonist! It's also hilarious how she's literally Cupid but knows nothing about love, and goes to Earth as a bridal advisor to prove humans don't need the gods anymore.
- Lucette Riella Britton (Cinderella Phenomenon) is a product of the environment she grew up in, and it was great seeing her develop into who she really is.
- Ichika Hoshino (Collar x Malice) knows that she has a lot less experience as a rookie cop, but she doesn't let that deter her from following through with her goal even with her life at stake.
- Fiona Galland (Black Wolves Saga) is listed as honorary mention because I technically played most of BWS years ago.. But she's an amazing heroine who has to deal as best she can with being thrust into the unjust world around her.
Let Me Love You Squad
aka side characters I wish I could date
Top 3 Routes
- Leonardo da Vinci (Ikemen Vampire). Compared to the other IkeVamp routes Leonardo is more of a slow-burn than spicy, but I love how introspective and mature the route felt. I love him.
- Takeru Sasazuka (Collar x Malice) is a hit or miss for people due to his brashness, but I love tsuns so here I am lmao. I was immediately hooked onto his route, and of course I love how this computer whiz opened up in his own way.
- Lance (Nameless). He's known as the Ice Prince around campus and is always obedient, but really he's just awkwardly trying to find his place in the world. Lots of good things in his route.
- Honorary mention goes to Karma from Cinderella Phenomenon. I can't say a ton without spoilers, but I love how natural the progression of everything in his route went. It was a struggle deciding if Karma should go here for 3rd place, but in the end I ended liking Lance's just a little bit more.
Top 3 Female Routes
- After a close call, Matilda (Blood in Roses+) has my vote as the #1 best girl. She's a succubus who will make a life covenant only with her one true love, and will lay down her life if need be. She's super fun and sweet.
- Ivy Attwood (Love Tangle+) is a perfect and charming businesswoman.. who actually turns out to be not so perfect and that's okay. Also super sweet and is the perfect partner-in-metaphorical-crime.
- Samantha (Havenless). LucyDream may have skimped a bit on Samantha's content but the stuff that was there was *chef's kiss*.
- Kaira Miller (Maybe Interactive: Flower Lane) is honorary mention because of how adorable she is: sporty but like a puppy haha. If anyone could make me like the puppy love trope it'd be her.
Top 3 Garbage Men
- Emperor Sovieshu (Remarried Empress) Omfg this man. Nicknamed "Sovieshit" online and honestly? Very fitting. Essentially a child in a mans' body who blames everyone except himself for his own problems.
- Yosuke Sagara (King of Paradise). If you want shady, manipulative men then he's got it in spades. After obtaining the MC's private information through questionable ways, he offers her a job in his not-so-upfront business and threatens her personal safety in exchange for compliance when he tries to ask for more than her job description.
- Lance (Havenless). I can't talk much about Lance without literally spoiling the whole game... Starts off as a charming flirt but turns out this shady mofo had an agenda all along. Just what the fuck man.
Top 3 Otome Games
- From the bright UI to the hilarious interactions between characters, I've loved every minute that I've played of Cupid Parasite and this is a romcom you don't want to miss.
- Collar x Malice may start off a little slow to some, but once you really get into the thick of the mystery it's so good and addicting.
- Cinderella Phenomenon has a unique spin on fairytales and I love all the numerous plot points that get to be unraveled.
- Black Wolves Saga: Bloody Nightmare is also a fantastic game to play if you like beautiful storytelling and tragedy. Again I feel like this is cheating a little bit since majority of my playthrough was 2013/2014 but... it's just so good. This game set my high standards for tragic games haha.
Top 3 Otome Drama CDs
While I didn't get to listen to a ton of drama cds, 2020 was the year I started listening to them again!
- Yuugen Romantica vol. 2 - Zakuro. A fried tofu addicted, tsundere kitsune youkai. I adored this cd and even though I'm years late to the party, I feel like I understand the hype for Yuroma now. I crave more tsun fox cds. Also any drama cd with Sakupyon is 👌
- Otogi Koibana: Bluebeard and the Bridegroom vol 3 - Edgar [R18]. Loosely inspired by the fairytale, Bluebeard is a resident who turns out to be not-so-human underneath that cloak. Plot is decent but who needs decent plot when you're listening to adult cds lmao. Check this out if you like deep seiyuus especially.
- Lip on my Prince vol. 1 - Seiya. LipOn is such a sweet and fluffy series and I can't believe it took this long for me to listen to a single volume. I really enjoyed Seiya's cd!
Bonus: Top 3 Non-Otome Games
Ngl all these games were amazing and it was really hard to rank them. ovo;;
- Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I just still can't believe I've never played this game until now. Even after beating the game there's still so much to do! I love the art, direction, and so many characters.
- Hades is the most recent game I started playing and already it's jumped up to one of my favs. A rogue-like dungeon crawler that feels very sleek and has amazing character designs.
- Ōkami lets you play as the goddess-in-wolf-form Amaterasu, who has recently awoken after a century of sleep. I'm loving the story and the art direction, as well as the brush mechanic in game.
- Honorary mention goes to Gris due to being a chill platformer that tells its story through beautiful artistic direction.
・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ・ﾟ✧・ﾟ
REFLECTIONS
So my official blog anniversary was on November 15th and just... Wow. I still can't believe it's been 7 years!? And during all that time I took huge hiatuses, sorta translated Dialovers here and there, and played an incredibly slow amount of games. 😂
It's really crazy to think I started this blog in high school... Now I'm halfway through my Master's degree haha.
Honestly my interest in otome games started to wane, which is why I pretty much took a 3-4 year hiatus. Between not having money for games, no time because of school, and a period of overall non-interesting sounding games I just... didn't play. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ But now I'm back in this never ending hell lmaoo.
Per my update in 2019, I'm officially putting my translating days behind me. Being in the fine arts gets hectic real fast, and I just don't really have the time for it anymore. If I do end up returning to translating, it'll be extremely rarely.
Living that quarantine life has been stressful in more ways than one and everything else going on in the world certainly hasn't helped. My mental health also took a nose dive due to a combination of various reasons. 🤡 But.. I survived! And surprisingly still did great in school despite everything going on, so really proud of myself for that one there.
This post ended up way longer than I thought it would, and I'll probably never get to play this many games in a year ever again LOL. 2020 has really been a mess, and unfortunately the gaming world hasn't been much better hah. Regardless I still made the most of it and had fun along the way.
This post ended up way longer than I thought it would, and I'll probably never get to play this many games in a year ever again LOL. 2020 has really been a mess, and unfortunately the gaming world hasn't been much better hah. Regardless I still made the most of it and had fun along the way.
The world has been through a lot this year, and times were so much simpler when cute tags like #2020Vision and #Roaring20s were floating around. Regardless of which part of the world you live in, I hope everyone had as safe and enjoyable a year as you could! There's still a long way to go, but we're here and we survived.
To any of those who are still here, thanks for sticking around and I'll be back with another roundup next year! 🥳
Until next time~
No comments:
Post a Comment