It is but Atlus and ArcSys are just the publishers. It's Toybox's game really.
www.nintendo.com
www.gematsu.com
Sounds like there will only be a physical release in the EU/UK, no ESRB version.
Doesn't seem like it and I suspected as much tbh. Arc Sys never really specified where the game would release and didn't respond to questions regarding the EU release. No idea when we can expect it.
No, those games are not connected.
Thanks, that's good to know.
Yeah same, looks interesting but not sure it's enough for me.
Thanks a bunch for your post. We seem to have pretty similar tastes in games based on your comparisons so I think I'm going to pick it up.I picked it up, I'm past the tutorial dungeon and what seems to be most of the early exposition dump (not too long, we ain't talkin' Persona sized here). My quick summary would be that it's a VN mixed with what looks like fairly light dungeon crawling. Gematsu's article has details and some gameplay videos (all from very early in the game), so you can check that if you want more of the basics.
I can't say much about the dungeon crawling yet since I've only done the first dungeon, but I'm guessing these are structured dungeons with a focus on puzzle solving, so don't think Wizardry dungeons here. The combat is turn-based with some real time elements, you have a set amount of AP per turn and every action (movement, melee, gunshots, etc) uses AP. You actually have an aiming reticle for the gun, with weakpoints to aim at for the enemies. When you end your turn, the opponent gets to do the same. So it's a bit more Eye of the Beholder than Wizardry, but it's not exactly like the former either.
The VN segments are what you'd expect, though the interesting wrinkle is the response system, where you choose one of nine emotions for your response:
You might not be able to see it from this image, but those are actually words spelt out on the eight spots (and not Japanese characters, as I initially assumed). To select one, you just push in the direction of the response, holding longer for the outer options. Your character will respond something matching that emotion. The ninth response is to simply do nothing, which results in you staying silent. The emotions are:
Joy
Love
Amity (friendly)
Hot
Cold
Anger
Somber
Grief
I think Tokyo Ghost Hunters did something similar, and Sakura Wars does the time-limited response thing as well. It's pretty fun, forces you into quick decisions.
Your character is part of a secret society of treasure hunters, and he's been dispatched to a Japanese high school to investigate it, because this is anime and there's always something occult happening at a high school (in fact, the game uses a TV-styled presentation, complete with opening and ending credits, plus a mid-episode break card). Your goal is to explore the ruins found under the high school. It's hard not to compare it to Persona, though I do think this game pre-dated Persona 3, so maybe it's the other way around.
A few more quick points:
-The character creation is a bit unusual: your choice of favorite school subject and after-school club affect your stats, but you'll also need to decide what part of Japan you're from and determine your eyesight based on what I assume is a Japanese scale (1.0 seems to be equal to 20/20), so you know, make sure you know those things. :P
-The translation is solid so far (and has a sense of humor), but there's a few little font size and formatting errors, like this:
Nothing I've missed dialogue from or anything, but it's there. Incidentally, I feel like whenever a VN mentions either OOPArts or the Akashic records I end up liking it, so that's a good sign.
-When a character agrees to explore ruins with you, you get a little card of them, like so:
-So far I'm not sure what the emotion responses affect in-game outside of the immediate responses, but some of the systems mention character relationships so I assume there's a social link thing going on. Although my character sheet now says I'm "really into women," so I'm guessing that was from a response as well (I was a bit too enthusiastic with the school nurse, I think).
-There is what appears to be an entire extra game of sorts that you can access and play from your dorm room, complete with its own battle system (more DQ-esque) and PC-88 styled graphics. Not sure how long it is or what it does for the rest of the game, but it looks fun.
Once I get a bit more into the gameplay loop, I'll share more. As of right now, if an occult-themed VN with some light dungeon crawling sounds fun, you might like this. It's a bit clunky, but in the good way that older PS1/PS2 games can be. It's really hitting the spot for me right now, I haven't played a VN in a while and I'd like some lighter dungeon crawling before Saviors of Sapphire Wings hits in March.
Anyway, here's some out-of-context images to end the post:
Could you please confirm whether Japanese text is supported or not? I was waiting for a sale on the Japanese version, but the NA release is already 50%+ cheaper, so that would be great if I could just buy that.I picked it up, I'm past the tutorial dungeon and what seems to be most of the early exposition dump (not too long, we ain't talkin' Persona sized here). My quick summary would be that it's a VN mixed with what looks like fairly light dungeon crawling. Gematsu's article has details and some gameplay videos (all from very early in the game), so you can check that if you want more of the basics.
I can't say much about the dungeon crawling yet since I've only done the first dungeon, but I'm guessing these are structured dungeons with a focus on puzzle solving, so don't think Wizardry dungeons here. The combat is turn-based with some real time elements, you have a set amount of AP per turn and every action (movement, melee, gunshots, etc) uses AP. You actually have an aiming reticle for the gun, with weakpoints to aim at for the enemies. When you end your turn, the opponent gets to do the same. So it's a bit more Eye of the Beholder than Wizardry, but it's not exactly like the former either.
The VN segments are what you'd expect, though the interesting wrinkle is the response system, where you choose one of nine emotions for your response:
You might not be able to see it from this image, but those are actually words spelt out on the eight spots (and not Japanese characters, as I initially assumed). To select one, you just push in the direction of the response, holding longer for the outer options. Your character will respond something matching that emotion. The ninth response is to simply do nothing, which results in you staying silent. The emotions are:
Joy
Love
Amity (friendly)
Hot
Cold
Anger
Somber
Grief
I think Tokyo Ghost Hunters did something similar, and Sakura Wars does the time-limited response thing as well. It's pretty fun, forces you into quick decisions.
Your character is part of a secret society of treasure hunters, and he's been dispatched to a Japanese high school to investigate it, because this is anime and there's always something occult happening at a high school (in fact, the game uses a TV-styled presentation, complete with opening and ending credits, plus a mid-episode break card). Your goal is to explore the ruins found under the high school. It's hard not to compare it to Persona, though I do think this game pre-dated Persona 3, so maybe it's the other way around.
A few more quick points:
-The character creation is a bit unusual: your choice of favorite school subject and after-school club affect your stats, but you'll also need to decide what part of Japan you're from and determine your eyesight based on what I assume is a Japanese scale (1.0 seems to be equal to 20/20), so you know, make sure you know those things. :P
-The translation is solid so far (and has a sense of humor), but there's a few little font size and formatting errors, like this:
Nothing I've missed dialogue from or anything, but it's there. Incidentally, I feel like whenever a VN mentions either OOPArts or the Akashic records I end up liking it, so that's a good sign.
-When a character agrees to explore ruins with you, you get a little card of them, like so:
-So far I'm not sure what the emotion responses affect in-game outside of the immediate responses, but some of the systems mention character relationships so I assume there's a social link thing going on. Although my character sheet now says I'm "really into women," so I'm guessing that was from a response as well (I was a bit too enthusiastic with the school nurse, I think).
-There is what appears to be an entire extra game of sorts that you can access and play from your dorm room, complete with its own battle system (more DQ-esque) and PC-88 styled graphics. Not sure how long it is or what it does for the rest of the game, but it looks fun.
Once I get a bit more into the gameplay loop, I'll share more. As of right now, if an occult-themed VN with some light dungeon crawling sounds fun, you might like this. It's a bit clunky, but in the good way that older PS1/PS2 games can be. It's really hitting the spot for me right now, I haven't played a VN in a while and I'd like some lighter dungeon crawling before Saviors of Sapphire Wings hits in March.
Anyway, here's some out-of-context images to end the post:
Alternatively you could pick up some Mexican/US/Canadian eShop credit (needs to be credit because European PayPal/European credit cards won't work) and just buy it there. It's quick and painless.
You can always check a game's eShop page to see what languages a release supports, the NA page says English and Japanese: https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/kowloon-high-school-chronicle-switch/
I did check before asking, but somehow I don't always trust it so I wanted 100% confirmation haha
