Tag: shin

AMNESIA MEMORIES 

Release Date: August 25, 2015 (North America)
Developers:  Idea Factory, Otomate
Publishers:  Idea Factory
Platforms:  PS Vita, Steam, Mobile (iTunes, Android)
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

Amnesia Memories is one of the first Otome Games I’ve played and ofc one of my all time favorite games, the kind you usually come back to and re-play countless times.^^

ART 
First of all, the artwork is a perfect ten. It is absolutely stunning, and we have Hanamura Mai, to thank for that. The characters were drawn beautifully and they were made to match their personalities in the game. Clothing style reminded me of Visual Kei fashion which was interesting.

MUSIC
Everything from the opening theme, Reverberation to the soothing BGMs were very fitting for the gameplay. I believe my favorite soundtrack, was the end theme, Shinai naru story. It’s one of those ending themes that gives you so much feels after playing a game. I bawled so many times after finishing a route and hearing this melody tune in.

Game Concept
The game starts by letting you (the heroine) choose a world to play in the beginning. Although almost all the game characters appear in every world. Each world offers a completely different story on its own. There’s no common storyline or plot. With that said, one character can be a vicious criminal in the world of hearts but becomes your best friend in the world or spades. The only character that stays the same, no matter which route you choose to play is the character Orion, the spirit who ended up colliding in your head by accident, causing your Amnesia in the first place.

Read the game’s prologue, here.

Routes and Worlds
For better gaming experience, follow the play order below:

1. Shin ♡ (Word of Hearts)
2. Ikki ♤ (World of Spades)
3. Kent ♧ (World of Clovers)
4. Toma ♢ (World of Diamonds)
5. Ukyo 🃏 (Joker World)

You can only unlock Ukyo’s route after finishing the good endings of the four worlds.

The Guys

It’s really hard for me to pick a  favorite among the boys in Amnesia since I LOVE ALL OF THEM and their stories! ヽ(>∀<☆)ノ

Shin  (Heart) – Your childhood friend turned lover.

I really liked Shin and his route tbh. I’m always a sucker for the tsundere type characters, they’re just so ugh adorable..! and in his route, there is enough teasing that got me falling for him, day one. Shin’s personality in the game shows of how much he genuinely cares for the heroine. Although he can be harsh sometimes with his words. His sweet gestures make up for his foul mouth. Shin is a bit controlling and is overall forceful towards you (which I really didn’t mind at all). He’s also a very strong-willed character and he’ll actually do anything, to the best of his capabilities to protect you from harm. His story, on the other hand, ventured more into the murder mystery type plot. It had less romance compared to the other routes of the game.

Kent  (Clover) – Your most adorable math whiz boyfriend.

Kent is another fan favorite. His route was the most lighthearted among the rest and believe it or not, it’s surprisingly good! He’s blunt and very logical. He pretty much has a logical explanation for everything. He’s also an unintentional stubborn character, apparently, he’s not aware he’s being stubborn. ^^;; It was actually very refreshing to play his route since everything he does for the heroine is done with good intentions but always comes as out as rude or awkward. (*´▽`*) One impressive characteristic about Kent is that he’s brilliantly knowing & intelligent and a bright future is already ahead of him before he met you. I could say, his character development was the best. His story was basically him changing his ways after meeting you, learning how to let loose and fall in love and as boring as this may sound – I assure you, it is one of the best routes in the game! SQUEEEEE 

Ikki  (Spade) – Not your average playboy suitor.

Ngl, I actually have mixed feelings for Ikki and his story. Ikki’s was probably my least fav. route since I’m not really into the lady’s-man type. He is not only romantic to you but also to other women in his fan club. Yes, he has a fan club and you’re just gonna have to deal with it. Despite this, Ikki won me over his sexy drunken late night calls. Pretty much, I ended up falling for him too. (chuckles) 

Toma  (Diamond) – Your overprotective brother.

Haha, I know “overprotective” is an understatement but I’ll leave it at that since I don’t want to give out any major spoilers in his route.  Lol, I know Toma gets a lot of hate from fans (esp. in the west).  But not from me. No sir. I guess I have a soft spot for “these types” of guys ha! but, I can also understand how his route got some people uncomfortable. Toma’s character is really interesting, it’s deeper, darker and has more character depth than I expected. To put it simply, his romance is not for everyone. Regardless, I love Toma,  IMO, the extent of his actions towards you (the heroine) was a last resort – all to protect you from harm. That’s just how his character shows his undying love. It may be a little too over the edge for some though.

Ukyo  (Joker) – True Route. No Contest.

Ukyo was my favorite route. I admit, after finishing his route the first time, it took me a couple of weeks to get over this character. His story robbed me of words.  Whoever came up with his story in Idea Factory deserves a freakin‘ raise! I’ve never expected his good ending to be that ultimately heartbreaking and intense. I ended up crying for almost an hour after getting to the good end of his route. His story was a slow burn, it had so much feels I couldn’t even put it to words (without giving out spoilers). Ukyo is a very sweet, caring man that will literally do everything for you. I started getting really curious about this character after his strange and startling appearances in other worlds. Playing his route, explained some of his actions and most of his lines all throughout the entire game. This is why it is really important to play his route last – to get a better grasp of his story and to understand the depth and complexity of his character.

TRAILER

OVERALL THOUGHTS?
Amnesia Memories is definitely one of those titles that are certainly unforgettable. If you’re new to the otome genre, this one is definitely a good game to start. Plot-wise, it’s not too overwhelming compared to Otomate’s other bigger titles. In my course of perhaps four (or five???) years of otome gaming, I have played this game quite a few times and never got tired of it. I’ve also realized how much attached I’ve become with Orion’s character and I always get this painful heart squeeze feeling whenever it’s time to part with him. ORION, you are the game’s MVP!!!

Amnesia Memories is also a game that focused more on ROMANCE. So If you’re more into a game’s fluffy romantic content with, of course, a really good story ground, Amnesia Memories is a perfect choice.

It’s a shame that the game’s sequel Amnesia Later and Crowd is never getting localized. (Though, I still have this tiny sliver of hope in me that someday maybe it will? who knows). ┐(︶▽︶)┌ 

Chlo’s Rating: 8/10