Translated by
Microsoft from Spain
Microsoft from Spain
I've Always loved detective stories.
One of the most tender and early dreams of my childhood was being able to become an adult in some famous drunken detective, tired of life and gambler. Solving cases all over the world and posing as a brainless natured to those involved only to then remove the fangs which snake before slowly gobbling his prey.
And even though it has been a long time ago I gave up this beautiful dream (Especially because times have changed and now detective work has been largely replaced by 5 minute searches on how to hack your partner's Facebook in Yahoo replies) I found ADO my Placebo in series, books and above all, visual novels.
And I have to say that SHINRAI-Broken Beyond despair has become one of my favorites.
OF course it does not have that classic and serious air that can offer a Tex Murphy nor does it come to the unreality so dynamic that can offer you a Danganronpa but...
Let's Say that within your own style (which is rather a middle term), you do quite well.
Shinrai is about the events that occurred in a teenage party, but not a completely obnoxious teenagers and idiots who are dying product of their own mental handicap as in one of those cheap Yankees movies that one can only access Product of insomnia and a television channel of dubious quality; Shinrai is credible. His characters are teenagers and of course act as such product of the release of hormones, but that does not mean that they are a lot of turds (... Except Maybe one of them, YES HIRO i'M LOOKING at YOU) and as soon as their development Shinrai knows very well when to put humor and when to get serious.
The mystery is quite well built and comes to surprise by the original of its execution, leaving you with that feeling of "But of course, How the hell had not thought of that before?".
The music is simple but effective, quite well achieved.
The art... Maybe It's the skinny point, but I'm going to play devil's advocate and say it looks better in the game than on the Steam catches and also the attention to detail in the scenarios is outstanding.
But let's go to The most important thing: gameplay.
This is divided into 3 phases, Exploration, decision and Questioning.
The Exploration is similar to a Phoenix Wright, with the difference that you do not have to look at it absolutely everything to continue in the history, Pudiéndote leave sometimes some clue along the way or additional information about the environment and the protagonists, This is VERY important as a result of poor research or a bad relationship of concepts you can reach one of the multiple endings offered by the game, blaming someone who was completely innocent and leaving the mystery unsolved.
The scenarios in which you explore are relatively small, but browsing is practical and fun.
The Decisions are presented to the player every time something relevant occurs in the plot and these can be determinant for the integrity of the characters, again, have a greater knowledge about these and your surroundings will allow you to act properly.
The Questioning and presentation of evidence is given almost at the beginning of the game and then in the climax, when you must solve the mystery, by far the part that I managed to impress, because instead of throwing a "Game Over" or take your hearts for having reached a conclusió No misleading game allows you to go wrong in a realistic way, with their respective consequences.
In short, if you are looking for a visual novel that quench your dose of mystery and you can spend in an afternoon Shinrai is perfect.
PD: Unfortunately Unlike other games I have analyzed, I can not recommend Shinrai if you do not have a high level of English, as some characters use a fairly colloquial speech and can be made incomprehensible. If you are still willing to face the challenge you will need a little patience.
PD2: I Almost forgot to mention Raiko, the angry Kitten, who is one of the protagonists with whom I have more sympathy in my life, intelligent without reaching the exaggeration, sarcastic without getting to the antipathy and something surly, but with a little heart that is gradually going Opening exposing its interior made 100% of pure chocolate.