four words.
full.
metal.
daemon.
muramasa.
Honestly, how this thread managed to exist for almost 4 years and not get even a sliver of a mention is nothing short of a disappointment.
I admit, i'm new to the medium, but of all the vns i've played so far its easily the best one. i've only play 2 other titles by nitro+ (steins and saya) but i feel that that even if i play through all their other works they wont compare to this one.
The story of muramasa is a story of black and greys, where there are no good guys, just lesser and greater evils. That doesn't mean that this necessary is a story of doom and gloom, just one where both the characters and the player have to confront some bitter truths about what it truly means to be a "hero", and what you'll have to sacrifice to become one. I do not want to risk spoiling one of the major plot twists of this game, but after chapter one you really feel the "there are no heroes in this story" statement.
At the center of this story about war is Minato Kagaeki, our protagonist, which is all i can say for him because i can't really determine whether he's a anti-hero or a anti-villain. He's a man of self loathing who hates what he has to do but does it anyways because nobody else can. He wants to be hated because he cant take being loved. He wants to be a monster but still has a human heart. Despite being basically a serial killer, the story still manages to make you sympathize with him even if its not what he deserves. In the four different routes he has to confront his ideals via the four heroines, and in both design and character they are well developed.
Mecha is a medium i did not think would be as compelling in novel form as it is in visual, but i was quite suprised at how well it was handled! To be honest I think calling it mecha may be giving it a false image, because while our main characters do indeed fight their battles in giant robots, the fights are more closer to old school samurai battles than anything. Most of the fights are close combat and there is a heavy emphasis on sword positioning, strike timing, sword feinting, and all that other samurai fight stance type stuff. Their are many different types of mechs and each of them have their own abilities, so every fight feels different, and the story does a good job at making kagaeki feel both vulnerable enough to give each fight a sense of tension, but also experienced and adaptable, so that whenever he wins a fight its truly earned and not the result of plot armor.
Every aspect of this game feels like it was crafted by multiple 5-star sous chefs, all adding in their ingrediants to combine together and make the ultimate stew. From zizz studio's soundtrack to the sound design, to the sick u.i. that goes into mecha mode whenever a fight begins, it all goes into immersing you into the experience.
The only complaint I have with this game are the H-scenes. While I dont mind a tiddy or two in my games i think it can sometimes interrupt important scenes, and it doesnt help that a lot of the scenes aren't drawn well. This game gives berserk a run for its money with how often it uses SA for shock value. It worked well for the opening scene but after that it just felt like overkill.
Overall, great game. I paid $20 for it but id gladly pay the full $40. If your a mechabro or someone who wants a dark setting with an anti-hero / anti-villain protag, it's a pretty high recommend.
