[T] [CE] Inboubarashi-hen ☆

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[T] [CE] Inboubarashi-hen ☆

Post by enigma »

Image
CLCman wrote:Don’t play it with the lights off.
Play Now
Notes!
  • This is based on Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni by Ryuikishi07. Purchase the first arc here! And the second arc here!
  • This game was created for the Novus Ordo Turnaboutum competition by CLCman and calvinball.
  • This game contains spoilers for Onikakushi-hen. Don't play it if you want to remain entirely unspoiled.
  • Having played Higurashi is NOT required to play/enjoy this case. Do not let disinterest in Higurashi or zero plans to play Higurashi get in the way of you playing this game.
  • SwagmaWampyr, having played this case, recommends having played Higurashi Arc 1 before this game. He has graciously offered to hook up (buy) anyone wishing to play Arc 1 before this game with said Arc.
Competition Reviews
Spoiler : Calvinball :
黒嶋 埼本 Zakimoto Kuroshima is a divorce lawyer who's been tasked with an odd job: in the town of Hinamizawa, a young boy was accused of killing two of his friends and then committing suicide. Normally, that would be the end of things, but one of the boy's friends was the daughter of the Sonozaki family, a major political and religious power in the village, and they're out for blood, hoping to get their revenge by sullying the boy's name further in a village tribunal. The case seems straightforward enough at first glance, but not everything is as it seems in Hinamizawa, and Kuroshima may be in for more than he bargained for...

Inboubarashi-hen is a different kind of Ace Attorney fancase for one big reason: it's a crossover with Higurashi. Now, I had pretty much no experience with Higurashi before playing the case. All I knew was that kids murdered each other and... yeah, that's pretty much it. There's some good news with this case, though: your playing experience not only isn't hampered by not knowing about Higurashi, I suspect it may be enhanced. So a great job from enigma for making sure that even Higurashi newcomers would have a good time.

The tone of the case is normal enough at the start. There's an extremely creepy prologue, but that's not unexpected, and the jabber in the courtroom lobby isn't anything unusual. We meet our protagonist, our co-counsel, and we find out our defendant is dead. Weird, but not crazy.

Then you enter the courtroom and everything changes. Inboubarashi-hen is definitely a horror case and it's not because of zombies or ghosts; it's because the atmosphere of the case is simply eerie and it doesn't let you go once it starts. I really have to compliment Inboubarashi-hen's horror, though. It's a very subtle sort of creepiness, the kind that you get where things are just not quite right. It's a tricky balance to hit, but this case does it very well in my opinion.

The case has some nice presentation. A fair amount of custom music is utilized, and to excellent effect. The tracks that add to the eerie atmosphere are a real highlight in this regard. The case has some really fantastic sprite casting for its original characters as well, and they all just felt really alive.

Unfortunately, not all the presentation was good. I noticed that in an effort to make the available Higurashi sprite blend in better with the original characters' Ace Attorney style sprites, enigma endeavored to get the Higurashi sprites' mouths animated. Unfortunately, this did not always work. Rika's sprites look slightly glitchy, while the detective's sprite goes CRAZY every time he tries to speak. None of these, however, are really enigma's fault, and I can't blame him for this as I'm no good as an artist in the first place. My only hope is that these things can be rectified in the future somehow. Leaving the Higurashi sprites without mouth animations really might be an option, though. I've seen a character with no mouth animation or blinking animation before in a case, and it wasn't that big of a deal.

The plot is fascinating, and while some of it is borrowed from Higurashi (at least, I think it is. clcman and I did a little research after we finished the case.) much of it is from enigma's own mind (especially because we have OCs involved) and it's fascinating to see the case and mystery unfold. There are some incredible twists in this case, and the development of the story is as interesting as the development of the characters.

Speaking of characters, that was another big highlight. The OCs of this case are some of the best I've seen, and the character arc of one of them was just so great to see. Man, I wish I could say more, but I can't spoil anything. All I can say is go play it when it comes out.

Puzzles are well-executed except for ONE, but enigma knows what we're talking about so we'll leave it at that. Aside from the one problematic puzzle, this case actually, I think, had some of my favorite puzzles. There's one near the end which is very well-executed, as it takes thinking but everything is laid out plainly, so it feels very fair. Now, was it the craziest, insanest, toughest puzzle ever? No, which is good in my book because I suck at puzzles. But it WAS a well crafted, well-explained puzzle that in no way felt iffy. Basically, nice puzzles (except the ONE, but you know what we're talking about enigma).

To wrap up, Inboubarashi-hen is a little taste of something different, but it was delicious and left me hungry for seconds. Wow, that was actually awesome sounding. If I ever become a film critic or something I'm totally using that.

Sorry about that; let's get back on track.

To wrap up, Inboubarashi-hen is a little taste of something different, but it was delicious and left me hungry for seconds. There were some glitching sprites, and there was a problematic puzzle, but these issues pale in comparison to the skillful writing, intricately woven plot, moving characters in the case. You don't need any Higurashi knowledge to play, or even Ace Attorney knowledge besides how to play, really. The case provides a superbly eerie atmosphere and clever puzzles with hints at something even more chilling waiting in the shadows, just dying to be found out, and I'm down with that. Kudos to enigma for an excellent entry!
Spoiler : CLCman :
Summary

Zakimoto Kuroshima is an experienced and professional divorce attorney in 1983 Japan. However, he has been hired by a mysterious employer and brought to the town of Hinamizawa to take part in an unusual court proceeding. Two young girls have been brutally murdered and it’s up to Kuroshima to defend the main suspect. Of course, said suspect is also dead in a bizarre apparent suicide. Go figure. And that’s BEFORE the cult-like local behavior, a sinister group with unknown motives and a homicidal guardian spirit that supposedly kills all of the village’s enemies get involved. This is going to be a tough one…

Review

How does one describe Inboubarashi-hen? Dark and gritty? Moderately to significantly terrifying? A reason to never want to see a Japanese honorific ever again? The answer is, of course, yes, but it’s also more than that.

Inboubarashi-hen is a crossover, but an atypical one. In fact, this is the first crossover I’ve ever seen that I think works better for people who HAVEN’T seen one of the two sides. (And to be honest, you don't need to know anything Ace Attorney other than how to play.) If my limited understanding of Higurashi is correct, basically all of the main characters have been murdered, and it’s up to this OC (Kuroshima) to figure everything out. Or something like that. Things get pretty crazy pretty fast.

The greatest strength of Inboubarashi-hen is without a doubt its atmosphere. You see, Inboubarashi-hen isn’t just a mystery. Much like Higurashi, it is a psychological horror game, and enigma does this quite well. There are the early-on points that are more discomforting than disturbing, like the crowd, prosecutor and judge’s rather… excessive devotion to the village’s “Three Great Families.” Then there are the things that are creepy but not quite horrifying, like when some of the profile pictures gain creepy shadows and smiles without you noticing. It's a LOT more disturbing than you'd expect. THEN you get to the legend of the village’s guardian spirit that allegedly kills all of the town’s enemies, and the fact that the crowd seems OKAY with the idea of having a murderous ghost running around. THEN things start to get nuts. Only then. In short, Inboubarashi-hen is a perfect example of “boiling water” tension: increase it a bit at a time so the player doesn’t notice until it’s too late. This also had the peculiar effect that nothing really “shocked” me. Every step we made towards the truth flowed together well enough that it felt more like a logical chain of thought than a sudden shocking revelation. Of course, I had no problem with that. I just thought I’d mention it, because it was an interesting effect in the rather "dramatic revelation" heavy world of Ace Attorney.

As far as mysteries go, Inboubarashi-hen certainly has one of the more... puzzling causes of death I’ve encountered, causing me to scratch my head and say “I KNOW it’s a murder, but how did they do that?” Its primary mystery, however, lies in the vast and far-reaching conspiracy that Kuroshima finds lying before him. And the question always lying on the tip of your tongue is “are these people in on the conspiracy, or just passively letting it happen, and which one is worse?” If the outline of this mystery sounds familiar to Higurashi fans, there is also another piece to it which I am fairly certain is NOT a part of Higurashi, and it just makes the entire situation more insane.

Presentation-wise, Inboubarashi-hen is acceptable. The custom backgrounds and evidence (not to mention profiles) look really good, and the OCs (Kuroshima, his assistant Kasumi and prosecutor Onimura) use excellently-chosen “Random Characters for People to Use” sprites. The Higurashi-derived sprites look… okay. Calvinball has more details on some of the issues we encountered, but it’s nothing that can’t be polished up and fixed, and it doesn't really bring down the case. The one casting choice I disagree with is the judge. He is sufficiently different from the canon Judge that I would prefer he have different or modified sprites (see Professor Layton vs. Ace Attorney for an example). But it’s not a big deal.

The dialogue is generally good and case usually feels pretty polished. EVERYONE uses Japanese honorifics all the time (which can be a little distracting), but that’s clearly a style choice and largely justifiable, given that the game is literally in Japan. Also, like with Gumpei’s case, characters use a lot more profanity than is normal for Ace Attorney. However, given the situation and tone (there is literally a piece of evidence called “Serial Death Report”), it fits fairly well here, and I can forgive Kuroshima a goddammit or three here and there. Still a few bits (like Kasumi calling Kuroshima an “asshat”) that seemed unnecessary or extraneous, but that’s a decision up to the author, not me. Also, I'm incredibly confused as to whether the profiles are surname first, personal name last, or personal name first, surname last. It felt like there were some of both. But that could just be me and my lack of understanding of Japanese culture.

Music is generally good, with certain choices being absolutely amazing. In particular, one certain character’s theme at the end of the part we got ("Good evening ladies and germs"). enigma knows what we’re talking about, and so will all of you when it comes out.

Inboubarashi-hen has some decent puzzles, and in its later part (when Kuroshima is actually putting pieces together) everything flows very well, and included one of Calvinball and I’s favorite puzzles. There was one or two spots where we felt that a valid objection could be made using a piece of evidence that wasn’t accepted, and there is a multi-evidence present that only took the evidence in one order, but all of these complaints were very clearly highlighted in our SoC, so hopefully enigma’s working on that right now.

There is one unique gameplay element to Inboubarashi-hen, and that is its penalty system. As the local council (the ones REALLY making the decision in the trial, not the judge) becomes more impatient, they give you less wiggle room. Pressing statements (and possibly just standing around, I’m not quite sure) will, over time, INCREASE the size of the penalty that you will receive should you present wrong. However, this system has some glitches. In particular, there was a tendency for the penalty bar to be flashing at around 20%, and if you made an incorrect present you’d get a full bar penalty and lose. As alarming as this system could be, the fact that this is a V6 trial and we could just instantly reload a save cut down on the concern A LOT. To be honest, I’d recommend this system be discontinued. It didn’t work all that well and really added nothing to the experience. The trial’s atmosphere and story keep the tension well enough without additional mechanics. If any part of it is kept, I would recommend the fact that getting a penalty increases future penalties for that cross-examination; it’s clever and makes sense, especially since Kuroshima is on very thin ice the entire time.

In summary: Inboubarashi-hen is a monster of a case that starts off nuts and gets nuttier. Its atmosphere is extremely tense and generally disturbing, especially the further you go. The conspiracy manages to be the most fleshed-out of any of our cases, yet is also the most mysterious. All of the important OCs are compelling and the case fits together very well. To demonstrate how well the horror vibe is accomplished, there’s a non-penalty related bad ending. (Don’t worry, it’s very easy to spot.) What happens? Absolutely nothing. The protagonist goes home and everything is fine. AND IT’S HORRIFYING. Yeah, enigma has this horror thing down pat.

So, do I recommend Inboubarashi-hen? Well, you better like grimdark things. And be able to tolerate Japanese names and honorifics. You don’t need to know anything about Higurashi and it may actually be better if you don’t. If all of these things apply to you, then you may want to check Inboubarashi-hen down when it comes out (which, according to enigma’s signature, is pretty darn soon).

Just don’t play it with the lights off.
Track List
Spoiler : Minor Spoilers :
Opening: Higurashi Main Theme
Court Lobby: Kamiki Village ~ Okami
Court Opening: Dim Lantern ~ Fatal Frame
Logic: Kakugo ~ Jigoku Shoujo
Announce the Truth: Kairai ~ Shigurui
Oh Crap: Virtua Mima ~ Perfect Blue
Judgement Room: Hyoui - Game Lan Ver.
CE Moderato: Corpse Party ~ Corpse Party: Book of Shadows
CE Allegro: Confutatis ~ Corpse Party
Kuroshima - Objection: You - ElectroHouse Mix
Suspense: Jiken ~ Higurashi
Thought Route: FNaF3 Ending Remix ~ Deltahedron
Village Funeral: Main Theme - Tsumi (Another Version) ~ Higurashi
Rebuttal: Gun ~ Higurashi Kai
Onimura's Ringtone: Dear You - 8bit
Onimura's Attack: Anten ~ Higurashi
Rika's Theme: Shizuka Na Asa ~ Higurashi
Super Objection: The Way ~ HDMusicization
Correct Answer: Final Answer ~ Umi
Solution: Close Mission (Arranged) ~ Higu Daybreak
Spoiler : Major Spoilers :
Night Walk: Curtain of Night ~ Professor Layton
Good Bad End Credits: Inside Sadness ~ Professor Layton
Misae's Diagnosis: Goodbye For Now ~ MrEpicOSTs
Sad Second Wind: The Red Truth ~ MrEpicOSTs
Kasumi's True Colours: Virus ~ MrEpicOSTs
Game Changer: Mystic Antique ~ Trick
Oyashiro-sama: Oyashiro-sama
By Starlight: Wind of June ~ MrEpicOSTs
Fear: Koukatsu ~ Higurashi
I AM KASUMI: Cult ~ Kikuo
The Truth Revealed: The Truth ~ Parasyte
Kasumi Failure: Midousuji's Theme ~ Yowamushi Pedal
Final Judgement: Hayashi (Piano Ver.) ~ Higurashi
Last Chance: Unlimited Blade Works ~ Fate/Stay Night UBW
Mistakes We've Made: GitS Origa - Inner Universe Piano Cover ~ TheEnigmaTNG
Coming Home: And I'm Home (Instrumental Ver.) ~ wowaka
Credits/Farewell: Yami Ni Nureta Catastrophe ~ Corpse Party
Epilogue: Shizuka Naru Kougi - Shuku ~ Higurashi
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inboubarashi-hen Invisicules!
Witness 1 - Testimony 1
Spoiler : Hint 1 :
Believe in the heart~
Spoiler : Hint 2 :
Well, if you take all the profiles to be 100% true, doesn't something they say make no sense?
Spoiler : Hint 3 :
I know this is Higurashi, but... Well... Why would someone end a friend?
Spoiler : Solution :
Present Rena or Mion at Statement 1
Witness 1 - Testimony 2
Spoiler : Hint 1 :
There are two contradictions here. See if you can spot two weak spots in Ooishi's argument...
Spoiler : Hint 2 :
I personally never trust a man who talks of assumptions and "implications". That just reeks of low self-confidence
Spoiler : Hint 3 :
You know, off topic, but I don't think you can really call this YOUR walkthrough. I mean, I don't see your name on it.
Spoiler : Hint 4 :
Okay, I lied. That was totally on topic. The other cryptic hint too. The weak points are nothing implying a third party and the baseball bat belonging to Keiichi.
Spoiler : Hint 5 :
Still confused? Well, what's something that happened that Keiichi had no reason to do? As for the bat, check it's description. Anything seem off to you?
Spoiler : Solution :
Present Keiichi's Note and the Baseball Bat at Statement's 1 and 3, respectively
Witness 1 - Testimony 3
Spoiler : Hint 1 :
Well, to begin, is there anything that sets this testimony apart from the rest?
Spoiler : Hint 2 :
Well, the other testimonies are actually in the game
Spoiler : Solution :
This Testimony Doesn't Exist
Witness 1 - Question 1
Spoiler : Hint 1 :
Why am I wasting time making fake invisicules?
Spoiler : Hint 2 :
Well, it's not like Enigma has anything better to do
Spoiler : Solution :
Pick Enigma has no life
Witness 2 - Testimony 1
Spoiler : Hint 1 :
As risky as it is, you're going to have to get busy pressing or get busy dying.
Spoiler : Hint 2 :
Have you managed to get the extra statement? You'll need to do that first.
Spoiler : Hint 3 :
After that, you'll need to head into the co-council section for everyone's favourite kind of objection~!
Spoiler : Hint 4 :
Fundamentally, a super objection is an equation. [Y] + [X] = Contradiction. Now, if you think about that... It's connecting two things! And what statement talks about connections~?
Spoiler : Hint 5 :
Super-objections seem daunting but, in actual fact, this one's very simple. All you need to do is work out what's exactly the same in both the current year's Watanagashi and the Keiichi incident.
Spoiler : Solution :
Super-present The Autopsies or Keiichi's Profile, and the Serial Death Reports to Statement 3.
Witness 2 - Testimony 2
Spoiler : Hint 1 :
What do you think I am?
Spoiler : Hint 2 :
Made of time and testimonies?!
Spoiler : Hint 3 :
Ya damn hippie
Spoiler : Hint 4 :
Go get a real job
Spoiler : Solution :
Capitalism
Witness 2 - Testimony 3
Spoiler : Hint 1 :
IT'S THE EYE OF THE TIGER
Spoiler : Hint 2 :
DUN DA DA DUN DA DUN DA DUN
Spoiler : Hint 3 :
'Rising up, back on the streeeeets
Spoiler : Solution :
Defeat Rocky Balboa
Witness 2 - Question 1
Spoiler : Hint 1 :
Ignore Keiichi, we've spent enough time on his case. Focus on Tomitake. Who could have killed him?
Spoiler : Hint 2 :
It had to have been someone who knew him... But do we have the profile of anyone like that?
Spoiler : Hint 3 :
We don't! So, it has to be someone we need to write the name of... Hey! Wasn't there someone who fits the bill in the Death Report?
Spoiler : Solution :
Type in Miyo Takano
Witness 2 - Question 2
Spoiler : Hint 1 :
I'm tired of writing hints.
Spoiler : Hint 2 :
Write your own...
Spoiler : Hint 3 :
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH
Spoiler : Solution :
why didnt i just write a walkthrough
Perceive/Thought Route/Psyche Locks/Other Special Gameplay
Spoiler : Hint 1 :
The first answer is: How many people are missing
Spoiler : Hint 2 :
The second answer is: 4
Spoiler : Hint 3 :
The third answer is: present Keiichi's Note
Spoiler : Solution :
Finally, choose th-
Major Choice
Spoiler : Hint 1 :
Are you a hero? Or are you an ordinary man?
Spoiler : Hint 2 :
There's honestly no truly good answer here.
Spoiler : Hint 3 :
Still, you have to be in it to win it
Spoiler : Solution? :
Pick Keep Going to get the true path
Proof Question - Question 1
Spoiler : Hint 1 :
Make no mistake you're going to need hard evidence here
Spoiler : Hint 2 :
Which means presenting something which proves the existence of this group beyond a shadow of a doubt
Spoiler : Hint 3 :
It's not in Keiichi's case, I can say that much
Spoiler : Hint 4 :
So it's somewhere in Tomitake's case...
Spoiler : Solution :
Present the Serial Death Report (boy, that piece of evidence is sure getting a work out today...)
Witness 3 - Testimony 1
Spoiler : Hint 1 :
Fitting with the argument, there are 3 contradictions.
Spoiler : Hint 2 :
Remember, you don't have to prove anything. Just show that what you're doing/thinking is feasible.
Spoiler : Hint 3 :
Present State of Keiichi's House on Statement 3
Spoiler : Hint 4 :
Present Serial Death Report on Statement 4
Spoiler : Hint 5 :
Now, taking what you learnt from those two objections... What is the final answer meant to be?
Spoiler : Solution :
Present Police Transcript to statement 7
Witness 4 - Testimony
Spoiler : Hint 1 :
Give up
Spoiler : Hint 2 :
Give up
Spoiler : Hint 3 :
Give up
Spoiler : Hint 4 :
Give up
Spoiler : Answer :
Give up
Special Gameplay
Spoiler : Hint 1 :
Gakkou Gurashi is a very good anime.
Spoiler : Hint 2 :
So is Madoka Magica
Spoiler : Hint 3 :
Big fan of Paranoia Agent
Spoiler : Answer :
Pick "Enigma is a weeb"
Final Witness - Testimony
Spoiler : Hint 1 :
How do we know that Rika was the mastermind?
Spoiler : Hint 2 :
Is there anything relating to the crime scene that indicates her presence?
Spoiler : Hint 3 :
She seems very fond of saying Mi and Nipaa... Where have you heard that before?
Spoiler : Hint 4 :
Listen to the tape recording of the crime again... That cat isn't saying mew
Spoiler : Solution :
Present Tape Recording and choose "Mi~!"
Last edited by enigma on Sun Dec 20, 2015 8:31 pm, edited 9 times in total.
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Re: [T] [CE] Inboubarashi-hen ●

Post by Gav »

I should point out that the first arc is also available for 99 American cents for anyone who owns an iOS device. Use it as a last resort, for it contains the old versions of the sprites.
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Re: [T] [CE] Inboubarashi-hen ●

Post by kwando1313 »

Oh sweet, you released it!

Play this. It's very good.
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Re: [T] [CE] Inboubarashi-hen ●

Post by Reverie »

I might do some sort of full reviewy-type thing like usual if you want it, but you've had three betas, so it might just be a waste - it's already incredibly polished. I could do it if you wanted, but... I honestly don't have that much in the way of criticisms.

However -
Spoiler : Typos and presentation slips :
American's -> Americans
Prosecutions -> Prosecution's
A full stop without a space after it: "(After all, it's not like I'm proving they're the killer.I just need a possible culprit.)"
The comma/full stop inconsistency in the Autopsy, between Rena and the other victim's page.
"-san" and "-San" seem to switch around a lot.
(Have you really thrown away your own wifes survival for this?! What the hell is wrong with you!?)
Heh.Heh.Heh...
P:Maebara-San! Who's doing this!? (Needs a space, it's on the call report.)
her [new frame] !?)
"Made for the Novus Ordo Ordo Turnaboutum" (in the final credits)
The prosecution's first objection bubble doesn't proceed automatically.
...Aaaand the judge being in front of the bench. You could just set the top of the judge's bench as a foreground object and it should cover up the extra pixels.
Other than that, just... really good stuff. I do have a couple questions...
Spoiler : Spoilers :
What was the point of the guilty/not guilty decision? Even after digging through the editor, they don't seem to change anything, and it was admittedly disappointing to go back to select Not Guilty to get the same ending.
I'll also admit to save scumming during this, even after you said it would affect stuff. After the eleven billionth broswer crash, I did have to load a few saves to get back to where I needed to be... but it doesn't look like this changes much either? Looking through the editor, there was a health tracker after all (called it), but what was that for?
Last edited by Reverie on Sat Sep 26, 2015 7:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [T] [CE] Inboubarashi-hen ●

Post by enigma »

Will fix the typos and such tomorrow. For now, I'll respond to the rest.
Spoiler : Spoilers :
The guilty/not guilty choice should be loading a different image every time you pick not guilty. It's hooked up to an image randomiser. However, I'm not sure but I think V6 has ruined that. In any case, the point was supposed to show how even if Rika wants to choose not guilty consciously or subconsciously, she knows she can't. It's a symbolic story thing...

Inboubarashi doesn't have a health tracker. The health variable is used in a unique mechanic where the amount of the penalties you recieve is determined by how much you press and how much you fail which increases it, however it reduces every time you get something right. This is, naturally, to show the swaying feelings of the Three Great Families.

Save scumming, however, messes with the variables and results in it giving you full penalties out of nowhere and other nonsense, it seems. Which is why I had to put in the retry system.
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Re: [T] [CE] Inboubarashi-hen ●

Post by Bad Player »

Gav wrote:I should point out that the first arc is also available for 99 American cents for anyone who owns an iOS device. Use it as a last resort, for it contains the old versions of the sprites.
If you don't mind original sprites, Onikakushi is available for free on PC in japanese
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Re: [T] [CE] Inboubarashi-hen ●

Post by Calvinball »

YEEESSSS!!!!

I know me and clcman already sang this case's praises, but I again want to recommend that everyone play this case. I plan on finishing this when I have time, and I look forward to seeing what comes next.

Like kwando said, it's very good!
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Re: [T] [CE] Inboubarashi-hen ●

Post by Blackrune »

Spoiler : partial SoC :
-Dear diary,
I am sometimes wondering what life would be like with the option to save your progress. You know, going back an correcting your mistakes, it sounds nice.
Alas, such a thing simply isn't supported by the real world. It's a little depressing, but life wouldn't be much of a meaningful challenge otherwise, I suppose.

-Well it didn't take long to see why playing the first Higurashi arc was recommended.

-So, who will pay him if the defendant is dead? His family?

-Well if you'd given us an actual investigation segment, we could have helped you, Kuroshima!

-Maybe she IS the devil. I wouldn't put that twisted form of foreshadowing past the author.

-...I wonder if knowing higurashi will help me out here or if you're going to screw with my mind.

-fancy courtroom. It's not EPIC quality, but just seeing something new is refreshing.

-dude no

-dude no you can't question the families. WORST FIRST MOVE. THEY'LL LYNCH YOU YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND.

-told you.

-hmm, there seem to be some timers on objection bubbles missing.

-aw, he was done with his opening statement just when the music became good. Hopefully it'll be back.

-Ominous silhouettes of ominoussss

-especially that third silhouette. Very suspicious.

-Yes, I'm liking those music choices.

-There's certainly a theme of inevitable doom slowly creeping closer here. Not only this CE music, but also the fact that the penalty sloooowly gets bigger. H-Help.

-Whatever, time to press away~. It's the detective, they can't blame me here, right?

-don't forget the heart? Kasumi is the devil and a witch confirmedddddddd

-time to just present Rena on the first statement because enigma likes Reina. Ought to work. See? Worked.

-woaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa this defense attorney keeps saying careless stuff and we can't do anything about it.

-you know those times when your browser crashes? That just happened to me. Good thing I saved my game- OWAIT ._.

-k finally back where I was. Kind of annoying you have to do everything in one go, but oh well.

-THis case would probably be a completely differetn experience without knowledge of higurashi.
I'm not complaining though, kind of knowing where things might be going is interesting, too.

-woaaa instant death without warning.,

-I feel like the note should've also worked on the last statement, but fine, if you want to be technical...

-recess time~. Anything to see the council getting more impatient.

-Soooo, our client apparently doesn't want us to do this properly. Might explain the "you've done well" on the game over screen.

-flashbacks, huh? We're so dead.

-welp I think Kasumi told whoever hired us that we're not actually throwing the case as agreed right now.

-She's just my "assistant" for this case, after all. Very suspicious.

-Literallyworstassistantever

-yeah I'm somehow glitched. It's instant death no matter what.

-I'm also not sure why that didn't work. I mean, the fact that both Tomitake and Keiichi scratched their throats is kind of a connection. Oh well.

-at least the music's still good.

-Let's talk about curry.

-"maybe she's right. Not ONE piece of evidence-" I see where this is going. And normally I wouldn't like it, but I have a pretty good idea for this testimony.

-Okay. I've tried the Serial Death report on this statement before. After that, I've tried the autopsy report. Now that I have the option, it's time to finally try both~

-...I have no idea who I'm uspposed to accuse. Well, maybe there'll still be a hint before it actually happens? Maybe. Maybe?

-Type name in? Welp time to just go with Higurashi spoilers~

-damn. They don't know about as many spoilers as I do...

-thought route is surprisingly popular these days. To be fair, I absolutely love them when they're done well. They make you feel so smart.

-time to give up

-Profiles + hinamizawa syndrome = Beautiful

-I was worried it'd actually end the trial. Well, good, now i don't have to load saves. (then again, I'm probably already glitched despite not doing that)

-It's been a while since I've felt this much tension in a trial... again, good music pick for the rebuttal.

-I also like how the music isn't interrupted by correct objections. The argument isn't over with just one, after all.

-...I tried the note on the motive statement first because it also mentioned Oyashiro-sama's curse. oh well, I guess I can see why this is the more substantial route.

-And again, when he asks for a hole that my theory explains better, you'd THINK the note would work (torn-out middle part) Apparently not...

-Hm, autopsy report also doesn't work for the third one. Well, that one was more of a stretch.

-transcript it is. Fair enough. Though considering the whole torn note thing was an actual point earlier, I kind of expected that to be caught.

-H-How can you have that ringtone yet be with the bad guys, Onimura? YOU TRAITOR!

-dat Trick intro music. 12/10

-Well, just seeing this witness makes me think he is totally legit.

-aaaand I got game over'd for no reason. Now I'm back at the rebuttal. Trippy.

-Keeps happening. Right before the testimony is supposed to begin. Well uh, I guess I can't proceed then. For the record, I never actually loaded saves.
I created some just in case I'd crash again, but never actually clicked them. I'm nooot entirely sure what kind of system could just potentially take your entire lifebar away.
Like, even if this is some kind of "depending on how well you performed, a certain amount of your lifebar is detracted" that'd mean if you happen to game over you're stuck forever because the checkpoints apparently don't reset it.
So I'm going to assume I bugged the game somehow. It's POSSIBLE that it's something that was caused by my browser crashing (I started again from the beginning, but maybe 'restoring my browsing session' somehow kept some variables. I don't know.
Even if it's probably my fault, I don't feel like replaying everything right now. Gonna continue another time. Don't get me wrong though. Aside from all the weird penalty behaviour I got, the case is certainly good stuff. Surprisingly enough it worked out pretty well. Even if one has read the source and therefore kind of knew about certain twists, it's still always interesting to see things again from another angle. (well, I haven't reached the end yet, so who knows what might still happen) And it certainly doesn't get more theme-relevant than this. (well, I can only speak for two out of four competition entries as of the time of writing this.)
I felt pretty invested by the end. It's amazing what a few carefully placed flashbacks plus the right music choices can do.
I'll be back, I guess.
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Re: [T] [CE] Inboubarashi-hen ●

Post by Gamer2002 »

Oh, enigma.

Oh, enigma.

The last testimony...

It has a contradiction you didn't think about.
Spoiler : the contradiction :
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YOU NEED NO BLOODY CHANGE TO CALL THE POLICE
Spoiler : stream :
How the hell saves can break a game?

Rika’s profile doesn’t show up even after she is introduced.

Okay, so profiles are after the lobby scene. Weird.

The gavel frame after we fail with demanding the jury to step down doesn’t have time limit.

Same about objection right after prosecution starts talking.

Same about the frame right after the shadows council.

Wait, police transcript says that the client was making a call during his death, but he died later. But I see that invisibly clues lead to profiles, though client’s profile also has a claim of committing a suicide, despite testimony claiming just an attempt. I guess both should be acceptable, but I’ll go with profile.

Lol, I got 100% penalty despite having only 20% flashing. I only pressed all the statements.

Okay, neither the client’s profile or the police transcript works. Client’s profile description wouldn’t confuse the player alone, but the inconsistency in the lengthily description of the police report should be fixed.

So it’s just about them being friends? Believe in the heart clue leads to this, though this just arguing about the lack of motive. Especially when “Keiichi Maebara was making a phone call to the police at his time of death” directly contradicts the claim of him being taken to hospital.

After the contradiction, the evidence shows on the prosecutor’s face.

Before I presented the last evidence, I’ve lost on purpose to regain HP lost on the report’s description. I presented the friend contradiction before any press. Now I’m starting the 2nd CE without any part of HP bar flashing. Dunno if this is intentional.

Prosecutor shows the murder weapon and it covers his face again.

Here is my theory – my client was looking for his stolen baseball bat, that was later used to smash the entrance of his house and kill the victims. Also, nobody noticed the sound of the entrance being smashed?

I’ve made my first press (excluding the one that gave me 2 evidences) and I’m still not seeing what will be my penalty.

Lol, now I’ve noticed the change in profiles. Nice touch, I think I know where this is going…

Anyway, the note was ripped off, so it suggests that somebody else was reading it. Only where to present it…

Okay, the first statement worked out.

Is the difference between “the suspect” and “the defendant” important? Because I suspect whoever removed the middle of the note, but the prosecution would refer to the defendant ;P

Wait, why do we choose the prosecutor’s answer? I thought we were going to interrupt him.

The prosecutor having to accuse the police for tempering the evidence makes him look very desperate.

Okay, Satoshi isn’t the client’s name. But for presenting it on the first statement I got the 100% penalty.

I restarted the 2nd testimony with two added evidences. Shouldn’t they be removed?

“I didn’t know from where the defendant got the murder weapon and I wrongly thought it was always his, but whatever”, really?

Missing means he could be still alive and return to do the crime.

Why do I work with Kasumi, again?

Again, first penalty for 3rd testimony was 100% and I’ve only made 2-3 presses. Anyway, shouldn’t Satoshi himself tie the crime with the festival?

Now I clicked give up accidentally and I have to restart again. This case broke itself, I’m going to use saving.

No, you don’t need super objection to point out that a bait is connected to the festival. Not to mention, our client committed supposedly tried to kill himself in the same way as the last victim of the festival. Is it what we are supposed to connect?

And now when I enter the thought route I’m down to like 20% HP.

Nice touch with replacing Kasumi profile and putting a gif in profile.

… Needing a change to call the police? That’s nonsense.

The other contradiction is that the client didn’t kill himself, he survived until the next day.

The conspiracy wasn’t that unbeatable, because it was easily beatable. Sorry, Bern, but you messed up with that last testimony.
I really liked the presentation, especially your play with profiles. It was a creative usage of AAO limited features to mess up with the player.

Still, your penalty system is really bugged. I don't know what is the problem, it should be really simple. After all, you should work on just a one single variable that determines the flashing portion of HP and size of the penalty. Dunno, I can look into it it, but I really doubt that saving can be the cause of problem.

Also, evidences are inconsistent. The description of police report states that the client called at the time of the death, autopsy report states that he died on the next day. In testimonies you go with the autopsy report's version of events, but the police report causes a lot of incorrect contradictions. Fix it.

There are also some minor problems, like the prosecutor covering his face with evidences.

As for the characters... I won't judge the canon characters since I didn't play the game, but...
Spoiler : :
For a 2400 frames trial, your OC was good. I think he suffered a bit that until the finale you were using only 3 poses. It goes with him not really picking up a fight until the endgame. But even after that, he only had like 1-2 more poses and all he had was a bare minimum (standing, paper, finger, slamming, desperate). I know he isn't your sprite, but he reminded me why I've drawn Angela myself - she needed her own body language to make her more of a her own character. You picked a good looking sprite, but it was a good looking set of well known poses.
But as a short story protag, he did his job well. I'm not criticizing you for the sprite, we are just doing a hobby work here. But I believe that it is worth to point out how it affects the experience.

Prosecutor was more of annoying smartass than somebody akin to an AA rival. He was just a tool, without own agenda besides being the three families' lapdog. This is why he felt more as a mere obstacle than an opponent.

Co-council... You foreshadowed her well, but MU HA HA WE ARE AN EVIL CONSPIRACY AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO ABOUT IT is... She was more of a rich brat bulling us from a position we couldn't reach than some sort of a magnificent bastard. Not to mention, she always was "why do we work with her" type of character, with the answer being "ah, because she is evil".

I'm not saying she and the prosecutor are bad characters or antagonists. I guess length of the trial didn't allow them to shine more. Maybe you plan to continue this? But as it stands now, they just do their role in the story. Nothing less, nothing more.
Also, the final testimony... Yeah, it kinda ruins the ending.

I want to see the version of events where this contradiction is pointed out >P
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Re: [T] [CE] Inboubarashi-hen ●

Post by enigma »

Responses~!
Blackrune wrote:
Spoiler : partial SoC :
-Dear diary,
I am sometimes wondering what life would be like with the option to save your progress. You know, going back an correcting your mistakes, it sounds nice.
Alas, such a thing simply isn't supported by the real world. It's a little depressing, but life wouldn't be much of a meaningful challenge otherwise, I suppose.

Image

-Well it didn't take long to see why playing the first Higurashi arc was recommended.

Yep! This is an Onikakushi sequel! Or... Prequel, maybe? Higurashi is weird like that.

-So, who will pay him if the defendant is dead? His family?

Probably a group of Good Samaritans or something, you know?

-Well if you'd given us an actual investigation segment, we could have helped you, Kuroshima!

You'd find, like, two pieces of evidence at best. Kuroshima isn't Phoenix Wright. He can't just pick up pebbles and candy wrappers and think they're relevant.

-Maybe she IS the devil. I wouldn't put that twisted form of foreshadowing past the author.

8D

-...I wonder if knowing higurashi will help me out here or if you're going to screw with my mind.

I'd say that knowing Higu will help you understand what just happened and what you played, but won't help you predict the twists, imo.

-fancy courtroom. It's not EPIC quality, but just seeing something new is refreshing.

Hesseldahl is to thank! I think he did a really good job, personally!

-dude no

kuroshima pls

-dude no you can't question the families. WORST FIRST MOVE. THEY'LL LYNCH YOU YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND.

KUROSHIMA PLS!!!

-told you.

Next Watanagashi victim, right here.

-hmm, there seem to be some timers on objection bubbles missing.

Yeah... That keeps happening and I don't know why. Will fix sometime!

-aw, he was done with his opening statement just when the music became good. Hopefully it'll be back.

I should post up the tracklist sometime, and then you can listen to it during the whole game.

-Ominous silhouettes of ominoussss

If this wasn't ominous, it'd make for a poor Higu fangame. Ominous is essential to teh higus.

-especially that third silhouette. Very suspicious.

Yes. She looks just like a... little girl. (d)

-Yes, I'm liking those music choices.

Remind me to put up the tracklist sometime.

-There's certainly a theme of inevitable doom slowly creeping closer here. Not only this CE music, but also the fact that the penalty sloooowly gets bigger. H-Help.

Which is a system that SHOULD actually work now! 8D

-Whatever, time to press away~. It's the detective, they can't blame me here, right?

Come on, Rune! No-one likes Ooishi!

-don't forget the heart? Kasumi is the devil and a witch confirmedddddddd

hahahaha... that's funny because if you mess up the super objection...

-time to just present Rena on the first statement because enigma likes Reina. Ought to work. See? Worked.

Rena is the correct answer to everything.

-woaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa this defense attorney keeps saying careless stuff and we can't do anything about it.

tbf, he's an older dude. He's never played his higus and he ain't genre savvy.

-you know those times when your browser crashes? That just happened to me. Good thing I saved my game- OWAIT ._.

</3 Well, saving should work now! Not getting rid of the warning tho.

-k finally back where I was. Kind of annoying you have to do everything in one go, but oh well.

Think of it as an incentive to do your absolute best~ :3

-THis case would probably be a completely differetn experience without knowledge of higurashi.
I'm not complaining though, kind of knowing where things might be going is interesting, too.

Yeah, that was the plan. Make a case which plays equally, but differently, to higu players and non-higu players. This way people buy Higu, come back and go "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH So THAT'S what's going on."

-woaaa instant death without warning.,

I SWEAR IT SHOULD BE FIXED! ;A;

-I feel like the note should've also worked on the last statement, but fine, if you want to be technical...

I'll think about adding it...

-recess time~. Anything to see the council getting more impatient.

They are so PO'ed at you, rn. Ngl.

-Soooo, our client apparently doesn't want us to do this properly. Might explain the "you've done well" on the game over screen.

Naaaaah~ Your client is great. Yep.

-flashbacks, huh? We're so dead.

Well, I mean... You DID PO an entire village.

-welp I think Kasumi told whoever hired us that we're not actually throwing the case as agreed right now.

Whaaaat~ Nooooo~ Kasumi would NEVER do that.

-She's just my "assistant" for this case, after all. Very suspicious.

Kasumi is a kind and sweet genki girl. Just like every AA assistant. What do you mean~?

-Literallyworstassistantever

We need a case with Canon defending, Kasumi assisting, Hazama prosecuting and... Who would be worst witness ever? I can't decide...

-yeah I'm somehow glitched. It's instant death no matter what.

I swear it's fiiiiiixed ;A;

-I'm also not sure why that didn't work. I mean, the fact that both Tomitake and Keiichi scratched their throats is kind of a connection. Oh well.

That is the connection. :T You just can't show that with one piece by itself.

-at least the music's still good.

Tracklist will be up soon! I promise!

-Let's talk about curry.

okay, confession time. That's the wikipedia page for curry, slightly edited.

-"maybe she's right. Not ONE piece of evidence-" I see where this is going. And normally I wouldn't like it, but I have a pretty good idea for this testimony.

Many thanks! Also, chronologically... Earliest case with a super objection. Yes! Kuroshima is to blame for everything! 8'D

-Okay. I've tried the Serial Death report on this statement before. After that, I've tried the autopsy report. Now that I have the option, it's time to finally try both~

WITH OUR POWERS COMBIIIIINED...

-...I have no idea who I'm uspposed to accuse. Well, maybe there'll still be a hint before it actually happens? Maybe. Maybe?

Well, tbf, there's only one person with a connection to Tomitake.

-Type name in? Welp time to just go with Higurashi spoilers~

WOAH THERE BUDDY! ONIMURA HASN'T FINISHED READING MINAGOROSHI-HEN YET! ;A;

-damn. They don't know about as many spoilers as I do...

ur higu knowledge wont save you now.

-thought route is surprisingly popular these days. To be fair, I absolutely love them when they're done well. They make you feel so smart.

I personally quite like Thought Route. It's fun. But it needs penalties to be a real challenge so... Yeah.

-time to give up

(Y)

-Profiles + hinamizawa syndrome = Beautiful

<Good End>

Not joking. In the editor I've called the "The End" screen for this "Bad Good End".


-I was worried it'd actually end the trial. Well, good, now i don't have to load saves. (then again, I'm probably already glitched despite not doing that)

Yeah... Sorry about that. V6 variables are weeeeeeeeeeird.

-It's been a while since I've felt this much tension in a trial... again, good music pick for the rebuttal.

Thanks! I'll definitely upload the tracklist soon!

-I also like how the music isn't interrupted by correct objections. The argument isn't over with just one, after all.

Yep. It's not over until it's truly over.

-...I tried the note on the motive statement first because it also mentioned Oyashiro-sama's curse. oh well, I guess I can see why this is the more substantial route.

Yeah. I think it's better to be more... clear.

-And again, when he asks for a hole that my theory explains better, you'd THINK the note would work (torn-out middle part) Apparently not...

Huh... Good point. I should do something about that. Though, you're specifically supposed to be supporting your group theory so...

-Hm, autopsy report also doesn't work for the third one. Well, that one was more of a stretch.

Hm... What were you thinking there, anyway?

-transcript it is. Fair enough. Though considering the whole torn note thing was an actual point earlier, I kind of expected that to be caught.

I meeeean... I mean... Ya know...

-H-How can you have that ringtone yet be with the bad guys, Onimura? YOU TRAITOR!

"onimura was good guy all along" theory go

-dat Trick intro music. 12/10

I needed to get BP to play this SOMEHOW

-Well, just seeing this witness makes me think he is totally legit.

ootori is real legit witness who saw everything and is legit

-aaaand I got game over'd for no reason. Now I'm back at the rebuttal. Trippy.

I... have no idea how that even happened. Wtf. I can only imagine it has to do with the bug I fixed but... wtf.

-Keeps happening. Right before the testimony is supposed to begin. Well uh, I guess I can't proceed then. For the record, I never actually loaded saves.
I created some just in case I'd crash again, but never actually clicked them. I'm nooot entirely sure what kind of system could just potentially take your entire lifebar away.
Like, even if this is some kind of "depending on how well you performed, a certain amount of your lifebar is detracted" that'd mean if you happen to game over you're stuck forever because the checkpoints apparently don't reset it.
So I'm going to assume I bugged the game somehow. It's POSSIBLE that it's something that was caused by my browser crashing (I started again from the beginning, but maybe 'restoring my browsing session' somehow kept some variables. I don't know.
Even if it's probably my fault, I don't feel like replaying everything right now. Gonna continue another time. Don't get me wrong though. Aside from all the weird penalty behaviour I got, the case is certainly good stuff. Surprisingly enough it worked out pretty well. Even if one has read the source and therefore kind of knew about certain twists, it's still always interesting to see things again from another angle. (well, I haven't reached the end yet, so who knows what might still happen) And it certainly doesn't get more theme-relevant than this. (well, I can only speak for two out of four competition entries as of the time of writing this.)
I felt pretty invested by the end. It's amazing what a few carefully placed flashbacks plus the right music choices can do.

Well, there was a bug and it's fixed now. Which means... You should be able to just use one of your saves, but Idunno if that'll bug the game or anything. Still! Everything should be daijobu now! I honestly have no idea how your game did what it did but it should be fixed now... I hope.

Anyway, glad you liked it and glad you were invested!
I'll be back, I guess.
Spoiler : @Gamer :
Why would you assume phonebooths in Hinamizawa work the same as in America? I mean, even if phone booths in Japan normally have that function... There's no reason it would be the same in Hinamizawa which is pretty... weird, as you can see. I mean, the whole game was basically signposting that Hinamizawa doesn't work in any way that can be considered normal. (Besides if Phone Booths COULD do that in Hinamizawa, Onimura or SOMEONE would have questioned it/pointed it out.

As for the penalty system, the bug's been fixed. And, yeah. It works exactly how you described it. Two of the variable actions were borked tho. It's fixed now.

I'm glad you liked the presentation! And that you found the easter egg profile "glitch".

I personally think that Kuroshima would suffer from having any strong body language or more sprites. He's a passive character until the end, but even then he's a more professional sort of guy. As such, I think the limited sprite set is fine.

Onimura isn't meant to be anything more than a facet of the town. He doesn't have his own agenda, because he's nothing more than just a pawn in all this. He's not even really your opponent! The opponent is, arguably, the Three Families. And the real antagonist of the story is Kasumi. He's just a face, a punchable face, for your opposition.

I personally think Kasumi is a love her or hate her type deal. I mean, arguably, for all her evil and actions she's just a minor part of a bigger organization. She's not the leader or in control or anything.

Still, in the end, they weren't meant to be anything more than their "part". Because this isn't a story about them. It's a story about Kuroshima. But, more than that, it's a piece of the Higurashi puzzle. Still... Who knows. Maybe there's more content coming for this eventually.
Edit: Track List is up!
Last edited by enigma on Sun Dec 20, 2015 8:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Gamer2002
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Re: [T] [CE] Inboubarashi-hen ●

Post by Gamer2002 »

@enigma, re my glorious contradiction

Then this should be clearly stated >P

EDIT:
Spoiler : :
And yes, THIS should be noticed by the police, but we know (and the main character is also aware of this) that this witness is a liar pulled out because we messed up with the plans. What makes it so hilarious, since now it looks like they were so desperate that they resorted to half-baked testimony with obvious flaw they didn't notice.
At this point MC could call the entire testimony a joke, together with the local police, prosecutor, the judge, the families and all the backward village losers who follow them.
The only reasonable thing left is to take the client's parents out of this hole to the big city. Bonus point for creating a medial scandal about how the justice system works in this village, but that depends on MC's level of connections.
If he played his cards right, he could even blackmail the families into backing up client's family financially, stopping this entire serial killing, and helping his own wife - for exchange of him not exposing what kind of sore losers they are.

This is my headcanon now and you can't stop me ~
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Re: [T] [CE] Inboubarashi-hen ●

Post by Blackrune »

Spoiler : A small SoC addition, for completion's sake :
-Dear diary,
I have memories. Memories of different worlds. Worlds in which the council decided to end the trial before I even got
to the cross-examination of the fake witness. Sometimes I wonder if those memories are real.
I was worried. Really worried it'd happen again.
Yet, somehow, it didn't. I wonder what it means? Did those other worlds exist?
Considering the trial is rigged, it wouldn't be surprising that it was guaranteed with certainty that I would lose in such a way.
If that is so, I thank whichever godly being brought about this miracle, finally giving me the chance to expose them.

-Stop talking to me from the hell dimension, Kasumi.

-...So it was fail to proceed. Damn it, Ootori! I wanted to get you!

-And my reward for all of this? Wise words from Ooishi.

-Strange, that actually worked well as closure. Though I'd imagine anyone who didn't play Higurashi might not feel that way, and would have to go on to play the other chapters. Just as planned?

-Well, I've said most stuff in my first SoC already, so this is it

-oh, after credits scene? Should have known there's a tea party.

-Well, I'm not sure if it'd be cruel to say yes here.

-HAPPY ENDING PLS. GIVE ME THE MIRACLE.

-No? Oh well...
Good game.
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Re: [T] [CE] Inboubarashi-hen ●

Post by enigma »

And a small respondings for completions sake~
Blackrune wrote:
Spoiler : A small SoC addition, for completion's sake :
-Dear diary,
I have memories. Memories of different worlds. Worlds in which the council decided to end the trial before I even got
to the cross-examination of the fake witness. Sometimes I wonder if those memories are real.
I was worried. Really worried it'd happen again.
Yet, somehow, it didn't. I wonder what it means? Did those other worlds exist?
Considering the trial is rigged, it wouldn't be surprising that it was guaranteed with certainty that I would lose in such a way.
If that is so, I thank whichever godly being brought about this miracle, finally giving me the chance to expose them.

Oyashiro-sama will grant you one miracle. One. And in the end you lose anyway so AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA....

-Stop talking to me from the hell dimension, Kasumi.

Image
"Nah, calls from hell are cheap so... It's worth the 50 cents to keep taunting you."

-...So it was fail to proceed. Damn it, Ootori! I wanted to get you!

hahaha so silly you thought you could actually win in a higurashi game.

-And my reward for all of this? Wise words from Ooishi.

Image
"Did I ever tell you about my hemorrhoids, kid?"

-Strange, that actually worked well as closure. Though I'd imagine anyone who didn't play Higurashi might not feel that way, and would have to go on to play the other chapters. Just as planned?

Pretty much! This game is meant to play out very differently for those who've played Higurashi and those who haven't. If you have played it, it's a short story that passively fits into the overall plot of Higurashi and adds a bit to one of the loop worlds. Since you already know everything, you fully understand it and are left with decent closure, more or less.

If you haven't, I would be lying if I didn't say this WASN'T meant as a big promo/ad for Higurashi at the end of the day.


-Well, I've said most stuff in my first SoC already, so this is it

Yep. Fun times. There were judges, gods and dead kids. Pretty good day.

-oh, after credits scene? Should have known there's a tea party.

Yeah, this is closer to an Umi Tea Party than a Higu one but whatever...

-Well, I'm not sure if it'd be cruel to say yes here.

Follow your heart! After all, this scene basically determines the tone of the rest of the game since Kuroshima was doing this all for Misae, and so depending on how Misae felt... This was either a full tragedy or something bittersweet.

-HAPPY ENDING PLS. GIVE ME THE MIRACLE.

Nah, the questions aren't important gameplay wise. Just story wise.

-No? Oh well...

Of course, I MIGHT have something on the way akin to "DLC" that might just give you that...
Good game.

Thank you for playing, and I'm glad you enjoyed it.
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Re: [T] [CE] Inboubarashi-hen ●

Post by clcman »

Probably replied sooner to get this higher up on the page...

I just wanted to say that this trial's earlier form (haven't played it again yet so I don't know how much further you went) was sufficient to earn an official clcman "Good Case" endorsement! (You quoted my review at the very top of the thread, so how could I not?)

Additionally, this trial earned the following awards during the Novus Ordo Turnaboutum competition:
Spoiler : Awards :
Image Paranoia Award - For reminding us that the world is a scary, scary place.
Image Crossover Award - For crossing the streams. And by streams, we mean fictional universes.
Image Best Protergist Award - Protagerist? Protonist? Protogonerast?
Image Speak of the Devil... - ...and he's probably already standing right behind you.
Image Best Sprite Casting - A good sprite can make or break an OC. You're in the "make" category.
Image Best Penalty Conversation - For epic brilliance in epic failure.
Image Never Tell Me The Odds Award - Sometimes the deck is stacked against you. Sometimes you wish that was your only problem.
Image Hciwdnas Eseehc Dellirg Award - Like the Grilled Cheese Sandwich Award, but the exact opposite.
Image Best Puzzle Award - Riddle me this...
Image Grimdark Award - For when you're feeling excessively happy and need to do something about it. Fast.
enigma also earned the following comp awards for things not directly pertaining to the trial itself:
Spoiler : Also Awards :
Image Does Not Understand Deadlines Award - For failing to understand the nature and nuances of deadlines. You kind of asked for it, man.
Image Nostradamus Award - For accurate-ish predictions of a future manner.
What do REAL, NON-BRIBED people have to say about HTB!?
"This really changed the way I thought about Phoenix as a character. ...Wow." - Reecer6
"HTB! contains truths that might be hard to stomach, but had to be unveiled nonetheless." - Blackrune
"This deserves a best plot twist award." - Evo
"It changed my life, and it can change yours too. For the better, I mean." - Calvinball
"I will never look at Phoenix Wright the same way again" - PhoenixRises123
"omg best thing on aao" - AceAttorneyMaster111
DISCOVER THE TRUTH YOU NEVER KNEW YOU DIDN'T KNOW IN HTB! PROLOGUE AND PART 1, AVAILABLE NOW!!


"Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." -Isaac Asimov
"For every complex problem, there is an answer that is clear, simple and wrong." -H. L. Mencken
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Blizdi
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Spoken languages: English

Re: [T] [CE] Inboubarashi-hen ●

Post by Blizdi »

This was a really good case! It's motivated me to try out Higurashi When They Cry! Once I have the money, that is :D
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