I've always been curious about otome games. Having played quite a handful of galge for the console systems I had before, I wanted to see what it was like to play a girl for once, and try to make a less-then-subtle appeal on the one bishounen I like the best. For Symphony ～with all one's heart～ Portable is one of Takuyo's earlier releases ported from the PS2, and the only title with both a galge and otome path.
Presenting... the no-look protagonists!
Near the end of your third year in high school, you and your friends wonder if all the fun days you had are going to end. But if fate has it's way, the fun has only just begun: Love comes to you in the strangest of places... it might catch you while you're working in the convenience store with an older guy that comes off as nothing more than a ne'er-do-well freeter, whom you later discover is a former indie band member; or you can meet an elegant classmate who seems aloof and out of your league, but secretly loves to eat bucketfuls of rice and tinker with electronics (to the point of destroying them). Or maybe perhaps, the person you're destined to be with is a lot closer than you think... your childhood friend, the class brain, your favorite teacher, or even your BFF's little brother?
Why can't you see that I care about you? Is it because you're drawn without eyes?
FSP's plot is presented in one setting, where your relationships and experiences differ slightly depending on what gender you choose to be. The character designs scream mid-90's art style, so people used to contemporary moeblobs might get a bit turned off by the retro feel. But if you care enough to look beyond the cliches, each character shows his/her own unique charm. You're sure to find a favorite or two right off the bat.
Though her expression seems rather abnormal, let's cut Haruka some slack... it's her first time on the beach after all. On an unrelated note, being bedridden most of her life didn't affect her girlish figure one bit... wowza.
Completing character galleries in FSP isn't a mean feat, though it's a bit more straightforward in the boy's route as opposed to the girl's. For the latter, you must exemplify maturity, sensibility and intellect; this is particularly evident in one part of the story where you have to interpret the meaning of a rather deep song recommended to you by Masato Seiya, your co-worker in the convenience store. He'll ask you about it, and will be utterly disappointed if you didn't get the message down to the last verse.
They say both rockers and freeters are slobs. No one exemplifies this better than kombini-senpai Seiya.
The Omake Mode shows the usual CG Gallery and BGM player, but every time you clear a character's event scenes, a fully-voiced 4-Koma feature where the character's well-known quirk will be given a humorous twist is unlocked. While the jokes aren't particularly fresh, it integrates well with everything and will surely tickle your funny bone (that is, if you have one).
Kazuki can be a pest sometimes, but she looks pretty darn hot when wearing P.E. garb.
Sure, galges and otome games are a dime a dozen on the PSP platform, but how many of them can boast of being both at the same time? FSP can serve as a good introduction to newcomers of each genre, and it won't take too much of your time to play.
No comments:
Post a Comment