In the years since Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom made its English debut in 2012, otome games have enjoyed a surge of popularity worldwide. The genre went from an unknown to one that received multiple releases on various platforms each year. Sony handhelds have long been a haven for such titles, with people who own a Vita enjoying the fruits of this bevy of releases.
Read more
Heroines in otome games are largely blank slates. They’re our opportunity to connect with the characters and story. It’s easier for them to be bland, passive stand-ins, as it makes it more plausible that multiple men could want the same woman and allows for more immersive self-insertion.
Read more
The last time Michibiku talked about Norn9: Var Commons, I mentioned how the game felt more natural than others, due to it having three playable protagonists to choose from.. The multiple storyline branches are more realistic as well, because of course a similar ending for the overarching plot isn’t going to be produced when there are three different women and three different bachelors for each one. There’s another reason having three strong women matters in Norn9 though. It makes for a richer narrative.
Read more
When I was young and all of my friends were wishing they could be Elizabeth or Jessica Wakefield, I wanted to be Kitty Pryde or Jubilation Lee. They wanted to date J.C. Slater, while I harbored secret affections for Nightcrawler and Chamber. The X-Men called to me as a geeky girl who loved video games. Seeing outsiders do amazing things while leading normal lives on the side was encouraging. Norn9: Var Commons is Aksys and Idea Factory’s love letter to not only nine-year-old me, but I expect many other girls who grew up nerdy.
Read more