Re: Alistair ++ Review

SakeVisual’s first attempt at an amateur otome game is impressive

It is rare in Western culture that we find the words ‘otome game’ uttered. Customarily (and unfortunately) you’ll be deep into Japanese media culture before you stumble upon them, perhaps after looking on the Wiki page of your favourite anime and finding it spawned from something called an ‘otome’ dating sim, as I did. No wonder. Despite extreme popularity in their birthplace of Japan, demonstrated by a multiplying flow of lengthy franchises – such as Tokimeki Memorial – the closest official release of a dating sim we’ve seen is Princess Debut, and that, suffice to say, was aimed at children.

It’s a crying shame, and it’s also why RE: stands marked, forming that long-needed connecting bridge. Produced by SakeVisual, an expanding indie game group, RE: Alistair++ makes for a quick, easy and free jolt into the charming world of otome games. You are Merui, a red-haired, hot-headed girl who unwantedly argues her way into a bet with another player on Rivenwell Online, her favourite MMORPG. The bet allows a month to discover the identity of the mysterious player, Alistair. Straightforward, engaging, simple – additionally, the game does not seek to alienate players who are virgins of MMORPGs; only a minimal portion of story text is placed in the computer world, during Merui’s real-world weekends, while the majority of the game, and the ‘detective work’ is done at school, at home or at the mall. Moreover, the game very kindly introduces our three potential love interests – oh, yes, and Alistairs – automatically, though this might only be as much as you would expect from such a short dating sim.

The male options are definitely satisfactory – SakeVisual provides three rich types, Derek, the high-school all-star basketball player (and flirt), Travis, the aloof, spectacled president of the computer club and Shiro, the shy classmate who window-watches as if the meaning of life were written on glass. Each guy has an unlockable good and true ending, in which he and Merui fall in love – these endings differ by only one extra CG (computer graphic), but they are extremely cute and worth striving for, certainly if your aim is to complete your CG collection and unlock the uber-adorable bonus scene.

Of course, a dating sim would be incomplete without a stat-building element. Each guy’s romantic endings will require you to build stats in Intelligence, Social and Network Rep, with each character valuing one stat greater than the rest. Performing activities after school, such as watching TV or doing homework, will raise these stats, but the key will be to utilise the items available to buy in the mall. Many of these items are stat boosters, so earning a bit of spare change at a part-time job will not go amiss. Fear not, however. The game’s casual attitude makes juggling stats, shopping, jobs and cutscenes invariably simple.

As for the look and feel of the game, it pleases overall. One would not expect to encounter a full-fledged experience from something that can be purchased for free, but having said that, SakeVisual’s first attempt at an amateur otome game is impressive. The artwork is professionally crisp and the characters have avoided looking like cardboard boxes with perpetual smiles – they pleasingly display ample amounts of emotion, turning RE: Alistair++ into an impressively competent short saga. My only complaint is for the music, especially the school bell, which can become repetitive and annoying. However it is extremely minor, and many players will find themselves auto-skipping conversations by a second playthrough, as I did, which will bypass much of the soundtrack automatically.

As far as free goes, RE: Alistair++ excels. Highly recommendable to those who have yet to sample otome games, it will surely provide a taste for the genre, and if it impresses enough to recommend the work of SakeVisual, you might like to keep an eye open; their new game, the long-awaited Backstage Pass will be released sometime this year.

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