Demo for Windows
Demo for Mac
MEDIAFIRE DOWNLOAD:
Demo for Windows
Demo for Mac
(Mac users may need to follow these instructions if prevented from running the game)
Please let me know if you encounter any problems with downloading/playing.
ANY AND ALL CRITIQUE RABIDLY DESIRED...RABIDLY. If you don't want to make an account, you can also email me feedback at essenceotome@gmail.com. The final game will be a long time in the making, and I want it to be as good as it possible, so criticism on ANY AND ALL aspects of the game is SO appreciated. Don't hold back.
As for a specific aspect, however, I would like to know what you think of Alice's narrative. Do you like, dislike, or feel indifferent toward her character? Do you enjoy reading from her perspective, and do you think you could continue to enjoy it for the duration of a long game (50,000+ words per path)? I know several otome protagonists take a backseat to the bachelors (often so the player can project themselves onto the protag) but I do not want this for Alice. I want her narrative to be distinct; this is her story.
If any come to mind, please share elements you think need improvement or features you think could benefit a lengthy, minigame-free VN like this.
DEMO FEATURES:
The first 4 days of the protagonist's existence
Choices
The occasional scantily-clad male
7 eligible bachelors
~60,000 words (2-3 hours playtime)
Unlockable CG Gallery (10+ CGs)
"What's the point anymore?
There was darkness in the abyss of my slumber, bloodied with thoughts and memories of slaughter.
There was darkness in the laboratory, strewn with corpses I recalled living and men who wanted to take me away.
And there is darkness here in the light, nothing but shallow promises in the last chance I had.
There is only, only ever was, darkness. Where is the light?"
In a time where technology is so advanced that the human soul can be transferred into a robotic body, flesh is outdated. Essence integration - a name devised by the process's creator, Nathan Bayard - revolutionized the world's view of human life. Although a privilege mainly to the wealthy, the vessels of metal and plastic assured freedom from illness and aging while still allowing the human pleasures of eating, sleeping, and bathing. Not only was the invention groundbreaking, Bayard's essence androids promised to be a milestone in the history of mankind, a testament to man's longevity and will not just to survive, but improve...
...until life itself was neatly swept away by something as small as a virus produced by the hands of one man.
Nine months after the first strain of Blight, Alice wakes in a dilapidated laboratory, remembering naught but blood and the world before the virus. Inhabiting a robotic body, she resolves to atone for her memories of murder and restore the green earth she remembers, with only the sullen, tight-pantsed Cath serving as her guide.
WARNING: While synopsis sounds depressing, story may or may not contain lame attempts at humor, excessive lack of clothing, and sporadic episodes of disregard for the fourth wall. There are serious moments, but it does not take itself TOO seriously, so it may differ from typical post-apocalyptic stories in that respect. You've been forewarned. XD
CHARACTERS
The protagonist and hero of our dystopian adventure. They don't like each other very much, despite possessing equally gratuitous ahoges.
A group of Blight survivors who initiate contact with Cath and Alice amidst their travels. From left to right we have Mak the botanist, Daemon the plant-human hybrid, Acer the weeaboo/hacker, Steven the escaped invisible experiment, and Ada the pulmonologist. Leading them is Linus (in back), an engineer and biochemist. Together, they search for a cure for the virus.
A trio of criminals employed by Malware, a syndicate of technology thieves. Putrice, Ivan, and Grime (from left to right) have been tasked with kidnapping Alice so as to examine her valuable hardware, but can never seem to succeed. While they are inept AND fashionable, they are NOT Team Rocket in disguise.
FINISHED PRODUCT IS PLANNED TO FEATURE:
9 character routes
At least 15+ hours playtime (including all routes)
At least 2 endings per path, if not 3
Multiple CGs
My grungy, spiral-filled, big-haired attempts at art
SCREENSHOTS
http://i1351.photobucket.com/albums/p78 ... 3876b3.jpg
http://i1351.photobucket.com/albums/p78 ... 77f6b5.jpg
http://i1351.photobucket.com/albums/p78 ... 4e783a.jpg
http://i1351.photobucket.com/albums/p78 ... c9295b.jpg
http://i1351.photobucket.com/albums/p78 ... 4f217a.jpg
CREATOR'S NOTES
I love working on this project. If you enjoy it even in the slightest, then that means buckets of emotion to me. For real. :')
You can follow more frequent updates/read more detailed character descriptions at http://www.shinkami.deviantart.com