Grasp Detective Archives: Rain Code is a wierd recreation. I don’t essentially imply that in a “wow so wacky” sense, despite the fact that it kinda suits the invoice there too. I imply it looks like a recreation that has had completely zero enhancing. As a thriller recreation, it’s a hell of quite a lot of enjoyable, however as a recreation, it’s in such a bizarre place that I don’t even know easy methods to method it when reviewing.
So let’s begin firstly. Rain Code has you dwelling the lifetime of Yuma Kokohead (sure, that’s his precise title), an amnesiac detective who made a pact with a loss of life god to assist him remedy mysteries. Honest sufficient, y’know? I can’t say that’s any extra of an absurd setup than one thing like Xenoblade Chronicles or mainly any Zelda recreation.
Yuma, waking up with zero reminiscences, rushes to hop on a prepare, the place he meets 5 different detectives from the World Detective Organisation (WDO). Because the title suggests, they’re an elite group of grasp detectives who excel at fixing unsolved mysteries. Most of them have particular powers, although they’re hilariously restricted in ways in which at all times made me chuckle.
For instance, one grasp detective you meet early on can commune with the useless by sporting their garments. Appears fairly helpful for fixing a homicide! Besides she will be able to solely use garments which might be roughly her dimension, and provided that they’re not ugly garments. One other can imprint photos from his mind into digital gadgets, which additionally appears fairly helpful, however he’s an previous man, and as his reminiscences fade (in a short time, as a result of once more, he’s previous), so does the image on the machine.
I’ve strayed off the trail of the story I used to be telling right here, nevertheless it’s vital to set the scene for what’s to come back. It’s essential know that this recreation is deeply humorous, deeply unusual, and completely unhinged in the most effective methods.
So Yuma, he’s on this prepare, chatting up these detectives. Possibly they’ll know who he’s, proper? Since they’re all a part of the WDO. Nope — most detectives work alone, so that they don’t know one another. Some on-train shenanigans occur, there’s a homicide to unravel – don’t fear, I’ll be avoiding most main spoilers on this evaluation – after which we get into the investigation side of the sport.
There shall be an enormous quantity of people that bounce off Rain Code through the first investigation. It’s presupposed to be a tutorial, however as I discussed within the intro, there’s been no enhancing right here. You get bombarded with mechanic after mechanic, and whereas there’s some tutorialising in place, for essentially the most half you’re thrown proper right into a trial by hearth. It’s exhausting. I’ve had the sport for a few weeks, and all the first week of this recreation was me enjoying the primary case in small chunks as a result of making an attempt to mainline it was far too overwhelming for my drained mind.
It doesn’t assist that the primary case is as advanced and messy as each case that follows it. In contrast to one thing like Ace Legal professional, which is able to ease you into complexity, Rain Code prepares you for the form of considering you’ll must be profitable proper from the get go. It’s a compelling case, don’t get me flawed, however the twists and turns in that first case alone could be over-the-top for a full recreation, not to mention a tutorial.
The gameplay itself is damaged up into two features, very equally to Ace Legal professional. The primary part is the investigation, the place you’ll have a look by means of the scene of the crime or thriller, accumulating as a lot info as you’ll be able to. These come within the type of resolution keys, that are bite-sized items of knowledge that make up the details of the case. There’s probably not any option to miss resolution keys, so investigations aren’t all that troublesome to determine — that’s superb, as a result of the subsequent part is a convoluted mess.
When you’re completed along with your investigations, it’s time to move into the Thriller Labyrinth. Right here, Shinigami, your loss of life god pal, turns into a really busty lady, due to course she does, and you must piece collectively the thriller by means of a sequence of motion sequences, minigames, and ridiculous logic.
The Labyrinth sections go as follows: you’ll wander down a hallway for a bit, have some conversations, then enter a Reasoning Dying Match, Rain Code’s type of fight. The phantom you’re up in opposition to will throw phrases at you, and also you’ll have to dodge irrelevant statements and refute others along with your resolution keys. You do that a couple of occasions, going between hallway wandering and fight scenes, sometimes dipping again into the crime scene to collect some extra clues.
I’ve talked about Ace Legal professional loads on this evaluation, and I’m going to do it once more: Reasoning Dying Matches are merely a dressed up model of Ace Legal professional’s courtroom sections. It really is likely to be just a little higher, because you don’t need to scroll by means of mountains of proof to seek out the appropriate piece — as an alternative, every refutable assertion offers you three completely different resolution keys to select from. It’s nonetheless lots difficult although, particularly within the warmth of the second as you’re dodging statements and dealing your mind to try to determine it out.
There are different minigames, like one the place you must throw swords at a barrel to spell out phrases. Naturally, Shinigami is in a bikini within the barrel, and fires out when you remedy the puzzle.
Oh yeah, I ought to in all probability point out that Shinigami is sexy on a regular basis. Like, each different sentence out of her mouth is about her boobs, or about how turned on she is, or how a lot she loves mysteries. That final one doesn’t sound so unhealthy, nevertheless it’s much less about what she says, and extra about how she says it.
Different characters fare much better, and are literally one of many strongest factors of the sport. Rain Code’s characters are phenomenally well-realised, well-performed, and for essentially the most half, well-written. There are a couple of moments right here and there the place it’s clear the localisation isn’t fairly proper, however I can not sing sufficient praises for the characters on this recreation.
The story itself is fairly compelling too. You’re teaming up with a bunch of cool detectives to uncover the secrets and techniques of a world thriller, whereas trapped in a corporate-controlled metropolis by which it’s at all times raining. Fixing mysteries round city helps edge you nearer to discovering out what the massive image is, and it comes collectively competently effectively — with just one twist, on the again finish of the sport, feeling significantly misplaced. You’ll comprehend it once you get there, and it’s not tremendous nice.
I discussed in my intro that it looks like there’s been subsequent to no enhancing performed right here, and I need to reiterate that within the strongest phrases. Every thriller has like eight twists to it, typically feeling convoluted and ridiculous, and there are far too many gameplay mechanics for a recreation like this. Some sections go on for method too lengthy, some characters discuss far an excessive amount of, and Shinigami gained’t shut the hell up about her boobs. It’s a recreation that takes extremes to extremes, in nearly each side, and whereas that’s exhausting, it’s additionally form of endearing in a method.
There shall be quite a lot of comparisons to Danganronpa, given the director, lead artist, and composer all made that sequence what it’s. Truthfully although, after having performed Rain Code, there’s not an excessive amount of connective tissue. Whereas Danganronpa asks you to focus closely on the characters, Rain Code is all concerning the world you’re in, the mysteries but unsolved. It pulls the main target again and asks you to consider the state of the world — not simply in-game, however our personal world too.
That in-game world positive is gorgeous although. It’s darkish, grim, and exquisite, a rain-soaked metropolis full of neon indicators and other people making an attempt to profit from their time on this planet. The artwork path is flawless, the character design is phenomenal, and it’s all held collectively by a soundtrack that pulls completely zero punches.
It’s all contrasted by Thriller Labyrinths, the place as an alternative of darkish and dire, we see a bombastic, colour-filled wonderland, full with magical lady transformations and glam rock-inspired enemies. Rain Code’s considerate use of color in any situation is sort of unmatched in any recreation that involves thoughts, and it nearly offsets any of the blurriness that comes when enjoying handheld. Nonetheless, the body fee is generally stable, the sport appears to be like good as a rule, and it manages to tug off two completely disparate artwork instructions with out dropping the ball. That’s an achievement.
Grasp Detective Archives: Rain Code doesn’t shrink back from being deeply unusual. It’s a pleasant thriller recreation within the vein of Ace Legal professional with each dial turned as much as 11. Its artwork path, music, world design, and gameplay are all stable, even when there’s far an excessive amount of of every little thing, and regardless of some suspect writing with sure characters, it’s arduous to take a look at it too harshly. My solely want is that, if there’s to be a sequel sometime, any person brings in an editor and trims down among the fats.
Score: 4/5