Period cube ~ Shackles of amadeus ~ review

Published by: Otomate/Idea factory
ENG Aksys games
Available for psvita
Game JP home page

Period cube is otome game based on the game world/real world. In Japan the game was released in 2016 and Aksys games released it in English 2017. Otomate records have also done drama cd's for Period cube and I have listened couple of those too. 

Before I bought the game I didn't know much about it. But first time I heard about it was from Otomate party 2016 dvd. There was one drama part for the game and it was funny + characters from it looked interesting. Later I noticed that Aksys games was translating Period cube game and I thought "well why not?". 

Story:

Borrowing from Aksys home page ~ Searching for clues about your missing brother, you and your childhood friend Hiroya begin playing an online RPG called “Arcadia.”

You’re suddenly enveloped in a flash of light, and awaken to find yourself in a mysterious fantasy world. You discover you’ve been sent inside of the game, and learn that the only way out is to complete it. In a deadly world on the verge of collapse, you become the “Almighty,” the key to clearing Arcadia, and the secret weapon everyone is after.

You and your companions undertake a perilous journey, where love grows as the world falls apart.~

☆Routes☆

There might be some spoilers!!

Astrum 

Seiyuu: Sakurai Takahiro

I tried to look different review posts about period cube,if you need play some routes in order. In the end I started from Astrum,this pervert angel boy who is actually a really awkward person. I really liked Astrum as a character and I was a really happy that started from his route first.

Astrum belongs to the angel group and is a well known player in Arcadia. He considers himself as the leader of angels in Arcadia. I like how Astrum is "in character" at the game world but in real life he is bad at communicating with other people. What was in my opinion somehow amusing but cute at same time when he plays this "cool" character in the gaming world,but irl he is very shy/awkward person. Astrum also own "Divine blade of light" which is part of "Trinity of swords. 

First meeting with Astrum is when he save Kazuha and Hiroya from high lvl moster. When Astrum sees Kazuha he falls in love at the first sight. Later Astrum invites Kazuha (and well hiroya too) to the angels group. Some angel players didn't like how friendly Astrum was to Kazuha. 

Later Kazuha and Astrum meet in the real world. Astrum wasn't sure how Kazuha is going to react, when she meet him in real life. Because he is not this "cool" character what he is in Arcadia. Also in the college some people teases Astrum how awkward he is around people.  Turns out that Astrum know Kazuha's brother Shiki. Astrum has some kind of complex about how Shiki is better in everything. But in the end Astrum and Shiki's relationship to each other is huge question mark. Which is kind of sad,bc it would been fun to know what kind of past they have.

I liked how Kazuha was able to accept Astrum as it is (awkward potato :'D ). Also liked the end of the route. I also had facepalm/laughing my ass off moments. Bc how silly and "in the character" Astrum sometimes was. And I have to say that Sakurai was a good choice for Astrum seiyuu 5/5.

Libera 

Seiyuu: Hanae Natsuki

After Astrum's route I knew that I want play Libera's route next. Because his seiyuu is Hanae Natsuki hehe. First time when I saw Libera I though "this is the must have shota boy character". Libera is nekama (person who passes a different gender online than they're in real life). I had some laughing moments, when Kazuha didn't know that Libera is actually boy. In the game world Libera is a really popular in the demon group. (maybe his seduction skills hmmm 8D). Libera doesn't have high levels in the game,even though he has played Arcadia from the beta version. Even though other players want get back to the real world, Libera doesn't want it. He want stay in the game world. 

During the route Libera's own past is distracting him. There wasn't much romance in the route or should I say there was a little bit,but in the end of route. Sometimes Libera seemed a little rude and indifferent to Kazuha, maybe because he didn't see Kazuha as a player bc the almighty status.

Later in the route there is more about Libera's past. Libera has had some kind of illness since birth. Which is why his body is weak and doesn't know how long he will live. Because of illness Libera hasn't been able to attend to the school. He doesn't have many friends and that is probably the reason why he is so cold to other people. Because of the illness,Arcadia is some sort of escape from reality.

Natsu,Libera's brother is one of Arcadia's game makers. Libera appreciates his late big brother,but bc of the Natsu's accident, Libera's relationship with their own family went bad.

Romantic parts in the game was boring,well if there even was it. Okay maybe sometimes there was maybe a little bit romance but sometimes it felt forced. Libera's route was okay,not bad but not good either. 

Hiroya

Seiyuu: Nobuhiko Okamoto

Next was Hiroya the chilhood friend character. Hiroya has known Kazuha and Shiki since childhood. I saw Hiroya as tsundere character but well he is also this "must have" childhood friend character. Those moments when Hiroya was acting like tsundere was a really cute. At the beginning of the Hiroya's route he tells to Kazuha that he has played Arcadia with Shiki before he get lost. Hiroya also helps Kazuha to make character to the game.

In the route Hiroya helps Kazuha to rise her levels in the game. At the same time Hiroya want to become stronger bc he want to protect Kazuha. Hiroya decides a lot about things in the beginning of the route and felt like Kazuha couldn't tell her own opinion at all. When I played Hiroya's route I saw more different sides of him and his jealousy against Shiki grow. Because he want to be the only one in the Kazuha's eyes.

Even though in the beginning of the route Hiroya decides a lot about Kazuha's things she manage to grew up as the character and was able to help Hiroya. Kazuha wasn't only one who grew as character,Hiroya also become stronger.

I found Hiroya's route very cute. After Libera's boring route this was a really nice to play. So I don't have nothing to complain about his route. Very basic childhood friend route, so what you can wait? :'D Also I have to say Okamato was so cute asdfgh good seiyuu choice!

Shiki

Seiyuu: Toriumi Kousuke

Well well "the big brother" route. Shiki's route you can play after you have played Astrum,Hiroya and Libera's routes. I didn't like Shiki's "poyopoyo" character which he was almost whole route. (you know what I mean...that annoying "poyooo" screaming aaaaaaaaaa xD) In other routes Shiki was a very nasty character and felt like he didn't have all "moomins in the valley", or that is how I felt. Because of this first impression, I didn't know what kind of route he would have.

While I was playing the route I wondered if Shiki is going to be as Poyopoyo whole route? Luckily not...

Well there was moments when Kazuha was a sleeping and Shiki comes to look at her,so I didn't have to wait long. I just wondered HOW good sleeping skills you have to had that you don't wake up when someone is touching you and talking near to your ear??? I...wait what?! Stay in your pants Shiki....please. More I played Shiki's route I noticed that he is huge siscon. So I just started wonder what kind of good ending he is going to have. 

me when I played Shiki's route.... :'DD

I actually don't want spoil all the plot from Shiki's route. But I have to say the good ending was kinda wtf?! To be honest I was very speechless at the end of the route. But on the other hand I liked the solution for Shiki's route.

Because this was brother route the romance part was kind of mmmm well. Kazuha only saw Shiki as brother. But well we know this siscon Shiki had those very passionate feelings for Kazuha. Even though it was interesting to see how Kazuha's feelings changed during the game. But in the end I really liked Shiki's route,it was interesting even though it was kind of dark/distressing too.

Zain

Seiyuu: Hirakawa Daisuke

After I finished Shiki's "wtf is happening here" route I decided to play Zain's route next. Zain is NPC character in Arcadia world. Zain has been in other routes too,but those routes didn't give any new information about the character. In the game Kazuha and Hiroya lost each other and some how she ends up at the lake. There Zain and Kazuha meet each others, but first Kazuha didn't notice that Zain is NPC character.

Zain doesn't understand humans feelings and with Kazuha's help he try understand them better. More Zain begins to understand different feelings his own affections to Kazuha grow. Even though I'm not sure if Kazuha's feelings for Zain was believable. It felt more like Kazuha was responsible for Zain,hmmm don't know. In route is a lot very melancholic moments.

While I was playing the route,wondered what kind of ending it will have. Because Zain is not human,he is NPC. But of course there was this weird plot twist for the route. Which was kind of random/weird in my opinion.

I was happy that Zain's seiyuu was Hirakawa Daisuke. A little bit I was hoping that Zain would be this innocent character. But well it was all lie,bc Hirakawa's characters always in one way or another have some problems...maybe one day. xD

At the same time I liked Zain's route but I was slightly disturber about their "not healthy" relationship. End of the route was huge mess and wasn't sure how it's going to end. I wanted like Zain, but same time wasn't sure how I should feel about him. 

Demento

Seiyuu: Umehara Yuichiro

Fallen angel boy,PK (player killer). Demento has been in other routes too,however not in cheerful moments. Very suspicious character and well have killed other players...what should I wait from his route(?) then. You get to Demento's route when you started go through Astrum's route.

Demento's route was huge garbage in my opinion. He is very depressing character and don't understand why their had to make this route? Even though Demonto had his own route,there wasn't much about his past. Why he didn't want be in the real world and why he wanted be in Arcadia world and kill other players. So many questions,but didn't get any answers. 

Even the end of route was huge wtf?! Don't know if they didn't have any ideas how to end Demento's route. Or did they even try make any good route for Demento. Even though they had tried make "happy" ending, it didn't give me any happy moments. 

Radius

Seiyuu: Tomoaki Maeno

Oh boy oh boy,Radius. Yes,Radius is my fav character from Period cube and that is why I played his route last. Radius is famous solo player in Arcadia and also own Infernal Shadow's edge sword. In the real world Radius is popular Idol.

In the beginning of the route Kazuha lost Hiroya (again...) and then meet Radius. Radius rescue Kazuha and was able to get her back to real world. Later in the real world Kazuha and Radius meet at the hospital. First Radius is very cold and a little bit rude to Kazuha. However Kazuha is very grateful to Radius,because he saved her. Even though Radius is very cold and "self-pushing" person,Kazuha still want to get to know him better. 

In Radius route Kazuha hung out a lot with Forte group and Radius was walking his own paths. Which was kind of sad sometimes,because I wanted those characters spend more time together. But I liked how all romantic parts was in the real world. Even though at the beginning of route Radius was very cold against Kazuha, it was nice to see how their relationship grew up. 

This route was one of my fav ones and good ending was 5/5. There was a lot romance parts and I really wanted it from my fav character route. Also CG was 5/5 good shit. 

Final thoughts: 

I'm happy that bought this game when it was released. When I started playing this game I was a little bit laughing how this game give me some SAO vibes/flashbacks. Maybe because all this "we're stuck in this game world. We have to get out here". Game was enjoyable and I liked Kazuha's battle menu detail. Also game OST were good,my favorite one was in battle scenes + OP and END songs for the game was good.

There was a lot familiar seiyuus which was nice,it was also easy to choose which characters was fav ones too. Also some side characters had some well known seiyuu e.g. Morikubo Showtaro. 

Most of the routes was good. Sometimes I got a little bored while playing the game, but not so often. There was couple of routes what would have done better or not to do at all,or maybe in a little different way? My own favorites are Astrum and Radius. Shiki is maybe my "guilty pleasure" route. Even though I don't care about brother characters in the game,but the dark feeling in it make it good.

I hope you liked to read this review post. If there is any questions/comments feel free to write ~

~ Sparkletokiya