Taisho x alice episode 1

 

Publisher: production pencil (eng), primula & prototype & production pencil (jp)
Developer: primula
Available: pc,psvita,nintendo switch (jp)
steam (eng)  

My last blog post was about bl game hashihime, but this time I have new otome game blog post. I'm still trying to finish bad apple wars, which feel like mission impossible for me now. BUT now I have only one route to play from it,so hopefully soon I can write blog post about it too and continue to another psvita games what I have. 

So taisho x alice episode 1. 

For a long time I have been a little bit curious about this game,but haven't had any need to buy it. I remember seeing a lot different arts for this game on twitter and different sides. So I kinda already knew something about this game. There was fan translations for the game,but I didn't bother to try those. Then later came official eng version to steam and I thought "hmm yeah sure why not". 

Before I started playing this I didn't have no clue what kind of game this was going to be. So I didn't have any expectations for this game. 

There is 3 different episodes for this game,but there is also psvita & nintendo switch versios where is all 3 episodes on one game. Every episodes have 2 character routes and in the first on is Cinderella and Red riding hood. 

I played this game with my friend and it was actually nice and fun to play this with someone. Because you were able to talk about the routes at the same time and it gave a little bit different experience playing the game. 

  

Summary from steam:

Once upon a time, in a topsy-turvy world...

In the beginning, you find yourself lost within a world of utter darkness. Your memories are gone; even your name is a mystery.
But just when the bitter loneliness threatens to break your spirit, you meet Alice—a blond-haired, blue-eyed young man who promptly christens you "Arisu."
Like you, Alice cannot remember anything beyond his own name. Ignoring his protests, you drag him along with you through the darkness... until you happen upon a massive mirror made of crystal.
You stumble through the glass and into the Looking-Glass World, an antiquated fairytale dreamscape that feels oddly familiar...
There, amid a colorful cast of gender-swapped fairytale characters, you take on the role of the heroine and join them in their twisted tales.

How will the story end? It's up to you!

Cinderella (seiyuu: Hirakawa Daisuke) & Red riding hood (seiyuu: Maeno Tomoaki)

My overall thoughts: 

Start for this game felt promising. Yurika (or Arisu like our handsome bishounen ore-sama Alice named her) wandering around this mysterious "dream world". And this mysterious Alice boy who se end up to meet in this weird dream world.

 First the start felt very mysterious, how she ended up there,who is this Alice and why Yurika have amnesia etc. but after that it felt confusing. 

You were able to chose which boys route you wanted to play so there really wasn't any "story" type of leading to the routes. (or I'm just stupid and didn't really notice it) I decided to go for Cinderella first and it kinda was good choice go for his route first. 

Even thought I said it was good to play his route first I didn't like it. It's not like I didn't like this route at all but I found it really boring and kinda cliche at the same time. Sometimes this route felt really long and there didn't happen anything special. Not sure if its right to say that the writing was at some point really boring. Or maybe it wasn't for my taste. 

I kinda liked Cinderella as character but slow progress and sometimes weird "drama" in route felt boring for me. Luckily there was some humor moments which save this route sometimes. 

But in the end this route didn't give me good impression. 

I guess this is also first time I don't like heroine in the game. I usually like all main characters but this time Yurika is special case. Don't know if they tried to make her as "independent" female character bc her mission is to "safe" boys in the routes. But some of her character traits are kinda cringe.
 I already tweeted about her random "japanese" words in the game. 
Some one told me at twitter that in jp game she says english word so thats why in eng one there is some random japanese words. I talked about this with my friend while we played and we both agreed that eng words probably works in jp game bc it look cool (I guess). But when there is random japanese words in english game its kinda cringe and she look like some weeabo. 

here is one example

After finishing first route I was scared that Red riding hood route ends up to be boring too. Luckily it wasn't! I enjoyed to play his route much more and was really happy that I saved it for last one. 

I really liked Red as character and there was a lot cute and funny moments with him. Also Yurika wasn't that annoying this route lol. There was some side characters which also looked very interesting and I noticed that they also have their own game. (FD one. Hopefully they would translate it too!)

We speculated a lot what was going to happen in this route and what kind of characters there is etc. And sometimes we guessed right with our "big brain" moments. In the end of route there was one moment when I felt very confused and tricked. 

Red's ending was really cute and I really wanted that it would continue a little bit more. 

What are my final thoughts/feeling about this 1 episode? 

mmmmm,confused..maybe? 

I don't know,there is so many questions about the story and hopefully there is going to be more answers for those in other routes.  

Like what is Alice's point in the game, who that random wizard dude is and is he behind all this and why Yurika have amnesia. 

Art style for the game is cute and I really liked it. 

There was sometimes interesting translations in the game. Not sure if its right way to translate those but at least I laughed a lot lol.

Overall this game was okay. 

If I have to give number from 0-10 for this game it would be 5. Episode 1 wasn't bad but not good either it was okay. I think Red's route saved my opinion about this first part. But I guess all games can't always be good. Hopefully other routes don't end up to be boring. 

I have heard that Grettel route is very "interesting", so looking forward to that :'D