Crimson Spires
First of all, spoilers ahead. Stop reading now if you don't want to know.
So. In addition to playing toxic bulls#it games like Dead By Daylight (which I will discuss in another post), I have completed as much of the aforementioned VN Crimson Spires as I care to complete. When I say this, it simply means that I didn't go back and get all the bad endings. I just didn't care to? I have a feeling that whatever was in the bad endings might have soured me on the game completely, given what I now know about certain characters. So, let's get into it.
The premise is interesting. An FBI agent is detoured to the scene of a prisoner transport gone wrong in a little town called Bataille. The prisoner happens to be the prime suspect in a series of grisly serial killings - nicknamed the Heartbreaker. I'm sure you can guess why without me getting into details of the crimes - which are included in the game. Upon arriving in the town a strange event occurs locking the people of this town and the protagonist with it away from the rest of the world. Murder towers sprout up from the ground, gunning down anyone who tries to leave. 6 months later, you've been named the sheriff, babysitting the supposed Heartbreaker killer, and the town's various miscreants. But there's more to it all than meets the eye. Obviously. Cuz ya know, murder towers sprouting from the ground are not a normal occurrence.
There's a cult, but none of this subplot matters. There's a freedom fighter group, but none of that matters either. It all becomes exposition for the dynamics that develop between the characters. Which... I guess is fine? It's a otome-style VN sooo.. The interpersonal relationships between the characters are more important than the window dressings, I guess. Even though these subplots are huge glaring mysteries about the "The Contingency," ie "why things are the way they are." But no one cares in the end. Or at least the game's creators don't seem to care to explain it. Oh well. Sigh.
This brings me to my biggest complaint about the game. The hints about these mysteries are all there. Clues everywhere. But none of it ever comes together. Maybe I did miss something by not going back through the "bad endings." But I couldn't find the mental fortitude to slog it back through. Most VNs have features that allow you to speed up text in order to sling through content you've already seen. Not so much the case here. I tried to fuss through the settings after a couple play-throughs just reading and selecting choices - since I do like to get the full experience through most of the content I haven't seen. But the controls pushed to the max settings for text speed were still agonizingly slow. So no bad ends for me.
Through some very light research I have learned there are some references to other games in Woodsy Studios's repertoire. These are things I would not have known had I not dug a little. Do they offer insight into the greater mysteries of Bataille? I suppose that depends on your interpretation and level of understanding of those other games.
There are some other strange themes I feel I should mention. In one of the routes there is incest as part of a poly relationship in one very specific ending. And the insinuations that these two characters have an intimate relationship are rife throughout the game. /nausea.
Not to mention that one of the player character's romantic interests is well.. a serial killer. Not just suggested, suspected. He admits to it in his routes. And in others iirc? Just uhm. Yea. There's that. I'll just see myself out.
All in all, the game is atmospherically interesting. The visuals are pretty stunning, and give you a concrete sense of setting. The soundtrack and voice work are fantastic. I have to say that the New Game+ was well worth sticking it out through the routes to get to it. I honestly liked the New Game+ better than the rest of the game. Would I have liked it as much not having played through all the other routes? Idk. I can't answer that.
Bonus points for Michael Moorcock references though. Major brownie points for mentioning the Eternal Champion.
All in all, a fun experience. If a little uncomfortable in places. xD
