vs. anime

[F'lessan]

Is the game better?

[Reisaz]

Absolutely. Without any doubt, the game is better. Though, keep in mind that Kyoto Winds is a remake; it contains the incredible original game and the new content. And this new content has its flaws.

[F'lessan]

Originally posted by Reisaz:

And this new content has its flaws.

Now I'm intriguedXD
Thanks, I've heard a lot about this game but never played it. Only remember anime being plain and dumb.

[Reisaz]

Originally posted by Nera:

Originally posted by Reisaz:

And this new content has its flaws.

Now I'm intriguedXD
Tnanks, I've heard a lot about this game but never played it. Only remember anime being plain and dumb.

Well, in case you want the details, I can tell more via PM =) I think it won't be right of me to spoil the mood criticizing the game here before it's released =)
All in all, otome is not the most intellectual genre, but Hakuouki is the best otome game I've played.

[WillowG]

I quite liked the anime...but I hope there are some...less depressing endings for the male characters...I like angsty, but I like some happiness too...

[ｚｏｍｂｉ★ｄｅｓｕ]

Originally posted by Reisaz:

Originally posted by Nera:

Now I'm intriguedXD
Tnanks, I've heard a lot about this game but never played it. Only remember anime being plain and dumb.

Well, in case you want the details, I can tell more via PM =) I think it won't be right of me to spoil the mood criticizing the game here before it's released =)
All in all, otome is not the most intellectual genre, but Hakuouki is the best otome game I've played.

Could you also tell me more about the issues with the new content?

[C4RNIVOR3]

Originally posted by Nera:

Thanks, I've heard a lot about this game but never played it. Only remember anime being plain and dumb.

Bear in mind the anime really only does one route, and doesn't even go terribly in depth with it. You don't get any characterization from other routes, and its awfully hard to fit content from a 30+ hour otome into a dozen episode anime and have everything make sense. Most anime based on otome games in this sort of circumstance are going to be fairly subpar (also see: Amnesia anime vs game).

[Impracticalmagic]

The game is definitely better than the anime. I played the game first, specifically the PS3 version (Hakuouki: Stories of the Shinsengumi). The PS3 version is still in my opinion the BEST version of the game hands down. Why? Because it has (1) the full game/story, start to finish; (2) amazing extra content that adds a huge amount to the game and includes bits and pieces of gameplay even for secondary characters (Yamazaki, Sannan, Nagakura Shinpachi, and even Shiranui and Amagiri (the demons)); (3) the best translation I've ever seen in a localization; (4) amazing wallpapers for your PS3.

To be fair to the anime, they could only follow one route (Hijikata's) and just try to put in details from the other guys' routes as best they could. I enjoyed the anime and was just happy to find more Hakuouki to watch. Also, at least Hakuouki Reimeiroku is available in English (sub or dub) - the game has never been localized, which is a shame. Final note: I honestly enjoyed the two movies, even though the underlying story is the same as the main game and anime. Plus MAJOR KUDOS for keeping the same amazing Japanese voice actors throughout every version of the game, anime, movies, extras and so on.

~ ImpracticalOni

[Impracticalmagic]

Originally posted by ֆɦǟɖɛ:

Originally posted by Nera:

Thanks, I've heard a lot about this game but never played it. Only remember anime being plain and dumb.

Bear in mind the anime really only does one route, and doesn't even go terribly in depth with it. You don't get any characterization from other routes, and its awfully hard to fit content from a 30+ hour otome into a dozen episode anime and have everything make sense. Most anime based on otome games in this sort of circumstance are going to be fairly subpar (also see: Amnesia anime vs game).

Completely agree with this. Also, the Amnesia anime was awful compared to the game. The Hakuouki anime and movies were much, much better done as reflecting the complexity of the game (to the limited extent possible).

[Impracticalmagic]

Originally posted by WillowG:

I quite liked the anime...but I hope there are some...less depressing endings for the male characters...I like angsty, but I like some happiness too...

The game is still angsty (because these guys all died IRL, other than Saito and Shinpachi, who actually survived the war), but the major bonus to the game is that each route comes with a happy ending (along with an "okay" ending and a bad ending). In the original game, there was a good ending for each character route and several (I think 2-3) different bad endings.

~ Imp

[WillowG]

Originally posted by Impracticalmagic:

Originally posted by WillowG:

I quite liked the anime...but I hope there are some...less depressing endings for the male characters...I like angsty, but I like some happiness too...

The game is still angsty (because these guys all died IRL, other than Saito and Shinpachi, who actually survived the war), but the major bonus to the game is that each route comes with a happy ending (along with an "okay" ending and a bad ending). In the original game, there was a good ending for each character route and several (I think 2-3) different bad endings.

~ Imp

Thanks! I ended up feeling quite depressed post anime (even if it was of the good kind.) and I know many of the characters actually died, so I was (sort of) prepared, but I don't know if I would enjoy the game if most the routes ended with tragedy...I know characters/tragic situation are present anyway, is one of the things I like about the story.
knowing there are different endings for all characters have put me at peace, thank you!
I don't know if I'm going to buy D1, but surely Hakuoki is in my list.

[Impracticalmagic]

Originally posted by тєнc๏ffєєz๏мвιє:

Originally posted by Reisaz:

Well, in case you want the details, I can tell more via PM =) I think it won't be right of me to spoil the mood criticizing the game here before it's released =)
All in all, otome is not the most intellectual genre, but Hakuouki is the best otome game I've played.

Could you also tell me more about the issues with the new content?

On the new content, the general issues can be summed up (for me at least) ike this:

(1) Some of the new translation is poorly done - the vocabulary choices are odd or just wrong in parts; the parts from the original game are much better translated; not a deal-breaker (I've played Kyoto Winds), but it was a shame (as somebody who does a lot of editing, I wish I could have edited the final script! they needed a strong English speaker for a final check);

(2) Most of Kyoto Winds is made up of the common route, but with a *lot* of choices; this can be slightly repetitive, and doesn't let you really focus on one guy until near the end of this game; again, not a deal-breaker, since there really are lots of different paths even in the common route;

(3) It's a pain to have the wait for the more "romantic" portions of the stories, which have always been found in the second half of the game; however, this is partially made up for by having completely new extra scenes to give each route a strong "middle ending".

I didn't really have problems with the new content itself (except for translation oddities) Everyone will have different favourites (and not-so-favourites) among the new routes/characters.

[felicia_uned]

I think the game will be essecially better just because its more detailed and has more background. Even if you think aboute Hijikata´s route, wich would be the same one covered by the anime.

So if you enjoyed the anime and wants to know more about the characters I totally recommend you to play the game.

[Myth]

Is this even a question