Blue Reflection, squint or not squint, that's the question

[rincewind]

I'm creating this to ask anyone who had played this to share with the rest of us about the game.
I'm particularly interest in how much gay is really this game.

Because I had read from mostly het to subtext to pretty gay.
So, if someone could enlighten us a bit, will be greatly appreciated.

O~NE~GAI~!

[LumberingCrane]

Weird timing, I just finished it now. The all-female cast allowed it to contain the entire spectrum of yuri from subtext to maintext. There's like one character in the main cast who's basically the token character who has a crush on male senpai from another school but that's it. The rest of Het content™ is just from side quests after that.

I highly recommend that people support the game. On its own it's already pretty great from the characters, to the music, to the art, and to the gameplay, but it's also afaik the closest thing to the yuri genre in non-visual novel video games out there - what with the all-girls highschool setting and magical girls. It's kind of a dream come true really; I can reminisce about the numerous similar yuri manga that this game is very similar to while playing it and live the dream of being a japanese high school girl in an all-girls highschool.

I already mentioned this but the characters are great. Every girl *is* the best girl and you can go on social link events dates with them after class. Heck, even the NPCS in the background have their own little stories that advance as the main story advances and those include gay stuff too. What a great game, GET IT.

[LumberingCrane]

Tl;dr if you mix the later persona games + traditional yuri manga + magical girls into a pot you get blue reflection.

[LumberingCrane]

I mean, really, the fact that such a game even exists to begin with is concrete proof that miracles are real. What did we do to deserve this and why is Gust madokami incarnate?

[rincewind]

Well, the game is pretty expensive. And for that amount of money I would expect canon yuri with kisses and all.

That's why I wanted to know what level of yuri we're talking about.
How are the dates? Some hand-holding? Blushing?

How's the flow of the gameplay?

PS: And if we're speaking of yuri manga in form of game... I want a Mochi based game.
"I met my sister while fighting evil as Magical Girls and started dating."

[elevown]

^ Sounds great - and I will probably buy it now - but to what extent is the yuri - I mean do any girls confess their love or become girlfriends? Do any kiss? If it is all unspoken S class stuff then while that's fine (I love MSGM) It classes more subtext than outright yuri.

[Lina Inverse]

I've heard extremely polarized things about this game.I'll wait a little more

[LumberingCrane]

I did say it covered the entire spectrum of yuri in my first post, so it does have instances of maintext stuff alongside subtext. The dates are going around town and visiting different locations like stores, the amusement park, shrine, etc.

Frankly I don't know what the confusion is about since there's already the description that hanako gave, which is pretty accurate :U

[LumberingCrane]

Also the whole it's expensive so I expect canon yuri is frankly absurd. The game itself isn't like nights of azure or valkyrie drive where the yuri is front and center and focused on. It's a magical girl rpg with social elements first and foremost, it's just that the premise and setting greatly lends itself to yuri.

It's still the quintessential yuri game to be frank; I doubt there's anything that would come so close to the genre as a whole in the coming years, if at all.

[rincewind]

"Female protagonist, lots of friendship and subtext, at least one character is an acknowledged lesbian, but no explicit romance for the protagonist."

That doesn't sounds like the epitome of yuri, to be honest.

And subtext. Subtext is a vague term.

You have subtext in Aikatsu! for example. But you must squint hard.
You have subtext in Hibiki Euphonium. But is for nothing because it's het in the end.
You have subtext in Symphogear. But of course, you must squint, but to not see the protagonists as lesbians. (Sleeping together, being romantic which each other, calling each other pet names and in DMJii case shouting at each other how much they love eachother).
Saki? Nodoka and Saki blushing like mad. Visiting shrines and festivals together in a very romantic fashion. Promising each other that they will be together forever. And that's not talking about the other couples.

All those are subtext.
All different.

If Blue Reflection is more closer to Sympoghear, call me VERY interested!

PS: And what's wrong with wanting to spend my money in yuri? I mean, the most expensive game that I ever bought in Steam is... Kindred Spirits. Why? Because yuri!
Same with Nights of Azure. Why Atelier Sophie is still in my wishlist and I already has NoA? Yuri.
The more yuri something is, the more willing I am to spend money in it.
(Still, 60 dollars... ufff... unless is the best and gayest game ever... I can't see myself spending that much!)

[LumberingCrane]

it's the quintessential yuri game because it contains all the tropes in the genre, that's why I said (if you actually can read) that it's the closest thing to the genre in any game created so far. I don't know why I even clarify my statements by stating the setting and all if no one's gonna read them anyways. Nights of azure's themes and setting certainly aren't present in most yuri doujins or oneshots or series.

I also literally said two times now that it contains the entire spectrum so you could say it includes all of that from the vaguest shit to the most blatant stuff smh. Jesus, I thought I already spelled it out earlier.

[LumberingCrane]

Do I have to spell out that just because something is gay doesn't make it the quintessential yuri game? yuri is an entire genre that comes with its own tropes :x

What I'm saying is that Blue Reflection hits closest to that genre in any video game and I'm recommending people to support it because that stuff being created (aside from indie games from tiny circles only appearing on comiket) is pretty much unheard of because it's very niche. The only reason that gust was even able to create it is because it was able to foster a niche audience that would be interested in such a game over the years. Also it's actually a good game with good turn based gameplay and a nice and likeable cast of characters. Nights of Azure is widely considered to have mediocre-at-best gameplay, and just because it has more blatant yuri doesn't actually make it a good game to recommend. The yuri might make it bearable, even enjoyable, but yuri can't carry a game all by itself if the base game is crap.

I certainly wouldn't be recommending this game if the actual game irrespective of yuri is bad.

[rincewind]

Ask ten people about what's the quintessential yuri and you gonna have eleven different answers.

And, sorry, don't get mad.

[LumberingCrane]

that's why I said at the very beginning it's the closest thing to the yuri genre; I'm pretty sure the tropes in the genre itself is objective. I just don't like repeating myself when the answer or counter-argument to your inquiries is already there at the very start.

Edit: I could pick out 10 random one-shots in dynasty and they would be very reminiscent of blue reflection. That's what I mean when I say it's quintessential.

(Quintessential: representing the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class)

Which means I'm not saying it's the gayest thing or the best thing, it's just the most perfect or typical example of it.

[souryuu5]

I'm probably not going to get this game. I have no patience for subtext anymore; give me an actual romantic relationship between girls with no tip-toeing around the subject. Then again, I have a bunch of other games that are explicitly romantic, so it's not a big loss for me if this game doesn't deliver.

Still, I hope that those who bought the game enjoy it. It just doesn't seem like a good fit for me in terms of yuri.

[Kenzi]

Is there any kissing/love declaration ? yes or no, this is what a lot of people want to know i think.