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Just Deserts: More about girls than the game | review


Posted on August 12, 2016 by Fionna Schweit

Most of the time with a VN you get a great story, a set of cute characters that fit in to a single archetype. Usually you will have the various dere girls, the cute nerd, and at least one more type, sometimes shes the clumsy one, sometimes shes the super hot one. Doesn’t really matter, point is that you get a set of girls, usually introduced right away and yourself the player character who is trying to woo them. This is done via a fairly simple set of interactions that raise how much a girl likes you over time eventually leading to dates, and then the end game. Just deserts take a much less direct approach to this, for you see aliens have invaded.

The game begins with you pulled on to an unknown military base, shown to the bases commander Cornelia (who has pink hair) and briefed out on the fact that the facility you are at is in fact a secret forward operating base that’s fighting aliens. Not your standard opening to a VN, but I guess its more plausible then finding two cat girls in a box (if you don’t get that go play Nekopara). The rest of the game features 4 other girls, with hair colored Blonde(Ceceile), Black(yumi), White(Eve), and red (Jennifer) plus the commander we already met. You will spend most of the game getting small quests for these girls, and fighting turn based battles against aliens.

The Full Cast

The Full Cast

Because this is a VN im going to be talking a lot about art, and voices, and not as much about the game part itself. If you really want a gaming experience I cannot in good conscious recommend that you play a VN. Go play Overwatch or something instead. That out of the way the V part of this VN is really stellar. It features a soft art style that’s full 2D instead of the sudo 3D that many VN’s opt for.  There is no character movement in the sprites so don’t expect something like the boobs slider you get in Neko Para to make an appearance.  Backgrounds are beautifully penned, but they really do look like paintings because they are static. Everything has a soft glow that makes it sort of resemble an oil painting which feels a bit out of place in a VN about alien invasion.

The girls themselves all have different body types and styles. Each on can be dressed in a variety of different outfits that are purchasable with in game money.  You can have each on wear these clothes in various poses which you also purchase. The games CG screens (a must in any VN) are well drawn, but basic, this is also an all ages VN so don’t expect any nudity here. The game is voiced but not fully, instead you get kind of bits and pieces of what the characters are saying, which is a nice feature but id almost prefer the fully voiced Japanese standard that comes with most VN’s.

I really like the games flat UI its one the best I have ever played.

I really like the games flat UI its one the best I have ever played.

The story is the most basic of VN stories, your dropped in to a (future) harem of girls as the clueless MC, and expected to start doing things to woo these girls. Story is honestly the worst aspect of this otherwise fun VN. I know that sounds sort of backwards since the second letter literally stands for novel, but I really don’t feel like not having a story takes much away here. Bascially you’re the typical super MC who can save the world, but also there are some girls you have to woo, it’s shallow on the level of Honey pop but with less matching and more shooting aliens. As to the earlier mentioned aliens, we never find out more about them than they are invading. They simply serve as faceless antagonists to keep the game moving. The most plot we really get comes at the end of our month of time (yes this is a time limited game) where we go to the alien ship to destroy it.

This is what combat looks like

This is what combat looks like

But you didn’t really come here for the story did you? I mean I didn’t, I saw cute girls and was like lets do that! Each of the 5 girls featured has a purpose, a skill if you will in the upcoming battle with the alien menace. The relationship aspect of this game is that the more you woo a girl, the better her weapons to fight the aliens will get.  In each play through you will have 30 days to get to know each girl as much as possible , unlock all of their weapons, and go attack the alien spaceship. The game is pretty kind about those days, and there are only a few planned events during the 30 day period.

The scenes in between the combat are nice enough, you get to interact with the various girls, who slide on and off screen in a cut out sprite style. Since you have 5 different characters to woo, you can expect plenty of time will be spent choosing which one you want to “power up”. These are basically the games different routes, and you won’t be able to do all 5 in one go, so there is at least some replayability here.

dresssup

Your time is most difficult resource to manage here. Training or wooing or fighting all take time. You also have very limited money, and will need to get more to buy gifts for the girls to get them to like you better.  I don’t have much nice to say about the combat in this game, its pretty basic. I never felt like I was going to lose up until the last boss which took a major curve on difficulty in a scary way.

The battle system it self is turn based and most resembles something like an early JRPG. You attack, use items, or special abilities. Enemies are only encountered while on patrol , and on each patrol you can bring one girl, who can also use a special ability. , you can buy new weapons (which all have limited use) and armor, as well as training to increase stats and to increase attack or survivability. This is basically all it is in a nutshell, with just a few more mechanics that I haven’t touched on.

Combat suffer from being almost too simple, but really it’s a VN im here for the cute, not the combat, so I cant fault the game too much. I do have one complaint, enemy diversity is basically 0. Here is the enemy list: a cube,  a fire cube, an acid cube, a grass cube, a hexagon, a diamond, and a sun. That’s it. The other “game” part of this is of course the dating sim, which is pretty good actually. The UI is fantastic, I really liked how slick and modern it looked.  Just like most VN’s you will be spending your time here buying things for girls, wooing girls, giving them things, and talking to them. Each thing you do will earn you love points, and as those grow you will eventually go on a date.  After you complete a set number of dates, you fall in love, and well win.

Overall I really enjoyed Just Deserts. It mixes up the usual VN formula of just dates with just enough combat. The combat is boring after a while sure, but its still way better than it would be if you just didnt have any at all. With the tiny price tag its totally worth it.


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Just Deserts Deploys on Steam


Posted on July 25, 2016 by Fionna Schweit

Sekai is teaming with Vifth Floor to bring military dating sim action to all of you! If you like fighting aliens, cute girls or VN’s your going to want to check out this all new release.

Love is just a sand dune away, but first it is time to give these alien invaders their “Just Deserts!” Sekai Project, a publisher and licenser of Japanese new media and electronic entertainment, in partnership with Vifth Floor, today announced the military-themed action dating sim, Just Deserts is now available on Steam for Windows, Mac, and Linux. This game is really mostly about getting cute girls to love you. It does have some plot and a little action, but its a VN through and through.

But like plot?

YAh its got a plot, in case your not just here for the cute girl. Sekai says

“In Just Deserts players will step into the combat boots of a soldier who must defend Aquarine City, after the neighboring city of Quentine was obliterated by a mysterious race of alien invaders. Assigned to a troop of highly-skilled and dangerously captivating girls, players will set out to save humankind and maybe even capture the heart of their dream girl(s) in the process.”

The plot is about aliens invading earth, and of course there are some cute girls to fight them off, and you need to do things for the cute girls.

girls

You said fighting aliens?

Honestly I give exactly 0 craps about what the game is about, I am literally just here for the cute girls.  In case you really do care, here is a list of features. With a wide spectrum of fun activities to engage in, a robust management system, hundreds of in-game items to use and collect, turn-based battles, and more, Just Desertswill keep players enlisted and engaged for countless hours.

Just Deserts Features:

  • 5 unique heroines with different personalities and interests
  • Full English voice acting for each heroine
  • 3 in-game languages (English, Indonesian, and Japanese)
  • 7 different endings, based on your status with each of the heroines
  • Interactive and engaging turn-based battles with the invading aliens
  • List of activities which can be done alone or together with your favorite heroine
  • Management system with energy, health, money, day/night time, and love status
  • Hundreds of items to use as gifts, food, or aide in battle
  • Mini-map that allows players to travel across the desert area and within the city
  • A beautiful soundtrack composed by Ecky from the Vesuvia Circle
  • Steam Trading Cards and Achievements

So get out there and date the cute girls, because in celebration of the highly-anticipated release, Just Deserts will be 10% off of its regularly listed price of $9.99 for the first week!


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KARAKARA Now Available on Steam


Posted on June 27, 2016 by Fionna Schweit

Sekai Project, in partnership with calme, has today announced that the heartwarming visual novel, KARAKARA is now available on Steam for Windows PC. This one is one that I have been looking forward to for some time. Bishi VN’s are fairly rare. As they tend to be marketed to the much smaller gay male, and female fan bases. So this one is a pretty great find to have coming to Steam.

Developed by calme, KARAKARA is a Bishoujo visual novel set in an alternate, dystopian world where the comfortable and quaint life of Leon and Lucia, two hardworking diner owners, takes an interesting turn of fate when they discover an unconscious young woman passed out on the side of the highway. Together, the three will take a courageous step forward to forge a new life in a world reborn.

About KARAKARA
Sekai decribes KARAKARA as:
“KARAKARA. It is the sound of aridity. It is the sound of dry asphalt and sandy winds. It is the sound of relentless sunshine, as well as the sound of a withering race.”
The VN gakes place in the  “Age of Dusk.” It is a time of senescence for the human species, during which hybrids known as the “Others”—those who are human, yet not—exist in great numbers.

On the windswept barrens of a land without moisture, a small gathering of people make their living in a world they no longer know. Down a stretch of highway and far from the heart of the town are two such people who run a small diner. To them, the circumstances that reshaped their world is of far less concern than the number of lunch boxes they can load into their delivery vehicle. After all, leaving customers hungry is not good for business, and business keeps them fed. Day after day, they occupy themselves with the endless work of their diner. However, the comfortable monotony of their daily lives is turned on its head when they discover a large suitcase by the roadside on their way home from deliveries. Lying on the suitcase, unmoving, is a young girl with pink hair…

Though parched, they keep each other company, and while once hollow, they fill each other’s voids. So shall they live on this land so arid.

Sounds pretty intresting! KARAKARA is now available on Steam for $9.99 with a 20% off discount for the first week. A demo for KARAKARA is also available on Steam.


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Sekai Project Heats Things Up With Steam Summer Sale


Posted on June 23, 2016 by Fionna Schweit

Steams summer sale is upon us! Each year in the summer Steam teams up with all the bets developers including our own beloved Sekai, to bring all the best in games, for the lowest prices. Seaki’s entire catalog is basically on sale! I can recommend my beloved Nekopara, as well Clannad from exepreience! Titles prices range from 10% off all the way up to 85% off! Now is your chance to grab all of those games on your wishlist. From visual novels and kinetic novels to platformers and puzzlers…there’s something for everyone! The sale even covers the newest set of releases, The Orchard of Stray Sheep, My Little Kitties, and The Labyrinth of Grisaia.

So whats a VN anyways?

If you have never played a Visual Novel (vn) before ill give you a few tips and a basic overview! Most visual novel are a story that is read out loud in English or Japanese. Along with this reading are images that show the story progressing! Some also contain minigames, or other story mechanics to progress the story!

I personally recommend Nekopara, it is a visual novel about adorable cat girls who work at a bakery! Its rated M an has some very adult content. If thats not what you want Clannad is is a sweet story about love. If you are more in to the action world you can check out ReversexReverse a game full of action and adventure!

I am really excited to be able to pick up and play some of these VN’s! Which ones will you be playing? tell us on Twitter or Facebook!


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