Otome Game Review : Area-X

Title                      : Area-X
Publisher               : Zeiva Inc Production
Released                : 16-06-2013
Rating                   : 13+
Type                      : Visual Novel, Flash
Original Language : English
Platform               : PC



My second review and also the second series of X Otome Games by Zeiva Inc. Before this game is released, I was waiting and can't wait for it to be released!

First Impression

Based on my experience playing X-note, I expected this game to be a good game. Better, or at least in the same level with X-note.


Art

If the art of this game compared to X-note, the previous game,  I can say the art improved (Well, seen from the cover already). The background graphic is those which improved so much! I can say the art is smoother than the one in X-note. And I love the Towers in Area-X too.

Music

The music is still good, but it's just me, I think. The music when Elcia's first day.. Well, it's the same BGM in Leah's Tale for Miomir, so I can't help but keep thinking of gnomes in every time that music pops up. Besides that, I don't have any problem. I just love when now, each character got their own BGM.


Mini Games

The mini games improved, yes. The mini-games not only clicking on the right time or memorizing, but to those which require some thought, like when we have to make fire in Yuras' route, and the piano quest in Belph's route.

Plot

In here, we're playing as Elcia, a time negotiator from the future who has to go to the past in the name of Project Recovery. Btw, I recommend you play Yuras' route first, followed by Belph's, Rexus', Livan's and the secret guy's.

Yuras - The baby-faced boy who can be found in Ice Age. Well.. The first meeting with him, actually, I got really surprised because I never imagine an otome game where one of the guy would bury the heroine in the snow! I mean, if I become Elcia, I wouldn't know how to react as well, especially if in the future, he'll become the prince-charming-of-my-life or whatever is that.

If you played X-note, Yuras is like Yuon and Oure mixed into one and turn out as a horrible result when first knowing him: cold, naive, intimidating and has no consideration in speaking (And he only speaks whether he needs to). His stare also scary enough to make someone decided to eat raw meat than being stared at him for longer. But deep inside, he's a caring person (Oure side? I don't know) and kind enough to bring Elcia to Akrot despite Santo-hate-outsiders condition and told the villagers to not tell Santo's people about Elcia. He also saved Elcia so many times from.. jaguars (Yeah, only jaguars). He's not good at words but he's good at his actions ("Actions speaks louder than words" maybe is what he believeing in.) Aside from the intimidating and no-joking person, Zeiva provided some jokes in his routes because the difference of dimension, like dimension become die-mansion and planetarium become plain-nectar-rum. The so-sweet about Yuras is he's not hesitated to ask Elcia to lean closer after Elcia sneezed in the middle of their star-seeing (Bawww... I wanna someone like him too in my life lol). If me, I want Yuras to be my big brother, although you can't expect more than a caveman self from him.

Yuras' route focuses on looking for Elcia's 'village' (I assume it's searching signal) and the sacrifice of Ciera, Yuras' sister. In this route, I'm seeing a "kill or be killed" and "be the strongest so you can see tomorrow" world. Yeah, classical Ice Age life, but I don't think many otome game take its story at that era (as far as I know). In this route, there's Oure in Crete and I love to see his cute face again. Maybe he's a guest star? I don't know. Forgot about Oure and back to the story. Yuras' route has a very touching story about how precious is family, and after finished this route I felt like I wanna hug my mother ><

Belph - Elcia's operator and old friend from the institute. He's the other member of  'Sadistic Duo'. He's full of sarcasm, messing around and looks like has no responsibility at all. Irina said that a duet of Elcia and Belph will turn out as something.. dangerous? Considering what they have done at school..

Elcia and Belph has become good friends since their school days, so they don't have any awkward moment or something like that. They're also very much alike, with the pranks, sarcasm and their intelligence. It's like he always knows what is Elcia thinking Elcia knows what is in his mind. Despite talking about slacking off all the time and looks like never care for Elcia, he's a perfect best friend who always supports Elcia throughout the game, by offering helps and cheering up Elcia after Irina's incident. Although he's the best friend of Elcia, he kept so many secrets, especially about his family. Elcia always said that he's not romantic at all, but in my opinion, he's still become a good boyfriend (I mean, a relationship isn't only about romantic things, right?) If there's a word that can describe Belph, I believe that word is 'betrayed'. He might be smiling a lot times in the beginning, but as the story goes, he is someone who need to be cheered up. His story also reminded mine with a sentence "In the end, it's your own expectation who betrayed you." If Yuras' story is a story about family, Belph's story is about how a thing could change someone entirely, from innocent and naive to someone entirely different.

Belph's route focuses on Elcia's past, his past, and where is the stolen Eon Database. This route focuses on what is the purpose of Axial Power and Belph's uncle as well. From the Land Path routes, this route is the key route of what's happening. And in this route.. Well, it's unclear whether Belph really loves Elcia in the ending because Belph only said when he said that he hated Elcia, it was the biggest lie he ever made. Even the bonus scene still made it unclear because their relationship is only messing here and there in underground cities with "Sadistic Duo" name.

Rexus - The guy that Elcia met in the Present. He looks like a badass with carrying bamboo stick everywhere and his serious face made him looks like he can kill a puppy with his glare. At their first meeting, he was trying to protect Yuon who got bullied by the infamous gang D or whatever is that and he admitted that Elcia is scary. He's the same Rexus as the Rexus in X-note, yes. He looks cool too, like usual ><

Still with the same characteristics in X-note, Rexus has a big body but very mild-mannered and terrible at lying. He even said that he's the huge fan of ORZ Corporate statue when the third meeting! LOL He's also the only guy who can be teased and that's what made his route is fun, like when Elcia said she's gonna change in front of Rexus (His face gone red. I told you, gone red like it has been painted with a red paint LOL *died for a few minutes 'cause of laughing*). He's also the type of guy who can't win over his girl.. No matter how hard he's trying to fight Elcia, he lost in the end and ended up bullied by Elcia and Belph (You two are really a sadistic duo..) He's somewhat childish, with his concept as leader and so on, and I think he's naive because he can't hide when Elcia stated that he's the leader of Project Recovery. Aside from that, he's actually only want to be acknowledged by Elcia and not seen as someone weak. He also wanted to protect everyone that he loves - making him has a perfect heart for a leader.

Rexus' route focuses on Elcia's past before Elcia met Belph. This route is quite surprising, considering both of them 'originally' from the future. This route also focuses on why is the time machine made and the source of Eon Database. Basically I won't say there's a good ending for Rexus' route, both the Puppy and Yuon ending. In this route, we only gotta choose who will die: Elcia or Rexus and the 'good' ending is Elcia died to save the world from dimension breaking. If I gotta choose Puppy or Yuon's path, well, can't choose because both of them had a good story. Puppy's path way more exciting and Yuon's path has a touching story of a son who can't interact well with his father.

Livan - The guy that Elcia met in the Middle Ages. He's a private artist for Pedoe Manor. He looks calm and polite with a calming smile. He always compares anything with anything painting-related, like his love for painting and the feeling when he mixed the wrong color. From their first meeting, Livan is kind, just too kind to offer Elcia help to go in to Pedoe Manor.

If there's a guy who caught my attention in first-time seeing the face, it'd him. I love his hairstyle, although I hate his hat. He looks like a perfect gentleman and looks like he'd make a perfect husband (He's able to survive living alone and the top of that, he can cook very well, especially baking. I love sweets ><)
He's awfully too kind, and he's persistent on helping Elcia and making Elcia become dependent to him. He and Elcia sometimes debates on odd things like "I shouldn't accept more of your kindness" but Livan keep persistent. He's also overthinking irrelevant things like the crab and the spider hairstyle of Captain D.. From all the guys, he's the most mysterious because.. I sensed something is strange when playing his route. I mean, there is no person who is too kind in the world, even in the fiction world because there will no story if someone's too kind. And yeah, I am right. If Belph is lying and hiding facts, he's manipulating people with his smile just to get what he wants - probably unexpectable from someone who looked like only doing good deeds for people. He's just too good with it.

Livan's route is the key route in Land Path. Actually, not only in the Land Path but also the key route from all the stories. This route is the hardest route too, if I must say with all THREE TIMES action. Gosh, I believe this route is believing 'three times is a magical number' and somehow made it into a fundamental belief. This route also has the most interesting yet odd people too, like Pedoe with his absurd interest in bears, The King with his crazy interest in cookies and Livan himself with his obsession in paintings. And the first mystery that aren't solved in other routes are solved in this route too, I mean, the real culprit who behind all the problems. Btw, I don't mind having a husband like Livan.. He's perfect for that position (?) This route also has no good ending too.. So I kinda disappointed but I guess that made a variety in otome games where good endings aren't always with the heroine and the guy live together happily every after, right?

Ferim - He can be found at Area-X. He's the mysterious guy who hides his face. He said that he controlled the time, that's why in the first he asked to be called as 'Time Manager' but Elcia complained how long 'Time Manager' to be pronounced. He's stoic, like has no character at all. I mean, he's like a machine who doesn't have any emotion. He's just flat and yeah, that's it.

His route holds the key, the real explanation from mysteries that still not explained in Rexus' route. He also holds the very good ending (I said that because.. yeah, you gotta play it by yourself). I don't think this route can be called as a GxB route.. Can you say that you're having romantic or at least good time with Ferim? The answer is no. This route is only explaining what is happened, while Ferim is trying to understand humans' emotions. This route only has one path which leads to good ending.

Conclusion

Zeiva still presented a very good story in this game, along with the improved art. However, I'm expecting more in the next game after Area-X. This game has a very original idea and I love it. But still.. for an otome game, it kinda lacks of romantic session but I don't think it can be added more romantic session as well.. It's still like X-note: You're choosing your partner and how you want to finish the problem, not choosing the prince-charming for your life (maybe exceptional for Belph's route..)

Otome Game Review : X-note

Title                      : X-note
Publisher               : Zeiva Inc Production
Released                : 2011
Rating                   : 13+
Type                      : Visual Novel, Flash 
Original Languange : English
Platform                :  PC



This is my first review and it seems it's terribly late. Actually I finished this game around 2 years ago and somehow I get inspired and BOOM! I chose this game as the first game to review. Since this is my first one, I dunno if this review's good enough but I hope someday you all can count on my reviews to get games that are worth it to play.

First Impression

Since they're using the title screen as the cover, well, I was attracted by the art. I thought, in the first, this is a horror or has a little bit scary scene in there considering the synopsis.

Art

For a non-Japanese developed game, this game has a good art. Zeiva did the art from the character graphic to the background and all the scene, and they have their unique style which made them different from others' art. (They keep their brushed-like coloring).


Music

It is true that Zeiva didn't make their own background music for this game and chosen to buy musics from a website, but I admit they have good ear when choosing the music. The musics are good to listen to and gives the right atmosphere in every scene, especially when you get the bad ending and sad scenes.

Mini Games

There are mini-games to increase Essi's psychic ability and I could say the mini-game is quite good despite they're so simple like click on the right time and memorizing patterns. But I heard those games are good for training your brain.. 

Plot

In here, we play as Essi, who has psychic ability which she tried to hide from everyone. One day, a boy named Yuon from Xen Institute came and hired her to investigate the murder case of Scid, the principal of the school.

Yuon - The boy who started the story by hiring Essi to investigate the murder. He's actually the son of Scid, the victim. In the first meeting, he asked to the point about hiring Essi to investigate, and told her that he knew about Essi's psychic ability. He's also cold enough to Essi, I mean, to-the-point type.

Yuon is a cold-hearted, ignorance (unless he needs something from that person), and very serious. At first, he acted like he owns the school and he's awfully busy (Is he the principal after Scid? I dunno. Maybe he's the successor, and what's this, a kingdom?) He's the person that will plan everything carefully (like keeping Ms. Acia's glasses for further investigation) if according to work (That's what he said on November 13th). Although he's not the type to joking, he made the hilarious joke on November 13th when he asked Essi out to ENTERTAIN him because he's bored. What on Earth is going on inside his brain, asking a girl out to entertain him? I love when got the revenge if you choose to date him at Mirage fountain, by forced him to toss the coin in the fountain (Hehehe). He screwed up enough and very cute. He's also sensitive to sentimental things in his life, like Mr. Puffy Keychain from his older brother. And he has a special caring to Essi when Essi got sick by buying her vitamins and medicines and delivered them to Essi's house.

This route focuses on the investigation to find out what is inside X-note and the research (And I won't spill it out. Why? because if I spilled it out, the fun's over.) Their romance story is more likely.. Love that grown inside work? Because it's more likely that they became partners and fall in love along with the investigation. This route, beside the investigation, also has a good story about Yuon and his older brother. Yeah, I admit that's quite touching although I don't have any older siblings. I mean, this route is full of misconception that can't be explained in first.

Btw, I love the Mr. Puffy lol. And the bonus scene where there's a photo Yuon and Essi hugging Mr. Puffy (Wait, I spilled it out!! Argh)

Oure - The boy that Essi met in the corridor on November 1st. He's like snow inside the Xen Institute with his all-white appearance. He has been friendly to Essi since their first meeting, and he acted like a little kid which made him kawaii ><.

Oure is childish, honest, bright and cheerful guy. The only thing that made him not perfect is he's really old-fashioned with his you-ass-be joke, sell-foam joke and he doesn't know what's going on in world outside the CORRIDOR. Yeah, he's just hanging around there with a reason: he could see the clouds clearly from the corridor. He's very childish with his sparkling eyes when talking about parfait, so you can't say he's handsome but more likely "He's cute and I wanna him to become my lil' brother!" If for me, I won't make him as a boyfriend but as a lil' brother or maybe as a son. He's cute when he screwed up on November 20th (But I think everyone's cute when they screwed up..) But aside from his cheerful and childish self, he's mysterious enough like: Where he has been living? Why can't he leave the corridor? And he's hiding something, although in the end he can't hide it from Essi.

The date on November 13th.. I think, it's not like a date. It's more likely a chat about Essi's past, but it's great to have a guy that you can tell all your stories without worrying that he might spill it out to anyone else (Huh?).

This route focuses on Oure's past and a little bit of X (The past of Xen Institute, and of course what Oure knew) and how Oure died. Yeah, Oure that Essi seeing is a ghost. Maybe if this route compared to others, this route more likely a side-story. This route also connected with Yuon's, so I recommend play Yuon's route first before Oure's. And in here, you can see how cruel is Loil and how strong is Oure because he's still alive despite he has been in coma for 10 years (Not only miracle.. But I dunno if there's any real case about still being alive after 10 years in coma).

Anon - If there's a guy who caught most of girls' eyes in the first sight, I think it would be him (But Yuon's face also my type XD). He also friendly to Essi when their first meeting in the Computer Lab, by introducing him as the best informant in school and told Essi that she could ask him if she wants to know about something. Although in their second meeting, he's blabbering about knowing Essi's bust size and acted like a playboy and a pervert in one meeting..

Anon is the only guy that loves to tease Essi in every chance he get. He's kinda narcissist by calling himself  'handsome'. He's also the type that looks unreliable, but actually he's reliable enough. He seems that he always wanted to cheer up Essi but in the end, he only get smacked or get stabbed by Essi's harsh words. In this game, he's the only one who can be considered as a fun guy (looks like he has a good social life, not like the other two who not much than those who don't know anything's outside and the fun of school..). If me, I want him to be my best friend, although I don't mind if he became my boyfriend XD Aside from that, although he talks much, he almost never talked about himself until the story get deeper. I mean, he's different than he was little (Again, I won't spill it out!). This guy also psycho-like (Maybe D.I.D more fit.. you know, in one time become a narcissist, cheerful but in some times he can change into a serious, dreadful person..), with the greatest psychic ability in the game that I always want to have. He can kill with his own psychic ability. There are usually two types of those who holds big powers, a silent one or those who looks like an ordinary but no ordinary. He's the second type - all looking like an ordinary student but in inside, he's not.

If there's a main guy, this guy is the main guy although I recommend to play his route after you finished Yuon's and Oure's because his route contains the main story. Anon's route focuses to the investigation of the murder case and who is X. His route is quite surprising for me, but that's Zeiva for you! This route changed your guess (about who is the murderer) after you played Yuon's and Oure's path. Aside from the main story this route has, Anon deserves to be the main guy, with the funny things happened when he was with Essi and with the shocking ending where they went to Egypt to.. elope (?). This route is amazing!

Conclusion

For an otome game, this game lacks of romance session. This game is more likely a mystery solving game but you choose who is your partner and how you want to solve it. Even though, this game is good in their story, art and music. And this game is also good for the jokes, like those in Oure's path (Sell-foam, you-ass-be) and the one in Yuon's path. This game is worth it to play, with its short playing time so you won't get bored to play all the routes.