Do you play Otaku games?

Not a lot of people in the general gaming community realise this, but there is a major sub-group of games within the Japanese games market - the Otaku games.

These are mostly dating sims and JRPGs, but just about every genre has at least a few exampes of the "Otaku" genre. These games are targeted purely at the people that hang out at Akihabara and such, and there's a couple of common features between them, but can be summed up with one major thing: they all feature fan-service.

These games, unlike the likes of Final Fantasy, tend to have a very niche audience in the West, and only a few publishers bother to bring them over (Tecmo Koei, NISA and XSEED, really). But for that audience in the west, it's a lucrative market, because they buy *everything* - we're talking about the people that have the entire Atelier Series, or buy anything that has "Hyperdimension Neptunia" in the title.

People like me, really

Anyone else out there like these games? Extra points if you also like Time & Eternity.  

Mostly the JRPG and strategy games. I have several I still need to play, sitting on my shelf - I've just been lacking the time to start or in some instances, finish them off (like my two Hyperdimension games, and the Atelier ones). I was a big fan of Agarest War and Zero - I have Agarest War II sitting there waiting for me to get to it, but I've been playing a few other things lately instead (for example, Time & Eternity - points for me!). I actually am enjoying it quite a bit. I'd say I am about halfway through it at this point. I often enjoy the slower pacing - turn-based combat generally appeals to me. There's some pretty cooky humor to these games as well at times.

Yeah, it's the humour that gets me into these games. For instance - the more serious tone of Agarest actually put me off those games compared to Compile's other series, Hyperdimension Neptunia.

For that reason I'm still unsure of Fairy Fencer f. I just don't know if "serious" and "otaku" go well together.

I like the mix of both. Agarest War Zero had a lot more of the quirky humor in it. The chicken comes to mind... and once you beat the game, it all comes off of the rails. Breaking the fourth wall, things like that, with the bonus content. Honestly, I like those aspects, but the art style usually just appeals to me as well. I think the Atelier games have gotten very easy to look at over the years, improving quite a bit.

I know the visuals of Time & Eternity bug some people. I've actually read some reviews from people that say the hand drawn characters on top of 3D environments makes them sick, but I kind of like it. Personal preference, I know.

I really like the art style in Time and Eternity - the hand-drawn sprites are so attractive, even if the environments are a little bland.

I play them from time to time. The better question is whether or not I ever enjoy them, which is a big fat no. I think the closest thing to an otaku game I enjoyed are the Super Robot Taisen games, and even then, I mostly enjoy them for the old anime references. I hate modern otaku almost as much as modern gamers, and my gaming tastes seem to reflect that.

Otaku genre sounds nice! Even though I just started with the Atelier series (playing Totori on the Vita) I can say I do like Otaku games. I'm sure Mugen Souls fits in that genre too. I still haven't found someone that liked that game as much as I did and all the reviews I saw gave a bad score to the game. However that game was so much fun. I have only played the the second Hyperdimension Neptunia. Heard great things about the first one and V but I think I'll wait until the release the first one on the Vita. Ohh I can't wait to play it on the Vita. A friend of mine saw me playing Totori on the Vita and gave me a big "wtf?" saying it looked like a game for girls, I got brain damage when I heard that. The things we Otaku have to go through.

Astor M wrote:Otaku genre sounds nice! Even though I just started with the Atelier series (playing Totori on the Vita) I can say I do like Otaku games. I'm sure Mugen Souls fits in that genre too. I still haven't found someone that liked that game as much as I did and all the reviews I saw gave a bad score to the game. However that game was so much fun. I have only played the the second Hyperdimension Neptunia. Heard great things about the first one and V but I think I'll wait until the release the first one on the Vita. Ohh I can't wait to play it on the Vita. A friend of mine saw me playing Totori on the Vita and gave me a big "wtf?" saying it looked like a game for girls, I got brain damage when I heard that. The things we Otaku have to go through.

Mugen Souls is absolutely an Otaku game. Bad scores from critics? Pfft, check my review out: http://www.digitallydownloaded.net/2012/10/review-mugen-souls-ps3.html

I would wait for the remake of the original Hyperdimension Neptunia on the Vita, because the original game is decent, but very flawed. The later two games (I prefer Mk 2 to V) are far better balanced games.

But absolutely make sure you pick up Meruru when it rereleases on Vita. I loved Totori this much: ++++++++

I love Meruru THIS MUCH: +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


It's a bit of a pity that the only real Otaku games that get localised are the JRPGs. Dating games can be a lot of fun (I'm playing through Photo Pano Kiss on Vita now and it's basically an dating game and it's awesome).

But that might start changing with digital distribution. I'm glad to see a Hatsune Miku game actually getting a release in Australia, for instance.

MattS wrote:

Astor M wrote:Otaku genre sounds nice! Even though I just started with the Atelier series (playing Totori on the Vita) I can say I do like Otaku games. I'm sure Mugen Souls fits in that genre too. I still haven't found someone that liked that game as much as I did and all the reviews I saw gave a bad score to the game. However that game was so much fun. I have only played the the second Hyperdimension Neptunia. Heard great things about the first one and V but I think I'll wait until the release the first one on the Vita. Ohh I can't wait to play it on the Vita. A friend of mine saw me playing Totori on the Vita and gave me a big "wtf?" saying it looked like a game for girls, I got brain damage when I heard that. The things we Otaku have to go through.

Mugen Souls is absolutely an Otaku game. Bad scores from critics? Pfft, check my review out:

I would wait for the remake of the original Hyperdimension Neptunia on the Vita, because the original game is decent, but very flawed. The later two games (I prefer Mk 2 to V) are far better balanced games.

But absolutely make sure you pick up Meruru when it rereleases on Vita. I loved Totori this much: ++++++++

I love Meruru THIS MUCH: +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


It's a bit of a pity that the only real Otaku games that get localised are the JRPGs. Dating games can be a lot of fun (I'm playing through Photo Pano Kiss on Vita now and it's basically an dating game and it's awesome).

But that might start changing with digital distribution. I'm glad to see a Hatsune Miku game actually getting a release in Australia, for instance.

Haa, you are my favorite person right now! Loved the review. You got to be one of the best JRPG reviewer out there just because you actually like them like most of the people that actually buy and enjoy these games. That's the problem with most reviews out there when they review games like this. Regardless of the flaws of the game, they where just not going to like it from the beginning.

Astor M wrote:You got to be one of the best JRPG reviewer out there just because you actually like them like most of the people that actually buy and enjoy these games. That's the problem with most reviews out there when they review games like this. Regardless of the flaws of the game, they where just not going to like it from the beginning.

This ^^ Seriously, it feels like the people who review these games on most sits drew the short straw and really just don't want to play the games. I wouldn't ask someone who hates sports to review a Madden title, because frankly their opinion of the NFL is probably not going to mirror mine at all.