Even if Tempest
A semi-spoiler gush/mini review about a game that no one else seems to be playing. Which is kind of the story of my life. Either I find something long after people have stopped regularly playing... or before anyone else has picked it up. Or nobody else likes?
Basically the overall plot of EiT is that the MC (Anastasia, but as per usual you can change that) has spent the last eight years of her life held prisoner in the attic due to her wicked stepmother and evil stepsister and abusive father. Cue the entry of a handsome prince who rescues her, proposes... and then everything goes horribly wrong and she ends up being burned as a witch (none of this is a real spoiler - it's part of the game description/trailer).
Then MC is given the power of the "Fatal Rewind" which allows her to go back to whatever point she chooses in her life and re-do things. Her goal is to get revenge on those who have wronged her but also her mission (given to her by a cute being who also gives her the rewind power) is to locate the "Witch of Ruin" who happens to be causing havoc in the country.
When MC reboots herself the first time, she returns to the point before she was imprisoned in the attic, and her little 10 year old self runs away from home, and joins up as a cadet to become part of the Winged corps (basically knights who ride giant birds called Garudas). Over the next eight years, she trains in archery and fighting, and she is a total badass and I love her. MC is amazing.
So, that's more or less where the routes begin.
Structure:
The structure of the game is unusual in that you are only able to play the routes in a prescribed order: Crius or Tyril (you do get a choice which to play first of those two, but I think Crius's route is a better intro into the world), then Zenn, then Lucien. None of the endings of these routes (except for the last one) are happy.
Prepare for angst.
And sad.
Big sad sometimes.
Because in between routes (and sometimes within routes) MC plays her "fatal rewind" card, and tries again to get her revenge and also defeat the witch. Or save the life of someone who dies within the route. Once you successfully finish all four routes (without getting a dead, bad, or tragic end), you then get to play through the happy endings, and then there's a summary epilogue.
Additional game play:
Within each of these routes, there is a trial of sorts, which depending on the route, MC is either a suspect, an inquisitor, or the murderer. ... it... will make more sense when you play it. Well. By the second time you get to a trial, it will make more sense. You get a chance to investigate the suspects pre-tiral, but you've only got a certain amount of time to do that, and there are more suspects than time, so you will have to choose carefully.
Save your data often.
Emotional Arc:
Did I mention the MC is awesome? She grows and learns lessons throughout the story, both philosophical lessons, and life lessons. There are musings on "whose responsibility is your happiness?" "Is it better to live for yourself or for others?" "What is the cost of revenge?" And the all important, "Yes, it totally is appropriate to ask for help."
Oh, and the insanity:
This game throws pretty much everything into the soup ... there's the aforementioned witch; a killer clown; a handsome prince; an evil prince; the stepmother; giant birds; a terrible illness; murders; death; rebirth; an isekai'd basketball player (or maybe it was rugby... the game was not clear), priests who have committed abuse; stalkers; a mysterious lost tribe; a ninja; an assassin ... and yet even though some of this stuff was never really answered (the killer clown... what? who? why?), it still was totally compelling.
Maya!:
MC has a best friend, faithful maid named Maya who is there for her through everything ... which means that Maya gets put through the same kind of hell that MC does (and sometimes worse). Maya is great. I wish Maya got a LI too. Maya deserves .... hmm.... fanfic. (Must ponder that - especially since Maya and one of the LI's, Tyril, are a hoot together.)
Oh and of course... the LIs... all of whom were great, three of whom I fell for in different ways... and the fourth... is a good guy too.
Crius Castlerock:
Crius is the commander of the winged forces, so he's a little older than MC. He's got a reputation as a flirt, is always there to try to help everyone else's problems, and will sacrifice himself for others. (Basically, a Shingen Takeda type).
Tyril Lister:
Tyril is an inquisitor, has an unlikely friendship with Crius (and Zenn), is harsh, sarcastic, has a ton of secrets, definitely a tsundere, and is a fan of torture devices. The dialogue in the Tyril/MC route is nicely quippy, and once MC gets to know Tyril, she realizes he's got a soft, sweet, gooey center.
It's... um deep down.
Zenn:
Zenn is a bit standoffish at first, he hangs back, and he's got really good reasons for at first distrusting MC. But once he's in, he's all in. He's always got her back, and appears to have brother zoned her (for... reasons). Oh and he's built. Look at the six pack in the above CG. He looks like Motonari, behaves a little like Hideyoshi, and has Mitsuhide's VA (I found it kind of surreal, because I was rereading Mitsuhide's route at the same time as Zenn's). Zenn's route is definitely a ride.
Lucien:
Prince Lucien is the childhood friend of MC. When she disappeared, he was devastated and has never stopped trying to find her. He's a sweetheart, definitely a cinnamon roll (a running gag is that he'll often tear up, but then exclaim it's just because he has weak tear ducts). Lucien is a sweetheart, but the childhood friends to lovers trope just isn't one of my favorites. But you get to know Lucien a lot better than the other LIs, partially because when you get to his route, the first half is in his POV (for ... plot reasons).
Warnings:
This game is pretty bloody and dark. When the Witch appears in the town, he picks one person and gives them the ability to kill whoever they want, without fear and remorse. It's interesting and terrifying to have routes where characters you know and love are freed from moral restraint. In some routes there are also additional murders /death threats.
The deaths happen off camera, more or less (your screen will suddenly turn red), but they are described, and additionally, you will encounter characters with blood on their hands and faces. I didn't think it was especially gory (it's no Red Wedding) but there are certainly descriptions of violence.
The inter-route endings are sad. Not all of the LIs, or friends of MC survive (but you'll have the knowledge that MC is going to rewind time to prevent it next time).
It's angsty. MC goes through a lot.
In spite of that, I found the game extremely compelling. The crazysauce plot, and emotional arc, and the fun dialogue are all plusses in my mind, and made up for the violence and angst.
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