Nitro+CHiRAL / スロウ・ダメージ
I haven't kept up with Chiral's works since Lamento, but seeing the art for the A Special District along with mentions of blood sports hit me with a pang of nostalgia, and since digital download was offered from the start I decided to give it a go.
==Production Values==
Great quality all around. Comfortable UI, and the game is fully playable even kb-only. Settings cover all expected options and plenty of QoL, and the manual is very helpful.
==Gameplay==
Somewhat reminiscent of Ace Attorney, it's a simple but fun system that serves a shockingly great narrative purpose. For better or worse it clearly lays down the rules for branching, and in all but one case getting a game over or a good outcome is considerably more likely than unintentionally triggering the bad. Completing the True End also unlocks new hints that display what stats an option modifies, useful for swiftly collecting any still missing bad ends for the 100%.
==Violence & Gore==
Slow Damage features, to list a few, brutality, self-destructive behavior, masochism, self-harm, psychological torture, and unhealthy coping strategies. It, however, crosses no lines previous Chiral titles hadn't already. Mutilation is avoided entirely, and if player actions result in death it's wrapped up in a couple of lines without any voice acting or accompanying art.
==Story & Characters==
Rather than some immediate threat, this is an episodic story about the city, its people and their problems, because no one ends up in Shinkoumi without a reason. Most of the relatively large permanent cast comes from Towa's already existing social circle which gives authenticity to their casual interactions and to the ways the main relationships develop. I especially liked some of the minor characters such as Eiji, Inada, Sakaki, Granny, and the manager of Roost.
It's crucial to me that a protagonist should stand on their own, and Towa doesn't disappoint. As the game's most complex character understanding him is a learning process, but very rewarding. By the end I was deeply invested in his well-being and happiness.
It's true I initially came for nostalgia and got something very different. But somehow even though it can drag on at times, and certainly has some inexplicably dumb moments, Slow Damage won me over completely.
On a side note, as the hardest track on the OST ARKTA's "Damaging you" became a personal favorite.
7,480円
