BL Game: PS2 Saint Beast – Rasen no Shou
An impulse buy… cos the “limited-time offer” was too great to resist x_x
Released in Sep 20, 2007, the limited edition Saint Beast Rasen no Shou (セイント・ビースト 螺旋の章) game’s original price is 7800 Yen but it is now on sale at US$ 24.90! That’s like approximately 2700 Yen meaning it is 5100 Yen off the retail price o_O Since they offer free shipping to my region, I bought it. ^^”
For the uninitiated, Saint Beast is based on a fantasy series created by Arisugawa Kei. It is a spin-off of the series Angel Tales in a world where gods, guardian angels and animal spirits exist.
After tremendous success with Saint Beast Drama CDs focusing on the guardian angels (Holy Beasts), a couple of animes were created as well, namely
- Saint Beast ~Seijuu Kourin Hen~ (セイント・ビースト～聖獣降臨編～ 2003)
- Saint Beast ~Ikusen no Hiru to Yoru Hen~ OAV (セイント・ビースト～幾千の昼と夜 編～ 2005)
- Saint Beast: Angel Chronicles (セイント・ビースト ～光陰叙事詩天使譚～ 2007)
To be honest, I didn’t have much patience with the anime cos they were not that great ^^” I didn’t even finish watching the last two installments *gasp* The characters are cute and all but half the time you’re hoping they do something more about their attraction for one another but they don’t. The Drama CDs however were more fun and “action-packed” if you know what I mean lol~ The main draw of course, are the seiyuus XD
This game also features the original star-studded cast, including Morikawa Toshiyuki, Miyata Kouki, Sakurai Takahiro, Ishida Akira, Fukuyama Jun, Midorikawa Hikaru, Suzumura Kenichi, Sugita Tomokazu, Yoshino Hiroyuki, Toriumi Kousuke and Yasumoto Hiroki.
I’ll review the game when I get the time to play it. I’m not expecting naughty screen captures tho’ cos the game is rated as suitable for all ages. The official site categorised the game under the “Bishonen angel, friendship adventure” genre… lol~
The limited edition includes a Drama CD too :3
Official site: http://www.mmv.co.jp/special/game/ps2/saintbeast/
Quick Review:
Okie… I fired up the game and after a short while of playing it, I can begin to understand the attractiveness of 1st-person POV story adventure games like this.
In this game, you can choose to play a male/female angel who is tasked to descend to earth in order to search for the Holy Beasts and… etc. You can customise the name of the character too. So basically, the game is pretty much played out from your point of view. Your character is not voiced (the thoughts and replies are in the boxed text… which is a challenge for me lol~ anyway…) so when the characters interact with yours (i.e. you) they’re speaking directly to you… *meow* X3 That’s yummy for me since some of the game characters are voiced by my favourite seiyuus.
I’ve only played a few BL games. My only experience so far are of spectator or 3rd-person POV High-H (hahaha) PC games like Togainu no Chi, Lamento, etc. We can argue that it is not that much different from the Saint Beast game’s 1st-person POV since the choose-your-own-adventure style of gameplay is almost the same. However, it just feels different. For example, when I played Togainu, we’re pretty much playing as Akira’s POV, right? Although the game can be immersive, I’m always reminded that I’m not Akira when the characters interact.. LOL~ but I guess third person POV is a must, otherwise the H-scenes and pairings between the characters wouldn’t be possible XD
Hmm… maybe one day when the technology is advanced enough, we can input our names and the game will be able to programme the character voices to address the player by name even during gameplay… woo~
Gaaa… I have to find time to continue the game undisturbed…
Btw, if you know of any 1st-person POV, voiced BL game with H, please give me a buzz XD
I’m not sure actually. There was another Cafe Lindbergh BLCD which his character appeared but he wasn’t the seiyuu too. Maybe he got too busy with his other projects.
Yeah… lots of opportunity to faint from blood loss lol~ XD
Maybe i should consider buying BL game which you don’t have kekeke~
I wonder if Bl game will appear on Wii..hahaha must be fun.
OMG… I couldn’t help it… my thoughts went to really X-rated things when I imagined BL on Wii (x_x) *trying unsuccessfully to clear the thought bubbles*
I need professional counselling. LOL~
I think playing these story games can be quite helpful in learning how to read and as well as recognising Japanese, especially kanji
Which BL game you like to get? There are a few others which are quite highly rated too. I usually like to check them out at Amazon Japan for the ratings hehe. I wonder if they’ll re-release Lamento on PS2 too ^^ It is probably a matter of time. Nitro-chiral is also working on a new game at the moment. If there are no delays (which happens often) it’ll be available in December. They changed a new illustrator tho’.
Hey, im thinking very XXX too when talk bout playing BL game at Wii. HaHa
Lately i’ve been thinking a lot to buy Wii, because my fave game Resident Evil is can be played in Wii.
Of course i have budget and time management issue :p
Maybe i should wait until my b’day next year
I dunno what BL game i should get, Amazon Jp won’t help coz the limited knowledge on Japanese.
Im going to consider to buy BL game after Togainu PC arrived. Who knows i might get an addiction or might not like it at all.
Hee? change illustrator? Should i take it as bad news?
Dunno, sometimes it’s hard to adapt after seeing their illustrator did a very good job.
Do you think Lamento is less-famous than Togainu?
or usually those who like Togainu will also like Lamento?
Your girl can play games on wii too ^^ My friend bought one and his son (3yrs) enjoys the sports games. As for us working folks… haiz I think you may not even have the time to play it (T_T) all my games are looking at me with lonesome eyes lol~ and my PS2 console is brimming with tears from neglect. (Don’t you love me anymore? *sobs*)
My first BL PC game is Silver Chaos (fantasy). It was highly recommended for the pretty smut and easy capture. At that time I wasn’t a BLCD fan, so it was quite *blush* and wierd to see and hear the in-game H scenes lol~ I thought it was rather strange seeing the uke getting it on with everybody and saying similar things when I play different routes. But I think partly it is cos of the Silver Chaos story and the superbly cheesy lines they say to each other during sex scenes. I think I rolled my eyes at some of the routes lol~
Anyway, completed it using sheer determination and morbid curiousity hahaha
Opened the game in one window and the text capture in another + an online translator in a browser =_= Armed with my limited Japanese, I went on to complete Silver Chaos 2 (attempted sci-fi). Actually both games are quite no brainer especially if you use a capture guide. The stories are so-so and nothing spectacular, very predictable and easy to guess even if you don’t understand Japanese. It has all the typical BL characters (the childhood friend, the older guy, shota/neko-mimi type, knight/strong, silent type, prince type, kichiku megane type, etc)
And when trying to capture all the CGs in such games, the SKIP button is your friend!!! cos the routes are all repetitive, so it can be boring at times. And the soundtrack was also very cheesy OMG =_= Looking back, I can’t believe I managed to complete them. The fan disk was more fun cos every scenario was different
But if you’re in it for just the eye candy and smutty CGs, it delivers really well. Oh yeah, it also has a yummy seiyuu cast including Inoue Kazuhiko.
Togainu is much more interesting because the characters are very different and have intriguing back stories. Not the usual one-dimensional templates. The scenarios are one of the better ones too and I don’t find it as repetitive. It is definitely one of the better thought-out BL games out there.
Hmm I think you’ll probably not get hooked ^^ we have an additional language barrier so it does affect somewhat our enjoyment of the games. I definitely find myself more entertained when I can understand what they’re saying
Hopefully the new nitro+ game would be just as good. I’m going to miss Tatanakana as the illustrator tho’
I think Lamento is just as popular if you judge from the sheer amount of goods and doujinshi available. People who like Togainu would probably like Lamento too. Well… who can resist neko-mimi boys *meeow* XD
What Tatanakana will do after this?
I cannot say tht i like Konoe or Asato. prefer Rai.
but Bardo in chibi ver is cute. Does he really make cake? XD
The ‘bored’ factor worried me especially knowing th game ain’t cheap either.
BL game CD is a luxury so i sure will consider lots of things before actually buying it.
If i think it about playing Bl game, i can only play it during night becoz i don’t think im willing to play it during daylight with my daughter around (even thou i will be using headphones)
Years ago, a friend of mine bought BL game and play it (she lives with her BF), one day she told me tht she and her BF argued about the presence of BL game in their romance life.
Her BF is offended with the scenes and my friend decided not to play it anymore.
Do you think BL game is offending and bruising men’s ego?
At tht time i dun know wht to say to my friend, at tht time im not even aware of ViewFinder or K & I.
Neko-mimi boys are resistable but im not sure if i like LOVELESS.
I prefer Sha Gojyo with neko-mimi ha ha ha
Not sure… nitro+ said that Tatanakana wanted to do other projects.
hehehe most people like Rai. His character design is the coolest and has a very dominant personality
Sexy. I think Konoe is cute too. I haven’t completed the game yet so I didn’t know about all the characters. I only started liking Asato after listening to the BLCD. He sounds like an uke-ish (weak) seme but he was very sweet. Fufufu* Bardo owns an inn that’s why lol~ He has to cook for his guests XD
Unless you’re looking at the “educational-value” of playing the game. *MEGA sweatdrop* It does help as an alternative way to learn Japanese. I wouldn’t be comfortable playing the PC BL game with kids around too. It -IS- an adult game but PS2 may be ok (that depends also) since there won’t be explicit scenes.
I can understand why her BF doesn’t like the idea of BL. If a girl can feel offended about a guy liking hentai or yuri, I think a guy can also feel the same way about BL too. Most guys I know are o_O with the idea of being in a gay relationship. I don’t think it is easy to find a guy who doesn’t mind BL, especially with the GF feeling excited over other men (even tho they are in 2D lol~).
The thing is … how is BL affecting their romance life? Is it because she was playing the game and not spending time with him? If that’s the case, maybe it is not just the BL issue but the time issue? Cos playing games are usually individual time. But then again, if they were playing Togainu together (which I think is an unavoidable mistake since they live together), the H-images must have been quite shocking to him.
I find the Loveless boys and girls pretty cute too ^^ The anime is entertaining but illogical
Definitely alternate universe. Even Code Geass anime had neko-mimi fan service where the characters dressed up for an event in school *sweatdrop* Lulu was a black cat.
Sha Gojyo with neko-mimi? I can imagine that if all the characters have neko-mimi, he would be fighting with a cheeky Goku (who was making fun and sticking his tongue out at him) and Hakkai shrugging his shoulders with his trademark smile and Sanzo looking bored and chewing on his cigarette.