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Photokano Kiss [PSV]

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    Photokano Kiss [PSV]

    Let's get the thread in the right mood already.



    Is that OK? But let me tell you the first 15 or so minutes with the game.
    After choosing your name and (I think) what your strong points are (I went for the average one as I didn't know what I was looking at...I should really start a Japanese course), you are given a camera, a nice DSLR.
    It's evening. Your younger sister barges in your room and asks what the big black thing in your hands is (*); it's time to take your first phot with your new camera! You can adjust zoom, bank, and where to point the camera; there's a limited amount of time to press R to snap the photo. If you are familiar with SLR cameras, the left hand manages the lens and the right hand moves the camera around, with the index finger pressing the shutter; it's a nice thing, though a bit counter-intuitive on a console. And you can't select focus points! Aargh! No shutter speed or aperture either, but maybe they'll be unlocked later.
    Oh yes, your sister is in what you would refer to as "underwear".
    And then she sings and dances, starting a mini-rhythm game where you have to press R and the on-screen direction...I might be dumb as a brick, but please tell that you have to press two buttons instead of just one?

    Anyway, it's time for the next day. That's where the second photo of your sister comes into play, and it opens this thread.
    You are introduced to other girls you'll be able to stalk and take a few more photos. Not as questionable as the second one, but enough to make you wonder how your character doesn't find his camera smashed onto his head, hated by all girls he meets and possibly charged of sexual harrassment.
    All girls look nice, with googly eyes that...are made out of glass, according to the highlights. And a chin so sharp it could be used to chisel through granite, but at least they received some polygons, unlike the backgrounds that look incredibly generic. The few animations seen up to now are good, though dialogue animations are more stiff than went taking photos; skirts belong to the "magical skirt" family (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicSkirt) and come with a dedicated wind generator, fine tuned to affect just a single skirt.
    Your photos are either "beautiful" or "erotic" and graded accordingly.
    Now, the photo I've shown before is in the "beautiful" category. This one



    "erotic". What is wrong with this game? Shut up. I know. I also know what's wrong with me.

    By the end of the day two upperclassmen directing two different photo clubs offer you a membership. If you are watching the anime series (a way to build up good karma, as terrible it is), you know that the guy leads a pack of stalkers and the girl is most of the times alone with another girl. I go for the girl, I dunno, it's not like I have hope that I'll be able to take photos of...I don't know, anything but girls.

    Day is over and you get back home, along with a wall of Japanese options. No icons. Great. I pick the first option, that leads to your sister recapping what the lead girls think of you.
    Second option, next day...a great, the thing I didn't wanted to do. An other wall of menu options (strictly in Japanese and no icons) and I think you can select what to do in various time frames, similar to Tokimeki Memorial and Love Plus. And you can even see the victim you'll be stalking in that location, that's nice. And then I uncovered the save menu and quit.

    Nothing much to say, other than photo controls are essentially non-existent and while the "instruction booklet" (two-pages-two) hints at different photo modes (and probably even a video one), I don't expect to be able to use even basic camera controls, let lone focus points or -gasp- metering methods. There's no indication if the game will make any use of the Vita's camera and its AR capabilities, which will probably end up in being the biggest omission.
    As said before, controls are laid out as in a camera, and this creates a peculiar problem, at least for me: I'm used to "prime" the camera AF and get the exposure reading by half-pressing the shutter button (full manual mode and continuous AF) and then pressing the shutter button very lightly as I often take photos with burst mode active; I instictively do the same with the game, the R button has a longer run than a shutter button and just one position, taking photos of moving objects within the game feels awkward; as does not having full control over the camera, but it's interesting how I switch to camera mode even when taking virtual photos. Ah well.
    If the language barrier allows me, I'll continue to stalk girls.

    (* overdramatisation)

    #2
    I love briareos write ups of obscure Japanese games. Good work!

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      #3
      Yep me too. Great impressions, thanks Briareos.

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