Again (NDS) from Cing.

[Family Fry]

Firstly the Cing logo isn't even on the box
So the is the new adventure/interactive novel from Tecmo/Cing.
Now I must say I have played this game so far for 1 hour and 23 mins and of those I have played one section of gameplay lasting about 3mins. The rest has been talking to people about case files, Q&As and moving to different locations.
So far the game has introduced the Past Vision gameplay element from the start.
Your FBI character can have past visions of the previous murder scenes, these locations are the same locations as the new murder scenes with the exact same M.O. See it like a spot the difference in real time, if your right handed the left screen is your black & white old crime scene, right screen is your current crime scene. You walk around with d-pad and look around/examine with stylus, in real time both screens show you the same location with differences to be found.
When you find the difference you then you have to match the scenes to trigger the memory, so for instance door is slightly ajar in old crime scene and locked in current scene you have to find a way to open it, when you copy the old crime scene it shows a memory/vision of the killer, simples.
So far over an hour in I want to use this mechanic more and I'm hoping that with more victims I will be able to do this, at the moment it is playing very much like an interactive crime novel (just like it says on the front of the box)

[fuji]

My copy arrived this morning from Videogamesplus.

Have only played about 23mins, but am enjoying this so far especially having finishing Heavy Rain. Screen is split between text on the right hand side and character animations on the left in conversation/talking mode. The character animations are nice but basic like hotel dusk, however within 10mins I started ignoring the animations (theres not too much variety in them) and just concentrated on reading the text instead.

For those who hate text in adventure games with letters appearing one at a time combined with the obligatory annoying typewriter sound, you can select under options to display the whole text in one go and basically turn off the typewriter sound (a god send!). Music is quite good and atmospheric so far.

Navigation/exploring in rooms is done by using the control pad which is a bit fiddly, and using the stylus to select items of interest.

As far as I can tell Again doesn't allow you to save at anytime but at predetermined times only throughout the game.

As the previous poster said no cing logo on the box just the temco one, but the cing logo you'll be happy to know is in the title screen!

[fuji]

Getting quite into this game, its very enjoyable, though there does seem to be quite a lot of people to talk too and remembering whats taken place previously. Luckily the game gives a quick run down of whats happened previously when you reload. Overall story is quite intriguing running in parallel with past events.

Graphics are quite nice, though when in investigation/exploring modes the furniture and rooms do come off a bit blocky and sparse looking. Puzzles on the whole aren't too hard, though I did get stuck for a couple of hours (as usual)

Characters are well fleshed out and there is a nice character design surprise with Agent J's Dad. I might have mentioned previously that I thought the Character animations were abit samey, and I was ignoring them, but they do there job well and convey quite nicely the mood and what they are trying to convey.

I'd say that this is more enjoyable than Hotel Dusk if you like a good, complex mystery/murder investigation. Again is much more tightly focussed story wise unlike Hotel Dusk where I was never quite sure what was going on exactly and the disappointing flat inconclusive ending. (Hopefully Again doesn't turn out like that!)

I see that Play.com have this down end of the month if you don't want to import - definitely worth a buy!

[Nu-Eclipse]

Reviews on both sides of the pond have not been good to Again.

I'll look to get my hands on it for sure, but barring a miracle, that would appear to be it from Cing as far as english-language releases go.

No Last Window in the West, then?

[fuse]

I got this the other day and am quite enjoying it so far. Must admit there's not a great deal of gameplay to it but I have high hopes the story will be worth it all. Also Kate is lovely

[Family Fry]

Just started Day 6 of the Investigation, was stumped on a puzzle but as always the solution was staring me right in the face, just couldnt piece it together.
Story has took a good turn also which has made me very curious to see how it will all pan out, once it reveals early on that the first victim

->Open Spoiler<-

was killed by the second victim I was like EH?! Like some crazy death vicious cirlce all with a linking serial killer MO.

Gameplay has started show a bit more now, you find yourself going back and forth via crime scenes now as you missing eveidence to reveal the truth so have to do more digging, kind of reminds me a bit like Phoenix Wright in that respect.
Still enjoying it may have a little read of the reviews once I am done see why it is getting panned, more than likely dialogue.

[fuji]

Currently stuck on Day 8 in the real estate room, done the desk puzzle but can't proceed any further

[fuse]

Currently stuck on Day 8 in the real estate room, done the desk puzzle but can't proceed any further

I was just doing this part on the train in to work this morning.

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There's a box on the wall of the right of the desk, open it and then use the crank from the cabinet in the hole to light the room. Open the drawer in the front part of the desk and scan it, you then can go speak to other people about the cigar box - Natalie will give it to you.

Also, plot discussion/spoiler -

->Open Spoiler<-

if Henry Mills didn't kill Burnett Johnson I will eat my hat. Quite looking forwards to J finding out his dad killed someone too.

[fuji]

I was just doing this part on the train in to work this morning.

->Open Spoiler<-

There's a box on the wall of the right of the desk, open it and then use the crank from the cabinet in the hole to light the room. Open the drawer in the front part of the desk and scan it, you then can go speak to other people about the cigar box - Natalie will give it to you.

Also, plot discussion/spoiler -

->Open Spoiler<-

if Henry Mills didn't kill Burnett Johnson I will eat my hat. Quite looking forwards to J finding out his dad killed someone too.

Sorry should have gone into more detail in my post am actually stuck further then that!

->Open Spoiler<-

have done the glass gun puzzle in the desk drawer

and

->Open Spoiler<-

spoken to Maureen who says she will get the results of the photo the next day

but am stuck on what to do next!

[fuse]

Sorry should have gone into more detail in my post am actually stuck further then that!

->Open Spoiler<-

have done the glass gun puzzle in the desk drawer

and

->Open Spoiler<-

spoken to Maureen who says she will get the results of the photo the next day

but am stuck on what to do next!

Can't remember exactly what to do at this point but

->Open Spoiler<-

talk to everyone again. If you've had the full re-enactment of the crime scene the best thing to do is just go and speak to everyone again. If there's someone who's not there, chances are there's a line of dialogue with someone else that will make them come back. After you get the photo there's a lot more of this too.

[fuse]

FFFFFFFFFFFFF

Just finished this - spoilers ahoy;

->Open Spoiler<-

I hope to God there are multiple endings as mine was awful!! Kate shoots Gordon, J doesn't work out where his brother is, Kate cockblocks J, and just as he's about to go home and kill himself he gets a call (presumably his brother) saying there will be more Providence killings. Awesome!

Hurry up and finish this other people!!!

[fuji]

Now in the

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factory

stupid

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grate puzzle!

spent an hour and gave up!

[fuse]

Solution for that -

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at the top, pick the vertical one on the left. Bottom right-area, pick the vertical one just below the second connecting horizontal, and in the bottom-left area, pick I think the bottom horizontal one.

Hope this makes sense!

[fuji]

FFFFFFFFFFFFF

Just finished this - spoilers ahoy;

->Open Spoiler<-

I hope to God there are multiple endings as mine was awful!! Kate shoots Gordon, J doesn't work out where his brother is, Kate cockblocks J, and just as he's about to go home and kill himself he gets a call (presumably his brother) saying there will be more Providence killings. Awesome!

Hurry up and finish this other people!!!

Thanks Fuse for your help on the puzzles, I got the same ending as you, but apart from

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Kate jumping in at the last minute and saving J

I didn't think the ending was too bad

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I quite liked the implication at the end of J's brother being an apprentice killer!

, and that the game left it

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open for a sequel

which alas we are unlikely to see.

->Open Spoiler<-

The idea of J's boss having cancer and luring out Providence by doing the copycat murders was interesting, but a tad far fetched

Music was good and typically Cing i.e. the jingle you get when you get introduced to a new character, reminded me of playing Another Code:R on the Wii (which also had a

->Open Spoiler<-

missing person storyline

IMHO I think the reason why Again got low reviews, was maybe after Hotel Dusk people were expecting something groundbreaking again from Cing.

I have to admit I'm quite fond of adventure/interactive story games so thats maybe why I enjoyed playing plus Maureen was hot better than Kate!

[Family Fry]

Finished it tonight and really enjoyed it, yeah some dialogue wasn't the best but it was a cool wee story that reeled me in, left me wanting to see the outcome. The only puzzle that got me was the grate, took me a while but I got it.

->Open Spoiler<-

Having his dying boss murder people to bring out providence would have made more sense if the killings weren't so senseless. Felt a bit odd a dying FBI chief was copying the MO to lure him out, meh. Providences killings were smart and I enjoyed the explanation, also his cruel child experiment was a bit creepy, although we will never see Again 2 and the outcome of Danny

This interview quote makes me

AR: Are there already plans for another Again game, or will you wait to see if the first one has strong sales?
Yamaguchi-san: Actually, I have the plot for the sequel in my mind already and it is so exciting! However, no one knows if it will become a reality just yet. All I can tell you now is that I'm just working hard to make "AGAIN: Season2" a reality.

Shame it couldn't be on DSIware, oh and I digged Maureen over Kate also.