Resident Evil 4: Otome Edition (ver 1.04)

Since user 774 was kind enough to leave this review, and itch weirdly does not display reviews, I'm posting it on their behalf. Appreciate your kind feedback, 774! 

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Note: fast and loose review, I apologize for any grammatical/spelling errors! This game is insane. It truly takes the cake out of the various fangames I've played as a product of labor and love. 

It is basically a play-by-play of the original game from Ashley's perspective which is simultaneously trying to explain all the "videogame-isms" of the plot, witticisms every textbox, sympathy for Ashley's position and an actual look at her inner character (since the game itself never let you see much of her internal voice), references galore (resident evil and videogames in general), and of course major thirsting. There's a joke almost every line, to the point that for every 1 that doesn't land 5 more do. In terms of branching content, there is enough to justify 2 full-ish playthroughs (second one can skip to the first branching point). The convenient episode select system allows you to skip to Luis' and the solo endings quite easily so I would recommend playing Leon's route first. 

I still can't quite believe the level of work it would have taken to make the game feel practically like you're playing the original game. It's clear it would only have been possible with the engine chosen - the amount of video/gif backgrounds, audio files, models extracted, rigged, edited, and photoshopped is overwhelming. There is also plenty of original art assets made for the game as well. Unfortunately this does mean that the game occasionally chugs a little attempting to load such large assets, but as long as you're patient and don't try to click too fast through it, it's not a major issue. The UI can also be a little clunky, but it doesn't ruin the experience.

Favorite moments: Meeting Leon and his barrel blast addiction; Ashley's "meditations" and dreams; meeting Luis and Ashley's "Violent Reaction"; all of Ashley's alter egos but special shout outs to Trashley, Slashley, and Smashley; Ashley Graham Ace Attorney, Ashley trying to mind manipulate Leon to let her do something to him (I laughed for like 10 minutes over it), everytime heavy metal played in the background, Saddleon, and various moments in the last few episodes I do not want to spoil because they are utterly glorious.  TL;DR: 100% worth playing. Obviously, you'll get a lot more out of it if you've played the original Re4 (or at least know the plot) or resident evil games in general; but I think this game would be fun for pretty much anyone who enjoys videogames or otome games. It's that good.

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I absolutely loved this game! It’s truly the Resident Evil game I never knew I needed, and I am so glad to have it. Turning the events of RE4 into an otome/dating sim game is a brilliant idea, one that works incredibly well. I mean, who hasn’t had a crush on RE4 Leon at some point? This game gives you all the Leon fanservice you could ever want and also has quite a bit of it for other characters like Luis. 

I had such a blast playing RE4: Otome Edition. I had a smile on my face the entire game, and I was almost always laughing at something in it, too. It’s hilarious, creative, and clever all at the same time, with amazing original jokes and sequences that reference other great franchises (like Ace Attorney, and, if I remember correctly, the Zero Escape series). One of my favorite parts of the game was when Ashley recalls her past trauma in a way that’s supposed to help her better cope with it, and as a result, everything turns into a “bro” joke/pun. It was so hilarious and had me laughing the entire time. 

RE4: Otome gives Ashley so much personality and the chance to finally shine (which the original game never really did). I adored her as a character and thought her many internal monologues were super funny. It even gives Ashley’s point of view while hiding in dumpsters, waiting for Leon to return, and shows what that may have been like for her. I have to say, I’ve always thought it was kind of funny she hopped into dumpsters to hide and was just left there while Leon did his thing. It’s so funny that Otome Edition actually explores this and gives you such a deep view into Ashley’s mindset throughout this terrifying, hilarious, and fanservice filled journey. 

I also loved that there were multiple routes included and a lot of branching paths. I loved this game so much I started with Leon’s route, then went back and played through the other ones as well. I’m very happy to say I achieved all the endings for this. It was totally worth it, without a doubt. 

I think this is such a good game. It’ll make you smile, laugh, swoon, and possibly spit out whatever you happen to be eating or drinking at the time. It’s that good. I also think it’s a great game to play whether you’ve played RE4 before or are completely new to it. If you have played it, this puts a completely new and refreshing spin on RE4 without actually having to play the original again. It brings back all the nostalgia from playing RE4 for the first time, while also turning it into a hilarious and unique journey all its own. And if you’re new to Resi 4, I think you’ll still love this, as it’s a funny and charming dating sim whether you have any knowledge of the original or not. The game has been updated since I initially played it, so my review is for the  previous version. However, I’ll definitely be playing through the game again to experience all the content that was added in the latest update. I can’t recommend RE4: Otome Edition enough! Go play it! 

RE4 Otome was constructed by stringing together brief animated scenes of gameplay from the actual video game itself, mixed seamlessly with extra asides designed by the team at Shimmersoft. Gameplay involved clicking to advance the scenes and read the narrative text and dialogue associated with each scene. Some of the choices revealed more detail about the background of the story, often divulged through conversation. Many of the choices offered in the game seem to be intended as moments to highlight the personality of the heroine, Ashley, rather than to change the actual course of the game, though there were a few choices in the game that could result in dead ends and auto-restarted to continue from the same decision juncture. Most of the game felt like a kinetic visual novel rather than a choice-driven one, so go into it expecting a fun ride without many opportunities to change the outcome.

The sarcasm and wit in this game is neverending, and keeps every moment absolutely entertaining. Unexpected comments and the hilarious random musings of the slightly ditzy heroine, Ashley, painted the normally grim circumstances of Resident Evil in comedic hues. I seriously laughed out loud when the hero, Leon, started breaking a barrel to get a healing leaf. Ashley's resulting confusion and speculation about his anti-barrel obsession was even funnier. This visual novel makes fun of ridiculous video game conventions and how absurdly convenient some of them are, never straying far from the context of the story viewed through Ashley's innocent an naïve eyes.

Overall, this is a very fun and hilarious take on the dark events in Resident Evil 4, and the shift in perspective to the heroine, Ashley, made this feel like a totally different game, even though I'd played through the original Capcom game before. Many of Ashley's thoughts about Leon were absolutely hilarious and memorable, suggesting this game could become a cult classic (haha) with fans endlessly quoting it to each other. If you're looking for a humorous take on the Resident Evil series viewed from the heroine's perspective, and if you don't mind the endless stream of humor, this is an enjoyable way to relive the original RE4 experience!