Common route: Masato's got Sunohara beat, hands down. Kengo's a bit bland though. Kyousuke can give all the other Key pranksters a run for their money, even though I can't get a read on the guy. Common's all kinds of hilarious, so many saves, I'm glad I bought this thing. Is he hiding something? Baseball game and battles are a weird innovation, but as long as it doesn't interfere with the story...
Rin1: A bad end soon? Wait, we were just getting to the good part! I have to clear her, I have to clear -redacted- (wife's name, you understand
) And whose voice was that? Maybe I'll need to - (yes, it really is cut off as written, I remember the thought was "need to do it again and choose that other choice")
Rin1 Redux: Didn't work.
Komari: -Almost- won baseball whoo. Pretty short, and is really average. Is this supposed to be Key? Almost like the Ryou route in impact, but then again, her voice really gets on the nerves. And some plot holes I think - what was Kengo doing there, why didn't the rest of the group help during the crisis? They're friends after all...
Kud: Interestingly, starting all over has some changes to the scenes. Curse Jun Maeda - this has his handiwork written all over it! Now I'll need to start over for Komari - I don't want to hear her voice!!! Anyway, there's some really fascile [sic] drama at the start for the little Russian. I must've seen the "Let's study and succeed together" development ten times before. But latter part was, though not mediocre, still crazy. I postulate different writers, but I'm not sure I nailed the writing style that good just yet... Again, where were the other Little Busters! They're supposed to be friends! And that end was blatant deus ex machina...at least comedy in common was good or this'll seem like Key's "Hollywood sequel sickness"
Yuiko: Almost beat the baseball game again - I think it's rigged. Oh well. Let's try -redacted- (wife's name again) route. Common route funny at start, which feels interesting. Still no sign of the Little Busters! aside from the girls. Interestingly, I can never get Kud during one of the choices...hmm...But then it drags in the middle and towards the end. And it's very unsettling how the Key blend of supernatural just seeps in, though it's handled very way better than the other routes so far. ...And another bad end, godamnit
Yuiko Redux: Somehow can't get in, I wonder if...
Rin Re-Redux: Nope
Haruka: Veeery boring start, almost as boring as the Russian's. However, the best emotional impact among the other routes so far, mein gott! Yumemi/Kanako really outdid herself here... No sign of the supernatural though, a trend in twins!? Twintrend? Really hope to clear Kanata, strangely I prefer her to Haruka as a person Note: clear, shocking revelations below!
Mio: Another semi -redacted- (carry on...) route. Had a very ethereal feel to it, adding on to the supernatural route... I wonder why they didn't go down the puppet show route, that would've fit. Twins? Another twin route? Oh not a twin, but technically also one. I'm confused. Another route dealing with memory. A well-crafted route with a satisfying conclusion. Not as much oomph of the trademarked Maeda suckerpunch as Haruka's, but at least it wasn't a Komari or Russian. But now I've cleared everyone but Rin and Yuiko.
Yuiko Re-Redux: Still being punted away though got close on beating the infamous Mask, somehow can't get him to fight Kyousuke, yes we know it's you baka-aniki why cant [sic] you use that mask to win us baseball games eh
Rin Redux Plus!: Finally got in, I guess it's how it's set up in the game. Was able to make the choice, but Riki somehow regressed to spineless. Stand up to Kyousuke and be a man! Well, that baseball match failed, wonder what Kengo's so upset about? Oh, and they're running away from reality. Wasn't Riki the one who told Komari not to do that thing? Writer dissonance? Hmm Oh and somehow, I got another bad end fricking
cool afterstory
"Refrain": It's the start but different. Rin? "True" route? "True history"? Where are the Little Busters!... Kengo's hiding something Masato berserk think Emotional roller-coaster I knew he was hiding something cliche but fitsKyousuke's [sic] such a bastard no wait what the heck everything fits? evrything [sic]
Ordering thoughts: A resoundingly impactful conclusion to everything, even the whole game. My gosh, has Key outdid themselves to me on this very day. I couldn't even write impressions, there was no boring moment in the True Refrain Route. Little Busters are and will fourever [sic] be... eternal! What I didn't like how Rin's was left unresolved, plus a lot of other things like how the girls felt in between "resets" as it were. Also never managed to win the damn baseball and that Mask
~~~~~~~
Finally got extasy, let's see...
Yes, I know the secret of the world
Let's do the least-favorite girl first
Sassy-chan: Very comedic start, almost like Yuiko's. Though something seems wrong with everyone's voice, sound quality difference? I wonder how "romancing" sassy will work, she is attracted to Kengo if I remember correctly. Wait what, you can't just reverse a girl's heart like that in a matter of minutes and with a few words! And turn around and have sex with him either! Very very weak towards the end, little way for Riki to help, unlike the other routes I remember, though the route did help to explain the nature of "worlds". I wonder if I can create my own
Kanata: Not as much impact as her sister's had been, but the impact of the plot revelations... This seriously changes the shape of the ballgame for the other girls. Did they really remember? Since this is pre-Refrain, then that would explain why I couldn't enter Yuiko's route...very intriguing... But as for the route itself, it's well-structured and all, but feels too much like Kud's - it's not a suckerpunch nor a curveball like Refrain had been. Heck it's not really like Haruka's at all, but maybe it's because I've seen her side already...
UMG/Saya: A literally new girl, had a very weird premise. And minigames nooo Curse these slow reflexes is it always going to be this throughout the route? Their interactions are funny and I want to see more but I keep failing godamn one five two three nine six seven failed arrg
okay went back with a dose of pepper and ultra-caffeinated.
Seems like she does have a real goal in mind beyond hunting shadows and bakanikki, I know it's you why why why But really nails how Kyousuke's the "GM" of the whole world, though seems weird after reading Sasami's route. And Saya fights for the users!
Wonder if Riki should've wrestled for system privileges but considering Refrain... finally got to the end, it's quite sad, but it's more Mio sad and not Refrani sad. Which is a bit disappointing for the last I'll ever read of Little Busters! The end left a lot to question, especially on Saya's true fate, and checking Refrain there's nothing to indicate a changed post-epilogue concerning her. Ah well, was a really fun ride