I LOVE MY DSi SOOO MUCH!: Lux-Pain

[Evil Avnovice]

I've been absorbed in this game for the past few days. It's an adventure title in which Atsuki Saijo, the main character, has the ability to see and erase Silent, a type of residual shinen that feeds on the emotions of its victims. You talk to people to find and gather clues, as well as search out for worms (shinen), that will also provide additional clues.

Like Time Hollow before it, I find myself completely sucked into the plot, and the voice acting is superb. Some things that I've noticed are:

1. The localization is very poor. I never found it to be misleading or prevent my progress through the game, but it feels like just before the game was shipped, they just didn't see it through to the end.

2. You get a few additional game mechanics, but they're not explained to you, even though it's easy to figure out. It's just "Oh hey, here's a new gameplay mechanic. Enjoy!"

I will say, that this is a lot lengthier than Time Hollow. I will assume you have a month to figure out who's behind the mass suicides, and I'm only hitting the 8th day.

Game: Lux-Pain (http://ds.ign.com/objects/142/14240949.html)
Platform: Nintendo DS
Developer: Killaware
Publisher: Ignition Entertainment
Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Lux-Pain-Nintendo-DS/dp/B001G9F9KA/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=videogames&qid=1240694651&sr=1-2)/Gamefly (http://www.gamefly.com/game/nintendo-ds/Lux-Pain/134465/) Page

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[BLeeP]

Did you import a DSi? Impressions?

Also, I shall check out this game. I had seen it around, but just assumed it was part of the Luxor series, and that whenever you missed a shot your DS would shock the hell out of you.

[Evil Avnovice]

Did you import a DSi? Impressions?

Also, I shall check out this game. I had seen it around, but just assumed it was part of the Luxor series, and that whenever you missed a shot your DS would shock the hell out of you.

I imported one off of Play-Asia back in December, but the title is meant to be misleading, as I'm more focusing on the game and not my import system. :p

I could give some impressions if you want, though they'll be pretty limited as I'm not fluent in japanese.

[Evil Avnovice]

Finished! Plot had me hooked to the end. I'm thinking about replaying it now, to unlock scenes I've missed the first time around. :)

[Lutheran]

Your a crazy man Evil lol , I thought about importing it myself but I am glad I waited. Ten or so more days and I will own one as well. The game you speak of sounds good too.

[harle]

It looks like your impressions are a bit different from other reviewers. It is sitting at a 37% (http://www.gamerankings.com/ds/943267-lux-pain/index.html) so far. :(

[Spigot]

I'm in agreement with Evil Avnovice's impressions of the game. It's a very cool story and setting with a great cast of characters marred by one of the worst localizations I've ever suffered through.

That said, I'm on hour 12 or so now and can't stop playing. If you can get past the oft-times garbled English and strange pronouns, there's a lot to love. I'm with EvAvnovice with regard to the way they just toss a new gameplay mechanic at you with no warning and no explanation, but aside from one or two instances where it was almost retrograde game design (the fact that I can theoretically save my game a screen before a Game Over with no recourse is just not something that should be in a modern game, period), it's something you puzzle through and figure out and carry on with.

The sad part is that the manual is one of the more thick and thorough that I've read of late but it still doesn't do a very good job of actually explaining a lot of the intricacies of the game.

I can easily understand why a lot of reviewers would score it incredibly low, if only because of the awful localization. That said, if you can drink the Kool-Aid it's offering, it's utterly absorbing. THe production values outside of the actual translation are top notch, with the music being particularly good. It could have easily rivalled the Ace Attorney games for a spot on my shelf if the translation was up to the levels of those games.

I'm about 11-12 hours into the game and don't know when it will end.

Time Hollow had a much better translation but was incredibly short.

Oh, one other thing. One of the most jarring things is the way the voice acting is often completely different from the text on the screen at the same time. The VO is quite good, but while both text and VO are essentially saying the same thing, there are often just enough differences between to two to throw me off and break the narrative.

[Evil Avnovice]

One of the most jarring things is the way the voice acting is often completely different from the text on the screen at the same time. The VO is quite good, but while both text and VO are essentially saying the same thing, there are often just enough differences between to two to throw me off and break the narrative.

For those parts with both voice acting and text, I learned after awhile to just skip the text completely, as the voicing did a better job of moving the story along (in those cases) and as you've just commented on, always threw me off of the plot when trying to follow along.

[Xerxes]

I imported one off of Play-Asia back in December, but the title is meant to be misleading, as I'm more focusing on the game and not my import system. :p


Nobody loves DSi. :p

[Purple Santa]

That said, if you can drink the Kool-Aid it's offering, it's utterly absorbing.


I chose to drink their Kool-Aid. I'm really liking the game and will put more time into this game this weekend. Both you and EA give nice write ups on this game. I am hoping some others see it and try it out.

[Spigot]

I chose to drink their Kool-Aid. I'm really liking the game and will put more time into this game this weekend. Both you and EA give nice write ups on this game. I am hoping some others see it and try it out.I'm very glad I played Lux Pain but it pains me that the localization was so god-awful. If the levels had been up to the same as an Ace Attorney game, it would be one of my games of the year...

But how many games do you get to play on the DS that deal with animal abuse, teenage suicide, hackers and the like?

[Abyssion]

I'm very glad I played Lux Pain but it pains me that the localization was so god-awful. If the levels had been up to the same as an Ace Attorney game, it would be one of my games of the year...

But how many games do you get to play on the DS that deal with animal abuse, teenage suicide, hackers and the like?

I couldn't stand the localization so I didn't get too far. Hearing one thing and reading another was really off putting, it makes you wonder why they released it like that.

[Spigot]

I couldn't stand the localization so I didn't get too far. Hearing one thing and reading another was really off putting, it makes you wonder why they released it like that.Yeah. I'm supposed to write a review for another site and I'm having the hardest time trying to decide how harsh to go or how lenient.

If you can wrap your head around the dialogue, the mis-matched voice to text stuff and the spelling mistakes, it's a very, very cool story/game. But whoever decided to release it in the state it was in needs to be fired because butchering the text on an almost entirely text-based game is kind of a no-no where I'm from.

Sigh.

[Purple Santa]

But how many games do you get to play on the DS that deal with animal abuse, teenage suicide, hackers and the like?
This is why I am so glad you recommended it. Now you know if I liked this game...you have no fear ever of recommending anything in the future :p
Yeah. I'm supposed to write a review for another site and I'm having the hardest time trying to decide how harsh to go or how lenient.


Sigh.
I would go lenient. I understand the localization and being a text based game...but I would love to see more "niche" titles like this make its way over. Maybe then more money would be spent on localization. It's a diamond in the rough...very rough in some spots...but still a diamond :D

[Spigot]

I would go lenient. I understand the localization and being a text based game...but I would love to see more "niche" titles like this make its way over. Maybe then more money would be spent on localization. It's a diamond in the rough...very rough in some spots...but still a diamond :DWell, take a gander at ye olde review (http://buttonmashing.com/2009/04/25/2-minute-reviewlux-pain/) that I done did wroted.

I like to think that I straddled the fence between adulation and scathing criticism.

[Purple Santa]

Well, take a gander at ye olde review (http://buttonmashing.com/2009/04/25/2-minute-reviewlux-pain/) that I done did wroted.

I like to think that I straddled the fence between adulation and scathing criticism.

Pretty fair review. I think you praised it's good parts enough that it will interest those who like "different" in their games.

[Spigot]

Pretty fair review. I think you praised it's good parts enough that it will interest those who like "different" in their games.Thanks. It is definately something that anyone who likes niche/japanese/different games should play, though I've played enough 'visual novel' style games with good translations to feel that it should get a free pass on that aspect.

[Purple Santa]

Thanks. It is definately something that anyone who likes niche/japanese/different games should play, though I've played enough 'visual novel' style games with good translations to feel that it should get a free pass on that aspect.

Yeah, i'm glad Frederec picked it up because as i'm playing it I had him in mind who would like it. But I really do think there are other DS gamers who would like it if they gave it a chance. I mean it's an oddball game and all...but it does buckle down into something that isn't so bizarre you don't have to feel uneasy about not "getting it". Of course...you have to be willing to be open to "visual novel" as you state...which reading some reviews online...obviously don't get. Morons.

[Spigot]

Did I say it SHOULD get a pass on the translation? I think I meant to say it shouldn't get a pass on the bad translation.

It should get a pass on the fact that it's very light on gameplay, per se, and is what it is, which is a visual novel, primarily text adventure game.

Yeah, I read one review that did score it rather favourably but kept referring to the game as an RPG, which it most definately is NOT. It has a few barely there RPG elements but aside from earning XP every so often, there's nothing to it to categorize it as an RPG.

[Purple Santa]

Did I say it SHOULD get a pass on the translation? I think I meant to say it shouldn't get a pass on the bad translation.

It should get a pass on the fact that it's very light on gameplay, per se, and is what it is, which is a visual novel, primarily text adventure game.

Yeah, I read one review that did score it rather favourably but kept referring to the game as an RPG, which it most definately is NOT. It has a few barely there RPG elements but aside from earning XP every so often, there's nothing to it to categorize it as an RPG.

Actually what I liked about your review was that it was fair. You spoke about the flaws openly however you balanced it within the total game. You wrote it for those who may be interested. Not damning it because you wouldn't play such a game. It's called context. So no, you didn't give a pass to the translation but you were fair about it.

And I can only imagine someone thinking this game had RPG elements because the reviewer never played an RPG...ever.

And episode 7, where you had to find the missing person...could they have made finding the person anymore arcane? Talk about trial and error...if there was a way to figure out how to find the girl...well it got past me. I got past it due to dumb luck...I finally hit upon the "right" order of sequence they were looking for. Bizarre.

[Spigot]

And episode 7, where you had to find the missing person...could they have made finding the person anymore arcane? Talk about trial and error...if there was a way to figure out how to find the girl...well it got past me. I got past it due to dumb luck...I finally hit upon the "right" order of sequence they were looking for. Bizarre.The best part is that you can technically save your game right before the game over screen if you don't happen to find them in time. That should not exist in a game made this decade, let alone in the past year.

Word of warning: If you want to get the good ending and see Chapters 20 & 21, be very careful in Chapter 16. I wasn't, so I didn't see the final two chapters, but I'll be damned if I go back and replay it all.

Of course, you have no indication of what you need to do to do the proper thing in Chapter 16, not to mention the fact that you'd have no idea that it would potentially be the thing that limits the ending 3-4 chapters on. Sigh.

[Purple Santa]

Word of warning: If you want to get the good ending and see Chapters 20 & 21, be very careful in Chapter 16. I wasn't, so I didn't see the final two chapters, but I'll be damned if I go back and replay it all.

Of course, you have no indication of what you need to do to do the proper thing in Chapter 16, not to mention the fact that you'd have no idea that it would potentially be the thing that limits the ending 3-4 chapters on. Sigh.

With your sage like advice I was able to see the "real" ending. I don't understand why pressing the "talk" button to find a "secret" Silent in that chapter in particular had to do with opening the last two episodes. If anyone knows...please explain. I caught on early in the game, that when the talk/memory/other button I can't remember was up on the screen, I would push "talk" until I either annoyed the person, which happened often, resulting in them walking away or in the rare case, found a another Silent. No guarantee I would of done that in Chapter 16, so i'm glad I did have that so thanks again Spigot.

Having seen the real ending...I have no idea why the developers would cut off the ending like they did with episode 19. The last two episodes flesh out the story nicely making the game that much better, even leaving the door open for a sequel. I think if you made it to episode 19, you deserved to see the rest of it. I call BS on extended ending though.

I will say though, if you hated the boss in episode 19...well you aren't going to like the last one in episode 20. Someone on that developer team has some demented idea of challenge with the DS stylus. As Spigot has mentioned, this is a more visual novel than game...except the three bosses you battle. Those three battles make up for all the non-gaming you do. I swear I thought I was going to crack my DSi screen I was tapping on the screen so much.

I admit, when it comes to gaming, i'll put up with almost any kind of gameplay (even non-existant) if the plot/story lures me in. Very much like The World Ends With You, it touches upon some themes that although not deep thought you would find in a classic novel, it's themes scratch upon some interesting themes to make me go hmmmm. After putting in 30 hrs in this game, I certainly became attached to many of the characters, who did change during the game, and the plot twists that occur...I felt it because I really did on some level care about these characters.

I'd say for those who liked the plot/story/theme in TWEWY, would appreciate the effort in Lux Pain. I really believe if you liked TWEWY, you already are open enough to "different" to like Lux Pain. Lux Pain is in my top 10 DS games if I had to make a list.

[Linkz]

Is there anyother games ya'll can recommend like this and Hollow Pen? I beat Hollow Pen and loved every minute (even though it was very easy) just looking for more games like it.

[Spigot]

Hmm. Good question. Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't put the Ace Attorney series at the top of the list. Trace Memory and Hotel Dusk are also great games along the same general style as these games.