Buying otome games for Switch - how to choose??

[kazis]

How do you all decide which otome game to buy when browsing Switch store if there's hardly any demos??? Also, Switch games cost a lot and you can't refund them, so... do you just take your chances? Or "play first - buy later if you liked it" is the best way?..

 

[annaqueue]

I am play first, buy later if you liked it type. But I usually look for sales to buy. I dont buy games for full prices unless I really love it alot.

 

[eevee09]

I normally check out the game first by reading up on what it's about and whose voices are in the cast. If both of those aspects are good, then I buy the game.

 

[kazis]

I am play first, buy later if you liked it type. But I usually look for sales to buy. I dont buy games for full prices unless I really love it alot.

Thank you for your reply! Is there an otome game you enjoyed so much that you would be willing to buy it for full price just to show your support? Like, it was SO good, it's totally worth every cent.

 

[kazis]

I normally check out the game first by reading up on what it's about and whose voices are in the cast. If both of those aspects are good, then I buy the game.

Thank you for replying!! Does it mean voice casting matters a lot for you? Is it because you like specific voices or is it that certain voice actors usually voice characters with similar personalities?

 

[satory]

I only buy full-price games when it's from creators I love and have faith in their ability to make a good game, and Otomate, the king of Switch games, is sadly not one of them. Otherwise I wait for sale and/or actually play it before buying. It's too risky to fall in love with a premise and discover later that the game is not what I thought it's going to be

 

[Tachibanachan]

Many games have gameplay videos on YouTube; you can watch them before deciding.

 

[annaqueue]

Thank you for your reply! Is there an otome game you enjoyed so much that you would be willing to buy it for full price just to show your support? Like, it was SO good, it's totally worth every cent.

Honestly, no—full price for an otome game is just out of my budget. They easily run anywhere from $60 to $120, so I always rely on discounts. That's the only way I managed to get games like Nightshade, Piofiore, even if TEMPEST, Bustafellows, Hakuoki, and Amnesia.. Drama CDs, on the other hand, are where I actually put my money—I buy the ones I really love/enjoy at full price to support the creators, even if I've already listened to them for free online.

 

[Breeze Daydream]

I will mostly play the game first, and if I really like it, I will spend money to purchase the genuine version later. I like to collect limited edition game cartridges that I really love.

 

[zerone01]

I dig through official site info, try out the demo if there is one, and look up player feedback. It's even simpler if it's from a studio I trust.

 

[kazis]

I only buy full-price games when it's from a creators I love and have faith in their ability to make a good game, and Otomate, the king of Switch games, is sadly not one of them. Oterwise I wait for sale and/or actually play it before buying. It's too risky to fall in love with a premise and discover later that the game is not what I thought it's going to be

I get you! Sometimes the premise and art style seem so nice, but you start playing the game (reading it?) and it's just not it... Did Otomate betray your expectations?

 

[hashi]

Whenever I'm interested in a game, I usually check out reviews or social media comments before buying. Hearing from people who've actually played it is super helpful. If you don't need to play new releases right away, I think checking seasonal sales is a great way to get a good deal.

 

[kazis]

Many games have gameplay videos on YouTube; you can watch them before deciding.

Doesn't it ruin the experience for you?? Or are we talking about gameplay videos with no commentary?

Drama CDs, on the other hand, are where I actually put my money—I buy the ones I really love/enjoy at full price to support the creators, even if I've already listened to them for free online.

I see! About discounts - to be honest, same, even with regular games. I'm surprised how much love Drama CDs get! Is it because of voice actors orrr... is it nice to listen to a story that adds something to the game? I'm sorry, I haven't listen to any DramaCDs yet, so this territory is completely new to me and I'm very curious!

I will mostly play the game first, and if I really like it, I will spend money to purchase the genuine version later. I like to collect limited edition game cartridges that I really love.

Mmmh, limited edition stuff is always fun!! It's nice to have your favorite things in err tangible form, so to say. What's your favorite collectible you're very happy to own?

I dig through official site info, try out the demo if there is one, and look up player feedback. It's even simpler if it's from a studio I trust.

Nice! Do you look up the LIs, too, then? And, like, try to decide which one could end up being your favorite? Because I totally do >w<

 

[satory]

I get you! Sometimes the premise and art style seem so nice, but you start playing the game (reading it?) and it's just not it... Did Otomate betray your expectations?

Not really betray, but I prefer story over romance, and they prefer romance over story, so their games not always can give me what I want to read.

 

[VisualNovel21]

I completely understand the hesitation, especially with the prices on switch nowadays and wondering it you will even like it. I would also wait for sales (even if I do end up having FOMO) for otomate games but I loveee voltage games so I usually end up buying the game during launch and I ended up not liking only one title unfortunately (red bells lament).
I would recommend reading the synopsis and if it interests you to find a spoiler free review.

 

[Lilia]

I try to look at reviews/ratings, in particular from those who share similar taste as me, before buying. I'm all about supporting devs at the end but games are expensive and introduce clutter, especially buying physical. Seemingly small purchases add up where I could use that money for something else. I just hate buyer remorse so I only buy full price for games I truly love.

 

[Mikukyun]

I always check artist or company page for more info, then i check first minute play throughs if there is one and overall reviews/ratings

 

[kazis]

Whenever I'm interested in a game, I usually check out reviews or social media comments before buying. Hearing from people who've actually played it is super helpful. If you don't need to play new releases right away, I think checking seasonal sales is a great way to get a good deal.

Agreed! And for the reviews, do you have trustworthy sources/users with similar tastes?

Not really betray, but I prefer story over romance, and they prefer romance over story, so their games not always can give me what I want to read.

I see, that's fair (also - for story over romance. I'm otome-newbie, please give me some recommendations)

I loveee voltage games so I usually end up buying the game during launch and I ended up not liking only one title unfortunately (red bells lament).

I knew only about Even if Tempest from them, but sins of Kaleido looks dark fun too!
Reading synopsis and reviews would be the best strategy, if you think about it, true!

I try to look at reviews/ratings, in particular from those who share similar taste as me, before buying. I'm all about supporting devs at the end but games are expensive and introduce clutter, especially buying physical.

Right, especially physical!! Not with the shipping prices nowadays.. But how another user has already mentioned - if it's limited edition..
To be honest, I also think that the best way is to find someone who shares your taste and make them your so-called "guide" in the vast sea of otome games.
What's your favorite otome game??

I always check artist or company page for more info, then i check first minute play throughs if there is one and overall reviews/ratings

A thorough survey, I see Oh, I've just recently found out that there actually are let's plays of otome games! It surprised me and made me glad too. I've seen some "joke playthroughs" before, so seeing legit fans playing games (or just someone who's sincerely willing to engage with the story and romance) was so nice.

 

[Lilia]

Right, especially physical!! Not with the shipping prices nowadays.. But how another user has already mentioned - if it's limited edition..
To be honest, I also think that the best way is to find someone who shares your taste and make them your so-called "guide" in the vast sea of otome games.
What's your favorite otome game??

Yeah, as someone who does own plenty of physicals, it's excessive fluff that's rather overrated in my humble opinion - especially if you're diligent with backing up your data. If possible, I do buy LEs of my favorites as those tend to include merchandise.

And I agree! It's important to find games from others who like the same things as you do. How else could you find a reliable reference?
My favorite otome are Zettai Kaikyuu Gakuen, Shinigami to Shoujo, Tokimeki Memorial Girl's Side 3, Black Wolves Saga and a few others from indie JP groups. Personally loved ZKG so much, I bought the game's multiple ports because I want to support Daisy2. They deserve it!

 

[kazis]

Yeah, as someone who does own plenty of physicals, it's excessive fluff that's rather overrated in my humble opinion

On the other hand - if the internet is dead, you'll still have your physical copy! ..(can you tell I'm not diligent with backing up my data?... )
Ohhhh, I've heard only one song from Shinigami no Shoujo and saw cover art, and I'm already in love! I want to play it so badly!!
You made me really curious about Zettai Kaikyuu Gakuen!
The funny thing I'm realizing just now is... Like, a long time ago it was a challenge just to find visual novels in English for PC. Then, I was struggling with visual novels for PC but in Japanese. I've recently climbed my next stepladder - visual novels for Switch. And now I have my final boss, I fear - visual novels for consoles in JAPANESE But no matter. One day... one day, I believe...

 

[hashi]

Agreed! And for the reviews, do you have trustworthy sources/users with similar tastes?

There honestly aren't that many people who review VNs on their own blogs or websites in the first place, so I usually just check out whatever comes up near the top of the search results. (I enjoy reading people's thoughts on games, after all!)
Rather than looking for people whose tastes are similar to mine, I mainly use reviews to get a sense of the positive and negative aspects of a game, as well as things like its length and gameplay systems. If you read a few different reviews, you can usually get a pretty good idea of the overall tendencies.
Looking at Amazon reviews and forum discussions might be especially useful for finding out about the negative aspects of a game. There are also YouTube videos where people talk about their impressions after buying otome games. They can sometimes feel a little safe or non-controversial, but they're usually pretty well organized, so I watch those too.

Maybe it would be worth asking for recommendations inthe "Otome Recommendation Megathread" on this site!

 

[Rinnie]

If I check the plot summary, art, and VA cast, and I'm interested at all, I will usually go ahead and buy the game. If I'm not completely decided, I might check the ratings/reviews. Honestly, my standards for otome games aren't high to begin with, since I mainly play them for the romance, so I'm generally not disappointed even if the game ends up not being very good.

I have bad otome game purchasing habits to begin with, though. Maybe because when I wanted to play otome games the most when I was younger, there basically weren't any available in English, I bought basically all of the early otome switch games (and LEs) when they began to be localized into English to support the industry, so they would localize more otome games for us to play.

Now I have a giant physical collection backlog I'll probably never finish, since I tend to cycle through phases of wanting to play otome games and binging them, then not playing any otome games for a long time. Since otome game localizations have become more common (and even English indie otome game releases), I have become more picky, and I won't buy games that I have zero interest in anymore; the same goes for LEs.

I usually don't wait for sales because of my bad purchasing habits, but I support everyone who does wait for sales. Especially with how expensive games are these days.

 

[Tachibanachan]

Doesn't it ruin the experience for you?? Or are we talking about gameplay videos with no commentary?

You can watch a prologue or something first to see if there are any characters you like. Since otome games usually don't have complicated systems, I think it's similar to playing a demo.

 

[Tachibanachan]

The funny thing I'm realizing just now is... Like, a long time ago it was a challenge just to find visual novels in English for PC. Then, I was struggling with visual novels for PC but in Japanese. I've recently climbed my next stepladder - visual novels for Switch. And now I have my final boss, I fear - visual novels for consoles in JAPANESE But no matter. One day... one day, I believe...

Now you can project your game console screen to your computer and use OCR translation, which requires a capture card.

 

[Breeze Daydream]

Mmmh, limited edition stuff is always fun!! It's nice to have your favorite things in err tangible form, so to say. What's your favorite collectible you're very happy to own?

My favorite collectibles, since they are collectibles, I definitely like them all haha! I am very happy to collect them. Looking at the collections in the display cabinet every day is really fulfilling.