[Non-Otome] A Clockwork Ley-Line: The Borderline of Dusk -- No Spoiler Review
[Non-Otome] A Clockwork Ley-Line: The Borderline of Dusk
System: PC
Price: $19.99
Voice Acting: Yes (Japanese)
ESRB Rating: Not Rated, Reviewer suggests M (17+), AO (18+) with patch
Overall Rating: Stole 4/10 ♥s
Pre-Game Perception: Spooky magical shit going to go down at this school, and I get to do date some girls while I investigate something that I assume will be episodic in nature.
Morning-After Reflection: :sigh: A decent story starting out for a series that may never get fully translated, but there is little romance as it goes straight from serious to sexing.
Story: “Koga Michiru is a newly enrolled first-year student at an academy with a notably large clock tower located deep in the mountains. Unfortunately, on his first day of teachings, he gets caught up in some sudden trouble and accidentally breaks an expensive-looking statue.
In order to compensate for the broken statue, the principal orders him and the boy who caused the incident to work for the school’s “Bureau for the Investigation of Special Affairs.”
When they arrive at the Bureau’s headquarters, a room situated in the academy’s enormous underground library, a girl is waiting for them there with an apathetic look on her face.
The girl informs the confused pair of the situation: Magic exists in this academy.
When the clock tower chimes, the “Realm of Night” appears, and merges with the school building. The Bureau’s job is to take care of the supernatural problems that arise. And so, Koga struggles to protect the school from troublesome magical items known as “Mists”…”
Interest Rating: 8/10. It seemed interesting enough, despite being only the first of a projected trilogy, so I went ahead and got it on sale. The art looked nice, and I thought I’d give a non-otome VN a go.
MC: Koga Michiru is incredibly average while also not being average at all. Perhaps I’m not yet versed in what male protagonists are supposed to be like in visual novels, as this was my first, but I kinda liked the MC. I have a feeling the “average guy” idea is what games like this are aiming for, but it’s still a fantasy, so men (or teen boys depending on the target demographic) want to still be cool, but also average enough that they could see themselves in the MC's shoes. So we get someone like Michiru. His name is not able to be changed. He is not voiced. He doesn’t appear as a sprite, but does appear in about ⅓ of the CGs. He’s tall, which was unexpected for me, standing at almost 6’1”. Dark hair, dark eyes, and generally kinda cool/grumpy look to him. Seems average enough, right?
Well, apparently he’s an anomaly in this setting, something I don’t find too surprising as there has to be a reason for people to want to play an MC in a mystery/fantasy sort of game. Without giving too much away about a game I don’t even recommend, Michiru has a reason for being at the school that even he isn’t aware of. He’s also ridiculously strong. No, not just strong for his general appearance, but like, kicking through solid oak doors strong. Not breaking them open, but literally kicking a hole in the door. That makes sense, right? Normal people do that, right? And we’re never given a reason for this (as far as I played, because I dropped this game like a burning piece of trash), so we just accept that it’s something strange he can do, since he doesn’t seem to think it’s a big deal either. Super stronk!
His “specialness” aside, I liked him enough as someone to relate to. He’s not infallible, but also not useless. He does become the hero of the story, but has some (easily overcame) shortcomings along the way. He’s funny, so there’s that. But I guess they gotta give him something for us to hold onto, because overall, he is lacking as a solid character despite having a background that plays heavily into the story. He has had a family, at some point, because they’re referenced, but where they are now, I have no idea. I guess he didn’t have friends? No hobbies. Apparently he can eat a lot and keep that trim 6’ figure of his. Oh yeah, and he likes things super spicy, which is added for what appears to be no reason at all except filler. Almost like the writers were like, “What can we give him to make him more interesting? I’ve got it! He eats 4x as much as a normal person, and things have to be so hot that it’s a wonder how his intestines aren’t melting! Yes, that’ll get people to like him!”
Likability Rating: Ryo. There’s not a lot to like, but there isn’t enough to dislike. He’s an incomplete character that plays too close to being cool and funny to bring anything else to the table. I still want to be him, though.
Plot: I first want to say that A Clockwork Ley-line has a super interesting plot. It wasn’t just the art that got me interested in the game, and as soon as I started playing, I wanted to know more. The writing is at least good when it comes to unraveling the mystery surrounding the game, and I really wanted to connect to the characters that are introduced. You know, figure out how they all impact the story. And if it wasn’t for the annoyingness of the adult content chopping block, or some of the characters, I might have actually finished the game and continued the series. When it comes out, of course. It apparently takes a very long time to code the translation for the game since it has been three years since this title was released, and the second isn’t yet out in English despite it fully being released before the region change project started.
What the store gives you for the plot is a decent explanation without going too in-depth about chapter one of this five chapter game. Michiru gets a letter telling him about this sketchy school that he decides to go to for reasons that are implied but not stated at the beginning of the game. There he breaks a statue while saving his cowardly, but sensible newfound sidekick friend, Karasuma Kotaro. The two of them have to join some sort of bureau to make up for the destruction of property, though it’s all very flimsy of an excuse for getting them to where the story starts. And go! Oh yeah, the school is magical, and it shifts between worlds when the sun sets or rises, which I don’t fully understand, but it’s cool. And because the school seems to have a mind of its own, there are items that wreak havoc on the unsuspecting students because they… escape… their vault? Yeah, no, it was explained, and I can understand the concept, but explaining it to someone else makes it sound weird. Basically, the plot of the game is why Michiru is at the academy, what’s in his past that drives him, what this school is all about, and the items are simply there for plot conflict and help in revealing the story. It’s episodic without completely neglecting everything that has happened before.
Replayability Rating: ★★☆☆☆ This whole game is basically one long common route for the rest of the trilogy. There aren't exactly route “options” so much as chapters dedicated to certain characters.
Love Interests: A Clockwork Ley-line brings us three hot and cold ladies that are ready to jump the bones of Michiru as soon as he would look at them in any sort of lusty manner. At least, that’s how it seems. It’s a strange layout for a game for me, I’ve never played a VN that wasn’t otome before, and though most otome have their own layouts, it’s all rather clearcut in who you’re heading towards the f*cking with. Here, there are chapters that are dedicated towards a certain girl, but not the ending of the game, since this is only the first of three games for this title. So, yes, you end up with someone, but you don’t exactly choose a route, you just play the game.
There are four endings for this game, 1 bad, 2 good, and 1 true. I-- uh, I didn’t actually get any of them. I was mid (possibly close to the end of) chapter three when I just couldn’t stand it any longer and instead of chancing the risk of injury due to eye strain from rolling them so much (not to mention keeping myself from making gross gagging noises), I quit. I’m sure they’re lovely ladies, and a fantasy for someone; the first, however, was just not my fantasy and I couldn’t stomach it any longer before I bailed.
Which brings us to our first! Furoyamachi Neko. I should have known what I was getting into by reading the Steam store page. It says it all right there. A big, red warning sign that tells me this is the girl I should avoid. But I either skimmed through the character introductions, or skipped them completely. And if I read it, I’m sure I thought to myself that it couldn’t be that bad. So, let’s cut to the quick of it. Neko is your average optimistic airhead. She’s ditzy and forgetful and doesn’t seem to fully comprehend anything in any situation. But what are her good qualities, you ask. She’s friendly, and probably because there isn’t much going on in her head besides a constant stream of fantasies, she accepts everyone on first meeting. I’m sure she’s supposed to be the kawaii character that just has to throw her affection at Michiru because there’s nothing much else to her life; but either I like them harder to get, or I just don’t dig the cutesy but secretly sex-obsessed archetype. Perhaps a combination of the two. She also acts more child-like than adult, which makes me uncomfortable when she goes more than a little sex-crazed. I’m sorry, I can’t do her. I don’t want her anywhere near my romance games or fantasies.
If you manage to get past Neko, you’re rewarded(?) with a more equal-footing relationship with Mibu Tsubaki. Though Tsubaki is a year older than Michiru, and only a year older than Neko, she certainly acts leaps and bounds more mature. Of course, she does come across as one of those misunderstood girls that Michiru somehow understands because he doesn’t care about rank or position, so he sees her as just another person and not all the responsibilities that she handles and places on herself. It’s a nice way to look at someone, honestly. Tsubaki genuinely cares for others, but shows that in a manner that distances her from other people. She’s not a tsundere character, probably closer to kuudere, but I feel that’s only because no one sees how she tries to reach out to other people. I’d do her, but I’m more interested in the romance that could bloom between her rigidness and Michiru’s completely opposite go-with-the-flow attitude than getting my P in her V.
Lastly we have Shishigatani Ushio, who is a total tsundere. She’s the only member of the Bureau that Michiru and his friend are ordered to join, which seems to have been more of a title than an actual job until the story begins. Again, I should have read the character descriptions with this one, though I don’t dislike her, it’s so tropey that it hurts. She’s intelligent and stand-offish, often insulting people despite her polite manner of speaking. Sometimes insulting people with her polite manner of speaking. The typical “I don’t need anyone but myself” attitude that usually results in a rivals to lovers route-- and I’m not complaining about that, it just lacks depth. It’s so tropey. For those that want to feel the rush of getting someone that doesn’t like you to open up to you, Ushio is likely your gal. I say that, but there isn’t a lot of romance between the two of them in this game. Perhaps there will be when the rest comes out, I don’t know. I don’t plan on finishing this title, nor do I plan on purchasing the rest of the trilogy. Probably because I’ll be in my 40s by the time it’s likely to be fully released.
Boy Girl Crazy Rating: 50%. Perhaps I just don’t like girls the way I like guys, but I would have rather taken a shot at the male supporting cast in this game. All two of them. Or even the female android-like character, Rito. These women just weren’t my ideal selection.
Romance: Straight up naw dawg. It jumps pretty quickly from strangers to wanting to make babies. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to get down and dirty as quickly as possible, but the game certainly lacks the romantic build up that I find in otoge. I was just hoping for more connection before erection. There’s not a lot of character development despite there being a cast under ten, with only three LIs. And perhaps I didn’t get to see characters that actually would develop romantically since I quit the game early, but I doubt it.
Heart Palpitation Rating: F. I can’t recall a single romantic moment. There are no feels towards any characters. I guess these characters are written as dead inside as I am.
Spice: Yes, but no. There are some sexy CGs, and some sexy descriptions, but Clockwork Ley-line has been edited into an All Ages version, so anything “good” has been cut. That’s not to say that there aren't still some racy moments; that’s just saying that if you were expecting this title to go all the way, you’re going to be left wanting. Instead of faptastic scenes, you’re likely going to just have a bit of warmth in your loins. It’s the mild-side of mature. Clearly an adult title, I think the writing simply didn’t think to build up to the naughty bits because they just expected to keep the game as a whole and not hack out the goods that make it an eroge. There is an adult patch floating around somewhere on the web, I think from the original company, but I'm not sure. I didn't go searching for it, because by the time it mattered, I didn't care about the game.
Cold Shower Rating: Fail. You might be reaching for a cool cloth, but there certainly isn’t a need for a cold shower. Apply compress as necessary, avoid icing area.
Angst: Oh no, it’s a try hard. Despite the interesting story, there isn’t a lot of angst to be had either. Michiru clearly has skeletons in his closet, and trauma he is attempting to deal with, but compared to other games, this is child’s play. It doesn’t help that the impactful emotional responses were anything but impactful. There is a scene where Michiru is basically frightened so badly that he is rendered incapable of movement or clear thought, which is totally believable to me. But then, three seconds later, he’s like, “Oh boy, that happened. Phew, glad someone was around to bring me back to my completely rational senses so I can continue to deal with my experiences by being emotionally distant to them and running away from facing my trauma.” Okay, so maybe he didn’t say that, but that’s the impression I get from every hurdle that is thrown Michiru’s way. The drama was all superficial. There’s no tragedy that is apparent. I want tears, damnit. I want suffering. I want something that isn’t going to be a passing problem when it’s supposed to be this deep psychologically scarring issue.
Drama Llama Rating: 3.5/10 The drama llama is dozing on its feet. Now’s your chance to gently pet it without it posing a threat.
Voice Acting: I guess it was pretty good. I really have no complaints about what I heard, save personal preference on vocal ranges. There was one voice I shut off from the get go, because when you explore the sound menu, you can listen to each character speak a few lines, and I was like, “No. Not happening.” It was simply too shrill for my ears. That doesn’t mean the seiyuu did a poor job, I just didn’t like the voice is all, and I don’t hold that against the game. Michiru is not voiced, which would have been nice if he was. Everyone else seemed to do just fine, nothing exceptional, imo.
Expression Rating: Ryo. I debated on rating the VAing higher, but in the end, I really don’t think it made a huge difference in the game. I’m sure the roles were filled well, but I can’t recall ever thinking, “Wow, that was a good line.” Or the opposite for that matter. Average gets average.
Art: It certainly is some nice art. I like the style. I like the characters. I like the care put into it. The art was one thing that drew me to this game, not as much as some other games I’ve played; but VNs are visual games, and I look for something I find visually pleasing before I even check out what the story is about. Most of the characters wear a school uniform, and although there isn’t a lot of details in the outfits, there are differences in what everyone wears. Also the physical characteristics of the person themselves distinguish them enough that I don’t have complaints. The basic art is so good too! I’m used to flat backgrounds and sprites with only the CGs high quality, but this game delivers high quality throughout. If I were to look at this game’s CGs and basic art, I don’t think I’d be able to tell that one was in one category and the other was in another because they’re both so well done.
Still Picture Rating: ★★★★☆ Many quality. Such pleasing. Very sell point.
CGs: I really liked them! They were dynamic. They were detailed. They were great, to be honest. I didn’t find any wonky anatomy that wasn’t supposed to be there. I don’t count comically exaggerated faces to be wonky. Everything was close to exceptional. This is the real MVP of the game. Yeah, the voice acting is good. Yeah, the story is interesting. Even the normal art is good. But the CGs hit all my criteria expectations to be something special. I never had to guess what was going on in a scene. It never felt like they were using generic backgrounds for a cop out on details. Yeah, it isn’t the most detailed art I’ve seen, but it’s quality shit right there.
Look at this Photograph Rating: 94%. Unfortunately, I don’t still have this game, which means I can’t browse the pictures over and over again, but I would have. I really enjoyed the art most of all from Clockwork Ley-line.
UI/Mechanics: Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy. The UI is simple to navigate. It’s well done. Menus are clear, and there’s no confusion on what does what. The ability to listen to voices before I decide if someone should be muted is a nice feature that I wish more games that I play would have. I had no problems saving, loading, or anything else. There are no mechanics to this game besides choice options that come standard in most VNs.
What’s this button do? Rating: A. Clean and easy to understand and use.
Errors: I don’t think there were many? There’s a level of grammar and punctuation errors that I have come to expect from translated games. Clockwork Ley-line doesn’t seem to have them. Perhaps I never got to them, as most of the time the first portions of a game have been gone over several times, with the latter portions typically having more issues simply because people don’t get that far. Everyone plays the first 1%, not everyone plays the last 1%. Anyways, I’m part of the former group, I didn’t play the ending of the game. I assume the quality continues all the way through, but I can’t guarantee that. For what I’ve seen, it’s pretty high-tier in translation.
However, if I had one complaint about translation, it was that it was too well translated. There were certainly jokes I didn’t understand because of cultural differences. I had to look up a few things just so I understood how funny something was supposed to be, or how annoying another thing was, since the reactions didn’t reflect the way it was relayed to someone outside the language. In English, we have annunciation jokes. If I tried to one tell someone one through text without any prior knowledge, I doubt they’d get it, just like I didn’t catch the puns and little language things in Clockwork Ley-line. Usually, the translation team changes the meaning of the joke to be something English speakers might identify with, but they didn’t in this game. I’m betting that those more intimate with Japanese might appreciate that, but since we’re reading it in English, it just… doesn’t work most of the time.
Also, if you purchase through Steam, there is an issue where the client doesn’t record any time played in the game. This may not seem like a big deal to the everyday player, but it can cause some major issues. For instance, it has quite a high rating on Steam with a very limited number of reviews. The reason? You can’t review a game that you have no time recorded for. Anyone that has any negatives to say about it literally cannot, like myself. There are supposedly work arounds for this that sometimes work, but I wasn’t going to go that far after I had already decided to drop the game.
Here there be Bugs Rating: Pass. The game is clear of the usual pests. The way it works with the Steam client, however, is unfortunate. And though the translation is top notch, it also kept the integrity of the game, so certain jokes didn’t come across as well as I assume they did to those familiar with the original language.
Background Music: It was decent. I had no complaints listening to it, but I didn’t find any of it moving either. It was all well suited for the game and I didn’t have any issues with it at all. I don’t hear anything when I think about the game, so it obviously wasn’t epic to me. I certainly didn’t seek out the OST to own. Not that I do that a lot, but it just means it didn’t move me as much as other games I’ve played.
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