Chain: The Lost
Footprints Review
Up until
recently with the release of Kara no Shoujo, Zyx’s Chain: The Lost Footprints
was the most recent mystery themed eroge to come out and that was back on July
7, 2002 and it thankfully set a good standard for those of us who begged both
JAST and MG for a new mystery themed game. I’ll admit that when I first heard
about this game, I wasn’t entirely sure if I wanted to try it considering it
told a linear story and I was used to eroge with diverse plots only. Fortunately
I decided to give it a try and ended up playing one of my favorites from JAST’s
library, as I found the story so engaging I couldn’t believe this game was just
10 hours long.
Pros: Excellent story, good characters, very good artwork,
good music and voice acting.
Cons: You might be able to figure out who the killer is
based on the character portrait, a few heroines could have used more screen
time, the investigation system could have used more polish.
WTF?!: Why is one side character called Taku in the English
text when his name is obviously Suguru? Also (scroll down a bit to see) am I the only who thinks he looks like an anime version of James Woods?
Chain’s
story focuses on private detective Takeshi Shinonome and his partner Hitomi
Makabe as what starts out as an investigation for a friend into a possible
affair leads the two into a case involving a drug ring and a serial killer
targeting anyone who seems to be connected to said ring.
Despite the
fact that it has a linear story with only one ending, Chain tells its story
well. The story is never slow and succeeds almost at the start at drawing you
in with the initial mystery which is interesting not only because of the
investigation but also with the relationship Takeshi develops with the
characters introduced for this initial arc. From there the story really builds
up as soon after Takeshi and Hitomi begin looking into a case involving a new
kind of drug the murder of a potential witness occurs. The writer really did a
good job in telling this story since the suspense that builds up as more
details are revealed about both cases, revealing how they’re tied together, all
pays off in a very exciting climax and all together satisfying resolution.
Another thing this story does right is in its presentation of some of the
dramatic and even tragic events that occur throughout the course of the story,
it manages to tell a mostly subtle anti-drug message by pretty much letting the
events speak for themselves rather than having characters just outright declare
the message and beat you over the head with it. There are a couple points of
non-subtlety though (but that could just be the translators putting that in)…
Another
area the story succeeds in is its characters. For starters, Takeshi is a pretty
likable protagonist and is a bit of a breath of fresh air considering he’s a
seasoned detective and subsequently a mature adult, he’s quite the change from
your typical adolescent protagonist of most eroge. Hitomi makes for a good
heroine as the game portrays her as a competent and professional working woman
and a good partner for Takeshi. The relationship that develops between the two
from partners to finally lovers is well told and very believable. The other
heroines are also good characters even if they don’t have as big a role as
Hitomi in the plot as they interact with and relate to Takeshi really well in
their respective scenes from Marie’s recovered relationship with Takeshi which
brings to mind wonderings of what could have been to the close friendship
between Akira and Takeshi that occasionally becomes intimate. Now in case
you’re curious, yes Takeshi does get intimate with a number of the heroines but
in my opinion it doesn’t cheapen any of the relationships he develops
considering that enough material is given to develop each relationship, though
I will admit that I wish a few of the heroines like Ayumu and Mayuki had more
screen time to show a bit more of their relationship with Takeshi. Finally the
side characters are also pretty good in the few scenes they have, especially
Ayumu’s friends since they come off as likable characters and actually have
minor roles in the plot.
Now despite
my praise, this game is not without its flaws. As I said before, a few of the
heroines could have used a bit more screen time as could some of the minor
characters, so the main story flaw is that it could have been maybe an hour
longer.
The second
flaw of this game comes in its investigation segments; they’re just too easy. There’s
no way to fail, and what you need to look at and observe is obvious plus more
often than not, the alternative conclusions are hilariously wrong (enough that
they’re kinda worth clicking on just to read since there’s no penalty for
picking the wrong choice). It would have been nice if maybe there was more to
it than simply clicking the obvious choice such as examining different evidence
and coming across different combinations to solve the investigation.
In the area
of presentation, Chain has quite a bit going for it considering it’s done by
Masami Obari, who did the artwork for the Fatal Fury OVAs. People do criticize
his artwork for the ZyX games, saying that the characters look to much alike,
but in this case I can say that’s an exception. Work was obviously put into
designing the characters to give each one their own unique look and I honestly
think this is his best artwork since the Fatal Fury OVAs. There is a bit of a
double edged sword in that, however, considering that you might be able to
guess the killer’s identity based on the character portrait they show. In the
area of music, the game also does well capturing the atmosphere of each scene correctly,
especially when things get suspenseful. The voice acting is also well done,
especially considering everyone is voiced, even Takeshi, though that only
happens in brief scenes where you’re playing from Hitomi’s perspective.
As for the
ero scenes, they’re all pretty good in terms of art and voice acting and they
all fit pretty well into the story. There is one scene that feels a little
unnecessary, but it’s also kind of forgettable.
*Characters (click here for profile pictures follows the
descriptions follow that order, warning NSFW images (note: if you get a
“Forbidden” message in your window try refreshing, but if that doesn’t work
tell me in the comments and I’ll see what I can do)
Takeshi Shinonome:
A private investigator who started Shinonome Investigations
after the death of his teacher and has become a renowned investigator over the
years.
Hitomi Makabe:
Takeshi’s assistant who supports him in numerous areas of
the job. While their relationship is a friendly and professional one, Hitomi’s
high regard for Takeshi shows obvious signs of her attraction to him.
Akira Kusakabe:
A local police detective and the daughter of Takeshi’s late
teacher, making her a close friend of his. Aside from being Takeshi’s drinking
companion, she also provides him with valuable information pertaining to cases.
Mayuki Tomita
The owner of the bar Takeshi frequents; the two have known
each other for years as they grew up together. Has been like a younger sister
to Takeshi.
Marie Sawatari:
Takeshi’s first client if the game who comes to him to
investigate the possibility of her husband’s infidelity. Was a schoolmate of
Takeshi’s when they were in high school. Despite her coming off as sad and
lonely now, Takeshi remembers her having a more bright and cheerful personality
back then.
Ayumu Sawatari:
Marie’s younger sister who Takeshi comes across at the
beginning of the game. The daughter of an influential politician, Ayumu cares
deeply for her sister and tends to put up a bright front for her.
Misako Takahisa:
A hostess for the club Moon Chateau who Takeshi meets during
an investigation.
Yuki Shiraishi
Classmate and friend of Ayumu’s.
*Only doing profiles in this case because JAST doesn’t have
one for this game.
In Conclusion:
Chain: The
Lost Footprints is an excellent little mystery themed eroge that tells a good
story with memorable and likable characters and is well worth the price $19.95.
Yes the story it tells is linear, but it’s still a good story that goes to show
that even a game with a linear story can be good.
Final Score: 8/10 Awesome
Author Recommendation: Buy it now.
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