We will be introducing exhibits at BitSummit 2017. In this article, we introduce the exhibit “Tokyo Dark” along with exhibitor, Cherrymochi’s comments and the booth’s atmosphere.
At the Booth
Although it is a trial, you will fall into the game once you started playing it.
Detective Ito, the main character is on the screen. What story is going to develop around Detective Ito?
A snapshot of the staff.
About Tokyo Dark
Overview
Detective Ito`s partner is missing, but what starts as a straightforward case soon spirals into a twisted nightmare, which forces Ito to confront her past and question her own sanity.
Tokyo Dark is an anime style point and click mystery adventure game, featuring an innovative system that changes how Detective Ito behaves, based on the choices you make.
Explore Tokyo following leads, collecting clues and making difficult decisions with far-reaching consequences. The S.P.I.N (Sanity, Professionalism, Investigation, Neurosis) system keeps track of every decision you make, changing how other characters react and the actions available to you.
Tokyo Dark features: beautiful animated cut scenes, a deep and gripping story with 11 different endings, unique characters and detailed background art based on real locations around Tokyo.
(From the BitSummit official website)
| Title | Tokyo Dark |
|---|---|
| Genre | point and click mystery adventure |
| Platform | Win/Mac |
| Developer | Cherrymochi |
| Release Status | Unreleased |
Interview(Q&A)
We interviewed Ms. Maho Williams from Cherrymochi.
Q: What kind of game is “Tokyo Dark” is?
A: This game is merging of the visual novel and the point-and-click adventure which is popular in the Western world.
It starts from the scene that the main character, Detective Ito looks for the partner.
Q: What is the feature of this game?
A: The point that main character’s S.P.I.N figure (sanity, the professional figure, the exploration figure, and the neurosis figure) changes according to your choice, and the choices available change as well.
For example, you if explore various places, your exploration figure increases. If you keep talking to the same person too much, she starts talking weirdly.
The finale of the game varies according to this, and there are eleven finales available.
When playing the first week, the data is automatically saved. You cannot return to the beginning of the game, so you have to think carefully which choice to take.
For the second week, you can release the memory slot. You will be able to see the different finale so that you can play the game many times.
Also, for the Japanese version, Ureshinokimi, who is famous for “the Novel Wings”, was in charge of the localization.
You will certainly enjoy reading it because the novel by Ureshinokimi is well worth reading.
Q: What did you find the most difficult?
A: We had only one leading developer in Japan, so the whole project stopped when he was sick. It was the most difficult part.
It is a nature of an indie game which we develop in a small group of people.
Also, when there was a huge bag, only the lead developer knew what the cause was. The rest of us was unable to deal with the issue.
The members were mostly in overseas, and they worked in their country apart from the one who was in Japan. Each of us had a heavy responsibility.
They like Japanese traditional culture, anime, and modern culture, so they were greatly influenced by those elements.
Q: Just curious, did you create the animation by yourselves?
A: We outsourced the animation to another company.
It is because one of the stretching goals in Kickstarter was “to ask Japanese animation company to create the animation movie.”
And it reached the targeting figure of the stretching goal, so we asked “Graphinica, Inc.” to create one.
Q: What is the benefit of an indie game?
A: An indie game is different from the game by the major company, and it is difficult to advertise in the magazine and so on.
The fans of an indie game are keen to “explore and find something new. “
I think it is the benefit of an indie game that those people say “I didn’t know such a game before, but it was so much fun to play it.”
Q: Any message to everyone?
A: This game was the first title that Cherrymochi ever released. We are thankful to everyone who cooperated with us, including those who supported us in Kickstarter. We again appreciate.
Writer’s Impression
The very first thing to mention is that Detective Ito, the main character, is cute.
She is really cute. I asked for the Detective Ito’s postcard more than I needed.
I, the writer, really love this picture.
The interesting point of this game is that Detective Ito’s S.P.I.N figure changes by every single action that you take. Have you ever seen the game that “the neurosis value increases when you keep talking to the same person too much?”
You can enjoy the game in a psycho way, that you keep talking to the same person, increase the neurosis value, and make Detective Ito crazy!
Recently, many companies create the game which users can play freely not only in an indie game.
In ADV which is the genre with less freedom, I think it is unique and fashionable that “the main character’s parameter changes by a little action.”
It is the beginning of the revolution in the ADV genre.
It got attention in Kickstarter, and received the Vermillion Award in the BitSummit last year. It receives a lot of attention in this industry as well.
I look forward to this work’s release.
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