Introduction
[UWSL]Welcome, councillors. Finally, after seven months of waiting, Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen will be available for PC. I know some of you might be keen to start playing this series. Hopefully, this OT will provide you with enough information about the game and hopefully will join our ranks in the Uta fandom at large.[/UWSL]
[UWSL]What is Utawarerumono?[/UWSL]
[UWSL]Utawarerumono (lit. "The One Whose Song is Sung") is a Japanese fantasy video game series which draws its inspiration from the [/UWSL][UWSL]Ainu[/UWSL][UWSL], the indigenous people of Japan, their tradition and culture. Although the aesthetics and culture of the world of Utawarerumono may be drawn from Ainu culture, the director of the series Washimi Tsutomu has said that during the making of Uta as a game, it is not their intention to appropriate Ainu culture at the risk of misrepresenting it, but rather an exercise in subtleties. Avoiding direct Ainu symbolisms but instead creating unique clothing patterns and motifs, craftmanship and architectural designs which are unique to Uta, Tsutomu treated the culture they draw their inspiration from with the utmost respect, intending to preserve an endangered culture while inspiring players to uncover more about the unique world of Utawarerumono.[/UWSL]
[UWSL]Like most fantasy titles out there, Uta has their own set of terminologies, ranging from noble titles to flora and fauna, from deities to foodstuffs. The story feels inherently Japanese, with a few similarities to feudal/warring states history with twists of their own. Every character in Uta feels unique, and this is being reflected on the gameplay as well. On a personal level, what I love the most about the series is the way the story unfolds organically in the way that is both unassuming and genuine. Uta has many scenes where character interaction in them reinforces not only the world-building but also serving as character studies. All the while, the secrets of the world is revealed at a methodical pace and naturally draws the characters we encounter into conflict, camaraderie and love in equal measure. This style of storytelling may not be anything new, but the distinct motifs of Uta feel very unique and unlike any other.[/UWSL]
[UWSL]Synopsis[/UWSL]
[UWSL]Near a remote village, an apothecary has a chance encounter with a man with a strange, unremovable mask with no memories of his past. He was gravely injured but soon nursed back to health by her somewhat eccentric, but loving family. While adjusting to his newfound life in this idyllic village, the man's peculiar dispositions and strange but advanced knowledge attracts both friends and foes alike. Everything was good, for a time. But sadly, the man's fate refused to consign him to a simple life, but rather, it will carry him into fulfilling a much greater destiny almost as old as the earth itself. The man's name is [/UWSL][UWSL]Hakuowlo[/UWSL][UWSL], and songs will be sung in his name.[/UWSL]
[UWSL]The Specifics[/UWSL]
[UWSL]Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen [/UWSL][UWSL](Developer: Aquaplus | Publisher: DMM GAMES/ShiraVune)[/UWSL]
[UWSL]PC-specific features [/UWSL][UWSL](or lack thereof)[/UWSL]
[UWSL]According to a rep of Shiravune on Discord, Prelude to the Fallen has feature parity with the other two games:[/UWSL]
- [UWSL]Full keyboard and mouse support.[/UWSL]
- [UWSL]Controller glyphs for Playstation and Xbox controllers are supported.[/UWSL]
- [UWSL]Support for most popular output resolutions in 16:9 (*not to be confused with internal resolution) aspect ratio.[/UWSL]
- [UWSL]Autosave functionality. (*new feature which will also be back-ported to Mask of Deception/Mask of Truth)[/UWSL]
- [UWSL]Rudimentary graphics options (vsync on/off, windows/fullscreen).[/UWSL]
- [UWSL]Internal resolution is locked at 720p.[/UWSL]
- [UWSL]Framerate is capped at 30fps.[/UWSL]
- [UWSL]Bitmap fonts used in in-game dialogue have no anti-aliasing and will not scale well for resolutions above 1080p.[/UWSL]
[UWSL]Localisation quality[/UWSL]
[UWSL]Unlike the previous two games which were localised by Atlus USA, Prelude to the Fallen has been localised by NIS America. This is not entirely a cause for concern, however. For the most part, the localisation quality is competent, but not without its blemishes.[/UWSL]
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[UWSL]Shiravune's rep has commented further that there will be bug fixes and typo corrections for the PC version. Furthermore, there will be bug fixes for the previous two games as well.[/UWSL]
[UWSL]Differences with 2002 (PC) original[/UWSL]
[UWSL]While the core story is pretty much the same, there are quite a few differences between Utawarerumono (2002) and Prelude to the Fallen. The SRPG mechanics has been developed by [/UWSL][UWSL]Sting Entertainment[/UWSL][UWSL] of Baroque, Yggdra Union and Dungeon Travellers 2 fame, based on the PS2 port (2006) of the original game. [/UWSL]
- [UWSL]The anime OP in the 2002 version has been replaced with a new OP with the theme song sung by Suara.[/UWSL]
- [UWSL]Full voice acting (*No English dub).[/UWSL]
- [UWSL]Remastered Soundtrack and SFX.[/UWSL]
- [UWSL]The original 4:3 CGs are now presented in 16:9, but without cropping the original assets. Instead, most (if not all) of the original artwork has been touched-up to fit the new aspect ratio.[/UWSL]
- [UWSL]The H-scenes from the 2002 version has been removed entirely.[/UWSL]
- [UWSL]The sprite-based battle scenarios and all its actors in the 2002 version are now rendered in full 3D.[/UWSL]
- [UWSL]A new story arc has been added.[/UWSL]
- [UWSL]Other gameplay tweaks such as ougi/combo moves between party members ("Co-op chain").[/UWSL]
[UWSL]Gameplay [/UWSL]
[UWSL]The mainline titles of Uta are Visual Novel and Strategy RPG hybrid games. The story is told in a visual-novel style, while game progression requires the player to clear turn-based tactical RPG scenario objectives. During the game, the player can choose to follow a selection of substory vignettes, although there are no "routes" to speak of and the games ultimately concludes in the same way, similar to a sound novel. [/UWSL]
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[UWSL]In a battle scenario, the player moves their units into their respective attack range to defeat the opposing party by unleashing a single melee attack, or a ranged attack. Each unit has its own unique attack sets (known as "Action Chains"). Units can perform a "Combo Chain" attack by clicking the left mouse button when a receding white ring is momentarily displayed during their attack animation. When the click is timed correctly just before the circle disappear, another ring will be displayed and the player repeats the action. Combo activation from the 2002 version returned, with ultimate attacks now called Final Strike. Ring action also makes its comeback with an additional type ("charge"); which requires a button hold and release at proper timing. Successful executions of AC will result in "criticals" and deal more damage. Attacks now can result in negative status inflicted upon enemies, or debuffing their positive status effects. Similarly, a character can gain a positive status effect or HP increase. [/UWSL]
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[UWSL]However, the "Overzeal" mechanics from Mask of Deception/Mask of Truth is strangely absent in Prelude to the Fallen. While new players to the series may see notice a kind of progression in terms of mechanics, fans of the series may find this detail lacking finesse and could make combat less engaging. While Prelude to the Fallen includes the "Co-op Chain" mechanics where Combo Chain is performed between party members, it's not quite as rewarding as the combat flow in Mask of Deception/Mask of Truth, due to the missing Overzeal mechanics.[/UWSL]
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[UWSL]Music[/UWSL]
[UWSL]Unfortunately, there hasn't been any indication whether the [/UWSL][UWSL]soundtrack sampler which comes with the PS4 version[/UWSL][UWSL] will be available on Steam as well or not. [/UWSL]
[UWSL]In the meantime, here is a couple of tracks from it.[/UWSL]
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[UWSL]Closing[/UWSL]
Hopefully, that just about covers it. If anyone is interested in knowing more about the other games, check out my OT for Mask of Deception/Mask of Truth as well. Special thanks to Theswweet for his review of the PS4 version, and Minneyar from Utawarerumono Discord for their excellent insight. Until next time!
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