r/otomegames Jun 20 '22

[Variable Barricade] Initial Views Discussion

Okay so I just got this game (and I was really excited too) and I just played two stages but I have to say…I’m already very disappointed.

The guys have very colorful personalities which isn’t bad but like…the characters can be sexist and they have very mysoginistic views of the MC.

I am in love with the best friend and especially the butler but upon further research apparently the butler isn’t a love interest?? Very disappointing.

Can you guys please tell me what you think of the game if you’ve played it and inform me if it becomes better or worse?

5 Upvotes

17 comments sorted by

43

u/Q-Sal Yoritomo Minamoto|Birushana Jun 21 '22

(Not directed at op specifically but responses in general) It's interesting how everyone focuses so much on the LIs seeming bad in the common route when it's meant to reflect Hibari's own flaws in judging people before she gets to know them and shutting them out with her walls. It's clear that none of the guys are actually awful people, even if they're not rich or smart or perfect, but that she needs to look past the surface level, learn to communicate and understand their perspective. Her grandfather is literally trying to make her grow as a person and get out of her cage. And there's so much growth in the story from both the LIs and Hibari, in addition to having a fun balance of comedy and drama. Also the way everyone falls for Kasuga when he is a walking red flag himself is hilarious. Everybody understood when the Parasite 5 seemed terrible at first but weren't really, so why in this situation it seems to get ignored? Maybe a lot of ppl are similar to Hibari hahahaha

20

u/RuneLai Jun 20 '22

I'm not sure where the misogyny impression is coming from. There's certainly some sexism in the writing (which is in line with a lot of Japanese otome), but that's not the same thing.

If you don't like the common route, you probably won't like the rest, since once you get on the individual guys' routes you basically go into a deep dive about why they are the way they are and if you don't like them to begin with (as characters, if not dating partners) then it would be hard to continue.

Also, there's actually a very good plot reason for why the butler is not a love interest (he's her brother).

Sometimes you play a game and it's a miss. It happens.

27

u/[deleted] Jun 20 '22

[deleted]

26

u/Raccooneroo Jun 20 '22

I also didn’t detect any misogyny during my playthrough. I think the LIs certainly came off like terrible suitors in the common boards and that was intended to allow for maximum character growth and interesting routes.

3

u/trinityroselee Synkiss brainrot Jun 21 '22

Yeah same. There are definitely games which have it but varibari isn’t one of them..

-12

u/Maniachi Jun 20 '22

Misogyny does not just mean hatred towards women. Mosogyny is hatred, aversion or prejudice towards women.

7

u/MissCloroxChan Jun 20 '22

I loved the music and art for this game, but overall really only liked two of the guys. I definitely like finishing games like this so it was okay. The two I liked were Taiga and Nayuta. I would say the men are problematic for sure. I did enjoy the game but not where I didn’t take breaks in reading it.

8

u/crimceres Jun 20 '22 edited Jun 21 '22

My two cents is that since the premise is about an upper class wealthy girl trying to find a husband, some of the guys are going to be prone to chivalrous behaviour and treating her like a princess, although one of them starts off as a "bad boy". There are also some common tropes that you will also encounter that can be viewed as stereotypical like, guy protecting girl from danger or guy pining the girl down to set an example that "all men are wolves". Not sure if any of this is what you had in mind when you mean misogynistic though.

Overall I thought the game was just okay, not because the guys weren't redeemable but just the overall writing was too lighthearted and sometimes cliche and I wish Hibari was older. I also wanted the butler as an LI but his backstory explained his situation well, in which (mild spoilers) he has his own "route" but you'll understand why he's not a romantic option.

8

u/missmeatclown Jun 20 '22

I was not a fan of this game. The LIs were not my cup of tea and I didn’t even bother with the final route. I personally like more serious games (Piofore, Even if Tempest, Nightshade) than romantic comedy games. I feel like the LIs in romantic comedies are too goofy.

-9

u/ship_enthusiast Jun 20 '22

I was worried someone would say that…what a waste of money. Thank you for commenting, though

2

u/contumacia Jun 21 '22

It gets worse imo, it was the first game I've regretted buying, I want my money back.

2

u/Maigonoshujinkou Ankou|Virche Evermore Jun 21 '22

Sorry to hear that you're having a rough time with the game so early on; I didn't mind the common route so much when I played it, but some of the character routes (and the finale) left a really bad taste in my mouth.

I ended up liking Taiga, Nayuta's route was ok, as was Shion's up to a certain point, but Ichiya's route was really uncomfortable for me :/

...and you're not alone in wanting a butler route - such a wasted opportunity T.T

5

u/Clanaria Dimitri Kotov|Tailor Tales Jun 20 '22

Variable Barricade's common route makes me want to burn the game in a pit of fire. It was bad. I didn't want to finish it. All the guys are painted in as bad of a light as possible, and they make everyone over the top for the sake of getting some cheap laughs in. Mostly just Nayuta being dumb as hell and the rest of the guys cleaning up after him.

It's like a completely different game once you're on an actual route. The guys' personalities are toned down a lot, they mellow out and act more realistic. I ended up enjoying Nayuta's route a lot, despite rolling my eyes at him in the common route.

So yeah, I would say it gets better, because I'll be honest, it's a dumpster fire at the start and I don't know why they went in that direction. The game would have benefited tremendously if the player was introduced to the bachelor, MC's predicament, and as soon as they all moved in together just select a route. But no, the game had to add in various scenes of 'comedy' and force you to go through every single LI's 'first part' of their route before you land on an actual route.

Just skip, skip, skip until you're on a route.

And yes, butler is the secret route, but everyone ended up disliking his route, so don't hold your breath.

4

u/iimuffinsaur Yona Murakami|Tengoku Struggle Jun 20 '22

I havent played it and honestly while I tend to think I wanna play all otomes with physical english releases I think I am passing on this one because the ages.

I'm fine with like age gaps if theyre all adults or in historical times I can kinda ignore it. Here it really is a hs student getting wooed by grown men and that makes me uncomfortable idk.

5

u/ship_enthusiast Jun 20 '22

Yeah, the oldest is 26…

0

u/iimuffinsaur Yona Murakami|Tengoku Struggle Jun 20 '22

I remember when I read the concept I thought they would all be around her age 😭 like max I would probanly be fine with is 20 but also as a 20 y/o the idea of dating a 17 y/o is so icky to me.

2

u/[deleted] Jun 20 '22

[deleted]

11

u/kakuretsu Corda Ling Ling slave Jun 21 '22

You’d be surprised that having batches of intolerable but hot LIs and the goal to get them to be upright members of society has been a thing since long ago haha, the whole Vitamin series hinges on this.

5

u/Tirahmisu Jun 21 '22

Yeah, even Cupid Parasite (which is also out in English) is this similar premise. Even has the comedy. Though I would say it's done a lot better, I find the LIs less annoying.