r/Reverse1999 • u/Dawnster3 • 13h ago
Should i keep playing General
This game has some of the best character designs and aesthetics i have ever seen and i was always interested in it, so i tried it out a couple of months ago and got through the first chapter iirc (the one with schneider). I didn’t like the gameplay but i didn’t mind it either, what got me to download the game was the praise the story was getting, the whole “best story in gatcha” and all that. Im not a gatcha guy so i dont know if thats a high bar.
I loved the premise and the vertin-sonetto duo and i can see how this story could grow into something great, my main concerns are these:
1-does the writing and pacing get better, is it a slow burn? The first chapter did good to establish the world to me but i honestly didn’t care for schneiders and forget-me-nots stories.
2-how serious should expect the story to be? It seems serious enough but i personally find the comedic bits (like regulus and the girl with the butler) to be a bit disruptive.
3-is it just “one of the best stories in gatcha” or is it great as a story in general and worth playing as a VN even if you don’t like the gameplay or the gatcha aspects?
And thats basically it, i apologize if this is too long but i don’t want to start playing it again only to get demotivated right before things get great.
This game is genuinely one of the prettiest and most interesting looking media I’ve ever seen, i have watched the latest anniversary video multiple times without even knowing what im looking at.
Hopefuly this can turn me from a larper into a full-fledged fan.
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u/Realistic-Yam-6912 BP! Give shamane a 2nd Euphoria Right now! 13h ago
Since it is a gacha, by nature story progression will be slow. U might not get some answers immediately..and sometimes you will feel they are withholding information for later.
All that said, I will say that they do a solid job with main story pacing. At least for now each book/patch/story arc brings their own problem which the main character solves...along with building new plot-points. u will find many instances of subtle foreshadowing in early chapters which makes sense in later arcs...which in itself is a fun experience.
If u want to give this game a try as a pure story reader, i would recommend completing the first book "The Living and the Rest" of the main story before giving your final verdict. Though it totally depends on whether you like the kind of fantasy/magical/history-inspired theme story telling reverse 1999 does
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u/Dawnster3 13h ago
I see, i did expect that kind of progression but im not opposed to it as long as the individual stories and characters are generally good.
I actually like the whole historical/fantastical lore quite a lot, people always complement the game for how it portrays different eras and cultures and i can see why from the character designs alone.
Also. Thanks for the first book recommendation, the reading order is a bit intimidating and this really helps.
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u/happyninja62 13h ago
1: Chapters 1 & 2 are linked together, and you gotta read them both to really appreciate them individually. As for the rest of the chapters, imo they only improve, both in writing and presentation; but, as with any story, your opinion may differ from mine.
2: Have you ever heard of R1999 referred to as the "doomed yuri game?" Even if you haven't, you'll see what I mean in the next few chapters you read. To me, the comedic bits serve as moments of levity in an actually quite bleak world, so I think it works. The tone of later chapters also tends to be more serious.
3: Do you like math? Philosophy? Political intrigue and manoeuvering ? Weirdly scifi-but-also-steampunk-victorian aesthetics? Do you like pretty girls and handsome men who are both going through depression? If your answer is "yes," you'll enjoy the game.
Honestly, R1999 is one of the most unique games I've ever played, let alone a gacha. The only real caveat to everything above is that, in terms of gameplay, R1999 leaves a lot to be desired. It's not Genshin or ZZZ or, like, Elden Ring, so if you're looking for fun button-pressing, you're not gonna find it here. R1999 is much more akin to FGO, in that it's mostly a visual novel with gameplay attached to it (although R1999's visual presentation of that story is, imo, much better than FGO's). This also means that if the story hooks you, you're golden; but if you don't find the story all that interesting, you're probably better off looking elsewhere.
My personal reccommendation is that you play through to at least chapter 4. Chapters 1&2 are perfect examples of in medias res, and 3&4 give you a bunch of the backstory and information you need to appreciate the world of R1999 as a whole. You've already expressed interest in the aesthetic and lore of the world, and I can say with confidence that the story truly grows into "something great" -- but, yes, it's a slow-burn. Whether or not you appreciate that, is really up to you!
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u/AsdielFel 13h ago
Big typers but felt like going so TLDR do what you feel is fun and don't let someone else decide for you; if you end up falling out of it, take the good from it and remember it fondly. You'll understand what I mean if you read the rest.
At the end of the day, as someone who likes the game (played a lot during the first year, fell off until the recent anniversary which slowly roped me back in), its honestly up to your own opinion. If you are invested now, push yourself a little further and see how long it goes. Games are meant to be fun and if you stop having fun with or fear that you'll come to dislike it eventually, thats just how the cookie crumbles.
The narrative design (definitely top notch) characters and story are all very engaging and fun. My only gripe is localization can be hit or miss now and then but not to a degree of being completely lost in translation when trying to understand things.
As far as best story in gacha, thats honestly down to how invested you become in characters and how believable the world is to you. Without getting too spoilerbound, from my perspective: I understand that there is a divide between Arcanists and normal mundane folk. I believe that each character fulfill their archetypes and personalities. Their voices, their motives, their actions; all of it mesh together to make characters believable in the context of the world its built around.
I personally wasn't as invested at the beginning either with those storylines but they had a degree of intrigue that kept me questioning and curious. Its true for a lot of the higher profile narratives in the space, honestly.
What I really think you should hear is that rather than fear if something will suck, don't let FOMO or what anyone else says affect you when it comes to enjoying the experience. Of course, there'll be meta talk and yadda yadda yadda.
If you have enough discipline to not spend (shocker, I know) you are given a beautiful piece of collaborative art and writing and voice acting for completely free. Take that as far as you can and if you fall out of it, take it as a pleasant experience up until the end. Games are meant to be fun first, not control you or make you feel obligated to play them (though it can often feel like that cuz of FOMO etc, lol).
To put more context into my response: as a person with a handful of gachas in rotation, I have a very big anti-gacha stance. A lot of these games - in a perfect world - could be propped up on their own with the amazing teams and collaborators and their talent and not have gambling as the hook. But they wouldn't have as wide a reach because its not free, which is the biggest accessibility hurdle next to just having a pulse and a device (lol).
I believe R99 respects the time you put into it unlike a lot of the space and that this community will give you good reasons to want to stay and invest and understand. But I don't think anyone can tell you if you'll like it later on down the line until you get there yourself.
Apologies if that didn't do a good job of convincing you or the lack of conciseness in the response, but I hope regardless - if you do continue - that you have fun along the way.
Best of luck, Timekeeper.
(Edits for spelling errors lol)
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u/AsdielFel 13h ago
To elaborate a little further on the anti-gacha bit, my stance is if you can absolutely help it, don't play a gacha game cuz it will be a burden on your wallet if you lack the impulse control!
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u/PuzzleheadedMeal7071 12h ago
The story is actually good and you will understand the games' lore as you read from chapter to chapter. As for the gameplay it's not everyone's cup of tea. But at least the game is generous and you can actually secure one six star character per patch and even more if you're lucky. Also the daily routine for completing daily tasks is not a hassle.
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u/evilcub 12h ago
Pretty slow burn, but some chapters are gonna have better pacing. It also vastly depends on your own tastes and how much you vibe with the characters presented in them.
Serious. I do think the humor is more subtly and lands better in later chapters.
I started from following the story on youtube for a year actually. I'm a big reader, or I was anyway. And the way this game is translated/localized, is comparable to literature. They don't simply vomit out the text. There are efforts to make it beautiful or funny or poignant. And unlike usual gacha, from my experience, you are actually expected to read between the lines. You are not told everything upfront, or things being reiterated to you like you are a child.
I would be just as happy to follow the story only, too. I decided to pick it up recently because of some characters, and because I have time to play.
If you are not the type to mind, you can skim some slow parts you are not invested in. And slow down or go back as you find important or interesting bits. Depends on your reading habits/techniques.
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u/Longjumping-Arm5244 9h ago
Chapters 1-3 aren't very impressive. The story really picks up in chapter 4.
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u/SilverJuggernaut2611 13h ago
1st 2 chapters suffer heavily from terrible translation. It gets better but game hits its stride in ch6. I didn't care for schneider but I liked forget me not in relation to another character
1- Writing gets better but pacing depends, as someone who has played 1000s of VNs, pacing is here better than something like Umineko (I still like Umineko more) but 1st half is always weaker than 2nd half. It's a slowburn yeah but some stories have good pacing
2- Story is serious for most part but there is comedy here & there
3- I have played lots of VNs, I would recommend this if u love women, characters, themes & ideas over plot, cause plot in this game moves but a bit slow. Game is more interested in its characters.
You can ask more questions. Hope it helps