The Hundred Line is a conceptual nightmare, and I love it

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As a humbled player, I pen these words in awe of The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-, a gaming colossus unleashed by Too Kyo Games. The masterminds behind Danganronpa, Rain Code, Zero Escape, and AI The Somnium Files have outdone themselves with this behemoth, a relentless titan that devours free time without mercy. Each teaser they’ve released was spot-on, a chilling promise of the challenge ahead. In a world where sanity prevails, such a game should not exist, for it is a formidable adversary that leaves no quarter.

In simpler terms, this game I’ve been playing for 55 hours now, called Hundred Line, might be one of the most impressive works of art I’ve encountered in a long time. The plot is so intricately woven that it offers an astounding 100 unique endings, and none of these are cheap or added just to inflate the number. I’ve managed to clear three endings so far, and after spending countless hours immersed in it, I still feel like I barely understand its vast storyline. It’s remarkable how expansive and seemingly endless this game’s narrative is.

In an unwanted turn of events, Takumi Sumino is compelled to enlist in the Special Defense Unit. This unit is tasked with defending the enigmatic Last Defense Academy for a span of 100 days, as it faces an onslaught from an alien force. Interestingly, he and his classmates possess the unique ability known as Hemoanima, which can be triggered by inserting a blade called an Infuser into their hearts. Remarkably advanced, this school has analyzed their DNA thoroughly, enabling it to produce duplicates of its students should they meet their demise within the school premises. For over 100 days, Takumi and his companions must safeguard the academy, protect the world, and unravel the mystery surrounding this peculiar conflict into which they have been unwittingly drawn.

For quite some time now, the works of Kodaka and Uchikoshi have deeply influenced my life, particularly during my teenage years. They ignited my passion for adventure games, setting standards for what I seek in similar titles. The upcoming project appears to be a visual and auditory successor to the Danganronpa series. Kodaka is leading creatively, Rui Komatsuzaki is back as art director, and Masafumi Takada returns as composer. The gameplay perspective alternates between third-person side-scrolling for base exploration and first-person view within school rooms, with a cursor to examine specific areas. Remarkably, the music seems to pay tribute to the Danganronpa soundtracks. Although it’s not Danganronpa itself, this new project feels like the long-awaited follow-up I’ve been yearning for. The distinctive style and energy are present. However, unlike Danganronpa, this game employs a strategy RPG genre to enhance the visual novel (VN) narrative presentation.

During my initial playthrough, it was challenging for me to distinguish this game entirely from Danganronpa due to its similarities that Kodaka deliberately highlights. However, if you’re new to his work, you can certainly enjoy this game independently. There is an element of playful hostility towards his established fanbase that is absent in this game, but the writing still subtly references tropes reminiscent of Danganronpa V3 and earlier works by this team, keeping players guessing about the direction of the story. I found it delightful, and it provided a unique gaming experience that I felt was lacking in Master Detective Archives: Rain Code.

As a gamer, I must admit that the diverse cast of characters in Hundred Lines has lived up to my expectations of being just as gloomy as I had imagined. Each character seems to have one defining trait that sets them apart, making them intriguingly flawed and unconventional. From the man fixated on his sister, the self-deprecating individual, the snobbish rich girl, and the young man who detests doing anything for free, these characters don’t exactly gel as a team, but their discord adds depth to the game’s somber atmosphere.

Being surrounded by characters who are largely incomprehensible mirrors my own feelings of loneliness, creating an eerie sense of isolation that makes this game incredibly immersive. The challenge to delve deeper into understanding these peculiar companions I find myself trapped with is both compelling and rewarding.

If I had to choose a favorite from the eclectic bunch, I’d pick sickly Eito and Darumi who loves killing games. Darumi stands out because she seems to exist to question and challenge the very premise of the game, intentionally breaking the fourth wall. Her obsession with any killing game media allows her to point out when the story mirrors tropes from other games, making for an intriguing twist in the narrative.

In a sequence of casual conversations with her character, I stumbled upon instances where she casually mentions popular dark visual novels (to avoid spoilers, let’s say you have to interact with her daily). She shamelessly references various media, which might seem annoying, but I found it hard not to like her. Although Takumi often criticizes her personality as poor due to her frequent humorous comments inciting the Special Defense Unit to fight each other, I couldn’t help but appreciate her. It feels like Kodaka is subtly winking at a specific type of fan with her character. I suspect there must be a route dedicated to developing her personality more deeply, and I’m eager to discover it. In a somewhat related matter, I may have been one of the first players to unintentionally encounter a certain Eito CG on my initial playthrough. The game hinted at this scene in its marketing, and since then fans have been speculating about it. If you know what I’m referring to, you’re in the know. I must admit, I’m quite pleased with myself for stumbling upon it.

Even though this story has an unsavory group of characters who rarely cooperate, the persistent enigma kept me enduring to see where their tales unfolded. Since they are almost immortal, each character receives more attention than usual. Similar to how Danganronpa’s shrinking cast suits its gameplay as a murder mystery, Hundred Line’s mostly consistent cast serves a tactical RPG well. As both playable characters and personalities, I grew quite attached to them the more I delved into the game.

If you’re searching for a concise strategy role-playing game (SRPG), this isn’t it. Instead, your initial playthrough will leave you yearning for more exploration, as the ending will entice players to delve deeper. A single playthrough won’t offer a satisfying experience due to numerous endings. My first gameplay took around 40 hours and I felt like I barely scratched the surface. The game’s pace is deliberate and unusual, but I believe that removing any part of its size would detract from the overall experience. Although it could be condensed, the expansive nature of this game serves as a powerful artistic statement. I appreciate their decision to create such an extensive script for the game. I can hardly believe there are still 97 endings left unexplored after spending over 50 hours with this game. I find myself continually discovering new surprises and it feels like having one of the best jobs in the world.

In essence, I strongly suggest this game for individuals who are prepared to fully immerse themselves in it. After my initial experience, I can’t disclose specifics about subsequent events, but let me tell you, the varying tones of different storylines I’ve encountered have been quite intriguing and unpredictable. It seems that Hundred Line is striving to create a comprehensive ode to the Visual Novel genre with its 100 endings. Some paths I’ve explored feel like stepping into an entirely new game with familiar characters. Given Too Kyo’s assertion that this project is a high-stakes endeavor for their studio, aiming for a hit and potentially facing bankruptcy if it fails, one might expect a more conventional approach. However, Hundred Line is far from your average video game, and to fully appreciate it, you’ll want to explore and experience as much of it as possible.

Among the various Visual Novel narratives available, what I’m most eager to commend is Hundred Line, an exceptional Strategy Role-Playing Game (SRPG). I have particular standards when it comes to SRPGs, focusing on specific aspects that make a game stand out for me. The ‘feel’ of the gameplay is crucial; the digital chess pieces should move smoothly from one square to the next, creating an enjoyable experience. Balancing difficulty is also key, as I appreciate the exhilaration of barely winning a tough battle. Lastly, I look for character development that offers something unique and satisfying. If it comes with a distinctive visual style? That just adds to its charm.

I must admit, I didn’t anticipate the game would incorporate so many bosses, and I’m astonished that this team could create such an entertaining Strategy Role-Playing Game (SRPG) during their debut attempt. The battles are swift, engaging, and the attacks are visually stunning. Even after 55 hours of playtime, I’ve never grown tired of the combat, which is truly remarkable. Frankly, there’s a level of energy here that’s been missing from this genre for quite some time. At the moment, it looks like one of the best SRPG battle systems of the 2020s, but I’ll need to spend another 100 hours or so to fully appreciate it.

Scattered on all maps are both significant and insignificant adversaries, with defenders consistently targeting the generators protecting the Last Defense Academy’s protective shield. The game Hundred Line encourages aggressive strategies, as annihilating major enemies incrementally increases your action points by one. Your objective is to devise a strategy that maximizes unit efficiency, eliminating major intruders to accumulate numerous actions and concentrate them on boss enemies, usually located at the end of each wave for every mission. Each attack raises your voltage, enabling characters to employ special abilities. These, along with other potent skills, will exhaust the character using them for the remainder of the turn.

The strategy lies in immobilizing an enemy’s movement with your initial attack, requiring you to choose placement for your units wisely unless they can recover from that status or fatigue with the main healing unit of your team. Timing when to employ special attacks to accumulate AP for your powerful units is essential, but remember that using them may render others incapable for a turn. Additionally, minor enemies should not be underestimated as they can swiftly amass and either overrun you or target generators if not managed properly. The relatively low health and damage values in this game mean mistakes are swiftly avenged. Despite its complexity, the ability to devise strategies for eliminating enemies ensures there’s never a moment of boredom.

If you ever find yourself in a challenging predicament, there are strategies to flip things in your favor. Not just Takumi’s unique talent lets you re-do any wave or fight, but as characters near their end, they can unleash a last-ditch attack. This move will eliminate that character for the remainder of the battle, yet grants an extra special attack and 100% (out of a total of 300%) of voltage. I’m always thrilled by tactical role-playing games that keep battles swift and require quick decision-making with immediate effects. Here’s hoping future missions continue to escalate in complexity.

During the 100 days when you’re not safeguarding the school, you get to decide how Takumi spends his time. Your pals will pick a regular spot for socializing each day during Free Time, and you can join them. This interaction offers opportunities to understand your friends better and enhance Takumi’s social abilities, which may facilitate advancement in character development.

In this game, your characters improve without leveling up or experience points. Instead, you collect resources in the post-apocalyptic environment surrounding the Academy, and earn BP from battles. These resources and BP are used to upgrade your characters.

In this game, enhancing or unlocking skills for all your characters is crucial since every character will be utilized in each mission. Unlike many strategy RPGs, you can’t choose a team from a list or decide their positions in major battles. Instead, it’s important to ensure that everyone’s abilities are well-developed because the game doesn’t allow for favoritism or leaving characters idle. This realization made me quite thrilled as it means fewer useless characters in both the narrative and gameplay, with each member of The Hundred Line having a distinct role in combat.

For more than ten years now, these two artists have held my admiration. Whether or not this is their finest accomplishment, it certainly embodies the essence of their artistic vision at its zenith. It’s a strong contender for Game of the Year, but I’m eagerly awaiting to see how every piece fits perfectly together. The idea behind The Hundred Line still gives me chills conceptually. It seems like something an uninformed teenager with no grasp of game budgeting would dream up. However, this collaboration between these two giants of the Visual Novel genre is nothing short of inspiring. The fact that they managed to create a high-quality strategy RPG together? I’m left speechless and amazed. I’m still working my way through countless endings, and my enthusiasm remains undiminished. There’s so much more to discover in this game, and I feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of its true potential.

I’m thoroughly enjoying the pieces of the story I’ve discovered thus far, and the hunt for all the possible conclusions is equally exhilarating as it is draining. For those who haven’t played a game from these creators before, imagine navigating through a labyrinth with an open exit, but one that requires specific keys to unlock. The goal isn’t just finding the exit, but also gathering the necessary keys along the way. There’s said to be a true ending, and my quest is to find it. Each turn I take leads me to a new part of the labyrinth I haven’t explored before, and so far, each has given me another piece of the puzzle. The challenge of keeping track of the complex web of interconnected mysteries is what makes this journey truly captivating, and I can only hope it’s leading to a satisfying conclusion.

As much as I’ve been captivated by Hundred Line’s stellar gameplay in the SRPG genre, I feel it’s only right for me to delve deeper before I make any definitive comments about its overall story. The tale that unfolds is proving to be just as intriguing as I had anticipated, even though it takes a while to fully grasp the direction in which Hundred Line is headed. So far, I’m genuinely enjoying my journey and wasn’t expecting such a rich experience. I can hardly believe the scope of what they’ve managed to create. I’ll need to see if each piece meets my expectations, but for now, I’m genuinely impressed by how well their budget matches their seemingly audacious ambition. I’m still navigating through this labyrinth, and I promise to share my thoughts once I reach the end.

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2025-04-21 16:27