Dysfunctional Systems: Orientation

Was looking forward to this when it first came out but upon seeing it for the first time I was put off. Art is nothing close to the first game and while the soundtrack is good it also doesn't come close the the first game. Sucks that the series was cancelled.

A surprise prologue episode for the Dysfunctional systems series, which seems to have come out of nowhere and is an attempt to give some backstory to Winter Harrison from Episode 1. After a fully funded Kickstarter, the series was cancelled in 2015, so when I saw this on Steam I decided to give it a purchase as I enjoyed the first episode. I don't think disappointment even begins to cover this brief and tedious visual novel. This game was created to attempt world building for the Dysfunctional systems series, however most of the game is sub-par in comparison to the previous release. The plot is joining Winter Harrison for her first week at Mediator school, the classes she attends and the people she meets. It took me 81 minutes to complete this and in all honesty it felt much longer with how dull, monotonous and repetitive the story was. I appreciate the first 3 days of a new school a teen attends might not be the most thrilling on plot starts, however the most interesting thing about the episode is left toward to end and as quickly as the twist arrives, it is dashed with a rug pull end of episode screen looms over you. In all honesty, most of the episode is a major downgrade from the previous episode; the writing quality, characters, art and soundtrack have dropped across the board. In terms of art, there is a moment at the beginning in the car ride to the school where you can see the talent of the artists behind them, but the rest of the art (until the woodland background during a run) looks to be nothing more than typical 'anime' style characters instead of the loving crafted semi-realistic characters we saw in the first episode. The music is a continuous soundtrack throughout most of the game, with the odd addition of footsteps or world interaction - completely different again and gives the impression of a side project instead of a game the developers were truly hoping to make. The writing doesn't even pass as world building; it is more akin to a dry info dump on the reader and they have to subject themselves to a lack of personality for the characters. A 180 from the impression of them we had built up on from Episode 1, and the supporting characters who were introduced as part of this prologue are most bland and unforgettable - the one exception is Margret and I am disappointed we didn't get to spend more time with her. As much as I hated not recommending Episode 1, I would wholeheartedly tell everyone to avoid this instalment in the series. It is not worth the money and feels like a side creation in an attempt to appease the people who backed the Kickstarter - I do hope whatever project Dischan Media is working on will receive the full love and attention the first Episode received and they will return to top form soon.

没汉化玩个球系列，靠着各大翻译软件还是勉勉强强玩过去了，对剧情也是有了个大概了解，实际上我对DS系列作品虽然很喜欢画风（不是这一部）和好听的BGM，算了，实际上我就是想安利DS的姊妹作：Juniper's knot，同样的精美的画风和动听的音乐，一个悲伤地恶魔和懵懂无知的小正太，这个故事是真的把我看哭了的。 https://store.steampowered.com/app/687590/Junipers_Knot/

Despite the disappointment of the cancellation of the Kickstarter-funded Episode 2 of Dysfunctional Systems I have a great deal of respect for Dischan choosing to scrap what they felt was a substandard followup and hand out refunds rather than push 'something' out the door and make us all suffer, if only more game devs/movie execs/authors were so discerning with regard to their intellectual property. Long after I'd given up hope of ever seeing more of Winter Harrison outside of idle daydreams, here we get a prequel salvaged from the ashes- yeah, it's short (I took about 90 minutes to get all the way through and check out the extras) but it holds together well, basically scratching that itch that's been niggling for years. At first I missed Saimon Ma's art; DS1 and Juniper's Knot are still probably the two best looking VNs I've ever read, but I quickly grew to like the new look too, while Kristian 'Combatplayer' Jensen provides another great soundtrack which is a generous bonus. As a standalone product it's a neat, if low-stakes read, but it you liked DS1 I'd say it's an easy choice to check this out too; and the world can always use a VN that isn't about waifu-chasing or robot-space wars. Looking forward to the next one!

The can't comment on the price since I got the product by backing the kickstarter, but I do believe that this is a good product if you are already acquainted to Dysyst. If not, check out Episode 1 first. This product was originally a stretch goal for the kickstarter of Episode 2 & 3, as such, isn't MEANT to be enjoyed as a standalone. Score Breakdown: Graphics: 7.5 While the character design doesn't have the enchantingly endearing style as the ones in Episode 1, you have to admit that it is very solid. You can tell a lot of work went into them and the final product is good. Despite that, I fully expect the art style of the current artist to continue to evolve and mature as he works on further episodes. As for background & environment design... its good. Nothing to complain about, though for some reason the quality of indoor environments seemed better than those with a natural backdrop (such as the forest/woods environments). Still, both are solid. The menu art is reminiscent of old Ep 1, and I think its a good thing. Music: 9 CombatPlayer is back! The music is excellent and helps the player get through the exposition heavy story of this instalment. Wonderful reading music! If anything, it doesn't reach its full potential simply because there wasn't many emotionally heavy moments for it to be partnered with. Despite that, it did well in enhancing the few emotional moments this short KN has. Story: 8 'Dysyst: Orientation' answers many, many, questions that were left ambiguous in Ep 1. The high scoring though, is because the answers were surprisingly original and thoughtful. For example, their approach to the 'Utopia' theme is commendable, as well as their discussion on 'Government Censorship' and their dehumanisation of the beings on different planes ("Remember they are not Humans, merely People"). The explanation that Mediation of other planes is a pragmatic action of self-interest is also well justified. Character interaction is well placed in between the lectures, and the balance between the two, as well as the quality of both is good. Final Verdict: 8 This is a great, if exceedingly short product. As I received the product for free, my main point of grading is taking into account that it was originally meant as a complimentary product to the Ep 1,2, & 3. As a prologue, it does it's job well.

画风勉强能够接受，但是感觉没有第一部好了。 不管怎么说，就凭第一部给你个好评吧。

plz show me a better art like ep1 at ep2

Art is bad. It's no good