The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-

The Hundred Line is a pretty amazing experience. While it certainly has its fair share of flaws, can be repetitive, and requires way more time than most people will want to give it, The Hundred Line is one of the few games I view as genuine Art. It's hard to articulate why without spoilers, and probably would require something more akin to an essay, but there was a lot that kept me coming back for more such as: 1) This game didn't shy away from some dark themes; and the parallelism between humanity and a particular set of... creatures... was shockingly thought provoking. Do the ends justify the means when it comes to survival? How far is too far? "The road to hell is paved with good intentions"... The last game that caused me to stop and think like this was Nier: Automata. This, in particular, is what's causing me to consider The Hundred Line as more than just a mere video game. 2) Based on the sequencing of the routes that I played through, for better or worse, it took me a while to start learning more about the truth, how certain routes are connected, and what was going on. Slowly piecing together what was really happening was incredibly satisfying! Every time I was able to connect a new dot and realize that some seemingly random thing I encountered in another route actually explains what happened elsewhere or why a character is the way that they are... I couldn't get enough of it! 3) I really liked the characters and how they interacted with each other! Whether it was Kurara making snide jokes about Kyoshika and her sword, Eito doing his thing, Darumi being crazy, or Hiruko on the battlefield, it was fun spending time with them and seeing what everyone does in different situations. Nearly all of the characters are either very interesting in their own ways or get their own time in the spotlight depending on the route. For example, Shouma is my least favorite character, but even he had narrative importance (with real emotional weight) in multiple routes and some redeeming qualities. 4) While some choices were no-brainers, there were a lot of tough choices to make, and even a few that made me wish I didn't have to make a choice. Living with the consequences of those choices in particular was brilliant! For the endings, not nearly all of them are high quality, but there were a fair few that were not only very memorable, but complete gut punches when you realized what they meant. The main two endings that others have referred to as the closest to being the "True Ending" really were fantastic; with plenty of others that were satisfying in their own right or made me want to go back and see what would have been different if I made different choices. 5) Lastly, before getting on the path of learning the truth, what kept me going was how interesting it was that certain routes were similar to playing different genres of VNs. Kudos to the developers for keeping as many of the routes legitimately interesting as standalone scenarios. Regarding the downsides, as mentioned before, the biggest ones are the huge amount of time needed to see the best this game has to offer, how it can sometimes feel like a bit of a slog getting through the more repetitive parts, etc. From a gameplay perspective, having played other VNs, Danganronpa, etc. the combat was a nice surprise, but the mechanical depth was understandably not very deep. I'd say it's better to think of combat as a puzzle, figuring out the most efficient ways to mow down the enemies in the most satisfying ways possible. The exploration was interesting for the first several hours, but I'll admit that I was not disappointed that I could skip it after unlocking all upgrades and leveling up the bonds with the characters. That being said, The Hundred Line was pretty special, and I'm glad that I got to experience it how I did. For anyone willing, and able, to put the time into it; I think you'd enjoy it too.

Honestly, I'm struggling to articulate my feelings about this absolute gem of a game. I played the demo and instantly knew I would like it, but I hadn't the foggiest clue what was in store for me. I was a bit put off by the price tag at first, thinking there was no way this game would ever feel like it was worth the full price, but I was willing to pay it to support a dev team that was struggling despite making several games I loved. Words cannot explain how wrong I was. Most modern devs take ungodly amounts of money and use it as inefficiently as possible, barely upgrading their projects as the price tag balloons. But this game took seemingly little, and did as much as humanly possible with it. These devs clearly loved their work and poured their hearts and soul into this near-masterpiece. I look forward to whatever DLC plans Kodaka has in store, because I would buy it in a heartbeat. Easy 9/10. One of the best new games I've played in a long time

小高你去死吧

There’s plenty to say about Hundred Line. It’s a game I played simply because I gave in to my curiosity after seeing it marketed as "the game with 100 routes." Without further ado, I want to talk about these routes (and yes, there will be spoilers). First off, I have to say that Hundred Line is worth playing for the 2nd Scenario route alone. The reason I say this is because there is a blatant quality gap between this route and the others. I saved this one for last and I’m glad I did. Otherwise, I would’ve been majorly disappointed. Your overall impression of the game can change drastically depending on which route you play first. There are 100 routes but how many are actually good? Personally, I enjoyed almost all of them but that doesn't mean some didn't have serious flaws. The biggest issue is the unnecessarily long or repetitive routes. Serial Battles and Box of Blessings are perfect examples. They feel like nothing more than filler scenarios added just to pad out the playtime. On the flip side, there were routes I wished were longer. SF route (AKA the Higurashi route) has one of the best scenarios in the game. I also really enjoyed the Cult of Takumi route, where everyone worships Takumi, and the Goodbye Eito route, which we experience through Eito’s "eyes." Anyone who plays this game will definitely find a route they like. If they ever release DLC, I’d love to see a Danganronpa-style "killing game" route (the Mystery and Killing Game routes don't quite count). Enough about the routes, how is the writing, the plot, and the characters? Route 0 makes up the first part of the game. Throughout this route, you’re constantly hit with new questions but it ends before giving you most of the answers, leaving you with a ton of question marks. If you think you’ll get answers in any route other than the 2nd Scenario, you’re in for a massive disappointment. This is exactly why your first route choice dictates your perspective. if you’re looking for answers and suddenly find yourself in the Romance route, you’re not going to be happy. As for the 2nd Scenario, it’s basically a knock-off of Danganronpa V3. I honestly don’t understand why the 2nd Scenario is so beloved while V3 got so much flak, considering most concepts from V3 were carried over directly. Anyway, our topic isn't Danganronpa but I wanted to mention it regardless. Regarding the characters: I didn't warm up to them at first but as I spent time with them and learned their backgrounds and unique personalities, I managed to form a bond. It’s a cast I won’t forget anytime soon. Let’s talk a bit about the gameplay. As you know, this is an SRPG but don't expect deep or complex mechanics. It has a simple but somewhat enjoyable combat system. However, in terms of variety, there definitely isn't 150 hours worth of content. Only Eva and Moko are added in the second part of the game (and maybe Hiruko counts too cuz she dies too early in R0) and since that half makes up the bulk of the experience, it feels insufficient. While designing new enemies and bosses for every single route would be difficult, I wish they had added a few more additions. it would have definitely made the routes feel more unique and memorable. I could talk more about Hundred Line but I don’t want to drag this out. If you have some free time and catch it on a good 50% sale or something, definitely give it a shot. I don't think you'll regret it.

This game really just feels like it let me down.

我真是吐了，为了凑100个结局写了那么多注水的支线，结果最最关键的TE没有做

hoooooly fawkkkk

It's really hard to review Hundred Line without going into spoilers, which would be doing it a disservice. I'll try to be light on them in this review, but honestly, I'd recommend going into Hundred Line as blind as you can. On the surface level, if you're looking for a solid tactics RPG with a fun cast, great soundtrack, and an engaging story, you'll have a lot of fun with it. Going a bit deeper, there's a hell of a lot to experience, with several full game's worth of content. There's a lot to love, and if you keep playing, you'll continue to discover new secrets and new sides to characters you've already spent a ton of time with. While it doesn't always succeed, it's incredibly satisfying to put together all the puzzle pieces as you search for the happiest ending possible. Some stories are simple and fairly linear, while others are much more complex, unfolding across multiple timelines and branches. It's some of the most unique storytelling I've seen since the Zero Escape games, and I'm a huge fan of it. The writing isn't always perfect, and sometimes the gameplay falls short. Some storylines might frustrate you, especially when compared to others that have you hooked from beginning to end, but there are memorable moments in all of them. It's hard to say much more without completely spoiling the game, but Hundred Line is such a unique and interesting experience. If you click with it like I did, you'll have a great time. If you don't, there's still a lot of enjoyment to be had, and you don't have to put over 170 hours in to have a complete and satisfying experience. Also Darumi is the best girl.

takumi is like a little cat i want to squeeze the life out of him with my bare hands i love him