By
kivandopulus
•
July 09, 2019
•
Review
Review 2004
•
Foreword: I just could not pass by without seeing with my own eyes one of the best cyberpunk'ish visual novels.
Title: Paradise Lost
Developer: light
Date: 2004-01-16
VNDB link: https://vndb.org/v1951
Youtube walkthrough: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLs4Gp5VU4Fv9UUudO0wufPK3KqL-YaTUD
Synopsis: Paradise Lost takes off in a dystopian setting that comes off as much more blatantly dark than its successors’. The stage is in a city known only as Sodom, which is separated from the outside world known as “Zoar”. Ruled by the gang known as the Infinite Viper, the law of “the strong eat the weak” is rampant throughout Sodom to the point that if you’ve lived beyond the age of 20, you most likely have murdered someone in order to do so. It is widely believed that outside lies a peaceful world free of the everyday violence so frequently seen in Sodom, but there is a closely guarded Gate that prevents residents of Sodom from leaving so no one has actually left and returned to confirm.
Game type: Dystopia epic confrontation
Character Design rating: 10/10
Protagonist rating: 10/10
Story rating: 10/10
Game quality: 10/10
Overall rating: 10/10
Rating comments: Game has few perfect ratings, and I really tried to find any flaws in it as well. But I could not find any. I absolutely love all the protagonist, heroines and even side-characters. Story is second-to-none and without any fillers. Quality hits over the roof for me.
Protagonist: Ryle is totally awesome with his split personality and coolness, but I was worried about Know a lot after reading reviews on the game. He was described as a jerk associating with the worst moments of the game. That's partly true, but Know is not a one-sided character. He's a kind-hearted loving brother in the beginning of the game. He is reflexing about having to lose his left hand to buy food. When he is put into conditions to lose his right arm, he's at the brink of despair. He's so weak, but he chooses to protect Sophia and Ril even at the cost of his life - and only miracles save him several times. Masada writing manages to imbue Know with a lot of empathy which colors his less rational actions with different shades of grey.
Characters: All three heroines are charming and possess a unique story of survival in this unpredictable world. But side-characters and enemies also make this game shine. Ennis appearance makes every scene better. Moral choices and hesitations of Lilith make this heartless scientist feel alive. It's rare to meet such charismatic (and voiced!) negative character as Judas Strife.
Story: The only thing I want so say about the story is that it's fast-paced, breathtaking and without fillers. Each chapter has its title which seems a bit off from the start, but each chapter manages to perfectly describe its meaning.
Prologue
The 1st. God Forsaken Sodom
The 2nd. A Contest For Belzebub .
The Intermission. Criminal Fire Works.
The 3rd. Guilty Guilty Guilty
The Final. God Save The Zoar
The Final Godless A God Knows
Thoughts:
1) One of the best features of the game is sex scenes filled with talk and meaning. And it's not just one Ast blowjob scene. Half of H events are made this way, so I feel sorry I have to cut them out of the video. I only encountered this feature in Coμ so far, and it really adds up to the evaluation.
2) I only know Dies Irae by the anime so far, but I'm sure that Paradise Lost is its spiritual predecessor. It has a lot of God motives as well concept of an omnipotent Deity messing with lowly creatures fates.
Overall comments: This is the first Masada game that I've read. I'll try to play every game where he has something to do with the concept or writing.
SIMILAR ARTICLES
So, won't Liliel's True Ending be at least the canon ending of sorts? Also, I believe the last video that you recorded was Liliel's normal ending; it was labeled her True Ending, even though it's actually her normal ending. I want to ask, for Ast's True Ending, doesn't Know get together with Sophie, his young non-blood-related sister? Or does he become a couple with Ast? Hope to hear from you soon.
Also, do you think Paradise Lost can make some improvements, and what sort of improvements to make it better?
Ril normal ending p4 is the first one that should be taken, and Ril True end p7 is the last one that gets opened. Moreover, Ril is the only heroine for Ryle, so she can be safely considered a true heroine.
In Ast true ending she is deprived of memory and sent to the human school. Know lives with his sister Sophie just as siblings, but his heart gets covered in warmth when he sees Ast at school. It's safe to assume that they get into romantic relations and start everything anew.
CG and some character designs need to be improved. Some CG really irritate the eye. Also Ast and Sophie route have too many common scenes. I wish those routes had individual touch.
I know that Ril has a normal and True Ending, but the ending in p7 felt like it was her normal ending since it basically ends with Ril holding Ryle in her arms while the two trade banter with each other. The ending in p4 felt more like Ril's true ending iith how complete it was. I mean, didn't Nerose become the new God in Ril's normal ending when Ast activated her other mode or something?
Can you tell me about Sophie's True Ending, and what it was about? Hope to hear from you soon.
Also, Ast's normal ending basically has Ast going back to her master to be with him, right, since Know chose Sophie in the new world?
In both Ril endings we get Sodom destroyed with Neros abandoning it. The Normal end the skies also turn bright. But True end gives more than clear skies - it clears Ryle's past guilt and gives a more romantic end with Ril. It's not as complete as Normal end, but the finishing touch of the game is what matters the most for the lasting impression. That's why two jokes are included at the last dialogue. Ril also gets angel wings at the True end, and they fly to find the clear skies, so both endings stand pretty close to me as for the results.
I see, that makes sense. It's just that, well, is the world of Sodom remade anew in Ril's True Ending as well, as shown in her Normal Ending? From what you said, Ril and Ryle in her True Ending fly to find the clear skies, where it ends at them making jokes and Ril stuttering in embarrassment. As for Nerose and Ast in Ril's True Ending, the latter still activates her alternate mode to kill both herself and Nerose so that her master can become the new God and remake the old Sodom. Are these clear skies analogous to the new world Nerose made or something? With her angel wings, Ril and Ryle are on a journey to find the clear skies, with the latter in the former's arms?
The finishing touch of Ril's True Ending, huh? It's a bit confusing to me though. Hope to hear from you soon.
In normal Ril ending clear skies appear after destruction of old Sodom world by Nerose. In true Ril ending world only gets abandoned by Nerose, but not destroyed, so dark skies remain. Ast activates different modes in these endings. There's no 100% explanation about each of these modes, so we can only guess about the outcome.
I see. I'm just confused about Ril's True Ending. So, the world of Sodom isn't destroyed since Nerose abandoned it, thus the dark skies remaining. Ril and Ryle are going to find the clear skies with the former carrying the latter, flying with her angel wings. Are the two trying to find a way to restore Sodom and revive everyone? I don't think there's an explanation about that, is there? What about the others, Know, Sophie, Ryle's redhead friend? It's weird that Ril's True Ending would end there with Ril carrying Ryle before they try to find the clear skies or something along those lines. We can only speculate what will happen at this point, right? I also wonder what Sophie's true ending is about? Hope to hear from you soon.
Sophie's normal end is about siblings survive and look at future with hope. Sophie's true ending goes further than that. Something went wrong with Sophie True end video, but at least the sound remains ok. True end finishes with Sophie confesses love for Know's kindness and Ast saying her farewell just as in Ast's normal ending.
I see. Sophie's normal end is about the siblings surviving and looking at the future with hope? Wonder how her True Ending goes further than that?
Sophie's True Ending finishes with her confessing her love for Know for his kindness while Ast says farewell to Know like she does in her normal ending? Ast goes back to Nerose?
I think Sophie's endings are more tame in regards to story, even though both she and Know are fine and well. Hope to hear from you soon.
Post a Comment