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.
