01/12/2016

Code:Realize: Fifty shades of frustration


A.K.A. the route report I promised you, dear fellow gamers. My drive to write about Code:Realize is drying up fast, so I'll wrap this up nicely and tighly before said drive entirely evaporates. Without further ado, let's get to it! (SPOILERS ahead!)


  • Impey: I had very low expectations regarding the crew's token goof's route, but Impey's route pleasantly surprised me. It packs a lot of action as well as some really interesting character development. Goofy Impey turns out to be much deeper than expected and Cardia gets to show a lot of courage and to mature accordingly. Although the two often feel more like friends than like lovers, there's no denying that the chemistry between them is really good and that they make a jolly good pair. All in all, this whole route reminded me a lot of Jules Verne's most hectic books, which is more than fitting given that a lot of the route's narrative elements are lifted straight from Jules Verne's oeuvre. Heck, playing this route even made me want to reread Journey to the Center of the Earth, my favourite Jules Verne book ever! I would definitely rank this route in my top favourites, and it may have been my ultimate favourite route if not for the fact that Impey and Cardia don't get to consumate their relationship. I'm still pissed off about this whole abstinence thing, I really am. 

  • Saint-Germain: Bizarre is the right word to describe this route. It boasts some narrative developments that come completely out of left field as well as some character development that's, well, totally out of character. It starts with a bout of unexpected confinementor maybe not so unexpected, because it seems that every Otomate game must feature confinement of the heroine in at least one of the routesand it ends with a fight between immortal beings on London Bridge, with tons of uncanny events in between. This route left a very weird taste in my mouth, and the forced abstinence that popped up once again certainly didn't alleviate my distaste for it.

  • Van Helsing: Oh, what a torture! Playing this route was as pleasant as whipping myself with nettles or jumping head first in brambles. Van Helsing is by far the most antipathic, rude and disgraceful character I've encountered in an otome game. He's neither a tsundere not an ice queen; tsundere are sometimes nice and ice queens can be defrosted, but Van Helsing remains cold and rude to Cardia throughout the whole route. He's a bloody iceberg, that's what he is, with not defrosting in sight whatsoever. He doesn't show a shred of affection towards Cardia, and it was seriously depressing to see him rebuff her time and time again. Even worse, Van Helsing doesn't even have the decency to deal with his heavy past in a graceful way. Unlike the other guys, who carry their own personal burden with dignity and soberness, Van Helsing faces his past sins with anger, bitterness and a lot of whining. And guess on whom he vents his frustration and pent-up rage? Why, on poor little Cardia, of course! So much for the love he claims to feel for her. If that's what love means for this guy, then he doesn't deserve my lovely, sweet Cardia. And he's not gonna get the whole of her anyway, because forced abstinence is once again part and parcel of this route. 

  • Victor: Well, I certainly didn't expect that. Who would have thought that this route would turn out to be the most perfect and fulfilling of the bunch? Victor and Cardia have it all: the connection, the chemistry, the tenderness, the loving and comforting words and, last but certainly not least, the kisses and whatever comes in their wake. Yup, innocent-looking Victor gets some, and that's probably the biggest plot twist in the whole game. Anyway, the alchemy between Victor and Cardia is amazing and their love story is heart-warming. They care for each other deeply and they show it blatantly in the sweetest and most honest way. What's not to love, seriously? The rest of the narrative is also deeply satisfying, with a lot of intense moments and an overall atmosphere that's a perfect mix of sadness, hope and gentleness. Absolution is a strong theme in this route, and it packs an interesting plot twist that only serves to increase the bond between Victor and Cardia. Cherry on the cake, the route hints at the fact that Queen Victoria could also have a chance at love, which was a nice touch. This route is my favourite and the one that touched me the most, and probably the only one I would bother replaying if I ever pick up Code:Realize again.

  • Lupin: The one True Route, the one that should have wrapped things up in the most satisfying way and failed to do so. For one thing, Lupin is not a very convincing love interest. It's clear that the developers wanted to create a well-rounded bachelor that would potentially appeal to all players; unfortunately, Lupin is so well-rounded and middle-of-the-road that he ends up being painfully transparent. It's hard to figure out his personality and what makes him tickso much so that I didn't manage to nail his true ending on my first try like I did with the four other routes. The sad truth is that there is really not much to Lupin beyond his playful bragging, cape flourishes and mademoiselle, and even his supposedly painful past pales when compared to his counterparts' hurdles. To make matters worse, the chemistry between him and Cardia is non-existent: if anything, they feel more like long-lost siblings than like lovers, and the cliché wedding at the end of the route doesn't change that fact one bit, nor does the fact that they have the rare privilege to be able to enjoy physical intimacy. 

As for Cardia's story, the least that can be said is that it doesn't end up in a satisfying way. There is no logic whatsoever to the fact that her father didn't keep her at his side at all times, and the whole concept of him being somehow transformed in a big ball of something and about to become a new God falls completely flat. How about something less far-fetched and not dripping so much in ad hoc and deux ex machina, game? I cannot take that conclusion seriously at all because it's too damn improbable, even when taking the nature of the story into account. I mean, even the most fanciful fantastic story must have a modicum of coherence to function properly. Otherwise, you can just throw anything into the mixaliens, furries, Jedis, Cthulhu, whatever gets you out of a narrative bindand call it a day. And now that I think of it, isn't there a logical fallacy in the act of sticking the Horologium in Cardia's body? Since the story establishes that the stone needs to spend some time in a living body to reach its full potential and is the very thing that keeps Cardia alive in the first place, why not stick it in Finis' chest, since Isaac seemingly hates him so much? Why give it to the clone of its supposedly beloved daughter, knowing that she will die the moment the Horologium is ripped out of her chest? Yeah, I know the answer: because the game wouldn't have existed otherwise. Now that's tautology at its best, and I don't like it much.

With that said, I'm done with this post, and I'm done with Code:Realize as well. I'm glad I got this out of my chest, and I can now move on to greener gaming pastures with a sigh of relief. I must admit that Code:Realize left me a trifle nauseated and not too eager to tackle other otome games right now. Although I would certainly have appreciated to maintain my current mellow gaming stride, I just can't bring myself to face more torturous love stories. So I'll let otome games rest for a while and find another relaxing game instead. See you soon with more gaming goodness, dear fellow gamers! Thanks for reading, and be my guest anytime!

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