Lapse is by far one of the best fanganronpas out there and you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not playing it. Admittedly a bit shorter than I'd hoped (~5 hours) but still a very high-quality game. Recommended for DR fans and non-fans alike.
Instead of the usual cast of 16 students, the game simmers it down to a total of 10 participants. In this new version, characters' sprites are cleaned, and background stock art are replaced with original works. I find the user interface very clean and immersive. A minor issue is that the student roster does not show up again when reloading the game. The game takes inspiration from Zero escape, and Ghost Trick: Phantom detective.
My experience with the game lay heavily on the story. Let's talk about the main character first: Echo Pine, the protagonist managed to make me understand and gripe at him a little. The idea of not having 'Ultimate' titles (a talent that one excels in) revolve around the characters true origin was a great idea but not expanded on. Sure, they sprinkled around exposition repeating the same lines chapter by chapter that 'ultimate titles aren't everything' until the main character says 'I know' - however, it doesn't feel like he understands it completely.
While both chapter 1 and chapter 2 are coherently paced. I felt like chapter 3 onwards to chapter 5 had an exposition rush. I think it's best to let the readers think more about the clues, instead of using Gaia/Eve as a dumping tool. Some of the bad ends really highlighted a lot for me, like the elevator scene with Sei and Ashley's bad end. I feel like they could have done a lot more creative choices within the game. The memory rewind was a really cool idea, although it was only used a few times. They could have done a lot more with the binary codes given out, I feel. Since that is also a part of the main theme in the game.
Overall the game's alright, and for a reworked game I can see the passion provided.
I just finished this game and it has literally become one of my all-time favorites. I've been keeping an eye out for it ever since you released the original first two chapters years ago and I have to say, the wait was worth it! The writing is so good and all the lore throughout just made my heart so happy! You did a great job here. Well done!
I first played this on its first released and I am SO happy that its completed and all, the storyline, the art, the editing in the intro is AMAZING and I’m really happy I played this early a long time back.
This. Was. Incredible. I have played this 3 times (not kidding lol) and every single time I noticed something new that clicked the story together even more! Well done. Seriously, this is a killer fangan and a genuinely enjoyable visual/kinetic novel. Everything was so slick and professional, the quality did not drop throughout the entire thing.
The art is so well done, it really looks like you have put a lot of time and effort into making everything look polished. Not only that, but the UI and gameplay shows this is definitely not your first rodeo. I'm so surprised you even include little 3d animations for some parts, and the trials look like danganronpa trials as well! For the first hour or so playing this I was fanning over how pretty everything looked!
The story is tightly written, dialogue excellent (especially the foreshadowing oh my god) I really like what you've done. Not going to include any spoilers, so just speaking generally- I enjoyed how the last 2 chapters turned out! You took things in a nice and interesting direction, things happened I hadn't seen in a dangan or fangan game before, yet you didn't take the story too far away from the realm of danganronpa. I really appreciate how you did that! It's refreshing to get a quality, short (compared to the official games) danganronpa story without all the mess of dealing with minigames, filler plot and monokuma segments. It was also so nice to have more time to be emotionally connected to all the characters this time around :)
I hope this game gets the recognition it deserves! Seriously, this is so solidly built that I feel like this is going into the fanganronpa hall of fame or something, it's just out of this world.
Super happy to see this game in full. Its clear even playing the prologue that a lot of work went into it over the last two years with all the new art and effects.
This fangan has some of the best design, technical prowess, and story flow that I've seen in any fangan, and I've played/read dozens. Diverging from the DR art style is a bold choice, but the chosen art style is very endearing. The backgrounds/UI design is also exquisite, and the grandeur of each location seems to blend in well with the simple yet eye-catching character designs. All the dialogue and narration was clear, concise, and easy to understand, and the flow between story events felt natural.
My only gripe is that the last two chapters felt unsatisfying. There were some topics left unexplained that I felt should have been clarified in order for the plot to be coherent. I felt like the resolutions to the mysteries left holes that make the earlier points of the story make less sense in retrospect.
However, my experience playing the game was still overwhelmingly positive, and I recommend it to anybody else who likes good mystery and emotional drama. One of the best fangans.
I loved this! I think this was a very well done fangame, and it's clear to see all the work you've put into the game over two years. I find myself wanting more!
I'll write here what I also wrote in the rating (mild spoilers):
The chapter 3 death was very unnecessary. Or it should've been executed way differently. Honestly, after chapter 2 everything went downhill for me. The And, like, not even a clear ending? This felt very unpolished and unfinished, and dare I say I prefer the 2019 version with only two chapters over this. Spent over 6 hours playing this just for it to leave a very sour taste. I don't know how it all went so wrong when it was so good before. Two years waiting and this is what comes out. Don't recommend it, sorry.
Maybe I'm just salty 'cause my favorite character died and none of the other characters seemed to care. Maybe it was because I was supposed to feel empathy or sadness for the character that caused it. Or maybe because it just didn't need to happen at all. Either way, I just felt very disappointed while playing this game. Anyway, I'm not trying to be rude- I just really feel this way very strongly.
you literally are giving not even constructive criticism because your favorite character died?? and after years of work, you hate the game not because of the graphics, or the plot, or the pacing, but because someone you liked died?? in a series about people dying??
they specifically mentioned they were annoyed that nobody in the game seemed to care that they (i assume Forte?) died. thats a fair criticism. no need to be so rude
I am INSANELY excited right now, and I can't wait to give your hard work a play! I'll be streaming it to my friends when it releases! Thank you so much for all of your hard work! ^u^
Я дико жду релиза. Я чувствую нутром, что игра выйдет невероятной! Искренне надеюсь, что КУЧА людей найдут этот проект и останутся с Вами и Вашими будущими проектами.
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Lapse is by far one of the best fanganronpas out there and you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not playing it. Admittedly a bit shorter than I'd hoped (~5 hours) but still a very high-quality game. Recommended for DR fans and non-fans alike.
(Spoiler opinionated review)
Instead of the usual cast of 16 students, the game simmers it down to a total of 10 participants. In this new version, characters' sprites are cleaned, and background stock art are replaced with original works. I find the user interface very clean and immersive. A minor issue is that the student roster does not show up again when reloading the game. The game takes inspiration from Zero escape, and Ghost Trick: Phantom detective.
My experience with the game lay heavily on the story. Let's talk about the main character first: Echo Pine, the protagonist managed to make me understand and gripe at him a little. The idea of not having 'Ultimate' titles (a talent that one excels in) revolve around the characters true origin was a great idea but not expanded on. Sure, they sprinkled around exposition repeating the same lines chapter by chapter that 'ultimate titles aren't everything' until the main character says 'I know' - however, it doesn't feel like he understands it completely.
While both chapter 1 and chapter 2 are coherently paced. I felt like chapter 3 onwards to chapter 5 had an exposition rush. I think it's best to let the readers think more about the clues, instead of using Gaia/Eve as a dumping tool. Some of the bad ends really highlighted a lot for me, like the elevator scene with Sei and Ashley's bad end. I feel like they could have done a lot more creative choices within the game. The memory rewind was a really cool idea, although it was only used a few times. They could have done a lot more with the binary codes given out, I feel. Since that is also a part of the main theme in the game.
Overall the game's alright, and for a reworked game I can see the passion provided.
I just finished this game and it has literally become one of my all-time favorites. I've been keeping an eye out for it ever since you released the original first two chapters years ago and I have to say, the wait was worth it! The writing is so good and all the lore throughout just made my heart so happy! You did a great job here. Well done!
It's finally here! So excited to play this
IT HAS A COMPLETED VERISON NOW. CANT WAIT TO SEE MY PRECIOUS PANDORA AGAINN.
I first played this on its first released and I am SO happy that its completed and all, the storyline, the art, the editing in the intro is AMAZING and I’m really happy I played this early a long time back.
This. Was. Incredible. I have played this 3 times (not kidding lol) and every single time I noticed something new that clicked the story together even more! Well done. Seriously, this is a killer fangan and a genuinely enjoyable visual/kinetic novel. Everything was so slick and professional, the quality did not drop throughout the entire thing.
The art is so well done, it really looks like you have put a lot of time and effort into making everything look polished. Not only that, but the UI and gameplay shows this is definitely not your first rodeo. I'm so surprised you even include little 3d animations for some parts, and the trials look like danganronpa trials as well! For the first hour or so playing this I was fanning over how pretty everything looked!
The story is tightly written, dialogue excellent (especially the foreshadowing oh my god) I really like what you've done. Not going to include any spoilers, so just speaking generally- I enjoyed how the last 2 chapters turned out! You took things in a nice and interesting direction, things happened I hadn't seen in a dangan or fangan game before, yet you didn't take the story too far away from the realm of danganronpa. I really appreciate how you did that! It's refreshing to get a quality, short (compared to the official games) danganronpa story without all the mess of dealing with minigames, filler plot and monokuma segments. It was also so nice to have more time to be emotionally connected to all the characters this time around :)
I hope this game gets the recognition it deserves! Seriously, this is so solidly built that I feel like this is going into the fanganronpa hall of fame or something, it's just out of this world.
Super happy to see this game in full. Its clear even playing the prologue that a lot of work went into it over the last two years with all the new art and effects.
whoa this looks sick havent played yet but i bet its gonna be awesome
HELL YEAH!!! Been thinking about this project for like a year now. Glad to see it get here! Cheers to everyone involved!
IVE BEEN WAITING LIKE TWO YEARS FOR THIS IM SO FREAKING EXCITED TO PLAY OH MY GOD
This fangan has some of the best design, technical prowess, and story flow that I've seen in any fangan, and I've played/read dozens. Diverging from the DR art style is a bold choice, but the chosen art style is very endearing. The backgrounds/UI design is also exquisite, and the grandeur of each location seems to blend in well with the simple yet eye-catching character designs. All the dialogue and narration was clear, concise, and easy to understand, and the flow between story events felt natural.
My only gripe is that the last two chapters felt unsatisfying. There were some topics left unexplained that I felt should have been clarified in order for the plot to be coherent. I felt like the resolutions to the mysteries left holes that make the earlier points of the story make less sense in retrospect.
However, my experience playing the game was still overwhelmingly positive, and I recommend it to anybody else who likes good mystery and emotional drama. One of the best fangans.
I loved this! I think this was a very well done fangame, and it's clear to see all the work you've put into the game over two years. I find myself wanting more!
I'll write here what I also wrote in the rating (mild spoilers):
The chapter 3 death was very unnecessary. Or it should've been executed way differently. Honestly, after chapter 2 everything went downhill for me. The And, like, not even a clear ending? This felt very unpolished and unfinished, and dare I say I prefer the 2019 version with only two chapters over this. Spent over 6 hours playing this just for it to leave a very sour taste. I don't know how it all went so wrong when it was so good before. Two years waiting and this is what comes out. Don't recommend it, sorry.
Maybe I'm just salty 'cause my favorite character died and none of the other characters seemed to care. Maybe it was because I was supposed to feel empathy or sadness for the character that caused it. Or maybe because it just didn't need to happen at all. Either way, I just felt very disappointed while playing this game. Anyway, I'm not trying to be rude- I just really feel this way very strongly.
you literally are giving not even constructive criticism because your favorite character died?? and after years of work, you hate the game not because of the graphics, or the plot, or the pacing, but because someone you liked died?? in a series about people dying??
FRR its common that your favorite character dies in a series about people dying tbh 😁
You're complaining that your favorite character died...IN A F*CKING KILLING GAME. My brain can't even process the stupidity of people like you
they specifically mentioned they were annoyed that nobody in the game seemed to care that they (i assume Forte?) died. thats a fair criticism. no need to be so rude
Great work!! I throughly enjoyed the storyline and gameplay of the VN! ^u^ It’s quite interesting as well.
HOLY CRAP LETS GO, I'M HYPED
Just finished it, awesome game! So glad it got released!
i cant wait to play this! :D
I am INSANELY excited right now, and I can't wait to give your hard work a play! I'll be streaming it to my friends when it releases! Thank you so much for all of your hard work! ^u^
OH MY GOD I CANT WAIT IM SO EXCITED
Я дико жду релиза. Я чувствую нутром, что игра выйдет невероятной! Искренне надеюсь, что КУЧА людей найдут этот проект и останутся с Вами и Вашими будущими проектами.