Clicking on this game's janky "Catch your Waifu" ad was the best thing ever for me. After clicking on install- nearly 10 months later and not missing a single day of playing it's quite an experience unlike any other- not just gachas, but it's among 1 of the most absorbing games that I've tried the last 15 years. It has no right to be THIS good.
4 Things stands out greatly for this game. 1. It's exquisite anime style, its both richly dark and very mature but very high in polish. The art department is god- tier and make most of their sinners very unique from each other and iconic. 2. Its top notch story (and developed characters) 2. It's stellar cast of voice actors- looking at you here in IMDB, and 3. It's god tier music. Each of these element will make one go- "It has no right to be THIS good." and that's just the start. The game delivers A level story- driven content regularly on a monthly basis. If you want a brief overview I just want to end here with: "~ and BECAUSE it has no right to be THIS good, ~ yet still repeatedly delivers like the dev team's cranking sausages, that's why I recommend it, defend it, and champion it to everyone I know."
~Now for a more detailed analysis of this game.
If you are a fan of old Bioware and series like Mass Effect, you are really encourage to try this game out. Path to Nowhere is very story- driven: both in the macro and also the micro. For the larger plot you- the player inhabits the role of an amnesia wracked Chief of a Bureau that specializes in arresting, gathering, and training a eye- dazzling array of "Sinners" who are exceptionally gifted individuals with great abilities. So you are basically Professor X tasked with shepherding a team of X- men and use them to tackle dangers that threatens civilization and spend your days making the most of each of them. If you like being Professor X, Commander Sheppard, or Captain Picard, you will slip on Chief as if he/ she's a neat and comfy glove (...of meat). The premise may sound familiar- and those who played Arknight might find the framing of an amnesia wracked PC *very familiar. But after a year of top-notch stories and level/ monster designs Path to Nowhere has proved itself to be very unique little monster in its own right.
Very unique to Gachas, PTN an immersive and story driven main plot- with stellar characters like Zoya, Langley, and Raven. Best part? It's all fully voiced and delivered by a stellar, emotive cast. I've heard from many that they often only play Gachas with JP voice dub because EN is so under par. But most of these same people say PTN is the ONLY one they do not bc the EN is actually superior or comparable to the JP CN versions. It is quite well written and you can't help but find yourself swoon for new allies and clench in rage for too- soon lost friends that you just met. But I'd argue that the true strength of PTN equally lies with the "micro" elements as well. Mainly that almost each month where they are not releasing new main plot chapters, the game releases special *themed* Events. Essentially you get a mini self contained story that runs several days and amounts to some 40 hours of gameplay with different themes for each- like: Halloween special, D&D fantasy table top, Summer swimsuit dining fun, Synthwave trip, or even Victorian melancholy. Each of these themed events usually revolve around the personality of a major S ranked Sinner (the most powerful)- and serve as a vehicle for them to shine and Chief to engage with them and trade blows or clashing world views. What's more, after you arrested your Sinners in the gacha pulls, here is where in my opinion the most well designed and often least explored game element shines~ the Sinner Interrogations.
The Interrogations basically serves as a useful framing device to get to know each of our vast pool of arrested Sinners. They are all split into multiple small chapters and usually Chief would converse with them and probe their origins and also their past crimes. If you like LOST and Mass Effect 2 where you really get to partake in your followers and teammate's origin stories and help them out with their life problems (and make them a better person with your involvement and intervention) this is a major treat. In most of these Interrogations after the introductory interrogation, chapter 2- and 3 would be dealing with a major problem that surfaces during the initial phase of the interrogation. Chief would then follow the Sinner around in the ensuing chapters to solve these Sinner's life problems, or help investigate their obsessions, and would try to mend these problems and put their lives back together. It's in these micro stories that both the vast cast of Sinners and our avatar- Chief himself/ herself really shines. In fact most of these micro tag-along stories are so well written that you feel like these sprites of 2D/3D characters are so real that they are off something, still living their lives.
What a journey AISNO, good God how you enriched so many's lives with just a script and some 2D sprites and VAs that acts their heart out. I have not missed a single day of being Chief and greeted by my Sinner L2D and I do not plan to~ for many years. So here's to you AISNO and your devs and you VAs, here's to many years.
TL: DR: (To Quote Jessie Pinkman)
"You are God damn artist,
This- THIS IS ART! "
