Released: July 30, 2021

Developer: NIPPON CULTURAL BROADCASTING EXTEND INC

Publisher: PQube

Genre: Adventure, Role-Playing

Platform: Nintendo Switch, PC

My brothers and sisters in Christ, I have finally gotten a game review after 89 years. I am so sorry 🤣 I apparently take a looong time to complete games. I purchased this game last year and have just now finished it, never mind the other 30 games I started since then and also haven’t completed. I may have a problem. I just really want to enjoy the game and not just play so I can post a review. That would be doing a disservice to not only you guys who genuinely want to know about the game but myself also.

So this is actually my…….6th ever Otome game I’ve purchased in my life. At the beginning of last year, I didn’t even know what “Otome” meant and now it’s probably one of the most searched genres I look for. Maybe because I’m a sucker for romance but also the writer inside of me enjoys reading too.

They also generally take longer for me to finish because there are several routes and several characters to try to go after. With this game, I did look up different routes and how to get the character’s good ends, which is something I always do.

I had heard a lot about this game and it looked like it was in my alley. Previously, I was playing Nightshade and The Men of Yoshiwara so my standards were pretty…in the middle. Honestly, I liked the name and the cover of the game so I thought “Let’s try it!”

Delve into a visual novel with gorgeous animation. BUSTAFELLOWS features high quality artwork, from character designs to the background environment! You are in the driver’s seat! Use your trusty notepad to jot down information and clues that will prove useful to solve cryptic puzzles.

Romance 5 dangerous fellows! Meet unique characters and build your affection through a deep, interactive system. High replayability factor! Unlock several side stories and endings through the choices and decisions you make. Multiple playthroughs are needed to see them all!

Listen to a complete Japanese voice cast, including KENN, Yoshimasa Hosoya & more.

Will all routes lead to romance? Which happy ending awaits you? Play to find out!

via nintendo switch

This game took me what seems like forever to complete. It wasn’t because it was difficult or anything, I just wanted to relish in it. My goal is to post reviews of games but also enjoy them while I’m playing. With my switch in one hand, my phone with Otome Kitten’s Bustafellow’s Walkthrough guide displayed proudly, I took to play this game.

The goal is to pretty much clear the game and steal the hearts of each eligible bachelor by making choices that affect your relationship with them.

Like I said, this wasn’t my first rodeo so I already knew the basics. Most Otome games are visual novels (interactive fiction video games) so there’s some type of story going on much deeper than the surface. For example, when you do lean towards a certain character, you’ll find their route is different than the others and their conflict is usually unique to them only.

I absolutely LOVE VN’s because it’s just pleasing to see the characters on the screen and the nice backgrounds that accompany them. As a visual person, I like to see who my characters are talking to (bonus points if I can see my character as well!). Long story short, the MC “Teuta” or you can rename her whatever, is a journalist and looking to make her big break. She stumbles upon Limbo, a lawyer with a reputation for being sleazy and willing to do anything for money.

She has her own problems and drama to worry about but she ends up meeting Limbo and soon is introduced to the rest of the gang of ragtag friends including; a bounty hunter, and a plastic surgeon, an autopsy specialist, and a cybergeek. What a dating pool.

I did follow the recommended order to play the characters and started with Limbo. To rate the routes I’d say; Scarecrow > Mozu > Shu > Helvetica > Limbo. This is based on how interesting I found the character and their route. I really don’t want to spoil too much so I’ll be very vague with this review.

Limbo

He’s the crooked lawyer that everyone seems to know about. We first meet him, technically not as ourselves, but we were able to leave an impression on him. I would say his route was probably the tamest. There wasn’t anything too crazy or outstanding happening and he also was sort of a bland love interest. I think he’d be the one you’d want to introduce to your mother and not feel too bad about it. In layman’s terms, his route was rather vanilla. Nothing too out there but it was just enough to keep me into him.

Shu

From looks alone, Shu was definitely going to be my favorite. His demeanor to his backstory was one of my favorites. Look, I like violence so when I started getting into his hitman background I was excited. Shu actually has a really cute side to him but he can also be blunt to the point it almost seems rude. It’s not exactly a Tsundere type but he wasn’t afraid to let it be known he cared for you.

Helvetica

Helvetica’s route was far darker than I would have guessed but I knew there were some issues there. He’s a plastic surgeon who seems to be obsessed with looks and rating people based on them. Due to, of course, his past trauma, he is unable to trust people and holds them all at an arm’s length, except his “father” figure Sauli. His memories of his past are a little hazy but I think he’d rather forget about it anyway. The man was so flirty, like each sentence that came out of his mouth was a chance to make you blush. He wasn’t my absolute favorite but I did like his backstory. I’d say he was probably the most dramatic in terms of reaching the climax.

Mozu

Mozu’s route, how should I say…it didn’t surprise me because I had a feeling I knew how it would turn out. I’m always a fan of the deadpan, serious, and yet oblivious love interests. Now I will say when he attempted to classify me as a white woman due to my bone structure, I was ready to let him go, but he did redeem himself! To say his route was morbid would be an understatement. As a love interest, I did enjoy the very slow burn. I’ll be the first to admit sometimes I want to jump right in but slow and steady isn’t all that bad.

Scarecrow

I think Scarecrow was everyone’s favorite. He was just the right amount of goofy, adorable, and attractive. As much as he tries to put on a tough persona, I appreciate his soft sports to him also. His backstory was way more than I anticipated. I know they usually progress the closer you get to finishing the game. He is a self-proclaimed “underground boss” so my interest was peaked. Scarecrow has A LOT going on and his story I would say is probably the second darkest. He just has a lot of trauma (they all do) but I did enjoy his route the most for being the most fascinating.

Gaming Checklist

Is it fun?

IF you enjoy reading paragraphs and having to make choices that can potentially affect your ending, then yes. If you’re looking for something with fast action, lots of customization, and exploring then this is the wrong genre for you and you may not enjoy it.

Is it expensive?

I purchased the game at about $39.99 but considering you don’t have to purchase anything extra I would say that’s a good deal. There are no extra routes I can purchase separately or add-ons for $2 more so no, it’s actually affordable.

Is it difficult or easy?

Otome games aren’t very easy unless you have played them for a while and know what choices to pick, but if you’re like me and use walkthrough guides then if you can read, you should be able to play the game. As I said, there’s no action or skills to memorize. You just enjoy the game and make choices to be loved 😉

Is it family-friendly?

It’s rated with a Mature rating so I would not let a child play this at all. There are some sensitive topics and suggestive themes and language used. So no, definitely not family-friendly.

With all of these things in mind, I decided to give it a cool,

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Another aspect is you can customize your character’s name, which may not seem like much but for me, I enjoy using my own list of names instead of the default name. I do prefer games where you can do more customizations but I’m not sure if that makes it longer to create or what.

While there were some times I felt like it was dragging on and on, overall I did enjoy playing. I appreciated the Noir theme and actually liked the dark parts of the stories. In all honesty, that really helped me to stay interested. As cheesy as I am and as much cheesy content I can enjoy, I like my games to have a little…..murder or death to keep me going 😂 But with all that being said, I would recommend this game to anyone interested in Otome games or wanting to start out in the genre.

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