428: Shibuya Scramble

by Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd., Abstraction Games

The Developer Says...

A kidnapping on the streets of Shibuya brings together a hot-blooded detective, hard-hitting journalist, former gang leader, the head researcher of a big pharma manufacturer and a part-timer stuck in cat costume for a series of events each more unexpected and outrageous than the last.

Players Like...

❤ Switching Between Protagonists

At the core of the gameplay, you take control of five interconnected protagonists - a hot-blooded detective, a hard-hitting journalist, a former gang leader, a pharmaceutical researcher, and a part-timer stuck in a cat costume. You must constantly switch between these characters, making choices and decisions that not only impact their individual storylines, but also have ripple effects on the other characters' narratives.

❤ Branching Narratives and Consequences

This creates a complex, branching narrative where a decision made by one character can lead to dramatically different outcomes for the others. You must be mindful that your choices can result in "bad endings" - not just for the current character, but potentially for other protagonists as well. These bad endings are not simple "game overs", but rather serve as additional narrative branches that provide amusing, surprising, or even tragic alternative outcomes. Collecting and exploring these bad endings is an integral part of the gameplay.

❤ Timeline Visualization and Navigation

To keep track of the branching storylines, the game provides a Timeline feature that allows you to visualize the different narrative paths and quickly jump between them. This helps you strategize your choices and backtrack to correct missteps that may have led to undesirable outcomes for one or more characters.

❤ Live-Action Presentation and Immersion

The game's live-action presentation, featuring real actors and settings, adds a cinematic flair to the visual novel format. While there is no voice acting, the combination of still photography and occasional video sequences creates an immersive, interactive experience that sets this game apart from traditional anime-style visual novels.

❤ Depth and Replayability

With over 80 possible endings, numerous bonus scenarios, and a wealth of details and backstory to uncover, the game offers substantial depth and replayability. The intricate web of interconnected storylines and the need to carefully consider the consequences of each decision encourages you to experiment and explore the narrative in multiple playthroughs.

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