5.2 hours played
Written 7 years ago
Do you like Danganronpa? How about Zero Escape? Ever wonder what would result if a developer took a stab at combining them both while including their own elements? If you answered "yes" to all of the above, you have a pretty good idea of what to expect from [b]In the name of sin[/b].
One of the strongest parts of the package is the visuals, as the in-game images and trailer on the store page suggest. At this price point, I was more than willing to give leeway on the graphical side of the equation. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that not only do the character art, locations, and other visual assets hold up, they represent a level of quality typically seen in VN-based games costing an upwards of 8-10 times as much. They are certainly comparable (if not at times superior) to those found in the aforementioned games that this one is most certainly patterned after.
As for the audio, while simple and mostly subdued, it remains adequate and fits the games locales and events quite nicely. The music is mostly derivative, but still adds ambience to the environment laid out by the games often impressive visuals. Unfortunately, the characters do not appear to be voice acted, with only the occasional sigh, grunt, groan, or surprised reaction being heard.
Another fairly solid and engaging part of the game can be found in its setting and thematic elements. 12 "sinners" are gathered together to play the Arbitration game... a series of five events where the winner can receive atonement for their crimes, with the losers suffering the penalty of a horrific death. Scoring is kept track via a collection of coins the player possesses at any given time. While additional coins are added to a players total for winning events within the Arbitration game, they are subtracted accordingly for losing, failing to meet objectives, etc. If a players coin total is reduced below zero, they are effectively ejected from the game and subject to a grisly demise. Time limits are also put into place, heightening the tension and adding to the dark mood the game is trying to convey.
The characters, along with their personalities and interactions, also assist in setting the stage for the events that play out. The player character, He Chuyan, is written as the typical "golly gee, I'm not sure why I'm here, but I'm going to do my best anyway" stereotype found in entries of the Danganronpa series. Likewise, most of the other characters consist of high-level archetypes made popular in other visual novels. Still, they are serviceable and fit well into the thematic elements of the game. Just don't be surprised if this game fails to tread any new ground in its character personalities or overall designs.
The weakest part of the package, and the one that unfortunately holds the game back quite a bit, is in it's English translation. For the Visual Novel portions, this is less of a deal breaker and a fairly fluent English speaker can likely piece together not only the story at large, but the individual character emotions without too much concern or rereading. However, the events that take place during the Arbitration game suffer quite a bit in their far less than optimal translation. This is particularly true when the rules of each game are explained and the character dialogs during those events are concerned. I found myself having to play through each game several times before I was successful... not really due to any lack of skill or reasoning, but because the details were incredibly unclear regarding what I was supposed to be doing at any specific time.
A better English translation is certainly possible as I was able to rearrange and reword things in my head to provide something closer to what the developers likely intended. Perhaps a future update, via developer DLC or fan made, will become available and the game would be far better for it. Also, native controller support would be a nice update as some of us enjoy these games from the comfort of our couches. Until that day (maybe?) comes, controller support can effectively be had via the various mouse emulation programs available.
Overall, [b]In the name of sin[/b] is certainly worth the extremely low price of admission, particularly if you've played and enjoyed Danganronpa, Zero Escape, or both. You won't find much that strays too far away from those well-worn franchises, but it's a clone that is both serviceable and even impressive at times as it attempts to stand on it's own. Unfortunately, the less than stellar English translation represents somewhat of a stumbling block throughout.
