Gamers are often a lot of talk with little to no action. It’s one thing to grandstand over everything that’s wrong with the games industry. But when it’s time to rally behind the creativity and artistry that’s allowed gaming to come so far? Y’all better walk the walk as well as you talk the talk. Today, I must highlight The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-. For many reasons, really.
On Bluesky, one of the founders of Too Kyo Games, Kazutaka Kodaka (and creator of Danganronpa), lamented the precarious situation of the development studio.
The studio’s recently released The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- hit PCs and the Nintendo Switch (in select regions) on April 24. For those who may not know, the end of April was quite eventful for video games. Between Clair Obscur, the Oblivion remaster, and Raw Fury speaking out? It’s unfortunately easy for a Last Defense Academy to slip through the cracks. Though we highlighted it once, its quality is such that if Too Kyo Games is at risk? It needs all the support it can get.
“what is ‘The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-‘ and why should i care?”
Per Steam (where it’s received universal praise, mind you), an impassioned reviewer said the following. “Have you ever experienced a story that was entirely linear and wished so bad that it wasn’t? Conversely, have you ever wished if a massive amount of choice in a non-linear game didn’t make the individual endings or routes feel weightless in retrospect?” the review begins.
“The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- in all of its ambition, preys on that very idea, to a surprising, and honestly rather disturbing extent. The best way I’d describe it is wish fulfillment incarnate. It channels its ambition and scale to fulfill that little nag in the part of your brain that makes you think of like, a hundred different outcomes from one specific story scenario and turns it into video game form.”
We’re talking about a strategy game with many, many permutations regarding the vastly different endings you can receive. Additionally, it’s a storytelling masterclass, and the strategy tactics involved are flawless. Though it was swallowed by bigger releases, critics largely agreed with the general gaming public. As of this writing, The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- has an 86% aggregate score on OpenCritic. Which would ordinarily be a huge deal, but, you know, gaming moves too fast sometimes.
this is one of those rare times when we gotta band together to protect the best that gaming has to offer
As Kodaka implied, the long-term intention is to make The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy- accessible across as many platforms as possible. But the tricky part is staying afloat to hit those milestones. You can purchase this juggernaut of a title for $60 on Steam. And if I haven’t quite sold you on why it’s worth your time and money, you can even download and play the demo right now (here). I’ve done my part to support this medium we adore with everything we have, and now? It’s your turn! (As long as you can, of course — times are financially challenging for many of us.)
The post ‘The Hundred Line Last Defense Academy’ Deserves Your Full Support Before It’s Too Late appeared first on VICE.
