What Winter Wolves title should I buy next?

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grey_duck
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What Winter Wolves title should I buy next?

Post by grey_duck »

So I only discovered Winter Wolves about half a year ago (I'm late to the party).
I started with Roommates, Queen of Thieves, and Loren on Android.
Since then I've been slowly buying titles from the back catalog through Steam or Itch.io when I have the spare cash:
- Nicole
- PS:CD
- Spirited Heart
- Amber's Magic Shop

But I'm not sure what to get next! I have a slight preference for RPG-types over the straight dating sims, but enjoy both. I would also say I prefer deeper plot/more intricate endings.

So, please, tell me what I should buy next, and convince me why! My wallet and my (rare) leisure time thank you.
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jack1974
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Re: What Winter Wolves title should I buy next?

Post by jack1974 »

If you like RPG, you should consider SOTW (Seasons Of The Wolf) since has the most complex (so far at least) RPG gameplay of all my games :)
PS:CD also got good comments about gameplay even if it's not a RPG but a card game. For story Nicole got good reception. But I shouldn't be the one to convince you now that I think about it :lol:
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Franka
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Re: What Winter Wolves title should I buy next?

Post by Franka »

Seasons of the Wolf is what you should get next. It's a really solid RPG that goes a lot of places with many adventures. I don't personally recommend the DLC for it though (I still haven't been able to finish it, for various reasons).

After that, I quite like the Bionic Hearts VNs, if you don't mind some sci fi, and they have a lot of endings if you like that kind of thing. Planet Stronghold is pretty dated, but it is an RPG and certainly playable.

PS:CD is, of course, the best Winter Wolves game in existence. :wink:
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grey_duck
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Re: What Winter Wolves title should I buy next?

Post by grey_duck »

I may have been unclear in my first post. The ones in bold are the ones I own. So no need to buy more copies of PS:CD or Nicole. I did buy second copies of Roommates and Loren so I could have them on PC. (I haven't bought QoT on PC yet, even though the socket/gem system for weapons & armor was favorite.)

I've played part or all of the demos for SOTW and the original Planet Stronghold, and they both seemed like solid titles. I am curious to hear more from others on the Bionic Heart VNs, because I play a lot of VNs (and am writing/illustrating/coding my own which will be finished approximately never) and have been a fan of the Cyberpunk genre since I first read Neuromancer and played Shadowrun 3e.

P.S. As regards PS:CD, you have no idea how much I wish there was a new game plus mode so I could keep all my card upgrades and earn new ones while facing even harder battles in Double-Plus-Nightmare-Hell Mode
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pahldus
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Re: What Winter Wolves title should I buy next?

Post by pahldus »

Well based on your comments I think SOTW is the game for you, especially if you like your RPG to be fairly difficult to near nigh impossible. The only RPG here that I didn't play on the highest difficulty. As to your other question, I never played Bionic Heart, but maybe I should as like you I am a huge fan of the cyberpunk setting.
Rebly82
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Re: What Winter Wolves title should I buy next?

Post by Rebly82 »

A belated welcome, Grey_duck! Nothing is ever too late! :lol:

Let me do a small breakdown of the games in the Winterwolves catalogue. Perhaps this might help you some.

Timeline:

The Aravorn Series (All the fantasy titles that take place in the world in order)

Spirited Heart Deluxe (which you've bought)
Loren Amazon Princess (which you've bought)
Seasons Of The Wolf Deluxe (Male/Female choice protag, RPG)
Heirs And Graces (Otome/Yaoi dating sim)
Queen Of Thieves (which you've bought)
Amber's Magic Shop (which you've bought)
Cursed Lands (Male/Female choice protag, RPG) (Prequel to Loren's world)

While timeline (except for Cursed Lands which contains direct events from Loren) doesn't strictly matter, some references from previous games carry over to the next/latest.

Seasons Of The Wolf Deluxe
This one is certainly the meatiest in terms of content and quality. If you want another Fantasy RPG set in Aravorn, this is an excellent title to get.

Cursed Lands
In a close second, is this RPG. A likely very good package of content and quality (game is still in beta). One thing different is that the game is in first person so you can't see the protagonist, thus stuff like romance CGs work differently (I.E first person type). Not that this huge, but it might matter to some folks.

Heirs And Graces
I think the art-style is gorgeous and jives very well with the setting! It's nice in terms of content and quality, but lighter than the RPGs of course.

Sci-Fi

Planet Stronghold Series (In timeline order)

Planet Stronghold: Colonial Defense (which you've bought) (Prequel)
Planet Stronghold (Male/Female choice protag, RPG)
Planet Stronghold 2 (Male/Female choice protag, RPG) (Upcoming later)

Ironically, it's a better idea to play Planet Stronghold first before Colonial Defense as the references carry over the other way.

Planet Stronghold
I think it's decent overall in terms of content and quality and of a no less length than the others, but personally, I think it's of a lower bar than Planet Stronghold: Colonial Defense. Gameplay is direct RPG in style.

Planet Stronghold 2
Not yet released, but it looks like it will not just be a sequel, but a meatier version as well in terms of content and quality. It's also a very direct sequel, so stuff like the romances potentially carry over I think.

Bionic Heart Series (In timeline order)

Bionic Heart (Seinen, dating sim/RPG elements)
Bionic Heart 2 (Multiple Protag, RPG elements)

Bionic Heart 2
By the far, the most packed in terms of content and quality. However, it's different from the former in that it is an intertwined story consisting of several characters intersecting. Cyberpunk world.

Bionic Heart
You might still like this one well. Fixed Protag, with sim/choice elements.

Dating Sims (I will exclude the ones you own to make my long-ass post shorter. :lol:)

Contemporary

Always Remember Me (Prequel, Otome)
Never Forget Me (Sequel, Otome)

Personally, Never Forget Me is the better done version of the two. However, both are interesting in their own aspects. The first focuses on the "chase", winning back your amnesic partner or trailing off to the arms of someone else. The second focuses on the "marriage/settling down" aspect direct from the prequel, where you can see if you are able to take the challenge of holding down your relationship with your chosen from the prequel.

C14 Dating (Otome)

Highly recommended! If you want another dating sim, this one is next highest in terms of content and quality.

Flower Shop: Summer In Fairbrook (Seinen)
Flower Shop: Winter In Fairbrook (Otome)

A half farming and half dating simulation. Lighter in terms of quality than the others, but you might still like it well.

Fantasy

Heileen 1 (Otome/options)
Heileen 2 (Otome/options)
Heileen 3 (Otome/options)

Heileen 3 is by far, the meatiest in terms of quality and content to the all of the 3. It has it's flaws but still of worth. All the NPCs that you have romance/esque choices with in Helieen 1 and 2 return back as love interests in the 3rd together with new ones. For continuity, one can adventure into the prequels of 1 and 2. Helieen 1 is more or less kinetic with some choice variation. Helieen 2 has a bit of unique game-play elements, and is longer than the first.

Urban Fantasy

Love Bites (Male/Female choice protag) (Upcoming soon)

I'm looking forward to this one! If you enjoy Planet Stronghold: Colonial Defense's story style, it's safe to expect good things out of this title, as it's done by the same creative people.

Hope you find my post of some worth in finding the titles you want! :)
fleetp
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Re: What Winter Wolves title should I buy next?

Post by fleetp »

You might like
Vera Blanc Full Moon (paranormal detective and her partner investigate werewolf attacks)
Vera Blanc Ghost in the Castle (paranormal detective and her partner investigate a ghost in an Italian castle)
Why? I like big ones, that's why.
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grey_duck
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Re: What Winter Wolves title should I buy next?

Post by grey_duck »

Ah, yes, forgot about the Winter Wolves classic collection. I'm a Patreon supporter, so I've got the two Vera Blanc games from that. And assuming nothing horrible happens that forces me to drop my pledge, Cursed Lands, Love Bites, etc... will all be mine muahahaha!!!!

*cough* Sorry. Rebly, your post may have been long, but it was definitely helpful. SOTW, Always Remember Me/Never Forget Me, and the two Bionic Hearts are probably top on my list after everyone's input. (Oddly, C14 doesn't make it very high on my list even though I've heard good things, I love the art style, and I like archaeology. I'm not sure where the disconnect is there.)

Final question: for the Bionic Heart games, does playing them in order make much of a difference? Or is it more just the occasional reference here and there?
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jack1974
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Re: What Winter Wolves title should I buy next?

Post by jack1974 »

grey_duck wrote: Fri Mar 02, 2018 12:59 am Final question: for the Bionic Heart games, does playing them in order make much of a difference? Or is it more just the occasional reference here and there?
There's a summary at the beginning of the second game so it's not very important. Though the first game had much more positive reviews/ratings than the second, even if many people recommend to turn the voices off (it's an old game done back in 2009 so I used non-pro actors and the quality is not the best :oops:).
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Franka
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Re: What Winter Wolves title should I buy next?

Post by Franka »

grey_duck wrote: Fri Mar 02, 2018 12:59 amFinal question: for the Bionic Heart games, does playing them in order make much of a difference? Or is it more just the occasional reference here and there?
The second game is a direct sequel to the "canon" ending of the first one, so I would say it makes quite a difference.
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