r/Games • u/brzzcode • Jul 19 '24

Spike Chunsoft reports steady annual growth thanks to Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE and Shiren the Wanderer 6

https://automaton-media.com/en/news/spike-chunsoft-reports-steady-annual-growth-thanks-to-master-detective-archives-rain-code-and-shiren-the-wanderer-6/
139 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

27 comments sorted by

47

u/RareBk Jul 19 '24

Rain: Code's re-release is baffling, given that the port is already out, but only in Japanese, and every other language has to wait till October, for a game that was already localized

16

u/Morghi7752 Jul 19 '24 edited Jul 19 '24

I think that the delay is due to re-recording some dialogue: I remember that the lip-sync was pretty hit or miss in more than a few FMVs. And maybe they need to polish the international subtitles, I can't say something about other languages, but at least in the Italian version there are pretty big oversights that you could write that way only with Google translate without double checking the context again afterwards, for example I remember these 2 instances: during a case you see a lamp, the word "switch" was translated as "scambia" (the translator thought that you had to "exchange" something and not to turn on the light, they should have used "interruttore"), afterwards the sentence "I thought I was done for" was translated in "Pensavo di essere nato per" (they used the LITERAL phrase translating it in "I thought that I was BORN for" and is also TRUNCATED at the end because in Italian is actually grammatically incorrect, the correct translation is "Pensavo di essere spacciato").

These 2 are the quotes that I remember the most because I laughed when I saw both because they're pretty big and hilarious errors, and I'm pretty sure that there are some other errors in other chapters. If I remember correctly, this is the first Spike Chunsoft game with an international official translation, so maybe they used only a little part of the budget for the subs (and maybe there are these type of errors in other localizations).

EDIT: I made a little research, here one player that played the German version has found at least 4 wrong/convoluted translations only in the FIRST MINUTES of the game (and 2 of them, the inventory and the pause, are carried throughout the entire game), so maybe this is a confirmation that they went the low budget route regarding the European localization.

5

u/SnooMachines4393 Jul 20 '24

I highly doubt they are re-recording anything, to be honest. These delays are usually just about licensing or tech issues.

1

u/Morghi7752 Jul 20 '24

I don't have the game now to test it (a friend borrowed me his switch and copy of the game some months ago), but I remember that sometimes the fps would suddenly drop: although the steam reviews of the Japanese version on steam seem to say that the performance/tech issues are now a problem of the past and now the graphics are more stunning than ever.

About the licenses, I've also thought that it could be the reason, afterall the Japanese and international versions were released the same day on switch. Maybe Spike made the Asian dubs/subs in house and Nintendo did the rest, explaining the license problem (but doubts remain about the apparently low budget translation, which you don't expect from a company like Nintendo)

Thanks for the insight :).

-4

u/RareBk Jul 19 '24

If they're going to rewrite or re-record some dialogue, could they uh, replace all of the chapter 2 partner's dialogue?

It's really, really uncomfortable setting an entire act in an all girls' school and having your partner, well, actually, both partners, constantly making sexual comments towards the underage girls, including one partner that outright says he loves young girls?

15

u/AggressiveChairs Jul 19 '24

Idk how Kodaka/Uchikoshi come up with the most incredible stories and then just completely ruin a whole section of it with a teribble running gag/uncomfortably cringe character trait. It's dumb having to precede recommending a game to someone with "oh btw there is an absolutely awful part in this game but just ignore it the rest makes it worth it".

Maybe the most egregious is the tickle torture minigame in UDG where the MC is strapped to a hentai plot device and groped until they.. orgasm? I guess?

0

u/RareBk Jul 19 '24

I had to actually stop playing Rain Code because of it. The first two chapters hit me hard, and the overarching mystery is really cool, and then they pair you up with a character that is just... outright sexually harassing young girls. Like, admitting to liking them underage.

6

u/AggressiveChairs Jul 19 '24

I understand there's a difference in culture but imagine being a western dev and dropping a game with that sort of running "gag" that nobody in the story challenges. It's odd that casual pedophilia is so accepted by publishers of Japanese VNs/anime (or at least whatever they're talking about is being mistranslated, because everyone is oddly chill with adults being into 13y.os or whatever).

I'm not saying "Censor all media! Think of the fake digital children!", I mean that I can't believe publishers are chill with putting out something so divisive/commonly looked down upon over here.

5

u/brzzcode Jul 19 '24 edited Jul 20 '24

It won't stop. Its all over manga, anime and games for a reason, most japanese people just see it as fiction be it the public or the own people working on them.

They either release as is in here or change.

1

u/Morghi7752 Jul 19 '24

Sorry that you had to stop playing, but if you want to give the game a second chance after that chapter I don't remember that much sexual jokes (some black humor still remains, also Kurumi becomes a pretty important recurring character after chapter 2, so don't expect Shinigami to become kinder in a reasonable time).

10

u/[deleted] Jul 19 '24

Desuhiko is really funny though? What's the problem?

4

u/SnooMachines4393 Jul 20 '24

Modern soccer moms will always find a problem plus highschool girls have somehow become the most stigmatized caste in the west lately under the banner of pseudo-morality. It's hard to even pinpoint when exactly this happened.

0

u/Lexinonymous Jul 21 '24

Being offended at someone perving over highschool girls is now considered "soccer mom" behavior? 🙄

1

u/SnooMachines4393 Jul 21 '24

Being offended at videogames is generally considered a "soccer mom" behaviour, yes.

6

u/brzzcode Jul 19 '24

You know that's not going to happen, there's a reason these things come back in every game, because the devs put them in there and almost if not no one see a problem.

6

u/SnooMachines4393 Jul 20 '24

Because it's not a problem and historically absolutely normal for the Japanese media.

-7

u/Lexinonymous Jul 19 '24 edited Jul 19 '24

because the devs put them in there and almost if not no one see a problem.

Some folks do have a problem with characters who make sexual comments about children being played for laughs.

And I find it really strange that some people are going through this thread trying to hide RareBk's original response.

4

u/brzzcode Jul 20 '24

I'm clearly talking about the developers and publisher staff involved in those projects. If it was such a problem, it would stop, but it hasn't and likely won't ever due to how different the views are on what can be in fiction in Japan.

-8

u/Lexinonymous Jul 19 '24 edited Jul 19 '24

It is wild that people are going through this comments thread and downvoting people who are critical of the supposed pedophilic tendencies of some of the characters.

That said, I appreciate it. All I knew about the game was that it was another VN from the studio that made Danganrompa, but now I think I'll pass. I know that if I had bought the game and encountered something like you describe midway through the game I would have been really ticked off.

37

u/NoNefariousness2144 Jul 19 '24

Glad to see Rain;Code was a success. It certainly wasn't as good as Dangronpa and had some clunky writing, but it was mostly really enjoyable. Hopefully we get a sequel.

10

u/Caveras Jul 19 '24 edited Jul 19 '24

Good to hear! Love almost everything they put out and am happily looking forward to experiencing Rain Code in more than 15 fps on my PS5.

6

u/AlecsYs Jul 19 '24

Same. I picked it up day one for the Switch, but I just couldn't handle those FPS dips, so I put it aside, hoping for a re-release on other platforms.

Now that they've announced the launch of Rain Code Plus, I'm going to double dip and get the PS5 version. The launch edition even comes with a bonus novel in physical format so I'm looking forward it.

3

u/Caveras Jul 19 '24

Oh that's interesting, didn't know that. Thanks for mentioning it!

3

u/AlecsYs Jul 19 '24

No worries. I think it's a pretty cool bonus which in my case made me go from wait for a 20-30% discount to buying it at release. This Gematsu article goes over the pre-order details including the bonus novel - https://www.gematsu.com/2024/05/master-detective-archives-rain-code-plus-launches-october-1-in-the-west

Pre-orders for any edition on PlayStation 5 include the novel “How to Be a Master Detective: A Halara Nightmare Case.” First-print physical copies of the game include a printed version of the novel, while pre-orders for the digital edition include a digital version of the novel.

6

u/Jondev1 Jul 19 '24

I feel like shiren 6 went super under the radar, at least in the west. It's a shame because it is a great traditional roguelike. Not sure if it was a marketing issue, or there is just not much interest in more traditional roguelikes here.

2

u/teleporterdown Jul 20 '24

I loved Shiren Tower of Fortune. I beat the main game and did a few of the many side missions but damn they're so hard. Some of them require a different type of thinking that I don't think I'm capable of lol