Parascientific Escape

Parascientific Escape
Genre(s)	Visual novel, adventure
Developer(s)	Intense
Publisher(s)	JP: Intense NA: CIRCLE Ent.
Writer(s)	Yuuto Kounaki
Platform(s)	Nintendo 3DS
First release	Cruise in the Distant Seas July 9, 2014
Latest release	Crossing at the Farthest Horizon August 31, 2017

Parascientifc Escape (Japanese: 超科学脱出, Hepburn: Chou Kagaku Dasshutsu, lit. "Super Science Escape Story") is a series of visual novel adventure games developed by Flyhigh Works, and released for the Nintendo 3DS via the Nintendo eShop. It was published by Intense in Japan under the name Chou kagaku Dasshutsu, then by CIRCLE Entertainment in North America and Europe, under the name Parascientific Escape. The trilogy follows the interconnecting narrative of Hitomi Akeneno and Kyosuke Ayana, who both have psychic abilities.

Titles

• Parascientific Escape: Cruise in the Distant Seas is the first game in the series, developed by Flyhigh Works. It was released for the Nintendo 3DS on July 9, 2014, in Japan, and on March 3, 2016, in North America and Europe.
• Parascientific Escape - Gear Detective is the second entry in the series. It was released on the Nintendo 3DS on December 2, 2015, in Japan, February 9, 2017 in North America, and March 2, 2017, in Europe.
• Parascientific Escape - Crossing at the Farthest Horizon is the third game in the series. It was released for the Nintendo 3DS on February 22, 2017, in Japan, July 27, 2017, in North America, and August 31, 2017, in Europe.

Gameplay

The games are visual novel adventure games, in which the player controls a psychic. In all three games players progress through conversations with characters, as well as use a menu to navigate their way around environments to gather information and progress the story. When the character needs to escape a locked room, the gameplay shifts into escape the room sections. While the first game doesn't define these segments, the sequel defines these into two distinct segments for the conversations with characters, and escape the room gameplay, called "Adventure" and "Investigation" sections, respectively. The third game further defines the segments, by making moments involving the player navigating environments to progress the story its own section called "map", wheres the escape the room segments are called "search".

Adventure gameplay

During "adventure" sections, the player engages in conversations with other characters. In the first game, this took the form of linear story progression, and the player being prompted with several topics to discuss. However the sequels replace this with the player being prompted to pick a response on occasion. "Map" sections involve the player visiting locations by using various menu commands to move between locations, and interact with people, and things in the current environment via determined prompts. The purpose of these sections is to find the right actions to progress towards a linear conclusion.

Search gameplay

During "search" sections, the player is tasked with finding a way past a lock of some sort, ordinarily to escape a location. To do this, they interact with the environment directly by touching various things. Interacting with objects prompts a list of available commands, such as "look", to examine the object in question, or "press", to press a switch. The player can pick up objects, which puts them into the inventory in the menu. Selecting the item, then interacting with something it can be used on, results in a new prompt to appear to use the item in question. The first game includes the "hint" option that allows the player to get a hint from the characters for one of the puzzles. The sequels replaced this with the option to make the protagonist "think", where it serves the same purpose.

Psychic abilities

To solve the various puzzles during search gameplay, the player must use the protagonist's psychic abilities. In Cruise in the Distant Sea, Hitomi Akeneno's clairvoyance and telekinesis take the form of sections where the player must use clairvoyance to look behind a limited area of a surface. Then they use telekinesis to manipulate the area behind the surface to open a lock, or bring something out to a reachable place. This takes the form of a puzzle where they must navigate objects through maze to particular locations, or simply manipulate the environment in the right way. They have a limited amount of "telekinesis points" and "clairvoyance points" to do this. In Gear Detective and Crossing at the Farthest Horizon, the player has access to Kyosuke Ayana's chronokenisis at most times during search sections. Using this, they can look into, and interact with, the past of the current environment for up to 5 days back, by selecting the number of days back, and the time (e.g. "3 days back - 14:30"). Using a timeline of the past, they can manipulate the environment of the past to altar past events or the past environment. This causes changes to the present and progresses the puzzles.

Endings and bonus modes

With the exception of Cruise in the Distant Seas, the games have multiple endings, as well as a new game plus mode. The ending the player achieves is determined by stars earned at the end of each chapter: a gold star, pink star, or no star. The majority, or a lack of a majority, determines the ending, either good for gold, bad for none or no majority, or special for pink. The new game plus mode unlocks more options for responses upon a second playthrough, allowing more chances for gold and pink stars, which are required in both the second and third game in order to gain the special ending. During new game plus the player is also able to return to any chapter at any time, and are given the option to skip individual "adventure", "map", and "search" sections.

Plot and setting

Setting and characters

The series takes place in an alternative world where paranormal abilities are known to exist in people born as psychics, and are studied regularly in the field of parascience. The first game follows the protagonist Hitomi Akeneno, a high school student who hides her status as the "world's first double psychic" that can use both clairvoyance and telekinesis. The protagonist of the second game is the private detective Kyosuke Ayana, who despite not having been born with psychic powers can artificially use chronokenisis via his prosthetic arm and eye. The third game features both Hitomi and Kyosuke as protagonists, with Kyosuke being the only character playable during the search segments.

Hitomi is accompanied through the first game by her friend, Chisono Shio, who is a telepathy psychic. Other characters include Merja Amabishi, the daughter of Amabishi's CEO and Misaki Himekiri, a famous singer. Kyosuke, is aided in the second game by Mari Sasamine, his assistant who wants him to be her husband, along with Yukiya Ousaka, Kyosuke's close friend and a secretary of IXG. In the third game, key returning characters include: Ritsu Kamiji, the "strongest physic" who is also Hitomi's sister, and Tsukiko Nagise, the culprit of the serial murder in Camellia Hills who is on probation via a special plea bargain.

Story elements

A major plot element in the series is the Amabishi congratulate, and its co-operative relationships with ZENA, a psychic research organization who receives their funding from Amabishi, and IXG, who is Amabishi's main rival in weapon manufacturing. The fictional former Soviet Union country of Witsarock and its heated relations with its Armagrad region also plays a major role. Armagrad recently gained its independence from Witsarock following a civil war, although they are still trying to be recognized as an official sovereign state. Another overarching theme is the relationship between psychics and ordinary humans, the former of which is a vast minority, thus regularly face prejudice, as well as the risk of having to undergo experimentation.

The stories also involve romantic side-narratives, particularly following the growing romantic relationships between Kyosuke and Mari, and their promise to get married, alongside Tsukiko's feelings towards Kyosuke and friendship with Mari. Although the outcome depends on player choice, Kyosuke and Mari's feelings are canonically reciprocated into an engagement in the third game. Another romantic sub-plot involves Yukiya and Ritsu who have a mutual romantic interest in each other, but never seem to act on it when they get the chance.

Reception

Cruise in the Distant Seas received mixed reviews upon its release. Ryan Craddock of Nintendo Life gave the game an 8 out of 10, stating that the game had an "enjoyable story", as well as praising the visuals and the "every enjoyable" gameplay system. However he felt as though the lengthy dialogue sections could feel "quite draining", especially given the lack of an option to save the game during these sections.

Gear Detective was generally well received, and considered a better follow-up to its predecessor. FNintendo praised its well written story, as well as its interesting puzzles, while being critical of the low production value of its audio visuals. They also criticized the game's "harem ending", feeling that the game was making "ridiculous and out of character excuses" to force its direction, and that it completely destroyed the entire point of, and the emotional depth of, yosuke and Mari's relationship, and Mari and Tsukiko's friendship. They however stated that the gameplay and overall story was solid enough for it to deserve attention, especially for its low price tag, giving it 7 out of 10. Jason Nason of Darkain Arts Gamers stated that the characters were well fleshed out, and also praised the game's script, and stated that while there were a few "translations hiccups", it was limited and the translators did a "solid job". He was also positive towards the music, which he stated was "pleasing to listen to", and overall considered the game a solid pick for its low price.