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PS2
Utawareru Mono
Limited Edition
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NCS
Game Synopsis
«©NCSX»
Originally released on the PC in 2002 by Leaf,
Utawareru Mono undergoes a few updates and is
reissued on the Playstation 2 to reach a wider
audience. The PS2 upgrade of the game
features full voice acting, a new battle system, a
new character, and new visual events have been added for good
measure.
The limited edition of Utawareru Mono includes a Utawarerumono
Visualworks book which spans 100 pages. The first 20
pages feature color artwork of the characters and
profiles of the leads including Hakuoro and Eruru.
Hakuoro's main allies also make it in the book. Some
of the works appear to be fan submissions including
one which depicts the scene when Eruru held up a
mirror so Hakuoro could look at himself. The scene
is recounted in the game as well.
The remainder of the book is in black & white and contains
character development sketches, items in the world,
storyboard set-ups, location sketches, and
unfinished pencil artwork. The last image in the
book is a black & white group drawing of the major
characters in the game.
The
storyline centers around a series of wars set in
ancient times and the ascension of a hero named
Hakuoro. As the story begins, two young sisters
named Eruru and Aruru are foraging in the forest
when they stumble across a wounded young man who is
wearing a mask. The siblings decide to bring him
back to their village. With the help of their
grandmother Tusukuru, the family eventually nurses
him back to health. From humble beginnings, Hakuoro eventually
leads a rebellion against the oppressive emperor of
the land and becomes the king of a new country that
he names Tusukuru, after the grandma and village
elder. Once on the throne, Hakuoro
soon learns that running a country is hard work and
wars are inevitable. As his renown grows, he
attracts like-minded peoples and supporters from
surrounding countries who join the
kingdom of Tusukuru's sphere of influence. Utaware
Rumono mixes interactive sequences with tactical
battles which be familiar to anyone who's played a
strategy-RPG such as Disgaea, Phantom Brave, or
Makai Kingdom.
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NCS
Game Notes
» In the intro to the game, a gal named Eruru
prays followed by a sequence where Hakuoro sits on
top of camel with his forces arrayed behind him on a
dusty plain. He raises his metal hand fan and goads
the troops forward. The game logo appears followed
by a animations from the television series including
the scene where the sisters Eruru and Aruru are
going through the forest and picking flowers - they
have tails. The intro ends with Hakuoro, Eruru, and
Aruru standing near a cliff and looking into the
distance.
» At the outset of the game, the player takes on the
role of Hakuoro who has been rescued. His vision is
blurry but he soon makes out the girl Eruru who
saved him earlier. The sound of water can be heard
in the background. He blacks out again but hears
Eruru singing and opens his eyes again while
drinking something. She continues to tend to him and
as the days pass, he gets better.
» When he gets up, Hakuoro sees that he's in a large
brightly lit room with craftwork nearby. When he
exits the building, the first thing he sees are
chickens on a dirt road before Eruru arrives to
greet him. She's dressed in a white kimono with red
sash and a blue/white neck covering. There are
animal ears that poke out of her black hair and a
ring is attached to strands of hair which hang down
on the left side of her face. One day, Eruru's white
haired grandma Tusukuru comes by to visit. She wears
a tan shawl and a matching headband. At one point,
Hakuoro is shown his reflection in a circular mirror
and he recoils at the mask that he's wearing. His
body is also wrapped in bandages like a mummy.
» The intro is slow and deliberate to deliver the
storyline at a measured pace. Eventually Hakuoro is
well enough to receive visitors and a procession of
people arrive to meet him.
» Battles are grid based - when the movement phase
is in effect, the landscape is overlaid with a grid
which shows movement range. Attacks commence after
movement phase and are shown with highlighted target
possibilities.
» To speed through the introductory sequence if
you're already familiar with the storyline or just
want to get to the action, press and hold the R1
trigger and you'll pass through every portion of the
intro in a second or three.
» There are
22 major characters in the game who provide
interaction and support including Oboro, the twin
sisters brothers Dori & Gura, Touka,
Yuzuha, and many more.
» Hakuoro wears a
partial face mask which covers his cheeks, eyes, and
forehead but leaves his nose and mouth and chin
exposed. The top of the mask features two horns
which makes Hakuoro look slightly devilish. The mask
is also permanent and cannot be removed.
» A training tutorial mode is narrated by Eruru and
a sometimes sleepy Aruru which teaches players the
rudimentary basics of control and fighting in the
game along with elemental alignments.
» All of the dialogue in the game is accompanied by
voice acting and occasional sound effects.
» In the Option menu, players may set sound volumes,
message speed, battle parameters, controller config,
etc.
» The Gallery Mode features 91 pieces of artwork
(all locked), 29 music tracks (all but 2 locked), 90
cinema sequences (all locked), and 100 character
profiles (all locked). When listening to a track, a
CD-disc spins on the right side of the screen with
information on the song and artwork.
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This document and photos are ©NCSX 2006. All rights reserved. No
reproduction in whole or in part of this document
may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc. |
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