One of mere handful of really good Hentai (i.e. adult anime) games, Divi Dead combines elements of science fiction, supernatural, and speculative futurism into one hell of story that is one of the best the gaming world has ever seen. You play Ranmaru Hibikiya, a very sickly boy who has just been released from a very prolonged stay at a hospital. Your wealthy uncle has offered you a spot in his school, but only if you do a favor for him. The school has seen many strange "problems" recently, he said, and asks you to keep an eye on the other students. The plot develops very gradually, with masterful suspense and shocking new twists that are worthy of a H.P. Lovecraft novel or a H.R. Giger painting. As the game progresses, you are drawn more and more into the nightmarish history that is hidden, and you get to see which students are attempting to use you, and which are honestly trying to help. You will learn about your own past, and who you really are. The game does live up to its slogan: "Trust no one... but yourself?" Gameplay doesn't break any new grounds in Hentai genre, but serves the purpose well. Basically you get to choose what action to perform in each scene-similar to choose-your-own adventure books. The graphics are better than most anime games I have seen-even compared to the high standards set by other Hentai releases from C's Ware. The artists did a wonderful job in evoking macabre and nightmarish scenes with the typically frivolous anime style. The Hentai scenes, while no less sexually explicit than other Hentai games, are drawn quite artfully. There are four endings to the game, which is somewhat disappointing compared to many more endings in Season of Sakura and other releases. Still, the endings are all very different, and reflect the choices you made during the game. Each ending tells only part of the story, so you will be compel to see all four to get the full story. Himeya does offer a walkthrough on their website so you can get to see any endings you may have missed. With a powerful, captivating storyline and masterful plot development, Divi Dead is by far one of the best Hentai games ever made. Although it does have the usual share of explicit Hentai scenes, they are truly integrated into the plot as opposed to the shallow, gratuitous scenes in most other games. If you are a fan of H.R. Giger, Sandman comics, or haunting stories in general, Divi Dead is a must-have. Some images in the game will stay with you long after the game is over-and no, I don't mean the Hentai scenes ;) Two thumbs up! Reviewed by: Underdogs |