CROSS†Channel

Fairly surprised that we don't have a thread for this yet. Currently playing and I've reached the first loop after the opening movie. So when does this get interesting? I'm finding it rather boring so far. Taichi is mildly amusing, though.

The first arc is pretty bland yeah. I'd say the second is too. Individually, I think the arcs probably aren't that great until you get to Kiri, and they definitely work better when you think of them all at once.

So let me get this straight — the week only loops after the opening movie plays? I've watched enough "Groundhog Day" Loop series to suspect that they're already in the loop at the start of the game, and that Nanaka's related to the fact that the week is looping.

Know about that, do you? Yeah, they're already in it. You'll note once you start the proper Misato arc that things are a little odd.

Well, Cross Channel's arguably the best visual novel ever written. I think Kinoko Nasu referred to it once as "the insurmountable wall of the eroge medium" or something. So you should keep playing!

The opening bits might be a little slow, though, but just keep playing and everything will soon become clear. Cross Channel's neat in that it lacks a lot of the filler that typically defines visual novels, so after a certain point in the beginning pretty much every scene in the story is important to some degree.

(Also—keep a very close eye on Taichi. That's all I'm saying on THAT matter)

Once you're finished you should probably check out the expansion Tower of Friends. It's not required but it does clear up most of the niggling mysteries that remain at the end.

Finished with the first week. Wow, bad end, much? Wasn't quite expecting that, but not that surprising either.

I'm suspicious about that scene with Youko at the start of the second week. "Taichi" is wearing girls' clothes. Not sure what this means, though.

Misato's week ends with Tamaki trashing the antenna right? And then bad things courtesy of Youko. Spoilered in case you mean the first first week... which wouldn't make sense, since that week ends pretty much okay.

Yes, I was talking about that. I'm on the second week and met Youko outside of Taichi's house.

Bah, I shouldn't have turned on the translation notes. This is a pretty retarded way to translate.

The translator notes basically just say BY THE WAY THIS IS A KANJI PUN right?

Yeah, pretty much. I do like that they compiled it in a notepad file, though. Should've just turned it off and read through the notepad files.

Also, not translating okaa-, otou-, etc., is a retarded move.

i thought this was a pretty good visual novel. the lead up to the end in particular was amazingly well done.

my only problem with cross channel is the ending. its very...

irritating.

edited 23rd Feb '12 7:31:13 AM by Tarsen

I'm about to finish Touko's route, I think. More reinforcement to my WMG that Nanaka is related to the time loop. I think her existence is like Hanyuu, considering she makes references to the hokora, and is only visible to Taichi, apparently. So she's the god inside the hokora.

Touko is freaking weird. The good kind of weird, I guess. I find her more interesting than another tsundere from another VN with a fairly similar name, at least. And hey, demon-god katana.

edited 24th Feb '12 2:45:42 AM by LiberatedLiberater

Nanaka is weird. And not just her personality.

Although there were traces of it in Misato's arc, Touko's really sets up one of the most important character arcs for Taichi. Not that it's really an arc since it is, of course, always reset at the end of the week.

Not a big Touka fan, I take it. Too cliche?

edited 24th Feb '12 6:40:33 PM by Arha

She seemed cliched at first, but her dere side was very unsettling. I recently finished the whole VN and like that they explained why she was unsettling.

Cross Channel is a good VN. A bit slow, but good. I didn't rage at the ending because he's happy being alone. And who knows? Maybe one day they'll all meet again. Yes, I'm a die-hard optimist. Deal with it.

Touka from Sharin No Kuni is not unsettling.

As for the ending I felt they implied that if he really wants to leave, he could manage it.

edited 25th Feb '12 12:07:11 PM by Arha

Oh, wait. I thought you guys meant Touko. ... Yeah...

I don't like Touka because she is less awesome than either Sachi or Ririko. Same with Natsumi, but at least Natsumi has an awesome route.

my problem with the ending is that it just felt really kind of like it was arbitrarily decided that even though 8 can come in, only 7 can come out, pretty much solely for the sake of a bittersweet ending. i dont think its ever given a reason either. plus, the taichi who decides he's more or less fine with staying is a taichi who went through character development because of the other 7 characters, and there could be any number of reasons that in any given loop taichi cant make it back to the safe spot before the reset- sending his character development careering back off into the sun and leaving the original completely insane taichi forever trapped in a world there is literally no escape from save by actually exiting it- which he cant do for whatever reason

so yeah.

touka? one of the few tsunderes i actually like, primarily because her tsundere tendancies are (jokingly) actually explained and can easily be attributed to the fact that the main character is constantly trying to get a reaction out of her. she's still a massive idiot and her arc requires so much stupidity on both sides though that sachi's route remains my favourite.

Okay fine, it's not like I dislike Touka — it's just that her route and her character pales in comparison to Natsumi and Sachi, respectively. And Ririko, for that matter.

And those spoiler tags are tempting to highlight. I should get on with this VN.

Touka is amusing, but kind of pointless and overshadowed. Sort of like a lesser case of Mizuha.

Done with Kiri's route. Finally, something happens! I have a sneaking suspicion that Yutaka's story as Taichi claims it is a lie. Still, that's a pretty fucked-up story.

Kiri's route is where they start to hammer it in that Taichi really is pretty fucked up, not just kinda quirky.

Done with Miki's route, midway through Youko's. Damn, I didn't suspect Miki until Tomoki had died, but I thought something might have been weird when Taichi commented that Miki's breasts had grown. So it's the people who are repeating and not time itself, which I already suspected from the footprints at the shrine. At this point, I've been saying to myself, "Damn this game, raising more questions that it answers with each route!"

So far, as characters, I like Miki and Touko, while my favorite loops so far are Kiri's and Miki's.

Finished it last night. The ending was beautiful. I don't see a problem with the ending, since while Taichi will forever be alone, he won't do anymore damage to others, but will still continue helping everyone through the radio. This is one of those V Ns which left me in a melancholic, contemplative mood right after playing it, and I love it for doing so.

Also, Nanaka being Taichi's mom was pretty weird and kinda out of left field, but whatever.

As for the ending, while I certainly liked it, I felt they were trying a little too hard at points. I like to think he can make it back. Well, implications of that are there, but rather that he'd be willing to go.

Anyway, Taichi is by far the best character in the story. I think I like Miki most after him. I mean, from the way it's described she sounds like an actual, genuine non Hollywood sociopath and isn't vilified for it.