11gatsu no Arcadia

Because this VN uses the same basic structure as G-senjou no Maou, the 'common route' is actually the 'true route', so I felt a need to evaluate each heroine route separately from it. People who have read my comments on the forums will realize I despise the structure, because it has a tendency to be an excuse for h-scenes and inconsistent half-assed side endings (Eustia and G-Senjou are both perpetrators of this particular crime). Keeping that in mind, I'm going to strive for something resembling fairness in evaluating each path individually, then go back and evaluate whether they managed to be consistent despite using this particular story-structure.

This VN is a fantasy one with mild action (so far) based around the protagonist's struggles to fulfill his objective (I won't spoil it for you if you weren't crazy enough to read that spoiler-stained summary on vndb). Because of the way the story at the beginning introduces the protagonist and the setting, I feel an unusually high need to avoid spoilers relating to the protagonist's objective and abilities, so I'll leave it there.

The protagonist himself is voiced (yay!) and he is at least moderately capable, with his favored weapons being hidden ones (daggers in belt buckles, hidden throwing knives, darts, flash-bangs, etc.). If I have a complaint about him, it is that he gets really whiny sometimes, but since he never portrays himself as a pillar of solidity, it doesn't bother me as much as it usually would.

Nonomiya Fuuka
Nono is the game's genkikko (meaning she is lively and energetic) and the 'nice girl', and as such, her presence is mainly to provide 'cute' moe and cheap emotionality. That said, the addition of occasional inumimi (really wolf-ears) makes her cuteness go to the highest level (yes, I love mimikko, so what?).

First, the event that leads you into the path split is fairly heart-rending for the protagonist, given the nature of his ambitions and his powers (this is unavoidable, as choosing a heroine means giving up on his ambitions). I did cry for Nono during the event that caused the split, and the protagonist is hurt by what goes on even more, especially because of his ability.

The first part of the actual path is fairly depressing (again, unavoidably), but given that Nono is the VN's 'genkikko' and 'nice girl', it was never going to last forever. Once she and the protagonist get themselves straightened out, it turns into your average charage path... perhaps a little better than that, given that it is easier to empathize with the characters after what they went through earlier in the VN. Given this, I can tentatively praise this as a charage path, while wondering whether it will be consistent with what happens in the true ending.


Airu
Airu is the game's 'fushigi-chan', or a girl who is mysterious/acts oddly. Generally speaking, her role in the earliest parts of the VN is fairly weak, but in the chapter leading up to the split for her route, she suddenly gains density and roundness as a character, and there is a definite sense that she is someone the protagonist might choose over his objective.

Airu's route is a bit less of a depressing wind-down than Nono's is, if only because Airu's relationship to the protagonist is more intimate when the path split does occur. However, just like with Nono's, the second it enters Airu's route, it transforms into a charage route. Which is fine, as i said before... but it is rather obvious that they are making this into a pattern, lol.

Airu's own personal problems are wrapped up intimately in her involvement with the protagonist, both in the main game and in her route, so it lent a sense of empathy to her character that would have been lacking if they'd just gone into her route with less preparation...


Kokone
Kokone is the strict but gentle 'older sister' of the group. She is very devoted to her duty, as well as to the safety and happiness of the 'family'. Her character archetype is really easily recognizable from the beginning, so I'm sure most will find it easy to understand her.

Her path, much like the two before it, starts from a split at the end of the next chapter. The events leading up to the split are - again - saddening and painful for the protagonist, and again he has to give up on his objective. The big difference is that the previous chapters have altered his way of thinking enough that he is able to give up more easily...

Again, her path is a straight charage path, utilizing the information built up in the main story as a background for a budding romantic relationship. I will say that I thought her path was more humorous than the other two (or rather, contained more humor).


Sena
Sena is another active type of heroine... the lazy martial artist heroine. With anything other than pursuing self-training, she is lazy, and she is also a glutton. Generally speaking, she's good if you like boyish heroines with a tendency toward sexually harassing other girls.

Her path split is shortly after Kokone's, so there is not really much in the way of extra character development... but in exchange, her route is probably the most detailed of all the heroine routes. Not only that, but there is some extra drama in there that made it an interesting story in and of itself, rather than feeling like a charage appendage to the main story (which the others barely edged past being themselves).

Some comments before the True Route
One thing I've noticed about this game is that it stops just short of being good at describing the action. Oh, they do describe it... but they avoid details, and there is no flair to the narration. I don't expect something on the level of Dies Irae, but if you are going to include the abilities and martial arts these people are displaying, it is downright wasteful for the combat narration to be so spartan.


Yeah, I know, this picture is actually nothing like the protagonist, lol.

True Ending
Ok, first this game stops well short of being a kamige, so don't expect me to give hands-down praise of it... but I will say this is the first VN I've played that uses the G-Senjou story structure and doesn't short the heroine routes. I can say that conclusively, having finished all the paths. Those who have encountered my virulent hatred of Aiyoku no Eustia will probably be surprised to hear this, though.

Second, the true route is decent... actually, while it doesn't match my favorite VNs of the type, it is more than enough if you want to indulge in a fantasy story with some mild action (save for the relatively high-quality last battle) and a generally warm atmosphere. This is contrasted with the desperation and sometimes tragic events that occur at or near the end of each chapter. Airu's and Nono's are actually the worst, emotionally speaking, this way. However, once the true route is locked in, there is enough tragic impact incoming that you won't be dissatisfied if you've managed to form an emotional connection with the characters already.

Final Comments
Considering what the protagonist says at the end of the prologue, you'd expect this to be a lot darker than it is. However, since the protagonist is rather obviously a softy who utterly fails to be ruthless, you can forgive the game for not being as dark as it might have been, given the themes. Still, this is probably the weakest point of the game. The way it sort of went for a half-assed protagonist whose style of appearance is like Lelouch from Code Geass and whose personality is your average kind-hearted harem-master was kind of... *grimaces* iffy to say the least.

That said, this game's story is very character-focused, and I have to say - primarily because of the heroine paths - that it is mostly a charage. Yes, it has action, it has conspiracy, and it has betrayal... and there is a solid backbone to the story. However, the way the game consistently shifted focus onto one or the other of the heroines as you got close to the path splits, the fact that the characters spend about half the game in cosplay, and the sheer number of archetypical interactions in the character dynamic just screams 'charage' to me.