Comments on: Atlus explains Rule of Rose

By: Phelan

Phelan — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:41:00 +0000

Rule of Rose is a game that has received undue controversy, particularly in Europe. I just beat it last night and I can say this – Yes the game has a few sexual overtones, yes there are a few suggestive moments, and yes there is a theme of love between little girls.

However, the sexual overtones are no worse, probably much less than you see working in childcare around girls of this age. Yes it can be mildly suggestive, but not in a perverse way, it simply displays girls in a behavior that for their age is perfectly normal.

As far as the violence, yeah there’s plenty of that, yeah those adorable little girls can be downright sadistic, however this is hardly new in a horror theme. Nothing all that bad happens to any of the girls (with the possible exception of a certain mermaid, but let’s not go into that). The cruelty displayed is realistic for their age, in an extreme context. This is very much a Lord of the Flies story.

This game also epitomizes dark beauty, a wonderful dichotomy. It says it all on the back of the box:

“A tale too cruel – too beautiful – to go untold…”

By: Rudy

Rudy — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 05:52:00 +0000

i’m like 3 chapters in and dont get it? its still a good game i just wish it would fill in some major blanks!!!!!!!

By: S chan

S chan — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 16:16:01 +0000

Um Yeah. But I dont understand why controversy would be promoted through the sexual acts of Minors when it is an all girls club, am I correct? And who is that mean man thats always bothering young Diane?

By: metalgod!!!!!!

metalgod!!!!!! — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 02:58:11 +0000

nah….nevermind……….I’ll see for myself……….

By: metalgod!!!!!!

metalgod!!!!!! — Tue, 20 Jun 2006 02:55:55 +0000

I still don’t know what this game is all about……….never seen in action………so……can anybody tell me?

By: FRX

FRX — Sat, 17 Jun 2006 05:36:17 +0000

I imported the Asian version of Rule of Rose because Play Asia had it on the cheap one week, and I never thought it’d get a US release. But I’ll definitely be picking up the Western version.

I’ve always had a fondness for Atlus, but they are quickly becoming my favorite videogame publisher.

When I went to this past E3 I was surprised to find out that Kaneko, the artist for the Shin Megami series, was going to do a signing on the second day of the show. Not thinking that many people would show up or know about it, I arrived at the signing about 10 minutes before it started and was STUNNED by the amount of people waiting in line. It basically wrapped around the Atlus booth and ended inside the booth where all the demos were.

I waited in line for almost an hour just to get Kaneko’s autograph. While I was in line: they were playing the Devil Summoner trailer over and over again (great music and visual design, of course); got complimented for my custom Ikaruga T-shirt (which, funnily enough, I saw someone else wearing a few minutes later walking outside the Atlus booth while I was waiting in line); got to see the INSANE crowding outside of the Gameloft booth because of people trying to get pictures of stupid Paris Hilton; heard the girls at the Tecmo booth say “Kasumi’s boobies” over and over again; oogled over the Trauma Center booth babes; saw people waiting in line at the Age of Conan booth just to get an inflatible plastic sword; and saw Greg Casavin and another Gamespot editor trying out the GBA demos.

For the first 40 minutes or so, Kaneko was doing custom autographs with the person’s name on the mini-poster. But there were so many people in line, they later had him just signing his own name. Sadly I was one of those people, but irregardless it was still awesome getting to see him, get his autograph, and shake his hand. He has some of the best artwork I’ve ever seen, both in videogames and in general.

Next to playing the Wii, meeting Kaneko was the best thing I experienced at E3. And that mini-poster with his sig is the best swag I ever got.