Samurai of Hyuga Book 3

My all time favorite series to come out of either Choice of Games or Hosted Games. It deals with some heavy themes, but it deals with them well. The characters are unique and very different from each other, the plot is exciting, and the main character has a strong influence and personality while still being completely unique and customizable by the player, if that makes sense. As someone with Chinese heritage it’s so refreshing to see a game set in East Asia. All too often, other games subconsciously write for western characters and settings in mind (not a bad thing by all means) but it feels so incredibly good to have a game set in Japan that references Asian things, culture, and customs. The series itself is also amazingly well written. Very replayable, and it leaves me longing for each new book every time. Can’t wait for the next!!

I am of Japanese heritage, so I get annoyed at certain cultural ignorance and the glorification of the samurai beyond what they were... That being said, this is an excellent series that got better with every book! I like that there are permanent consequences and effects that your decisions cause, and even for someone who has a decent understanding of the samurai of this era, I like the way the choices are not obvious, and after three times through the series, I’m quite happy with the different outcomes. This is a book that is probably best for people who enjoy samurai culture and for people who are not overly squeamish! There are some mature themes - not just sexually speaking but also ethically and politically speaking! When these books are made well like this series (and Choice of Robots), it’s both engrossing and educational! Great work! I’m ready for Book 4!!

While I've know this series to definitely be one of the darkest COG there is, I was surprised just how far this game went with it. Unlike what a lot of other people are saying, I don't think the author was trying to be 'edgey' by including 'that' in the story. It's an unfortunate reality, but things like that did and still do happen, and it serves to highlight a theme running throughout the series: this land is not a place for the faint of heart. It's cruel and unforgiving and tears you down at every turn. While it certainly shocked me and I was horrified, I understood that that was the point. Hyuga is a hell filled with demons, and not just the literal ones your protagonist is sent to slay. I actually kind of liked how your protagonist was almost powerless for most of the story. Losing the Jigoku leaves them feeling empty and worthless, and it shows through the writing. I felt pleasantly frustrated when things I knew I could do before weren't going my way. It did begin to annoy me, however, when it felt as if my decisions didn't matter near the end, as if there was nothing I could do. I do agree with others in saying that the murder mystery part wasn't really executed superbly. I enjoyed it for what it was, but ultimately it felt a bit halfbaked, like clues were loosely stitched together with no real substance connecting them and like it was impossible to fail it. Maybe if the author refined it a bit more and released a separate game, one focused entirely on mystery, it might work better and be more engaging. A good effort, but definitely could have been done better. I look forward to the next book in this series! This has easily become one of my favorite COG games so far. I love the author's style and ability to characterize the protagonist so easily through the first person perspective while still leaving the player a good deal of input as the player that is usually seen in games that adopt the second person perspective. Can't wait to see book 4! P.S. Masami is best girl! There'd better be a romance route for her coming up!