”I was put off on playing this game for a while because I thought it was going to be just a recruiting simulator, but boy was I wrong! Don't be fooled, this is still a dating sim like the Chinese FMV games we all know and love, and this one ranks up there with the best "knowledge or knowledge lady" and other games that exceed the LIAA benchmark. Not only do you have to balance your relationship with the stars, you also have to balance their star levels and juggle different mini-games and conditions to unlock 100% of the plot. One negative is how long some of the cut-scenes are - they are very captivating, but far longer than any game I've played except "Charming hearts" and "secrets of the heartbeat", which only came close in length. The actresses and camera work are top notch - it's definitely one of the best Chinese FMVs in terms of quality. And there were one or two familiar faces that I've seen in other games. (I did disable the annoying sound of the cursor, so that wasn't a negative). This is not a short game by any means, and I still have a long way to go. Definitely recommend this one“ This was my initial review of the game, but I’m updating after completing it and almost done with achievements. Some thought that this isn’t a complete game, and there’s some confusion about whether it’s a prequel or not: it appears to be a full game, but many people thought the ending was rushed. Let me break it down. TL;dr It’s not a scam Summary You are someone with a terrible fortune (your luck is really bad, let’s say), but you have this unique ability to create superstars. This talent comes from a “god” named Xiubi, and it requires a certain ritual to be performed with each girl. We don’t get to see the full awakening of all the girls, but we know that each requires specific conditions to be met, and some sort of ritual, from head-pats to spanking (no we don’t see the spanks). Your goal is to awaken them all and start up your agency so the girls can be successful. In the end, you meet the girls (the final lineup depends on your choices throughout) and you let them know the good news. The end. Plot What do you mean the end? Where’s the story? Well let’s break down the plot. There are 9 chapters (9 is pretty much the wrap up), but a huge part that probably most players miss is that chapter 7 has 5 sub-chapters in it, so the total is 15 chapters, with long BTS and interviews not included. In the first 6 chapters (the normal chapters if you will), you have choices to make which affect star level or relationship, which can be confusing, as relationship is really the most important, and you can’t see that until the end of the chapter. Then chapter 7 unveils a new mechanic and special times with each of the main girls (centering on 4 in particular), and then chapter 8 you go back to your normal star scout powers and then go into chapter 9 to conclude. One huge part is that in the 5 subchapters in chapter 7, you acquire another skill that allows you to see the heart of all the main girls. The activities repeat to give you chances to unlock all the characters’ memory fragments. It is super hard to unlock them all, and in order to continue in chapter 7, you are forced to go back to the end of chapter 6 to unlock the next part of the chapter (until they’re all unlocked). So basically chapter 7 is a bit broken. [EDIT: You have to use the "trace-back" skill at the end of chapter 7 to jump around and effectively carry over your progress to the other sub-chapters of 7. It's still hard, maybe impossible to unlock all hearts in one run, but it's possible. I have unlocked all of them] Chapter 7 on its own has a huge amount of video time, including an at least 7-part game show that mercifully you can skip through. This is where people drop off and say that it’s not longer about story, but about random events. My brother, have you never heard of side quests?! Another huge point is that Xiubi can possess the girls, and this aspect, combined with the heart dreams makes for some interesting interactions between the girls. Let’s just say the girls’ interactions at such times are less than office professionalism. Someone call HR right now! When you unlock the girl’s hearts fully you get a very long poetic note that they read, and each heart fragment itself is usually a very long video. Both the lead up videos and the actual memories themselves are entertaining to watch though - don’t think I’m complaining about the length. Another huge part of the game is the juggling of your first love Zhou Yang with your fake wife Ye Shu. These are by far the main love interests (of the four). Zhou Yang’s friend, Lin Qian'er and your roommate Dou Dou have a role, but they aren’t your main loves. Xu Qingfeng is someone you can scout but also not a main love interest. So there’s Zhou Yang and Ye Shu, along with Tang Xiaolan, a cute friend that has huge connections to Xiubi, and Lin Jia (a girl who claims to be your daddy and basically raised you) - these four are the main love interests, and each have heart memories to unlock in chapter 7. So out of 7 girls, even though you get to interact plenty with them, there’s really only 4 to date storywise. And then beyond chapter 7, there’s really not a “choice” for one in particular. In chapter 8, you do, however, make a critical choice with Zhou Yang and you can see different scenes with Ye Shu and others. But there’s no, “happily ever after moment” beyond the emotional times you share. And then it all comes to a close in chapter 9. Conclusion Is the story incomplete? Not really - You get to scout girls, you unlock hearts, they debut, simple as that. What isn’t simple is the hours and hours of recorded cutscenes, game shows, memory moments, fantasies, and mini games with movie quality and a satisfying soundtrack. And somewhere along the way maybe your heart will be unlocked as you experience the moving, dramatic story. After completing the game I can definitely appreciate the amount of hard work that the developers invested into this game, and the countless hours of recording and editing. This has more content than some tv mini-series. Think of it as a mock “documentary” about scouting idols that isn’t very realistic, that requires a scandalous relationship between the prospective idols and the producer, and includes supernatural elements. That about sums it up. The Good: Acting and cast, video quality, content, story, choices, soundtrack, extras, chemistry, cuteness Bad: Buggy chapter 7 that’s hard to complete, extremely long videos (negative for some people), no “love ending” with characters in the final chapter, doesn’t focus on all the girls equally, over the top story, with a confusing plot at times (especially with the god, which should be goddess honestly!), stats for certain characters that don’t fully unlock, making the game appear incomplete. There are some deeply emotional moments as well, which isn’t a negative, but it’s something to be prepared for. [edit: when you achieve the most complete ending - it's way more satisfying, and you get time with each girl. Not in a romance way, but still an extended ending with each girl getting closeup camera time] Final thoughts While not the best FMV in overall story, with an almost rushed ending, and a crazy plot – the sheer volume of cut-scenes and amazing chemistry between the girls - they spar, play games, dance, seduce, etc.-- and the emotional depth of the characters give this unique game a special place in my library. Buy it on sale. Beg for a part 2. Thank you developers. 以上
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