Finished yet another really good VN you don't hear too much about: Kikokugai - The Cyber Slayer.
One thing that stood out for me rather quickly was the writing. I have to give props to whoever translated/edited this because it was so good. Both the descriptions of everything and the dialogue between characters. Spot on. It was easy to grasp yet advanced at the same time(?). Dunno how to explain it exactly, but I just never felt detached from the story. Nothing felt unimportant in the text.
Very tension-filled story, great action (some of the best I've seen in VNs for sure), nice music. Since I went with the remake I got the improved art and added voice acting as well - also very good. I recognized some of the voices, like Tamura Yukari.
[spoiler=Kikokugai]And yes... there were some surprises. I did not see those coming. At all. Usually I can at least somewhat predict what might happen, but... not this time. But hey that made the final chapter even better.
http://i.imgur.com/BSxxVGQ.jpg
This screenshot speaks for itself really.
I'm starting to think that, yes, I have a thing for... these types of characters. Because I like her more now after those reveals (1. orchestrated the hell she went through, 2. extreme brocon, 3. yandere). I dunno man, there's just something to it. Nice twists, in any case.
Plus Haojun's motives. I wasn't able to see those either until the last two chapters. The battle between him and Taoluo was heavy to say the least.
Aaaand the ending was certainly different. Ruili got what she wanted, that's for sure. And I guess... Taoluo also got what he wanted. But we don't know what it'll actually be like. We can assume that the transfer of his soul was a success to some extent, and that Ruili and Taoluo are now "one". But I wonder what that means in the physical world. Are they both in Ruili's gynoid right now? Or maybe they were transfered to something else? Maybe I missed that part, or it doesn't really matter in the end.
Oh yea, and chapter 4 was nuts. I honestly thought that Taoluo's fight with Ng would end up being nothing more than dialogue or something since Ng wasn't a martial artist. NOPE, NOT REALLY. Crazy assault with the russians, PETRUSHKA, and All-Consuming Poison.
http://i.imgur.com/tm6NHRW.jpg
Not sure about rating, but it's definitely 8+ at least. No way it can be less.
spoiler box edit: It was chapter 4, not 3. Just the wrong number though - what I said about it stays the same.