With all the computer-related issues resolved (for now), I decided that some casual gaming was in order. That meant nothing frustrating like hopping unto the online Starcraft 2 Leagues. Given the selection of games on my PC (it was either RPGs like Fallout 3 or shooters like Touhou), I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try something different. So, I started up my Steam client, and downloaded the demo of a quirky little game that’s been getting some attention from the little community of geeks that I’m part of: Recettear.
A doujin game from Japan dating waaaay back in 2007, Recettear’s premise is deceptively simple: you, as Recette, must run an item shop (the eponymous ‘Recettear’, which is a bad baaaad pun) catering to adventurers and town locals, in the hope of earning back the money that your disappeared dad borrowed from the local loan shar… erm, nice people, or else they’ll use your house as payment. With the help of the fairy Tear (one of the aforementioned loan sharks), young Recette learns the ways of the world of small-time business, and maybe turn a profit on top of paying for the (apparently massive) debt hanging on her head.
The game has obviously been released in full in its native Japanese, but apparently it was quirky enough to catch the eye of a local company, who decided to localize it for fun. Fast forward a few years to September 10, 2010, and the fully-localized version of the game becomes available on Steam, although the demo was released for free for a month before that. The reception among the people in the know has been incredibly favorable, and after playing some six-odd hours on the demo myself, I can see why: Recettear is a FUN game.
Capitalism-lite aside (as evidenced by Recette’s cute “Capitalism HO!” motto), there’s obviously been a lot of love poured into the localization of the game, as evidenced by the quirky dialogue. Even I, a casual gamer, can see how much of a gem this is just going by the demo. After all my real-life bills have been taken care of, I’m going to definitely by the full version of the game on Steam. At about 20 US Dollars, it’s a bargain too!
As pictured above, there are apparently a lot more nuances to the complete product that weren’t included in the demo. Not only will there be a rival store to contend with (as if paying a debt wasn’t hard enough as it is), there are other characters to meet. Louie is a darling, but there’s only so much a meatshield swordsman can do, right?
Recettear. I. Can. Not. Wait. CAPITALISM, HO!
Posted by Myssa 
