Info about Spirit Hunter: NG:

Official game description:
Face the nightmares you thought were merely urban legends. Use your wits and trusty flashlight to search for clues to your sister’s disappearance. Team up with shady characters to uncover a dark mystery, making deadly decisions just to survive. The choices you make determine your fate and affect the lives of everyone around you.  
This chilling companion story to the award-winning Spirit Hunter: Death Mark game brings terror home as fearful spirits invade local streets and parks – even your own home. Experience frightful sounds and stunning environments illustrated by artist Fumiya Sumio.

Release date: Oct 10, 2019

Categories: Visual Novel, Horror, Choice-based Narrative, Point-and-click Adventure, Atmospheric Horror, Branching Narrative, Character-driven Interactions and Dialogue, Puzzle Solving

Feature scans:
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Needs Improvement in Guidance; summary: The primary user complaints revolve around the game's reliance on external guides due to missable items and obscure mechanics. While some users appreciate the in-game hints for defeating enemies, others find the lack of clear guidance frustrating and feel forced to use walkthroughs.
- Steam Deck: score 50; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The analysis of user feedback reveals significant issues with text size and stability, compatibility and functionality, and controller and keyboard input. These issues collectively impact the user experience on the Steam Deck, with text size and stability being the most severe.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $15.00 - $20.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence consistently suggests that users find the game enjoyable and worth purchasing, but primarily during sales rather than at full price. The general sentiment is that the full price of $49.99 is too high, with several users indicating that a price around $15-$20 (approximately 1500-2000 yen) would be more reasonable. This suggests a fair price range that is significantly lower than the current base price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 16.0h
  - Story completion: 12.0h
  - Session length: N/A
  - Endgame: N/A
  - Reasoning: The evidence provides several direct mentions of playtime for different aspects of the game. The first quote mentions that a simplest playthrough to get the good end lasts just 10 hours, which can be interpreted as the story completion time. The second quote indicates that one playthrough lasts about 16 hours, suggesting a typical game completion time. The third quote mentions that a playthrough took 15 hours, which aligns with the game completion time. The fourth quote states that getting the best ending took roughly 14 hours, which can be interpreted as the story completion time. There is no direct evidence provided for session length or endgame playtime, so those values are marked as null.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: The game becomes fun and engaging after a few hours of play, as the story picks up and players become more invested in the narrative and characters.
  - Stance: Fun after story picks up
  - Anchor: Story progression and character engagement
  - Time to anchor: 2h 0m
  - Friction: Slow initial pacing; Complexity in gameplay
  - Unlock drivers: Story progression; Improved partner system
  - Conditions: Engaging narrative; Character chemistry; Improved pacing
- Player Archetypes:
  - Series Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: Nostalgia and continuation of a beloved series.
    - Playstyle: Compares new experiences to previous ones, enjoys familiar mechanics with new stories.
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: fan of the series; visual novel enthusiast
    - Reference games: Death Mark
  - Horror Enthusiast (sale)
    - Motivation: Enjoyment of horror themes and visual novel gameplay.
    - Playstyle: Seeks out tense atmospheres and engaging stories, often recommends games based on their horror elements.
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: horror fan; visual novel fan
    - Reference games: Spirit Hunter: Death Mark
  - Immersive Horror Seeker (buy)
    - Motivation: Seeking immersive and intense horror experiences.
    - Playstyle: Enjoys playing in ways that maximize the horror experience, such as playing in the dark or with specific settings enabled.
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: horror game enthusiast; immersive player
    - Reference games: Spirit Hunter: Death Mark


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging and interesting story (weight 0.96): The story is frequently described as interesting, well-crafted, and worth-reading, with plenty of twists and turns. It keeps players engaged and is a significant aspect of the game's appeal.
- Likable and well-developed characters (weight 0.93): The characters in the game are widely praised for being unique, attractive, well-spoken, and well-written. Players find them interesting and lovable, contributing significantly to the overall enjoyment of the game.
- Good atmosphere and sound design (weight 0.57): The game features a well-developed and effective atmosphere, complemented by excellent sound design. This combination enhances the overall experience and immersion.
- Enjoyable overall experience (weight 0.54): The game provides an enjoyable experience with its story, art, and gameplay. Players find it recommended and enjoyable overall.
- Improved over previous game (weight 0.46): Players note that the game has improved over the previous installment in various aspects, including storyline, character development, and gameplay mechanics. It is seen as a more complete and better game compared to its predecessor.
- Unique and disturbing art style (weight 0.39): The art style is praised for being unique, beautiful, and disturbing. The monster and creature designs are particularly noted for their unsettling and high-quality illustrations.
- Rich in Japanese cultural elements (weight 0.19): The game is rich in Japanese folktales and cultural elements, which adds depth and uniqueness to the story and setting.
- Satisfaction in gameplay achievements (weight 0.11): Players experience a unique satisfaction when achieving goals correctly the first time, such as resolving supernatural encounters without casualties.
- Optional 'Scary Mode' settings (weight 0.1): The game includes optional 'Scary Mode' settings, which add a nice touch to the gameplay and enhance the horror elements for those who enjoy them.
- Good quality content and translation (weight 0.1): The game is noted for its good quality content and translation, ensuring a smooth and enjoyable experience for players.

Common complaints:
- Story and gameplay shortcomings (weight 0.58): The story and gameplay do not live up to the standards set by past masterpieces, with average gameplay and unengaging horror elements.
- Illogical and confusing answers (weight 0.33): The game's logic is inconsistent and confusing, with some correct choices feeling illogical.
- High price for content (weight 0.3): The game's original price is considered high relative to the amount of content and value provided.
- Lack of save feature (weight 0.28): The game lacks a save feature and has limited save slots, making it frustrating to play.
- No Chinese translation (weight 0.28): The game lacks Chinese language support, making it difficult for Chinese-speaking players to enjoy.
- Unclear puzzle clues (weight 0.26): Puzzles can be challenging due to unclear clues, requiring players to use guides.
- Difficulty in achieving all endings (weight 0.18): Collecting all endings and achievements is difficult, requiring multiple playthroughs.
- Meaningless emotion system (weight 0.16): The emotion system in the game is considered meaningless and useless.
- Poor UI design (weight 0.11): The game's user interface is poorly designed and unfriendly.
- Poor English localization (weight 0.11): The English localization of the game is not well done, with translation issues.
- Character CG issues (weight 0.1): Some characters have fewer CG images, and some CGs do not match the character portraits.
- Less erotic content (weight 0.1): The game has less erotic content compared to the previous game, along with shorter gameplay.
- No skip option (weight 0.1): The game lacks a skip option, only providing an auto mode.
- Slow search pace (weight 0.1): The search pace in the game is slow, affecting the overall gameplay experience.

Gameplay feedback:
- Horror visual novel gameplay (weight 0.65): The game is a visual novel with strong horror elements, featuring a tense atmosphere and interactive elements. It combines point-and-click mechanics with a horror/mystery narrative.
- Choice-based narrative and dialogue (weight 0.64): Players make choices that significantly affect the outcome of the game. Dialogue is a crucial part of the gameplay, with special choices required during threat events.
- Exploration and investigation mechanics (weight 0.37): The game features exploration and investigation mechanics, including puzzle-solving and item collection. These elements can sometimes become monotonous.
- Multiple endings and branching narratives (weight 0.2): The game offers multiple endings based on the choices made by the player, leading to branching narratives and different routes.
- Live or Die mechanic (weight 0.2): The game features a 'Live or Die' mechanic, where players must make critical decisions that can lead to immediate death or survival.
- Character relationships and development (weight 0.19): The game focuses on character relationships, roles, and interactions, contributing to character development and story progression.
- Scary mode and jump scares (weight 0.15): The game includes a 'Scary Mode' that adds jump scares, enhancing the horror experience for players seeking a more intense gameplay.
- Crisis choices with time limits (weight 0.11): Players face crisis choices that require quick decision-making within a time limit, adding urgency and tension to the gameplay.
- Survival and escape decisions (weight 0.11): Players must make survival and escape decisions, adding to the tension and urgency of the gameplay.
- Saving and checkpoint system (weight 0.11): The game includes a saving system with checkpointing, allowing players to save their progress at specific points.
- More dialogue, less gameplay (weight 0.11): Compared to the first game, this installment features more dialogue and less gameplay, focusing more on narrative and character interactions.

Performance notes:
- Performance issues and crashes (weight 0.17): The game experiences significant performance problems, including lag and frequent crashes. This issue is widespread and affects the overall gameplay experience.
- Steam Deck compatibility issues (weight 0.12): Players have reported various issues when trying to run the game on the Steam Deck. These issues range from performance problems to compatibility concerns.
- Controller and keyboard incompatibility (weight 0.07): The game does not support the simultaneous use of a controller and keyboard. This limitation can be frustrating for players who prefer using both input methods.
- Mouse operation bug (weight 0.06): There is a bug where the game does not progress with mouse operations. This issue can hinder gameplay for those using a mouse.
- Audio bug with overlapping tracks (weight 0.06): There is a bug where background music tracks and sound effects overlap, causing audio issues. This can detract from the immersive experience of the game.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for horror fans (weight 0.42): The game is highly recommended for fans of horror-themed visual novels and adventure games. It is suggested for those who enjoy horror and text-based adventure games, as well as aspiring game developers.
- Wait for a sale (weight 0.19): Some reviewers recommend waiting for a sale to purchase the game, especially for horror fans who missed the first game or fans of supernatural novels.
- Recommended for specific audiences (weight 0.11): The game is recommended for players confident in English who enjoy Japanese urban legends, and for fans of the 'Lost Refugees' series.
- Highly recommended despite minor issues (weight 0.07): The game is highly recommended despite having minor issues with choices, indicating that the overall experience is still enjoyable.
- Play past masterpieces instead (weight 0.06): Some reviewers suggest playing past masterpieces instead of this game, implying that there might be better options available.
- Recommends another game (weight 0.06): One reviewer specifically recommends 'Return to Blue Whale Island' instead, suggesting it might be a better alternative.

Other player notes:
- Mixed opinions on Kakuya's design (weight 0.06): Players have varying opinions on the design of the character Kakuya. Some may appreciate the design while others might not.
- Game received as a gift (weight 0.06): Several players mentioned that they received the game as a gift from a friend, which could influence their perception and reviews.

Emotions:
- Enjoyment (weight 0.23): Players appreciate the game's atmosphere, visuals, soundtrack, and character development. The blend of visual novel and investigation elements, along with engaging gameplay mechanics and a compelling story, contributes to a highly enjoyable experience.
- Frustration (weight 0.2): Players are frustrated with challenging puzzles, nonsensical mechanics, and poor implementation of controls and saving systems. Language barriers, lack of Chinese translation, and performance issues, including bugs and crashes, add to the frustration.
- Disappointment (weight 0.17): Players feel disappointed due to the short ending sequence, poorly written character settings, and a lack of horror atmosphere. The game's repetitive gameplay, reduction in dungeon size, and comparison to its predecessor also contribute to this sentiment.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.07): Players are satisfied with the game's atmosphere, puzzle design, and character development. The smoother main story, likable characters, and improvements in gameplay and story elements contribute to a satisfying experience.
- Appreciation (weight 0.06): Players appreciate the story, character development, and game quality. The plot, character relationships, and sound design, along with horrific CGs and replay value, are also highly valued.
- Frustrated (weight 0.04): Players are frustrated with clunky item selection, language barriers, and translation issues. Difficulty in collecting all endings and limited music variety, along with saving issues, add to the frustration.
- Excitement (weight 0.03): Players are excited about the improved story, characters, and gameplay mechanics. The engaging gameplay mechanics, interesting story, and high recommendations contribute to this excitement.
- Excited (weight 0.02): Players are excited about the enjoyment of the series and anticipation for the next installment. Positive comparisons to other games and anticipation to play the game add to this excitement.
- Satisfied (weight 0.02): Players are satisfied with the positive experience after extensive gameplay and detailed gameplay mechanics. The positive comparison to the previous game and the game's atmosphere contribute to this satisfaction.
- Admiration (weight 0.01): Players admire the quality of CG and protagonist, as well as the art, writing, and sound design. These elements are highly praised and contribute to a sense of admiration.
- Enthusiastic (weight 0.01): Players are enthusiastic about the positive description of game elements. Detailed and positive descriptions of various game elements contribute to this enthusiasm.
- Engagement (weight 0.01): Players are engaged by the dialogue, which keeps them hooked throughout the game. This continuous engagement is a key factor in their experience.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Players are angry about the lack of a save feature and the game's performance issues. These issues significantly impact their gaming experience and cause frustration.
- Sadness (weight 0.01): Players feel sad due to frustrating gameplay mechanics and pity for a character's fate. These emotional responses are tied to specific aspects of the game's story and mechanics.}