Info about Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- Xtend Edition:

Official game description:
The year is 2030. Business is as usual in the isolated research city of Rokumei–that is until several explosions suddenly go off in the nuclear research facility known as “LABO.” The city sends in “Sirius,” an elite rescue squad, to deal with the situation. But the situation only gets worse when LABO’s nuclear reactor melts down, sending the facility into lockdown–with members of Sirius and survivors still trapped inside. With lethal radiation leaking everywhere and not enough anti-radiation medication to last until lockdown lifts, the survivors make more and more grim discoveries. In their struggle for survival, in a deathtrap full of fire and radiation, they learn that doubt is their greatest enemy, and trust their greatest asset.  
The story of Root Double features two different protagonists: Watase Kasasagi, a rescue squad captain who has lost his memories in the hours after the incident, and Natsuhiko Tenkawa, a student piecing together the clues in the six days before. The only key to survival lies in the player’s hands with the Senses Sympathy System (SSS). Unlike traditional visual novels, Root Double does not have clear cut “choices,” but rather, the game uses SSS to allow the player to manipulate the story based purely upon emotion. Your emotions projected upon the characters, particularly your trust in them, shape the progression of the story. Only with effective use of this system and completion of both protagonists’ stories can the player piece together the truth and hope to discover a way out of the facility.

Release date: Apr 27, 2016

Categories: Visual Novel, Choice-based Narrative, Branching Narrative, Multiple Endings, Character Interaction, Mystery, Science Fiction

Feature scans:
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Complex Mechanics and Instructional Data Needed; summary: The primary user complaints revolve around the complexity of the game mechanics and the necessity of external guides to understand the game system and achieve the true ending. Users also highlight language barriers and the lack of in-game explanations, which further emphasizes the need for instructional data.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


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:
- Complex and interconnected narrative (weight 0.95): The game's narrative is complex and interconnected, with multiple characters and storylines that influence each other. The plot is well-connected with effective foreshadowing and twists.
- High-quality character development (weight 0.94): The characters in the game are well-developed, with detailed backgrounds and unique personalities. The character development is emotionally impactful and adds depth to the overall story.
- Unique and innovative choice system (weight 0.93): The game introduces a unique choice system based on character trust, known as the Senses Sympathy System (SSS). This system adds depth to the gameplay and is noted as an interesting and engaging feature.
- Engaging and well-developed storylines (weight 0.93): The game features interconnected storylines (A, B, C, D) that are thrilling, emotional, and full of suspense. The narratives are well-crafted with no plot holes, offering a rich and detailed experience with multiple perspectives and intricate plots.
- Satisfying and well-executed endings (weight 0.93): The game offers a variety of endings that are satisfying and well-executed. The true ending ties up all loose ends and provides a complete and clear conclusion to the story.
- Excellent music and art (weight 0.91): The game features high-quality music and art that enhance the overall atmosphere. The music fits the game's moments perfectly, and the art is visually appealing and well-made.
- Innovative sci-fi elements (weight 0.89): The game explores interesting and complex sci-fi ideas, including a unique setting and scientific references. The pseudoscience elements are well-integrated and add depth to the story.
- High replay value (weight 0.89): The game has a high replay value due to its multiple endings, extensive content, and engaging gameplay mechanics. Players are encouraged to experience all endings and character epilogues.
- High-quality presentation and sound design (weight 0.85): The game boasts good presentation and sound design, including high-quality voice acting and a fitting soundtrack. The audio elements enhance the overall gaming experience.
- Long playtime with varied content (weight 0.85): The game offers a long playtime with varied subjects and engaging content. This ensures that players get their money's worth and have a fulfilling experience.

Common complaints:
- Repetitive scenes and pacing issues (weight 0.53): The game suffers from repetitive scenes and pacing problems, particularly in the B and D lines. These issues disrupt the narrative flow and make the experience tedious.
- Excessive exposition and flashbacks (weight 0.53): The game is filled with excessive exposition and flashbacks, which slow down the pacing and make the narrative feel bloated and tedious.
- Translation and language issues (weight 0.44): The game has translation issues and language barriers that can make it difficult for non-native speakers to fully enjoy the experience.
- Confusing and complex systems (weight 0.2): The game's choice and SSS systems are overly complex and confusing, leading to a frustrating gameplay experience. The complexity can be overwhelming, especially for new players.

Gameplay feedback:
- Unique SSS dialogue system (weight 0.43): The game features a unique 'Senses Sympathy System' (SSS) for character interactions and route selection. This system affects the story significantly and is integrated into the plot as a core mechanic.
- Trust-based interaction system (weight 0.4): The game features a trust-based interaction system where players rank characters by importance, affecting how the protagonist acts. This system is tied to the trust meter mechanics and character affinity.
- Multiple routes and endings (weight 0.4): The game offers multiple story routes (A, B, C, D) with different themes, pacing, and content. Each route provides unique perspectives and experiences, contributing to the game's replayability.
- Dual-protagonist structure (weight 0.38): The game features a dual-protagonist structure with a double male lead, providing multiple perspectives and character-driven narratives.
- Unique gameplay mechanics (weight 0.36): The game includes unique gameplay mechanics such as the SSS system, a numerical choices system, and a sense slider input system for story branches.
- Additional content in Xtend episodes (weight 0.35): The game includes Xtend episodes that provide additional background story and content, mixing new and previously seen scenes.
- Character backstories and interactions (weight 0.35): The game features character backstories, interactions, and collaborations, particularly in Route D. Character epilogues and collaborations are key elements.
- Philosophical and sci-fi themes (weight 0.09): The game explores philosophical themes within a sci-fi narrative, including time travel and supernatural powers as key mechanics.
- Limited save points (weight 0.03): The game has a limited number of save points (100) and includes checkpoint systems at various stages, adding a layer of challenge to the gameplay.
- Flashbacks and time travel mechanics (weight 0.02): The game uses flashbacks as a narrative device and includes quasi-time travel mechanics, adding depth to the story.
- Map and RAM tutorial (weight 0.02): The game includes a map and RAM tutorial, using different flags to link the adventure process, aiding players in navigation and memory restoration.
- Abrupt BGM changes (weight 0.01): Important moments in the game feature abrupt changes in background music, enhancing the emotional impact of key scenes.

Performance notes:
- Movies not playing on system (weight 0.01): Some users reported that movies did not play on their systems with specific hardware configurations, such as a RYZEN7 3700X CPU and a GEFORCE GTX1660S GPU.
- Volume issues with sound (weight 0.01): Several reviews mentioned problems with the volume of sound effects, indicating that it might be too low or inconsistent.
- Beautiful graphics in 720p (weight 0.01): Players appreciated the graphics quality when played in 720p resolution, highlighting its visual appeal.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended for fans (weight 0.34): The game is highly recommended for fans of mystery, sci-fi, and visual novels. It is praised for its engaging story, unique structure, and well-developed characters, making it a worthwhile experience despite some flaws.
- Follow specific route order (weight 0.34): Players are advised to follow a specific route order, such as starting with Route A or the After route, to fully enjoy the story. This helps in understanding the plot and avoiding confusion.
- Use guides for endings (weight 0.05): Using a guide is suggested to ensure that players hit all major endings and complete all content. This enhances the overall gaming experience and ensures nothing is missed.
- Buy during discounts (weight 0.02): Players are advised to look for sales or discounts when purchasing the game. This makes it more affordable and provides better value for money.
- Worth playing despite flaws (weight 0.01): Despite some pacing issues and other flaws, the game is considered worth playing. The positive aspects, such as the story and characters, outweigh the negatives.
- Improved XE version (weight 0.01): The XE version of the game is noted for its improved pacing and additional content. This makes it a better choice for players looking for a more complete experience.

Other player notes:
- Non-English reviews present (weight 0.02): Several reviews are written in languages other than English, such as Japanese and Chinese. This indicates a diverse player base but may also suggest a need for better localization or language support.
- Fan translation patch mentioned (weight 0.01): A review mentions a fan translation patch, which could imply that the official translation is lacking or that the community is actively improving the game's accessibility.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 0.21): Players expressed satisfaction primarily due to the game's compelling and well-crafted storylines, which feature suspense, interconnected plots, and well-developed characters. The high-quality storytelling, unique gameplay mechanics like the Senses Sympathy System, and the emotional impact of the narrative also contributed significantly to this sentiment.
- Frustration (weight 0.16): The main causes of frustration include pacing issues, repetitive narrative elements, and complex or confusing systems like the SSS system. Players also found the repetitive scenes, excessive flashbacks, and difficulty in unlocking endings frustrating.
- Excitement (weight 0.13): Players were excited by the game's thrilling and suspenseful story, which includes emotional moments, plot twists, and intense mysteries. The engaging narrative, well-developed characters, and unique gameplay mechanics also contributed to this excitement.
- Disappointment (weight 0.09): Disappointment stemmed from the story's lack of impact and unsatisfying conclusions, including weak plot twists and poor pacing. Some players felt that certain routes and episodes were less enjoyable and that the game had significant flaws compared to the author's previous works.
- Engaged (weight 0.07): Players felt engaged due to the game's interesting story, unique choice system, and well-developed characters. The investing plot and fun mystery elements kept players engaged throughout the game.
- Appreciation (weight 0.06): Players appreciated the game's well-crafted plot, unique interaction system, and the work of the Chinese localization team. The consistent visual elements and the depth of the game's social commentary were also highly appreciated.
- Appreciation (weight 0.05): 玩家对游戏的高完成度、精巧的双线叙事结构和层层反转的真相揭露表示欣赏。A线的紧凑紧张感、C线D线的高能剧情以及伏笔回收也让玩家印象深刻。
- Joy (weight 0.05): Players experienced joy due to the game's beautiful graphics and music, well-crafted story, and interesting characters. The high-quality artwork, soundtrack, and engaging themes contributed to this positive emotion.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.03): Players enjoyed the game's incredible story, vivid characters, and engaging plot twists. The interesting characters and entertaining gameplay made the experience enjoyable.
- Admiration (weight 0.03): Players admired the game's detailed foreshadowing, interconnected narrative, and well-fleshed out characters. The engaging plot and complex story elements were also highly admired.
- Surprise (weight 0.02): Players were surprised by the game's unexpected plot twists and the pleasant surprise of its creepy atmosphere. These elements added a layer of unpredictability that enhanced the overall experience.
- Bored (weight 0.02): Some players felt bored due to the tedious parts of the game, especially if they were not fully invested in the story. Pacing issues also contributed to this feeling of boredom.
- Surprised (weight 0.02): Players were surprised by the game's unique choice system and story twists. These elements added an unexpected layer of depth and engagement to the gameplay.
- Frustrated (weight 0.02): Players felt frustrated due to issues with the SSS mechanic, grindy gameplay, and the complexity of the decision-making system. Language barriers also added to the frustration for some players.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): The daily life parts of the game were found to be boring by some players, leading to a sense of boredom.
- Annoyance (weight 0.01): Players were annoyed by the protagonist's voice and the excessive use of flashbacks, which were seen as dull and repetitive.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.01): The game's themes and characters reminded players of their past experiences and emotions, evoking a sense of nostalgia. The familiar elements and themes from previous works also contributed to this feeling.
- Confusion (weight 0.01): Players were confused by the time mechanic in Route A, which was found to be imperceptible and confusing. This lack of clarity detracted from the overall understanding and enjoyment of the game.}