[T][CE] QotU ●

[GuardianDreamer]

QotU

Play it here
Winner of the Into The Takumi-verse! comp
Author's notes included at the bottom of the credits, but should only be read after finishing the case.

Be advised: While QotU is a complete reimagining of Ace Attorney and doesn't directly spoil anything that happens in the games, having knowledge of at least the first game will probably help a lot and there are multiple allusions to the canon timeline. Having knowledge up to Apollo Justice will help, but isn't quite as crucial. Anything other than that is just a nice bonus.

Spoiler : Synopsis :

Two friends stand alone in an abandoned courthouse, wondering where everything went wrong. And yet they know that there's only one path forward for them after everything that's happened. This is the story of Chihiro Ayasato, a former surgeon who disappeared from public life one day and re-emerged as the most trusted confidant of Urami Shikabane, head of Osaka's most prominent yakuza family.

Spoiler : Screenshots :

Spoiler : Content Warnings :

Death/murder
Self-harm
Attempted suicide
Murder-suicide
In-depth discussions about grief/loss
References to real-world bigotry (mentioned, but not depicted by any of the characters)
Disease/illness
Mentions of torture (not shown or depicted)

Spoiler : Credits :

Created by GuardianDreamer (any/all), I'm a fujoshi and I love otokonoko a lot.

Made for the "Into The Takumi-verse!" competition, hosted by Samallama and DeathByAutoscroll.

Music sources: Ovani Sound Music Packs, MusMus, Maoudamashii, Loop8 The Summer of Gods, Nisemonogatari, Project X Zone 2, Yakuza 4, Kamen Rider Kuuga.
MusMus' site: https://musmus.main.jp/
Maoudamashii's site: https://maou.audio/

For the Ovani Sound Music packs, tracks from the Ambient collection, Horror collection, and Unplugged collection were used.
Chihiro's objection theme: Remix of the 2001 Objection Theme found in Project X Zone 2.
Ryuichi's theme: Imitation from Nisemonogatari (Kaiki's theme).
MusMus BGMs 28 and 13 were used.
From Maoudamashi's site, the tracks labeled Acoustic 19, Acoustic 22, and Piano 37 were used.
The tracks Now and Forever, Still Nights, Catharsis - Friendship (Mayoi's objection theme), and Solemn Moments from Loop8 were used here at various points in the case.
The track Quiet from Kamen Rider Kuuga is used at the end of the "Break the Promise" ending.
The credits theme is the Ballad version of Receive You from Yakuza 4/Ryu ga Gotoku 4/Like A Dragon 4.

Additional sound effects from the Ovani Sound Music Packs and the Shade BGM Music Packs.
Most everything else is from Ace Attorney and included in the editor itself. Chihiro and Ryuichi's voice clips are from the JP versions of Ace Attorney, while Mayoi's is originally Susato's from Great Ace Attorney.

Custom backgrounds from the 900+ backgrounds pack on the Locations thread, additional info on their origin is appreciated.

All custom sprites are taken from the Custom Canon Characters thread.
Hess: Mayoi Ayasato's front sprites, Ryuichi Naruhodo's sprites, a couple of custom sprites for Akane Hozuki.
Aer: Mayoi Ayasato's prosecution sprites.
Sligneris: Mako Suzuki additional pose.

Thank you to my friends and loved ones for supporting me throughout my life.

Notable influences on this work:

Dynasty Warriors
Samurai Warriors
The Romance of the Three Kingdoms
Shin Kamen Rider
Devilman
Code: Realize ~Future Blessings~
Nobunaga's Ambition
Like A Dragon
Ways of Talking (Ha Jin)
Hinamatsuri
Musicus!
Jack Jeanne
Fuga: Melodies of Steel
Digimon Survive
Stella of the End
Touhou Project
Sky Castle
Metal Gear Solid 2
Katanagatari
Noel the Mortal Fate
Voice of Cards
Boogiepop
Purple Haze Feedback
Tearmoon Empire
Aselia the Eternal
Atelier Ryza
I Think I Turned My Childhood Friend Into A Girl
The Adventure Zone
Code Vein
Romancing SaGa 2
Letters From a Rainy Day -Oceans and Lace-
One Piece
Trails in the Sky
Ys III: The Oath in Felghana
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
The Essence of Shinto: Japan's Spiritual Heart
Kamen Rider Kuuga
Volcano Princess
Kizumonogatari
Hanamonogatari
Fate/Extra
Goddess of Victory: Nikke "Over Zone" event
Minions: The Rise of Gru
1bitHeart
The Caligula Effect 2
Fire Emblem Engage
Dangan Ronpa V3
SeaBed
The Two Lions
Qualia the Purple
Until I Meet My Husband
Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together
The Bride Was A Boy
Mega Man Star Force
Shenmue
Angels of Death: Episode Eddie
MAMIYA: A Shared Illusion Of The World's End
Hatoful Boyfriend
Vestaria Saga
Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ignis

Author's Notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19sn ... sp=sharing

Spoiler : Walkthrough :

Just in case you accidentally clicked this, some buffer images to block spoilers.




General note: Each investigation phase has unique responses for every profile or piece of evidence you're allowed to present. All of which is technically optional.

During the very first "testimony", simply present the Handgun on any statement to continue. Feel free to press all the statements beforehand if you want to see all the dialogue though.

Hospital Room: Exhaust all talk options.

Testimony 2: Press the fourth statement, then select "Something's strange about this". When prompted, present any of the following: the Calling Card, the Shikabane Files, or Sazaemon Koroshiya's profile.

Testimony 3: Press the 8th statement (the one where Yusaku mentions having had extensive injuries). Choose to focus on him getting cut by glass shards. Then on the new statement, present the glass shards (if you selected one of the other options, you can get the choice to switch the statements again by pressing the newly added statements)

Testimony 4: When prompted, present the Shikabane Files Excerpt. Then in the present after that, choose to present the Diagram. During the profile present portion, there are unique responses to every possible selection you make, and I would encourage seeing them all before picking the "right" one. That said, the correct option to proceed is Akane's profile.

A series of linear choices follows. Just keep selecting the options as they appear.

Testimony 5: Present the Autopsy Report on the 8th statement ("His eyes were closed...").

It's recommended that you save at this point.

This final choice leads to one of two endings. I recommend viewing both, in whatever order you decided feels right. Whether you choose "fulfill the promise" or "break the promise", the rest of the case is a simple "exhaust all talk options" type of deal with a lot of optional presents that I'd recommend seeing.

Congratulations on finishing QotU.

[ikuzonos]

this is what QotU is really about (inconsolable). you need to play this. if you haven't then WHAT are you doing.

Spoiler : :

im gonna repeat what i said on discord about the hopeful tragedy that comes up in both endings.

in "break" you have the sister who was never supposed to live. the sister who was certain to die young. and yet she outlives her twin, outlives the myth, and she can’t even express remorse, because she’s built herself in such a way that it’s impossible for her to truly express how much she still loves her sister. how much she’s always loved her. and despite it all, she wants to live on in her memory. she wants to keep going and help people because it would have made her sister happy. even if it wasn’t enough to save her. even if all she can do anymore is light incense and stare at her grave.

and then in "keep" you have a woman so convinced that she’s made her sister hate her, so much that when she learns her sister never stopped loving her, she thinks it’s a delusion. a dream. she’s spent so much time destroying herself that she no longer feels deserving of love. but the fact is that her sister loves her so much, that she’d choose to die with her, on her own terms. because of a promise they made 22 years ago. because even though she could face the world after this, she doesn’t want to. because it would be too painful to grieve her twin a second time. too painful to grieve her and not be allowed. if it’s together, if it’s like this, then she isn’t afraid to die. there’s nothing to fear as long as they have each other. even as their heartbeats fade into nothing.

there is no happy ending. you can only choose what kind of future you want. and i think that's the beautiful nature of a tragedy like this. it's inevitable, it had to happen, but it also could have been prevented. it's a very old story. and it's perfect.

also trans people can defeat trained assassins in combat

[Grounder]

Spoiler : Something I'm a bit confused on :

In the Queen ending, did Chihiro die of poisoning somehow, or her own negligence of health? At first it seems like the latter, but Mayoi bringing in poison and seeming to know what's coming in regards to her sister indicates the former.

[GuardianDreamer]

Replies are in blue, because Marth.

this is what QotU is really about (inconsolable). you need to play this. if you haven't then WHAT are you doing.
Wow I'd better go play it right now then- wait a minute.

Spoiler : :

im gonna repeat what i said on discord about the hopeful tragedy that comes up in both endings.
I mention this in the author's notes, but I really hope QotU doesn't come across as endlessly bleak. I'm glad that it still comes across as hopeful.

in "break" you have the sister who was never supposed to live. the sister who was certain to die young. and yet she outlives her twin, outlives the myth, and she can’t even express remorse, because she’s built herself in such a way that it’s impossible for her to truly express how much she still loves her sister. how much she’s always loved her. and despite it all, she wants to live on in her memory. she wants to keep going and help people because it would have made her sister happy. even if it wasn’t enough to save her. even if all she can do anymore is light incense and stare at her grave.

and then in "keep" you have a woman so convinced that she’s made her sister hate her, so much that when she learns her sister never stopped loving her, she thinks it’s a delusion. a dream. she’s spent so much time destroying herself that she no longer feels deserving of love. but the fact is that her sister loves her so much, that she’d choose to die with her, on her own terms. because of a promise they made 22 years ago. because even though she could face the world after this, she doesn’t want to. because it would be too painful to grieve her twin a second time. too painful to grieve her and not be allowed. if it’s together, if it’s like this, then she isn’t afraid to die. there’s nothing to fear as long as they have each other. even as their heartbeats fade into nothing.

there is no happy ending. you can only choose what kind of future you want. and i think that's the beautiful nature of a tragedy like this. it's inevitable, it had to happen, but it also could have been prevented. it's a very old story. and it's perfect.

When writing both endings, I did feel like people would probably slightly lean more towards liking "Break" since it's probably the more optimistic of the two (also, I'm personally more of a fan of living on even after tragedy). With that said, I do think it's important to present both of the endings as they are, while not trying to make one seem like it's more important than the other. I really want both endings to be liked, so I'm glad they both worked for you, and that you were able to articulate why both had their appeals. Fun fact: I actually considered having different ending themes depending on the ending, but I ultimately decided to use the same song for both to kind of reinforce that idea.

also trans people can defeat trained assassins in combat
Yeah that's the real moral I'm so glad people are getting this.

Spoiler : Something I'm a bit confused on :

In the Queen ending, did Chihiro die of poisoning somehow, or her own negligence of health? At first it seems like the latter, but Mayoi bringing in poison and seeming to know what's coming in regards to her sister indicates the former.
Sorry about the confusion, this is as an aspect that was supposed to be ambiguous at first but then become clear with the narration at the end of it. In this ending, Mayoi poisons both of them, not wanting Chihiro to die in the way she's inevitably going to. Basically, the ending choice to either "fulfill the promise" or "break the promise" is kind of retroactively meant to be understood as having been Mayoi's decision (which is why the narration emphasizes it isn't Chihiro's). Chihiro doesn't take particularly good care of herself in either ending, but the only difference is Mayoi's interference (so she would not have just died from self-neglect). One thing that IS meant to be ambiguous is whether or not Chihiro realizes what's going on or not. It's funny, I kind of wrote this ending trying to justify why Chihiro might seem tired/exhausted and "see things" in order to address Mayoi's sprite changes since I think her courtroom sprites make her seem older... But literally no one has brought that up as seeming strange. I guess more people are understanding of needing to work with the assets I've got than I expected.

[risefromtheashes]

(Alastor, he/him)
This case broke me. My only complaints about it are shallow and nitpicky. I loved every character and the narration was fantastic.

Please play it. Please.

[CodingAnt]

I played this and loved it from start to finish. My only complaints are with regards to presentation, but it's all personal preference stuff that GD did on purpose.

Spoiler : :

I'm a big fan of Chihiro as the protagonist in this case. It's clear how much Tomoe's death completely changed the trajectory of her life, and the "Queen of the Underworld" that emerges after the fact is a really interesting character. She's a complete ball of self-loathing that snaps into vindictive vigilante justice.

Mayoi still caring about her sister even after that transformation, though, was really heartwarming (or heartwrenching depending on the ending). It's a ray of optimism in an otherwise very bleak case.

The other characters were great too. Especially big props to Akane, though I couldn't really pinpoint anything specific I liked about her, and Ryuichi, for being a himbo (he isn't that much of a himbo but that was my initial impression of him and it has stuck).

I can't write enough about this case's quality, which is good cause I don't feel like writing that much right now. I will say that the narrator is really cool and awesome and has good lines though. I hope they return in future GD projects.

[GuardianDreamer]

Thank you so much to everyone who's commented on QotU so far. Now that it's been a few days, I'm happy to say that QotU was the winner of the Into the Takumi-Verse competition. Go read it if you want to know why it's probably a good idea that I wasn't one of the writers for actual Ace Attorney. My brainworms welcome you.

[risefromtheashes]

Thank you so much to everyone who's commented on QotU so far. Now that it's been a few days, I'm happy to say that QotU was the winner of the Into the Takumi-Verse competition. Go read it if you want to know why it's probably a good idea that I wasn't one of the writers for actual Ace Attorney. My brainworms welcome you.

(Alastor, he/him)
And it won for good f***ing reason. If you don't play it I will personally eat you alive. (/j)

[NotButz]

"QotU" by Guardian Dreamer - I can't say I truely understand what QotU is about anymore

I finally took time out of my life to play this entry. Strange how this became my first experience with GuardianDreamer's work. At first, I was excited to read through what many friends in my circle consider to be amazing work. The actual experience of playing it myself? Well. I don't think I can put into words how I felt throughout, but that won't stop me from trying. I don't think the following string of words would count as a "review". Moreso, "My personal thoughts and feelings in no particular order".

Spoiler : Condensed for Your Convenience :

I LOVE the majority of the conversations between the characters. Their attempts at holding normal conversations and disusing serious topics while themselves dealing with their own complicated life give the characters involved a unique and engaging back-and-forth that you don't see in most AAO cases. The gameplay is weirdly bare, almost as if to say the real games were the conversations made along the way. In fact, I remember being surprised when I notice that there was no bit of new gameplay mechanics to be seen anywhere. That's probably the second most daring decision an AAO case developer would make, especially considering the Case Competition the entry was made for. But it more than makes up for it in the story it wants to tell, and ho boy does it want to tell it. Every character on screen, save for Detective Mako, is given enough screentime to fully flesh out their personality, their goals, their fears, and how their time would be spent in the event of a catastrophe. The MAIN story revolves around the influence of Chihiro Ayasato, The 'titular' "Queen of the Underworld". The game wastes no time in establishing that Chihiro Ayasato is currently in a morally grey area as she kills off her only partner, Urami. At this point in time, Chihiro had all but lost touch her humanity with every kill. Even she herself remarks that almost every kill she would plead guilty to. Keyword: ALMOST. Even in her sorry state of being beyond redemption, Chihiro felt an itch about just one of the cases. The Murder of Koreshiya. It was enough of a bother for Chihiro to advocate for her own defense by herself. And so she did. The further the trial went however, the more clear it became that it was never about getting her acquitted. It was about attempting to talk to Chihiro, and getting her to realize the gravity of her actions all these years. When all was said and done, Chihiro would still need to face death row. But now she has the chance to actually make a choice. As frustrated as going through the limitations of the AAO UI was, I was heavily invested in the world and its characters. I even found joy in the long-winded arguments that bore no relevance to the case at hand if it meant they can be human. I wanted them to succeed in future. But I'm also painfully aware that the desired future is nigh impossible to achieve thanks in no small part by the decisions made in the past. Oh and before I forget, I had a BLAST voice acting these characters especially in these high tense moments. My course vocal chords was worth giving GD's characters a voice. ALSO before I forget, the choice of music GREATLY helps to tell the story, it really does.

Spoiler : My view on the Endings :

My absolute favorite part of the story has to be what to do with the promise. With no understand of what the game asks of me, I went with my gut feeling and choice to break the promise but both choices are bittersweet in their own ways. Breaking the promise means that Chihiro is executed almost immediately, and it's due to this that her legacy finally dies and the healing process for the rest of the world can begin. Mayoi reminisces about the good times she spent with her now deceased sister. She and Ryuichi talk about the past trial and its influence on... everything really. But me personally, I'm just glad Mayoi gets to keep living and prosecuting for the foreseeable future. Keeping the Promise had an equally bittersweet ending in which the Ayasato sisters finally meet up with eachother and talk about whatever it is that came to because it may be their last few times they can do so. For me, this was the closure the sisters deserved. Reassurance that whatever happens Mayoi will always love Chihiro. And the promise: Dying on the same day, on the same month, on the same year. And that's what gets to me the most. Yeah, they committed suicide with eachother, which technically means that Mayoi, Chihiro, and Tomoe would finally spend time together in heaven, may they all rest in piece. But it did ick me that due to a childish promise made years ago that suicide was the only option in this path. That reaction is very telling about me, I think.

Spoiler : General Gist :

* Great Characters
* Amazing Story
* There were time where I almost cried
* Fun to Voice Act
* Dialogue exchanges are very long, but I can manage
* Minimalist presentation throws me for a loop at times, but I can manage
* Song Choices Slap
* Gameplay was sparse
* My first GD Experience

In total, even with my minor gripes, I had an enjoyable experience with a touching story that hits home, and I hope GD continues to make amazing work in the future.

P.S. I don't care about the logic anymore. This entry can enjoy its 1st Place win for the time.

[GuardianDreamer]

"QotU" by Guardian Dreamer - I can't say I truely understand what QotU is about anymore

I finally took time out of my life to play this entry. Strange how this became my first experience with GuardianDreamer's work. At first, I was excited to read through what many friends in my circle consider to be amazing work. The actual experience of playing it myself? Well. I don't think I can put into words how I felt throughout, but that won't stop me from trying. I don't think the following string of words would count as a "review". Moreso, "My personal thoughts and feelings in no particular order".

Spoiler : Condensed for Your Convenience :

I LOVE the majority of the conversations between the characters. Their attempts at holding normal conversations and disusing serious topics while themselves dealing with their own complicated life give the characters involved a unique and engaging back-and-forth that you don't see in most AAO cases. The gameplay is weirdly bare, almost as if to say the real games were the conversations made along the way. In fact, I remember being surprised when I notice that there was no bit of new gameplay mechanics to be seen anywhere. That's probably the second most daring decision an AAO case developer would make, especially considering the Case Competition the entry was made for. But it more than makes up for it in the story it wants to tell, and ho boy does it want to tell it. Every character on screen, save for Detective Mako, is given enough screentime to fully flesh out their personality, their goals, their fears, and how their time would be spent in the event of a catastrophe. The MAIN story revolves around the influence of Chihiro Ayasato, The 'titular' "Queen of the Underworld". The game wastes no time in establishing that Chihiro Ayasato is currently in a morally grey area as she kills off her only partner, Urami. At this point in time, Chihiro had all but lost touch her humanity with every kill. Even she herself remarks that almost every kill she would plead guilty to. Keyword: ALMOST. Even in her sorry state of being beyond redemption, Chihiro felt an itch about just one of the cases. The Murder of Koreshiya. It was enough of a bother for Chihiro to advocate for her own defense by herself. And so she did. The further the trial went however, the more clear it became that it was never about getting her acquitted. It was about attempting to talk to Chihiro, and getting her to realize the gravity of her actions all these years. When all was said and done, Chihiro would still need to face death row. But now she has the chance to actually make a choice. As frustrated as going through the limitations of the AAO UI was, I was heavily invested in the world and its characters. I even found joy in the long-winded arguments that bore no relevance to the case at hand if it meant they can be human. I wanted them to succeed in future. But I'm also painfully aware that the desired future is nigh impossible to achieve thanks in no small part by the decisions made in the past. Oh and before I forget, I had a BLAST voice acting these characters especially in these high tense moments. My course vocal chords was worth giving GD's characters a voice. ALSO before I forget, the choice of music GREATLY helps to tell the story, it really does.

Spoiler : My view on the Endings :

My absolute favorite part of the story has to be what to do with the promise. With no understand of what the game asks of me, I went with my gut feeling and choice to break the promise but both choices are bittersweet in their own ways. Breaking the promise means that Chihiro is executed almost immediately, and it's due to this that her legacy finally dies and the healing process for the rest of the world can begin. Mayoi reminisces about the good times she spent with her now deceased sister. She and Ryuichi talk about the past trial and its influence on... everything really. But me personally, I'm just glad Mayoi gets to keep living and prosecuting for the foreseeable future. Keeping the Promise had an equally bittersweet ending in which the Ayasato sisters finally meet up with eachother and talk about whatever it is that came to because it may be their last few times they can do so. For me, this was the closure the sisters deserved. Reassurance that whatever happens Mayoi will always love Chihiro. And the promise: Dying on the same day, on the same month, on the same year. And that's what gets to me the most. Yeah, they committed suicide with eachother, which technically means that Mayoi, Chihiro, and Tomoe would finally spend time together in heaven, may they all rest in piece. But it did ick me that due to a childish promise made years ago that suicide was the only option in this path. That reaction is very telling about me, I think.

Spoiler : General Gist :

* Great Characters
* Amazing Story
* There were time where I almost cried
* Fun to Voice Act
* Dialogue exchanges are very long, but I can manage
* Minimalist presentation throws me for a loop at times, but I can manage
* Song Choices Slap
* Gameplay was sparse
* My first GD Experience

In total, even with my minor gripes, I had an enjoyable experience with a touching story that hits home, and I hope GD continues to make amazing work in the future.

P.S. I don't care about the logic anymore. This entry can enjoy its 1st Place win for the time.

Thanks for posting your thoughts, appreciated. Admittedly hearing that people actually try to voice act the lines I wrote for fun threw me for a loop, since I have to imagine that's quite strange. Then again, the same could be said for a lot of stuff on AAO probably, so perhaps it's not so strange as long as you're having fun.