Learn Japanese RPG: Hiragana Forbidden Speech
- December 14, 2023
- Study Bunny Games LLC
- 20h median play time
Get on Steam"Learn Japanese RPG: Hiragana Forbidden Speech" is an educational role-playing game that teaches players the Japanese syllabary of hiragana. The game is set in a fantasy world where players must use their knowledge of hiragana to solve puzzles, communicate with characters, and progress through the story. With various minigames and study aids, players can improve their Hiragana reading and writing skills, making it a fun and interactive way to learn the Japanese language.
Reviews
- The game effectively teaches Japanese vocabulary, grammar, and hiragana through engaging gameplay and humor, making learning enjoyable.
- It offers a customizable learning experience, allowing players to adjust the frequency of battles and the rate at which new words are introduced.
- The voice acting and story are well-crafted, providing a fun and immersive environment that enhances the learning process.
- Some players found the pacing of learning to be too fast at times, making it challenging to retain new vocabulary and grammar concepts.
- The game lacks support for katakana and kanji, which limits its usefulness for learners looking to advance beyond basic hiragana.
- There are technical issues, such as resolution problems and minor bugs, that can detract from the overall experience.
- story57 mentions
- 63 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally described as entertaining and humorous, with many reviewers appreciating its lightheartedness and charm, particularly in the context of language learning. While some found it a bit chaotic or simplistic, the overall consensus is that the story effectively supports the educational goals of the game, making it enjoyable for beginners. The engaging characters and funny dialogue contribute to a captivating experience, despite occasional pacing issues.
“The story is interesting, the comic relief is funny, and the little character animations are very charming.”
“The storytelling is light and entertaining, and the 'battles' are basically like short sections of flash cards.”
“The story, which I sort of expected to be just a throw-away framework for the lessons, was actually totally cute and hilarious, with lots of tongue-in-cheek humor, interesting settings, and remarkably excellent voice acting.”
“The story of this game is only what I could describe as a beautiful mess.”
“It's a little hard to follow at points, but I think that's just because of the constant translating taking more of the spotlight than the story.”
“- not really anything interesting going on in the world apart from dialogue, the maps are mostly barren zig zags that you just walk along for a very long time from one plot point to another.”
- humor26 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is widely praised for its charm and effectiveness, with many players noting that the witty dialogue and funny character interactions enhance the overall experience. Reviewers appreciate the blend of comedy with educational elements, highlighting that the humorous scenarios and well-written narrative make learning enjoyable. While some find the humor a bit corny, it is generally seen as a delightful aspect that adds to the game's appeal.
“The game is very well written and a joy to go through; it has lots of funny elements and you're guaranteed to laugh here and there.”
“The narrative is fun and the comedy always hits home, to the point I was actually laughing aloud at the 'cat girl' and parts with the bees.”
“The story, which I sort of expected to be just a throw-away framework for the lessons, was actually totally cute and hilarious, with lots of tongue-in-cheek humor, interesting settings, and remarkably excellent voice acting.”
- gameplay14 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The gameplay effectively combines education with RPG elements, allowing players to learn new vocabulary while engaging in simple interactions and exploration. However, the reliance on random encounters for learning can be challenging for beginners, and the pacing suffers due to the integration of lessons that often feel disconnected from the main gameplay loop. Despite some shortcomings, the unique mechanics, engaging story, and quality voice acting contribute to an overall enjoyable experience.
“The gameplay and education mesh together well.”
“The RPG gameplay in between learning is a very nice way of letting your mind relax while still being somewhat entertaining.”
“While some aspects could be improved, the learning materials, unique mechanics, and enjoyable story make it worth checking out.”
“The main flaw of this game is that its main gameplay loop, the random encounters, only reinforce the learning of symbols and vocabulary.”
“This makes the gameplay quite challenging for the target audience - people who are just starting to learn Japanese.”
“These lessons are done well enough and occasionally do integrate effective visual aids, but overall they detract from the pacing of the game and don't contribute to the gameplay other than in short quizzes you can occasionally choose to engage with.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its relaxing and nostalgic qualities, with a diverse range of genres that enhance the gameplay experience, from metal to techno. However, some users noted a limited soundtrack and criticized certain sound effects as being compressed or unenjoyable. Overall, the soundtrack is considered fitting and enjoyable, with standout tracks that players appreciate.
“The music is really relaxing and nostalgic; it feels like a fun RPG mixed with language learning.”
“This insane metal music comes in and it's like woah, or you are chilling in the caves talking with some lizards and then this super groovy techno beat rolls past and it's like ooh!”
“My only criticisms are the soundtrack is limited and the UI, especially on Steam Deck, could use some tweaking as some text boxes get cut off mid to endgame.”
“Also, the music???”
“So props there, there were times I just waited ages on the dialogue to hear the music, lol.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally considered rudimentary and reminiscent of RPG Maker style, which some players find unappealing, especially when stretched. However, the pixel art is praised for its quality, and while the visuals may not be impressive, they do not detract from the game's strong mechanics, writing, and particularly its exceptional voice acting. Overall, the graphics are seen as a minor aspect compared to the game's educational value and engaging storytelling.
“The story is interesting and sometimes hilarious, and the game world is well done with excellent pixel graphics, but the real selling point of this game is how effective the word retention is.”
“I know the game doesn't really look super awesome graphic-wise, but that isn't why the game exists either, so I'll easily let it slide.”
“The graphics are a little bit rudimentary (which is to be expected as this isn't a AAA developer working with a team of people) but the mechanics, writing, and (in particular) voice acting compete with most other games I've played.”
“The voice acting is almost too good at times, feeling a little jarring when juxtaposed with the Game Boy-esque graphics.”
“The art style is not my favorite; I don't much care for the RPG Maker style, but I understand this is a small/single person development team.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Overall, players find the grinding aspect of this pixel RPG to be less tedious than typical games in the genre, thanks to engaging mechanics that enhance the experience. However, some users expressed frustration with certain repetitive elements, such as quizzes, which can become tedious if mistakes are made.
“It would be nice if you could skip or cancel quizzes from the quiz lady. Sometimes I would get one wrong or accidentally input the wrong answer and then have to mash through it to start again. On some of the longer ones, this was a bit tedious.”
“I've been learning Japanese for over a month now, basically grinding letters in Duolingo when I stumbled on this game in a Reddit advertisement.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is highly recommended for beginners and is noted for its strong replayability, making it an engaging experience for players looking to revisit the content.
“100% recommended for beginners; it even offers great replayability.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its exceptional writing, effectively exploring the theme of language as a unifying force that humanizes perceived enemies. Players report experiencing genuine emotional highs and lows, including heartbreak and joy, as they engage with the narrative.
“I don't know if enough has been said about how well written this game is. Its theme of how learning a new language can unite divided worlds and humanize people you've been taught to think of as monsters is explored beautifully, with moments that made me feel genuine heartbreak and joy.”
“The emotional depth of the characters is astounding; their struggles and triumphs resonate deeply, making every decision feel weighty and impactful.”
“This game takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, where every choice you make can lead to moments of profound sadness or unexpected joy, leaving a lasting impression long after you've finished playing.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the game appears to be effective in attracting users, as evidenced by a player discovering it through a Reddit advertisement while actively seeking language learning tools. However, specific details about the monetization model or user experience related to it are not provided in the review.
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Overall, users report a generally stable experience with only a few minor glitches and one crash, which may be linked to custom translations. The game appears to perform well, with minimal disruptions during extended playtime.
“After 35 hours of gameplay, I encountered only 2 glitches, but there was 1 bug that crashed the game, possibly due to custom translation into German with special characters.”
“The game is riddled with stability issues, making it frustrating to play.”
“Frequent crashes and bugs have made my experience with the game quite disappointing.”
