Serial Experiments Lain (video game)

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Serial Experiments Lain
Developer(s)Pioneer LDC
Publisher(s)Pioneer LDC
Designer(s)Chiaki J. Konaka
Ueda Yasuyuki
Platform(s)PlayStation
Release
  • JP: November 26, 1998
Genre(s)Simulation, Interactive fiction
Mode(s)Single player

The Serial Experiments Lain video game, based on the anime of the same name, was released for PlayStation exclusively in Japan on November 26, 1998, by Pioneer LDC. It is largely dialogue-centric, differing from traditional video game gameplay structures. Throughout the game, the player, in the role of a therapist, unlocks pieces of information and multimedia with the assistance of the source material's protagonist, Lain Iwakura, to explore her mental state. This material includes Lain's therapy sessions, her diary, notes from her therapist, and video segments. The game shares the themes and protagonist, but not the plot, of the original anime series.

Gameplay[edit]

The game was designed as a "network simulator" which the player would navigate to explore Lain's journey between real life and online life.[1] The creators themselves did not describe it as a game but as "Psycho-Stretch-Ware," [1] incorporating visual novel and non-linear multimedia elements; the gameplay is limited to unlocking pieces of information and then reading/viewing/listening to them, with little or no puzzle needed to unlock.[2] Lain distances itself even more from classical games by the random order in which information is collected.[1] The aim of the authors was to let the player get the feeling that there are myriads of information that they would have to sort through and that they would have to do with less than what exists to understand.[1] As with the anime, the creative team's main goal was to let the player "feel" Lain, "to understand her problems, and to love her".[3]

Plot[edit]

The series of events differs significantly from that of the animated series, serving as an alternative retelling.[4] In the video game, Lain talks to a therapist, Touko Yonera, a character that doesn't appear in the anime, while most characters from the anime (like Alice) are absent from the game.[2] Lain herself, the relationship between the real world and the internet, and other details are common elements between the two. The game ends with Lain killing Touko and committing suicide, reuniting within the Wired.[5]

Reception[edit]

Unlike the anime, the game drew little attention from the public following its initial release.[2] Criticized for its (lack of) gameplay, as well as for its "clunky" interface, interminable dialogues, absence of music, and very long loading times,[2] it was nonetheless remarked for its (at the time) remarkable graphics, and its beautiful backgrounds.[2] In 2008, an English fan translation project of the game's script began, eventually being released as a PDF in 2014.[6] By 2021, a renewed wave of interest in the game had formed, coinciding with the release of lainTSX, an unofficial web browser-based port of the English version of the game, utilizing webGL.[7][8] A review of the browser version for The Michigan Daily described it as "raw and realistic in how it showcases mental health, but also overflowing with empathy for the matter, something a lot of representation misses."[9] The game has been cited as a precursor to later titles such as Her Story and What Remains of Edith Finch.[10]

Notes and references[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Nakajima, Shin-suke (1999). "HK: Interview with Chiaki Konaka". Archived from the original on 2010-11-01. Retrieved 2006-09-16.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Games Are Fun: "Review - Serial Experiments Lain - Japan"". Archived from the original on 2011-06-12. Retrieved 2006-11-10.
  3. ^ Animerica, (Vol. 7 No. 9, p.28)
  4. ^ Haddick, Alicia (2021-03-28). "The Forgotten Serial Experiments Lain PS1 Video Game Tie-In". OTAQUEST. Archived from the original on 2022-12-28. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
  5. ^ "Playstation Game Player Review". Archived from the original on 2006-10-24. Retrieved 2006-11-10.
  6. ^ "Serial Experiments Lain PSX Game Translation Project". Archived from the original on 2023-02-01. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
  7. ^ Haddick, Alicia (2021-03-29). "Fan Project lainTSX Recreates Serial Experiments Lain PS1 Game in English in Your Web Browser". OTAQUEST. Archived from the original on 2022-12-28. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
  8. ^ "lain game :: about". lainTSX. Archived from the original on 2022-12-07. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
  9. ^ Rodriguez-Garcia, K. (2021-03-29). "Interacting with mental health in 'Serial Experiments Lain'". The Michigan Daily. Archived from the original on 2022-12-28. Retrieved 2022-12-27.
  10. ^ "「serial experiments lain」の20周年を記念し，主要スタッフにゲーム版をプレイしてもらった。次作は「誰かが適当に作ったら」？". 4Gamer.net. 2018-09-29. Archived from the original on 2022-12-31. Retrieved 2022-12-31.

External links[edit]

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