I remember being a kid, playing video games, and wondering why games couldn’t have 100 endings. What’s the big deal? Just do it! Why does Ryu always have to continue searching for competition? Maybe I’d like to see him end up as a chef or perhaps he could find himself adopting a little red-headed girl who, through the gift of song, manages to melt Ryu’s cold heart, thus allowing the long-time street fighter to realize that there’s more to life than just fighting. Well, it turns out the reason no one does it isn’t because they don’t want to. They don’t try it because it’s really difficult. Not only do you have to make art for every new ending but you also have to write multiple endings that are satisfying to the player… granted I just did two of them without giving much thought, but not everyone is me. That’s not fair to make comparisons. With all that said, to my delight, it turns out the crazy folks at Too Kyo Games have grown up thinking exactly like me and have decided to face the challenge head-on. Historically, though, when a studio tries to take on such an ambitious task they fall short. Did it happen again or has Too Kyo Games managed to do the impossible. Well, with the help of some very talented reviewers, we’re about to find out.

Review Round-Up:

The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy might take a bit to grow on you. It doesn’t have the most elegant start, and there are many rough edges even after it gets going. And yet, with all that in mind, the sheer variety and ambition still make it something special for fans of both its directors and those looking for a decidedly unconventional experience. For what it’s worth, I’m both, and I can recommend it easily. There’s definitely a lot to unpack with this game, and I know it will have a hold on me for a while. – Sean Cabot, RPG Fan

I write this preamble as a defeated man, utterly and truly beaten by The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-. This is an unrelenting beast of a video game that takes no prisoners. Every bit of marketing by Too Kyo Games leads Kazutaka Kodaka (Danganronpa, Rain Code) and Kotaro Uchikoshi (Zero Escape, AI The Somnium Files) was on the mark. This is the largest game they’ve ever made. It’s a behemoth, an active threat to the free time in your life. You should be scared of what they’ve unleashed on the world. In a sane world, it would not exist. – Cullen Black, RPG Site

Nearly all scenarios are interesting and fun. A few offer quick “choice equals ending” moments, but except for one scenario, most have engaging events that justify their length. You may have heard of the visual novel Umineko: When They Cry, famous for having more text than the King James Bible and listed at roughly 120 hours on HowLongToBeat. I read it in 80. This monster took me 133 hours. Once I grasped the route structure’s expanse, I had to see everything. The in-depth flowchart lets you jump anywhere with ease. Only twice did a route feel repetitive or redundant. One had mandatory battles I didn’t care for; the other offered less intrigue than I wanted at that point. To be fair, I had been playing nothing but The Hundred Line for more than 100 hours over a few weeks. – Pyre Kavanagh, Noisy Pixel

Last but certainly not least, if you liked what you’ve read and watched, then, by all means, head on over to the Nintendo eShop or Steam to pick up The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy. All you need to do is click the image below and you will be taken to the store of your choosing. Also, I lied. One final, final thing, thank you for checking out the site. If you like this type of content, the Thinks of a Thoughter Games Release Radar will be doing this for every interesting game released this year.