With the Watch Canines video games unofficially on hiatus, followers are nonetheless desperate to see the franchise evolve. And in a collection set within the close to future, what higher metropolis to set the following chapter than in essentially the most futuristic metropolis on the planet, Tokyo? After which, what higher medium to inform that story than in a Japanese manga?
It’s a little bit of a no brainer. Sadly, after studying the primary of two volumes of the Watch Canines Tokyo E-book from TokyoPop, I fear there may be nothing right here to reignite the fanbase.
Issues begin off with a bang nonetheless. In a lot the identical approach as how the opening moments of the primary Watch Canines recreation launched us to Aiden Pearce at the beginning of a giant mission, we be part of protagonists Goda and SSB, as they’re about to tug off one thing massive. Issues, naturally, don’t go as deliberate however while they encounter some resistance, they nonetheless handle to tug it off. Members of the Japanese department of DedSec, these hactivists have pulled off one thing they’ve been planning for some time.
We’re then transported again a 12 months the place we be taught that Goda is definitely a cop investigating a homicide. Nonetheless, this investigation can be discovered utilising the newly adopted ctOS. And if you happen to’ve ever performed a Watch Canines recreation, you’ll know this isn’t the most effective thought, because the creators, Blume, aren’t essentially the most reliable.
It seems, utilizing the ctOS makes this a fairly open and shut case, or in order that’s what they’d have you ever imagine. However Goda believes there may be extra to it than ctOS would initially have him suppose, and needs to research additional.
Watch Canines Tokyo is ready a while after the occasions of the primary recreation. The ctOS experiment was deemed a hit in Chicago so was rolled out to different cities together with Tokyo. Quantity 1 of Watch Canines Tokyo from TokyoPop does a fairly good job of portraying Tokyo in black and white. There are some fairly cityscape drawings, together with Kabukicho, every so often, together with loads of Japanese symbols in and amongst the extra action-oriented scenes. There’s the compulsory point out of the Yakuza too, in case it wasn’t instantly apparent that that is Japan.
The place Quantity 1 actually lets itself down although is with the dearth of non-linear storytelling and of character constructing. The precise begin of the story begins with a homicide, so it doesn’t really feel prefer it wants to start out with a heist scene to seize a reader’s consideration. The homicide is greater than able to doing that.
However it’s due to this non-linear storytelling that our two protagonists aren’t actually given the time they should construct till Chapter 4. Their interactions as much as that time are largely throughout motion sequences. This, and lots of the supporting forged are solely given names on plaques subsequent to a cell that predominantly options them, and these may be tough to identify in equity. It looks as if Watch Canines Tokyo is extra serious about providing you with motion sequences than an attention-grabbing plot. Fortunately, the moments of motion are fairly good although.
Additionally in Chapter 4 there’s a cool second involving automated transferring shelf stacks that feels ripped out of a movie. I wouldn’t be stunned to see one thing very related involving utilizing these cabinets for canopy as they go about their enterprise in a blockbuster a while quickly. However Watch Canines being Watch Canines, these shelving items are conveniently hacked, giving the protagonists some management over the place their manoeuvrable cowl goes.
Then in Chapter 5 there’s a fast automotive chase involving a Nudle automotive, as featured in Watch Canines 2. For sure, it must be a fast automotive chase, as a result of the Nudle automotive shouldn’t be good in a straight line. This and the numerous different references are good little throwbacks to the broader franchise, and provides a little bit of cohesion to it, all while being able to operating as its personal entry.
Watch Canines Tokyo Quantity 1 units up one other story of DedSec versus ctOS/Blume with out straying too removed from the trail. There’s undoubtedly one thing effervescent beneath what’s offered, with out actually grabbing the reader from the very off. A couple of design decisions corresponding to selecting that specific place to begin earlier than going again to the very starting doesn’t make a lot sense, however we do get to see the early machinations of Goda and SSB’s relationship. There’s extra to come back, and hopefully that may broaden and enhance on what now we have up to now.
Big thanks exit to TokyoPop for offering us entry to Watch Canines Tokyo Quantity 1. You’ll be able to seize a replica for your self via TokyoPop or the likes of Amazon.
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