Anime rating game

Upon hearing this, Ryoukaze Aoba, who had been waiting nearby in charge of reception, quickly ran over to explain:

"To avoid wasting the time of testers, we have set up a risk avoidance mechanism for the existing options."

"If the trial progress deviates from the Fujibayashi sisters' route, the screen will be forced to go black, and you will have to reload the save to return to the previous option and start over."

? ?

Doma was stunned for a moment, then quickly realized that he was trying out a game at a game company, not playing a first-edition limited edition single-line game at home.

"Even if it takes a little time, I don't mind. The common route is already done, isn't it? I want to see the other people's storylines."

“That would take too much time,” Masamune interjected. “Even if you had the time, the employees at the game company wouldn’t. You can’t expect them to work overtime with you until late at night, can you?”

"what……?"

Doma Umaru instantly realized that this was a game company, and he couldn't be too willful, otherwise he would cause trouble for others.

Just like my older brother, who used to be a corporate slave, he must have wanted to go home early every day.

"I understand! In that case, let's be a little more serious."

"The Fujibayashi sisters' route, right? Although there are quite a few options, I'm an expert in this area."

Looking back at the computer, Doma Umaru was a little more serious this time.

Because Mashiro was nearby, whenever she encountered a choice, she would discuss it with her and provide appropriate explanations.

Soon, I successfully entered Fujibayashi Kyou's route without any blackouts.

"Mashiro, at this speed, can you even read the text?"

"can."

"That's good. When playing this type of game, unless you encounter a particularly touching storyline, there's really no need to listen to the voice acting; just reading the text is enough."

Clicking the mouse repeatedly will initiate the next conversation before the voice finishes reading.

Finally, a beautifully crafted CG sequence appears, while the staff list slowly scrolls by.

"Huh...? What? Did you guys delete it?" Umaru turned around again.

"What?" Liangfeng Qingye looked surprised.

"Um...that's it, that one."

In front of so many people, Umaru was really embarrassed to say those things, but she couldn't help herself.

"Fine, let me put it another way."

"With such excellent art style and a decent storyline, why is it classified as an all-ages game?"

"It's clearly a visual novel with such great art style, yet it's been made for all ages. Isn't that a huge waste of resources?"

Seeing Umaru's disgruntled expression and Mashiro's bewildered expression beside her, Masamune instantly realized:

"What's a waste? It appeals to a wider audience across all ages, so sales are bound to be good."

"Moreover, this game was originally made to promote the anime. The anime is the main series, so the game is naturally of the same type."

"Players will be very disappointed, even though the art style is so good." Umaru pointed to herself. "Like me, I was really looking forward to it, but when I got to the end I found out it was for all ages. That feeling is as unpleasant as plain water in a Sprite bottle."

Masamune hesitated for a moment, then shook his head repeatedly, dismissing the idea.

Oh no, I almost got persuaded by Umaru.

"Our purpose in making the game is to promote the animation. Only by making it suitable for all ages can we achieve this goal."

"Otherwise, if it were an 18+ type of game, would you dare recommend it in public to friends who haven't played that type of game before?"

"Hmm..." Umaru fell into deep thought. "That makes sense. So... how about making two versions?"

"No."

"Why? This way, it can meet the needs of all players, and it will definitely sell very well."

"I'm a fan of pure love stories."

"Why……!?"

Umaru was speechless, then burst into a very happy laugh.

"Then there's nothing we can do."

"Actually, so am I."

"Mashiro, what do you think of this game? Is it fun? As for Fujibayashi Ryou's route, why don't you control the mouse?"

“The game is fun.” Mashiro said softly, then added after a moment’s thought, “You go ahead, I’ll watch from the side.”

"Okay, I'll do it then. You haven't drunk much Coke, don't you like it?"

"I'm not hungry, so I can't drink."

"Huh...? Aren't snacks usually stored in a separate stomach? Besides, it's almost 4 o'clock now, more than 3 hours have passed since I finished lunch."

"If you eat too much now, you won't be able to eat dinner."

"...Such strong self-control! But only someone who doesn't like snacks would say that."

"I don't dislike snacks."

"But I guess I don't really like it that much, do I? I often use cola and potato chips instead of regular meals."

"The food tastes even better."

Umaru was momentarily stunned when Mashiro looked at her with such a serious expression.

At the same time, I thought of the meals my brother cooked.

Since we eat it every day, we don't really feel much difference, but the customers in the restaurant almost all praise the brother's cooking skills.

If I had to choose between cola and my brother's cooking, even after much hesitation, I would ultimately choose my brother.

“That’s right, that’s the point.” Umaru laughed again. “But cola and potato chips are still a must. We can always eat dinner a little later.”

I started the demo again, skipping all the parts of the story I'd already seen. This time, the gameplay progressed incredibly fast.

Because the routes of the Fujibayashi sisters overlapped so much, it only took half an hour to successfully enter the Fujibayashi Ryou route.

After clearing the level in one go, all the snacks on the table were gone.

"I'm completely satisfied! I had a really great time today."

However, it feels like I've forgotten something?

Turning his head, Umaru Doma suddenly noticed a young girl (Midori Imai) discussing the bugs she had recorded with Aoba Suzukaze.

At that moment, forgotten things were instantly remembered.

"Oops!"

Upon hearing her sudden shout, Masamune rushed over:

"what happened?"

"I was so focused on playing that I forgot to record the bugs."

"Uh... in that case, you won't get paid for today."

"What? Is there any pay left?"

"All testers receive a subsidy; if you keep good records, you will receive one as well."

"May I ask, approximately how much does it cost?"

"It depends on the number of bugs recorded, roughly between five thousand and ten thousand."

"Pity."

Doma was filled with regret. He had been having so much fun just now, eating all the potato chips and drinking all the cola, that he completely forgot about the record bug.

If I hadn't known I could get the money, I wouldn't have bothered, but now that I do, all the disappointment just came rushing back at me.

The next moment, she suddenly met Mashiro's gaze.

"Mashiro, it's time to put your super memory to good use. Did you spot any errors in the text, graphics, or anything else while playing the game?"

"121 locations."

"Oh my... I've discovered so much! Quick, tell me what you want to write down, and I'll write it down right away."

"The first instance is when Okazaki Tomoya and Furukawa Nagisa are talking..."

Every time Mashiro points out a bug, Umaru quickly writes it down.

In just over ten minutes, he had taken notes on seven or eight pages.

"At point 121, in the staff list..."

"Okay, I've got it."

After finishing writing the last bug, Doma Umaru excitedly hugged Mashiro, overjoyed.

"We two work together so well! Hehe... Now, who would dare say we haven't been doing our job properly?"

"Aoba, come and receive the results of our work!"

Ryoukaze Aoba, who had been watching from the sidelines the whole time, glanced curiously at Mashiro, whose expression remained unchanged, took the paper handed to her by Doma Umaru, and looked down at it.

"As expected of Ms. Mashiro, she discovered so many bugs in just one trial. She really helped us a lot. If Ms. Mashiro could help us with every trial, it would be so much easier."

"Thank you for the compliment, but Mashiro won't be giving it to you guys," Masamune said with a smile.

Unexpectedly, they discovered Mashiro's unexpected talent.

Judging from her appearance, she must be very good at playing spot-the-mistakes games.

“Yes, yes…” Liangfeng Qingye paused for a moment, then laughed.

"I got my wages back today, right?" Doma Umaru looked at Masamune and winked with a smile.

"Ah."

Masamune took out a 10,000 yen bill from his wallet and handed it over directly.

"This is your wages for today."

"Thank you, then I'll accept it without hesitation."