The Note (video game)

The Note (公開されなかった手記, Koukai Sarena Katta Shuki: The Note) is a first-person survival horror^[1] adventure game developed by Team Bughouse and published by SunSoft for the Sony PlayStation. It was released in Japan on January 17, 1997; and in Europe on October 1 of the same year. The game did not see a North American release. It is perhaps one of the least known games on the platform, as a result of its limited release.

Story

The game is set in January, 1997. Akira, a freelance occult journalist, is visited by a woman, whose daughter had left on a trip with her friends and never returned. He agrees to look for the woman's daughter, after being given the last things the woman received from her; including a photo of an old run-down mansion somewhere in Europe, and what seem to be unearthly spirits. Two weeks after this meeting, Akira and his partner Angela, find themselves in a remote European village in front of the very mansion shown in the photos. This is where the game begins.

Characters

• Akira: (Age: 23) A freelance occult journalist for the past three years, Akira is yet to write an article based on an actual paranormal experience. His work so far has been selling faked ghost photos and fabricated articles to specialist magazines.
• Angela: (Age: 21) As Akira's partner, Angela accompanies him to Europe to help him find the missing teenagers.
• Linda, Toshi, Dave: (Ages: 18, 17, 18) The missing senior high school students who Akira and Angela have been tasked with locating.
• Paulo: (Age: 26) Akira and Angela first meet Paulo in the mansion, and he appears to be extremely knowledgeable about the occult and the mansion in particular. He may hold the key to finding the missing teenagers, though his actions are shrouded in mystery.

Gameplay

The game is unique in some's opinion. Game features include opening the curtains to bring more light into rooms, which sometimes helps solve a puzzle or defeat an enemy. Actually firing one's weapon is a bit tough; you have no crosshairs or a weapon on screen. You must get enemies to center of your screen and fire. You have the option of assigning and initiating 4 specific commands or actions to the shoulder buttons (R1, R2, L1, L2).

Most of the time in the game you're wandering around searching and uncovering for yourself what action to initiate. The game doesn't give a lot of hints where to go either. And sometimes the answer can be simple. Wait 8 hours (game hours) in front of a door, and after this period of time is over, enter. Turn all lights off, and use specific item in a specific part of the room.

References

External links

• The Note game profile on IGN