The following is a preview. For a limited time, this article will be available to read for free on my Patreon, located here.
Preface: In September 1997, three years after its original PC release, Desire was ported to the Sega Saturn, a move that was far from out of place as the console had already seen a steady stream of eroge more often than not excised of its explicit sexual content. If Desire’s release on the Sega Saturn was odd, it was only because the game originally preceded C’s Ware and Yukihiro Kanno’s EVE Burst Error (1995) but EVE had received a Sega Saturn port earlier that year. Reviews of the Sega Saturn version of Desire would thus perhaps unfavorably compare the game to EVE, the latter having the more experimental game mechanics that Kanno would expand upon as his career developed. In any case, the Sega Saturn port seemed to have done well enough, the game earning an average score of 8 out of 10 in Sega Saturn Magazine and earning more extensive coverage from the magazine including a guide.
The original review is available to read on the Internet Archive here.
Unraveling the Mystery of Desire…
Desire’s approach to puzzles uses the same multi-character perspective system as EVE. The improved port features several new features!
The makings of a complex scenario is…
The story is quite deep and after completing the game, you’ll want to play it again. You can also see the consideration of the vowel recognition system which is good. The art is pretty, however, the one flaw is that for the exception of the opening and ending, the animation isn’t full-size. It would be better if you could freely switch between Albert and Makoto’s routes, and I think it would add more depth to the story. It’s an older game so there are outdated aspects, but the game didn’t need those unnecessary elements of eroge left behind. Furthermore, perhaps because there’s a lack of eroticism, Makoto’s character lacks depth. But, isn’t it still a good game?
Kaori
Score: 7