RE4 Otome was constructed by stringing together brief animated scenes of gameplay from the actual video game itself, mixed seamlessly with extra asides designed by the team at Shimmersoft. Gameplay involved clicking to advance the scenes and read the narrative text and dialogue associated with each scene. Some of the choices revealed more detail about the background of the story, often divulged through conversation. Many of the choices offered in the game seem to be intended as moments to highlight the personality of the heroine, Ashley, rather than to change the actual course of the game, though there were a few choices in the game that could result in dead ends and auto-restarted to continue from the same decision juncture. Most of the game felt like a kinetic visual novel rather than a choice-driven one, so go into it expecting a fun ride without many opportunities to change the outcome.
The sarcasm and wit in this game is neverending, and keeps every moment absolutely entertaining. Unexpected comments and the hilarious random musings of the slightly ditzy heroine, Ashley, painted the normally grim circumstances of Resident Evil in comedic hues. I seriously laughed out loud when the hero, Leon, started breaking a barrel to get a healing leaf. Ashley's resulting confusion and speculation about his anti-barrel obsession was even funnier. This visual novel makes fun of ridiculous video game conventions and how absurdly convenient some of them are, never straying far from the context of the story viewed through Ashley's innocent an naïve eyes.
Overall, this is a very fun and hilarious take on the dark events in Resident Evil 4, and the shift in perspective to the heroine, Ashley, made this feel like a totally different game, even though I'd played through the original Capcom game before. Many of Ashley's thoughts about Leon were absolutely hilarious and memorable, suggesting this game could become a cult classic (haha) with fans endlessly quoting it to each other. If you're looking for a humorous take on the Resident Evil series viewed from the heroine's perspective, and if you don't mind the endless stream of humor, this is an enjoyable way to relive the original RE4 experience!