This is the first otome game I truly finished. Before it, I had played some otoges before, but I could never say I truly experienced the story from the perspectives of the different routes! I remember I was really sleep deprived when the game came in the mail, and for some reason I thought that the character images on the back of the case were actually the love interests from Hakuoki, and was wondering why the hell I was seeing samurai on my steampunk game.

That being said, I didn’t take notes while playing this game, so I’ll have to resort to my bad memory and some game summaries this time.

SETTING

Steampunk! I think a lot of people have had a phase in their lives when they were weirdly fascinated with steampunk. Code:Realize really shows it off, with the busy backgrounds, and the intricate character designs with random gears on them. (I’m glad to say I don’t think they overdid the gear part though).

The artist and character designer was none other than Miko! She really knows how to integrate a character’s personality into their designs, I love just studying the outfits she draws, and seeing how simple the details are, but without making the characters seem bland! Yeah It’s clear she’s doing this for a living. The background art was also phenomenal. It’s so detailed and full of steam, it really really brings the whole game together.

Code:Realize also has one of the best openings I’ve heard for an otome game. Both the beginning video and the songs feel so representative and in tune with the world, I couldn’t imagine any other music being used for this game. I’ll put a link here, let it speak for itself.

The story, quick! The protagonist is Cardia, a poisonous girl! This poor girl lives alone in a mansion because everything that she touches melts before her, and that makes the locals call her a monster and throw rocks at her. One day, royal guards steal her for some evil government reasons, but she gets saved by this cool thief called Arsene Lupin. Different circumstances bring her close to Lupin and four other mysterious gentlemen, to investigate Cardia’s past, search for her father and solve their own mysteries.

I love the themes and motifs this game delves into, like what it truly means to be human, as I am a sucker for media that dives into topics such as what makes you…you. There’s also the found family trope, the government corruption subplot, magic and alchemy! And, there’s also a dog. With a robotic leg, by the way.

!!Reviews might contain slight spoilers, but nothing too important.

Impey Barbicane

Impey was the first route I played…and honestly still my favorite. It’s the one that made me the happiest while playing it. It’s so fluffy and soft and feels like standing on a rooftop during a warm summer night, watching the stars and admiring the moon.

Impey is the embodiment of the genki trope (which I admit I have a soft spot for). He’s the comic relief character, who is secretly a very smart fellow, a hidden genius, if you will. He can work with cars and trains and machinery, he smells like motor oil and his hands are rough, but his heart is probably the softest out of all of them. An inventor, he wishes to be the first man to reach the moon!

He really loves Cardia. In every route you play, he’s got a little crush on her, but in this one he reallyyy falls head over heels for her. Every chance he gets, he tries to get closer to her, and is constantly praising her or flirting with her. This bothered me at first, but playing his route made me realize that he can also be serious when he needs to, and he never crosses a certain line with his playful teasing. He would jump in front of tanks if it meant saving her. But that’s the thing, Cardia would also do the same to save Impey, so it often leads to those two fighting over who is saving who lmao.

To me, their relationship progression felt very natural, and they had the cutest moments together. Impey’s dream of going to the moon also started to rub off on Cardia, and I just love when a passion like that ties the relationship between people even closer.

I admit, I liked Impey’s route so so much that it took me a bit to recover from not being with him in the other character’s routes. Hearing him constantly try to get friendlier with Cardia, but to no avail, hurt my soul, but I pulled through.

Abraham Van Helsing

Oooh he thinks he’s so tough and cool and mysterious with his big guns and his glasses. Oh! That’s the trope he falls into(aside from being an asshole)! The glasses guy! Megane!

Helsing is calm and serious, and it takes him a long time to warm up to the others, Cardia included. Him being like that makes it even more satisfying when you see him smile (also, I believe he’s the shortest out of all the LIs lmao). I know I called him an asshole earlier (and he really is at times), but he’s actually a very kind guy! He might seem bad, but he actually uses rock salt instead of bullets when fighting people, so that he doesn’t kill them.

Van’s relationship with Cardia was surprisingly good! It did feel like it took second place in the story though, but the important moments they shared were really intense, and I loved how determined Cardia was to let him know her feelings.

His route was really focused on the vampire subplot, since he is well known as one of the most ruthless vampire hunters of the Vampire War. Oh yeah, did I mention this game has vampires? A very weird type of vampires though, they don’t suck blood? This route is also one of the most violent out of all of them. His route is angsty, but it still feels warm at times. It’s like entering your living room after you’ve been outside in heavy rain without an umbrella. Also, you might’ve scraped your elbow on the way there, so now it smells like blood and metal in here.

Victor Frankenstein

If you haven’t noticed already, these men are based on already existing fictional characters, and here we have the well-known scientist! He might have this cutesy appearance, a pretty face and a soft voice, but he’s actually the tallest out of all the guys (and also one of the most mature)!

I didn’t have high expectations for his route, but I actually found myself enjoying it quite a bit! There was a heavy focus on the queen and the royalty in his story, because it related to his past. It was interesting to understand more about why the queen acted the way she did in certain situations, since I took an interest in her from the beginning because of her design (she looks like a bee!). Even with all that said, it was really boring at times…and it felt like a drag to read through some of the parts.

Victor as a character is a very kind and sweet man. He’s also a doctor, so in every route he tries to help Cardia get rid of her poison. Their relationship feels like a first love, I think. I haven’t really been in love, but the sweet and awkward moments they often share are what I imagine it would feel like.

Saint-Germain

I intentionally left his route before unlocking Lupin’s route because I heard it was full of spoilers, and oh man was it something.

Saint-Germain is the most mysterious character of them all. He’s calm, elegant and constantly smiling with his eyes closed. He’s a strange aristocrat who collects art as a hobby. Since the beginning of the game he makes you question everything about him. Why is he letting 4 weirdos he doesn't know stay at his manor? How is he rich? Where does he keep disappearing?

His route was very different from the rest of the routes, because it makes you see the whole story from another perspective. It also felt a bit confusing and full of information, but it was fun to read. Saint-Germain is not what he pretends he is, I’ll tell you that. I don’t even know what I can say without giving major spoilers, so I think I’ll leave it at that.

A fair warning that his route is angsty as hell. It even made me shed a tear!

Arsene Lupin

Gentleman thief Arsene Lupin! The poster boy! From what I gathered online, Arsene Lupin (the original character from the books) is like some kind of Sherlock Holmes for French people, but instead of being a genius detective, he is a genius thief. Why the gentleman part, you may ask? He only steals for other people, and never for his own interest! Robin Hood type shi.

He is also considered the truth route, and oh boy did it not disappoint! I feel like every other route left some plot holes by the end of it. More context can be gathered from playing each route, but Lupin’s is the one that ties everything together. It has the most satisfying ending for Cardia’s character arc, and it’s clear that the game’s story makes the most sense if you see it from this perspective.

After all these strong personalities, Lupin might seem a bit more…tame, but he’s actually a very interesting guy as well! He’s the most normal out of all of them, and he is the one that makes Cardia feel the most comfortable since the beginning. He’s also confident without seeming cocky, and I love people like that. He always knows what to say in a conversation and doesn’t let things get awkward, his intelligence shows in all his words and gestures, all the complex plans he makes. Lupin is so natural in everything he does, it never feels like he puts on a performance.

His love for Cardia is so so deep also. He loves each and every aspect of her, and can verbalize his feelings in such a beautiful way. This man really wants her to know how amazing of a person she is, and I am so happy he appreciates her in the selfless way that he does.

Heroine - Cardia

I have fallen in love with her. I am an avid defender of all and any otome game heroines, but with my dear girl Cardia it goes deeper than that. She’s not a bland protagonist, she’s interesting, strong, so full of kindness and I lobe her!

Her backstory, she has one! She only woke up two years ago from this weird sleep she’s been put under by her father, and with near to none recollection of the past and how the world around her works. The only memories she has are painful; she considers herself a monster, and she has to live a life that restrains her in everything she does, because of the poison that runs in her veins.

I think her having plot reasons (amnesia) for why she acts like a newborn deer regarding everything in life makes her character very charming when she does weird things and doesn’t notice social cues.

Don’t let this fool you! Cardia is a determined woman. She’s smart and a quick learner. All the love interests teach her how to defend herself, and she goes way beyond just learning the basics. She learns to fight so well that she can not only defend herself, but also those around her. When put in a difficult situation, she thinks, acts and doesn’t wait for anyone to come and save her.

I love her character progression, and how she’s really insecure and serious in the beginning, but she slowly gets more confidence and she learns to smile and truly be happy. In certain parts of the game, you can see Cardia from other characters’ perspective. I think that’s what made me fall in love with her, seeing her through the eyes of the people that love her. Her having a sprite in the bottom of the screen at all times also made me feel closer to her as a character, I think more otome games should do that.

As for her design, I think it’s very fitting! She is described as doll-like and her main outfit is also one that is fluffy like the one of an antique porcelain doll, while keeping steampunk details very noticeable, and being sure to keep her body covered as much as possible so she doesn’t accidentally use her poison. The outfit she gets later on is sooo cute! with her fluffy pants and simple shirt, and shows her off in a more comfortable and authentic manner. Her blue stone heart embedded into the outside of her chest was also a great addition because it’s another thing that’s visible proof of her condition. Her name, Cardia, also means heart! That’s pretty cool.

I could talk for hours about her, I love Cardia from the bottom of my heart.