Since I didn't wanna clog up the Korea trip blog, and also I wanted to be able to share that blog without having spoilers for the game, I decided to seperate the two into 2 seperate blogs. Which also helps to reduce the size of the blogs for easier (relatively) reading.
It feels like every game/medium that means something dear to me will eventually find their way onto this website in the form of a blog or retrospective. First it was Blue Archive, then it was Rhythm Doctor, and now I am writing the retrospective for Library of Ruina, which is a top 3 game of all time for me (and we all know that a League retrospective is coming once I finish worlds). Of course, theres also all the mangas that I've ranted about, with Lemon being the most recent one. But out of all of these mediums currently on my website, apart from maybe Blue Archive, I think Library of Ruina is the game that means the most to me. Ever since I started playing LOR a whole 3 years ago, the game has never really left my mind.
Like all idkac bangers, LOR has the big 3: good story, memorable characters, and a generational soundtrack. The story of the city and the library is mesmerizing, and really sold me on the setting of a dystopian cyberpunk future. Despite the worldbuilding being dripfed to us through flashbacks before each invitation, the world and the characters we saw all felt distinct and full of personality. The city itself also felt elaborate, with its different associations, offices, syndicates, and corporations, and it made the story of the library feel like it was just a single thread of a much more expansive tale, one of many different stories in the city that we just happened to see. Since we also spend the majority of the time through the lens of the invitees, it often led to me empathizing with the characters we are going to fight. It often feels like we are witnessing the main characters of another story reach the Library, their final obstacle that they must overcome, with the reception being the climax of their journey rather than the main focus being our own story.
Library of Ruina is also a rare case due to the fact that the gameplay for the game is also quite enjoyable. Most games that I end up liking tend to be either JRPGs or visual novels, which all are very lacking in the gameplay department, but LOR is a game that I can confidently say has good gameplay. While it definitely is not as indepth as a deckbuilder like Slay the Spire, LOR certainly does provide enough complexity and build variety to keep me engaged throughout the 100 or so hours that I put in to the main story.
The gameplay could be seperated into two main loops, receptions and abnormalities, with receptions being your straight forward deckfights, while abnormalities are more akin to puzzles with specific clear conditions. This helped bring a lot more variety into the gameplay, and often forced me to update/create new decks purely to combat some of the abnormalities, which helped to prevent fatigue from using the same deck over and over again.
LOR also does a good job in forcing build variety, with each of the floors in the game promoting a specific playstyle. With all the floors being viable, I found a lot of fun rotating floors and trying out new playstyles and win conditions. Now of course, not all floors are made equally (cough cough Yesod), but I never really had a problem with getting bored of the decks thanks to swapping floors all the time.
that is unless i get stuck, in which case ding ding ding is coming out
Another one of the major selling points of the game are the characters found in the story. The main characters (Angela and the patron librarians) are all returning characters from Lobotomy Corp, with Roland being the sole new addition, with the game following the story directly after the true ending of LCorp. I especially loved the dynamic between Roland and Angela, and their quips and conversations after each reception were always entertaining (especially the one after the carnival). I also loved how the story of LOR can be enjoyed without needing to play LCorp, as we mostly discover the aftermath and the story of LCorp through Roland's point of view, which is especially great for me because I would not have been able to finish the true ending of LCorp. In addition, I also loved how the personalities of each patron librarian is reflected through the playstyle of each of the floors, which is just another great design decision that LOR has made.
But even with this much praise, the character is not what makes LOR for me. Instead, I think the story and the music, is what truly differentiates this game from the others that I have played. And while it will be hard to truly explain what makes this game special to me, I will try to do so with example receptions from the game, to hopefully demonstrate my thoughts.
I have nothing but my sorrow, and I want nothing more. It has always been, faithful to me.
For a game like LOR, its not really a true retrospective if I don't talk about some of my favorite receptions in the game. One of the first one's that come to mind is of course the penultimate reception of the game (I don't count the head since its scripted): the reception of the Black Silence. This reception is truly the culmination of all the storylines that has been built up throughout the story, and it finally explains everything behind Roland as well as explaing his motivation for going to the library. But these things can mostly be deduced already if you were paying attention to the dialogue, so it's not really the main selling point of the reception.
The reason why this reception is so memorable to me is because of the actual fight. While it is technically a reception, I personally believe its more akin to a floor realization, given that it's got multiple phases with abnormality like fights due to Roland's distortion, with each phase being linked to a specific period in Roland's life. Roland's realization track also plays in the background, with its piano heavy melody being prevalent throughout. I personally think that the track was made specifically for this reception, and it's not hard to see why given the melody.
It's also funny that this is the second time that I've listened to a song with a piano centric melody about a male mc's struggle over the death of a female character they were close to, who just also happened to die to a piano
And of course, since it's a boss fight, there has got to be a Mili track to accompany the fight. I remember when I fought Roland for the first time when I was in Mexico. I remember being so excited for the fight, and made sure that I got 0 spoilers for any part of it, whether it was the mechanics of the fight, the story, or the music, especially the music. I remember going into the first phase being greeted by Roland 1, and being confused why there was no Mili track playing, and getting more and more confused as I proceeded through the phases wondering if the production team just got lazy and didn't make a track for this fight. Then, I hit phase 4, and everything just made sense.
Gone Angels is not a energetic or serious track like any of the other mili songs or floor songs in general, nor did I think it was ever meant to be. As a track meant to represent Roland's feelings at this current stage, I think the feelings of this track was always going to lean towards melancholy and despair. The lyrics and the melody perfectly fits the struggles that Roland faces internally, his thirst for revenge clashing with his friendship and respect for Angela and the rest of the library. Quite fitting that the theme for Roland is one of desperate plea and anguish, and is a testament of the amazing writing of the game. When I got to the stage for the first time, I just sat there, listening to the music and just taking everything in.
With all that being said, there is no world where I can argue that this reception is the best reception in the game, despite it being the climax. If you were to ask me what my favorite fight of the entire game would be, there is only one fight that would come to mind.
You think im gonna talk about LOR and not mention Xiao??
I think the perfect reception within LOR is Xiao's invitation. It was the first time where I really thought: "Maybe we're not the good guys", and I truly wanted Xiao to overcome the ordeal that the Library has presented her, narratively speaking. Of course, in order for the game to progress, she has to be defeated. If you had played the game, you would know that she meant it when she promised that "a star of the city would fall today". Even when I finally defeated her, what I felt wasn't just the happiness of finally defeating her, but also the bittersweet feeling knowing that her story has ended.
The whole arc of Xiao in the Star of the City is amazing, from her introduction with Lowell, to her struggles with his death, and to her return to the Library. It is also without a doubt that out of all the characters in LOR (outside the patron librarians and angela), that Xiao is my favorite (she's probably still top 3 even including the patrons). I think what really cemented her as one of my favorite characters is her speech as she manifests her EGO, which I can not explain in any way other than that it is probably the most aura moment that I have ever experienced in gaming. Even now, 3 years later, I find myself from time to time booting up the game to experience her fight and the speech again.
or, if im lazy, watch the speech on youtube
The fight itself was also amazing. Given the tools you have available at the time, Xiao's fight is probably the hardest fight in all of LOR, and really makes the fight feel like a life or death battle being you and the protagonist of the story. It also has (arguably) the flashiest effects in the entire game, with Xiao wielding 3 differnet mass effects with amazing animations. And honestly, nothing I really say here will give the fight justice. You know when people say they can't accurately put their thoughts into words? That's kind of what I feel right now. Before this fight took place, LOR was certainly an enjoyable game for me, but this reception truly cemented the game in my heart as one of the greatest of all time.
And of course, it's not an idkac retrospective if I don't mention the music. Iron Lotus is probably my favorite track of the game as well, and just like Gone Angels, perfectly represents the feelings of Xiao as she partakes in this reception. But rather than being a melancholic song, the melody is much more energitic, akin to a protagonist's theme which plays at the climax of their story. This contrasts with the actual lyrics of the song, which focuses on Xiao's lament over the death of her subordinates, companions, and lover as a result of her actions. The chorus highlights this, with lyrics like "I am fire, burn all those who care for me". This contrast does a great job at reflecting her state of mind during this fight, that even though she's lost everyone she cares for, she will stand tall and fight, to at least uphold the wishes that they have left behind. Or at least that's my interpretation of the track. And honestly, this is probably a very shallow and poorly written interpretation, since I have a terrible way of putting my thoughts into words, so what I can really say is to just experience the game for yourself, so you can feel the same as I do (or in Roland's words, suffer like I have).
As a final note, if you haven't noticed by now, every single header has been a lyric from a Mili track that is a part of this game. It is an understatement to say that Mili is one of the biggest reasons why this game is one of my favorites of all time. It is also through this game that Mili became one of my favorite bands of all time. Mili did an amazing job protraying the struggles of the characters through her songs, and I think the game would not be complete without them. Ever since I completed the Crying Children reception, I was always looking forward and speculating on what character would have the next mili track, with each track sort of representing the reward of making it to the next big fight. It would not be wrong to say that without the Mili tracks, I don't think I would have been able to finish the game, as it would have felt incomplete. So once again, I just want to give a huge thanks to Mili and her team, for making this game what it is. And of course, a big thank you to Project Moon for making this absolute gem of a game, and introducing me to irreversible brain rot.
In the words of String Theocracy, I have really kept my eyes buttered till the end
So with that out of the way, let us get to the second reason why I wanted to write this blog: idkac korea escapades and fumoposting
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