Cosmology of Kyoto (1993)
Genres:Adventure, Visual Novel
Themes:Open world, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Sandbox, Educational
Game modes:Single player
Story:Cosmology of Kyoto is a visual novel adventure game developed by Softedge and published by Yano Electric. It was released for Japan in 1993, and then in North America, for the Macintosh in 1994 and then for the PC in 1995.
It is a game where the player, from a first-person perspective, explores ancient Kyoto city during 10th-11th century Japan. The game lacks a clear goal, but is instead nonlinear and emphasizes open exploration, giving players the freedom to explore the city and discover many pathways, buildings, situations, stories and secrets. The game deals with historical, horror, religious and educational themes, and features karma and reincarnation gameplay mechanics. Released on CD-ROM, the dialogues in the game are fully voiced in Japanese, with English subtitles in the localized North American version. The game was not a commercial success, but was critically acclaimed and attracted a cult following.
The game is set in the medieval city of Kyoto around the year 1000, during the Heian period of Japanese history. The game lacks an overall plot, but it instead presents fragmented narratives in a non-linear manner, as the player character encounters various non-player characters while wandering the city. These narratives are cross-referenced to an encyclopedia, providing background information as the narratives progress and as the player comes across various characters and locations, with various stories and related information appearing at distinct locations.[9]
Many of the characters in the game are based on real-life characters from the city and their appearances in the game are often loosely based on tales from the Konjaku Monogatarishū. The game deals with religion and philosophy, particularly Buddhism and Buddhist philosophy, as well as myth and legend.Show more
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A unique blend of adventure, horror, and historical fiction. Its stark and evocative atmosphere gives it a unique vibe that I've never experienced with another game. Its relative obscurity and lack of availability is a shame.
A very raw take on old japanese myths, its surreal style, brutal writing and imagery combined with edutainment aspects makes it one of the most unique point & click games ever made. Nowadays it has become extremely inaccessible, even if you happen to have a copy of it and a VM, you will most likely still find bugs. A re-release also could shed some light on it's sequel, Tripitaka.
Cosmology of Kyoto isn't special to me as a childhood favourite or a game that particularly touches me personally on an emotional level, with what not being a 10th century Japanese peasant or a folklorist of Japanese myths and esoteric Buddhism.
That being said, Cosmology of Kyoto manages to carve up a special place in the adventure (and in the case of Kyoto, educational adventure) video game genre with its eerie spaces and unique writing. It also has the honour of being one of the only video games considered 'genuine' art by Roger Ebert, a fact that the odd English article about the game can't help but bringing up.
The game was only released in limited amounts, and the versions available for emulation in the internet require rather obtuse methods to get them to work. Frankly I highly doubt the game would sell well, but having it re-released in GOG would go a long way towards the preservation of such a unique game.
Played this in the late 2000s and in my opinion it's one of the all time best adventure games. Strongly recommend this for anyone interested in an artistic/educational/horror take on Japanese ancient history/mythology. Currently while it is still possible to find on odd abandonware sites around, these days it seems to be relatively unknown and less accessible than other games.
It seems like such a unique and splendid game. I've watched a video on it, and even knowing what I know I still wish to play it and see everything for myself. It's so mysterious and interesting.
There really is nothing like CoK out there.
It's open ended exploration and portrayal of historical life and mythical tales is captivating. There's not a lot I can say that others haven't already.
It's evident a lot of passion went into crafting this presentation of Japanese culture, both in assembling the game's encyclopedia and art assets.
As an example of interactive media, it's some of the most interesting out there, and it's a shame it isn't more mainstream. A cult classic like this would be great for GOG, and prime for popular conservation and appriciation.
As it happens, it only has a small cult following. It should be present more often in conversations about novel interactive experiences.
Nothing like it, kept me hooked. Aspects in other games that would otherwise be found repetitive or exhausting I found to be avenues for further exploration. Finding so few in-depth guides on the game is a shame, as its niche nature leaves it difficult to explore for those in need of tips or guidance. Fun all round, a piece of the 90s desperately needs the spotlight back on it.
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