Everyone, the hardware wars are done. Machina prevails.
QUALIA ~The Path of Promise~
Platform: Switch, previously on PC
Developer: PURESIS
Publisher: Sekai Project
Release date: May 10th, 2024
Price: $19.99
Digital availability: Nintendo eShop
The game known as bishōjo, which translates to “pretty girl,” has been more popular in the Western world over the past few decades. And considering the direction of the genre, that’s hardly surprising. Players engage with a lovely female character on a regular basis to simulate the emergence of a romantic connection.
The majority of the eight to ten hours needed to read QUALIA \The Path of Promise~ demonstrate the allure of bishōjo. Players take on the role of Dr. Hiro Koshino, a talented scientist who appears to devote all of his attention to his job, particularly following the death of his live-in parents.
attentive maid
Koshino recently achieved a significant accomplishment by contributing to the engineering of an android that passed the Turing Test, which determines if artificial intelligence is capable of carrying on a conversation that is indistinguishable from human communication. Surprisingly, The Path of Promise contains other scientific elements as well. The graphic novel explores the workings of machine learning and draws parallels with human knowledge acquisition.
Thankfully, the text never becomes overly complex and clearly lays forth its beliefs. However, sometimes the pursuit of authenticity leads to some very drawn-out discussions. An investor is shown a new android dubbed Machina at the start of the book. Furthermore, the dialogue is a little dry even though the financier’s queries offer some expositional context. The plum-haired, voluptuous robot that wears a frilly pink maid uniform all the time is the reason we are here, not the question of whether mass producing androids is economically feasible.
Switch Users’ Lessons They Won’t Learn
Machina has finished her hardware, but her software needs data to flow continuously. Koshino brings her back to his residence to continue her education as a result. Not surprise, the maker and his invention fall in love. They both have a lot of life lessons to learn, and their shared experience offers many touching moments. Periodically, Koshino questions whether he is properly raising her, introducing the oedipal undertone typical of the story of the “scientist falling in love with his creation.” However, if you want something a little more sensual, you’ll need to download the PC version along with the R18 patch, which includes a couple too explicit for Nintendo interludes.
You might assume that The Path of Promise isn’t worth playing without this explicit patch given its availability. However, it is satisfying to see Machina develop and her bond with Koshino deepen as a result. In the end, QUALIA suggests that a machine’s ability to perceive and return love is the true measure of artificial intelligence—and it’s an intriguing question.
It would be Machina’s Voight-Kampff test
The skillful voice acting of Kitami Rikka (Doukyuusei 2, ToHeart2), who smoothly narrates the character’s development, contributes significantly to Machina’s metamorphosis. One of the best things about the book is how gradually things get better; hearing her ever-so-slightly robotic speech give way to a more natural delivery lends authenticity to the idea of the book.
And sure, there’s a good probability that the ending of The Path of Promise will make you cry. I liked the ending even though I knew where the story was going, and my only complaint is that I wish the denouement had lasted a little bit longer. However, given the rest of this flawless story about the love between a man and a machine, that is a rather small transgression.
QUALIA ~The Way of Hope~ was broadcast on
Replace with the publisher’s review code.
Review Overview
Story – 80%
Interface – 85%
Aesthetics – 80%
Content – 70%
Accessibility – 70%
Value – 70%
76%
GOOD!
Summary : QUALIA {The Path of Promise~ is more than just a simple story of a man and a machine falling in love; it also explains the Turing Test and machine learning. A few genuine moments may be found in the visual novel’s opening two hours, despite the fact that the relationship at its center is skillfully crafted.