Baldr Sky
Encyclopedia
is a duology of Japan
ese adult
visual novel
s with 2D action elements developed by Baldrhead
from Giga
. The series characterizes itself as a cyberpunk
action adventure game. The first game, named was released on March 27, 2009 for the PC
. The second game, Baldr Sky "Recordare" Dive2 was released on November 27, 2009. A manga based on Dive1 by Kouji Tanaka is serialized in Comp Ace
.
Similar to other games in the Baldr series, Dive1 is also driven by a top-down 2D interface where the player controls a mecha
in sprite
form to combat enemy machines. The player is given a chance to upgrade or modify the equipment of the mecha prior to a series of battles.
at all times. With the dawn of these new technologies, warfare has expanded beyond the physical world onto the virtual world. People engage in combat online in sumicrams, the name of the mecha units in the game, or with viruses (unmanned robots).
In September 2010, GIGA also published a spin-off episode called "BALDR Sky DiveX: Dream World", which included many scenes that weren't mentioned in Dive1 and Dive2, such as the memories of Kou while he was a mercenary with Rain.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese adult
Eroge
An or Ero-ga is a Japanese video or computer game that features erotic content, usually in the form of anime-style artwork. Eroge originated from galge, but unlike galge, they feature erotic/pornographic content.-History:...
visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
s with 2D action elements developed by Baldrhead
Baldrhead
Baldrhead is an action eroge developing team from Giga. Most of their games, with the exception of Duel Savior, feature mecha in an action-oriented game engine....
from Giga
Giga (company)
is a Japanese adult visual novel producing studio under TGL Planning. Giga produces both regular visual novels driven by text and graphics as well as games that feature mecha with action-oriented gameplay elements...
. The series characterizes itself as a cyberpunk
Cyberpunk
Cyberpunk is a postmodern and science fiction genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." The name is a portmanteau of cybernetics and punk, and was originally coined by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983...
action adventure game. The first game, named was released on March 27, 2009 for the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
. The second game, Baldr Sky "Recordare" Dive2 was released on November 27, 2009. A manga based on Dive1 by Kouji Tanaka is serialized in Comp Ace
Comp Ace
is a Japanese computer game and manga magazine published by Kadokawa Shoten. Comp Ace began as a special edition version of another one of Kadokawa Shoten's magazines, Comptiq. The first issue was released on March 26, 2005, and was published quarterly for the first three volumes which had cover...
.
Gameplay
A majority of Dive1s gameplay consists of reading the text that's rendered on screen and supported with audio for voices. The player will occasionally be presented with choices to select which may or may not determine the outcome of the game. As Dive1 has multiple endings, the player will have to replay the game multiple times in order to view all of the endings.Similar to other games in the Baldr series, Dive1 is also driven by a top-down 2D interface where the player controls a mecha
Mecha
A mech , is a science fiction term for a large walking bipedal tank or robot, including ones on treads and animal shapes.-Characteristics:...
in sprite
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
form to combat enemy machines. The player is given a chance to upgrade or modify the equipment of the mecha prior to a series of battles.
Setting and themes
Baldr Sky takes place in Japan some time in the future during the 21st century. Nanomachines have become a commonplace and have taken a major role in society. The abilities of these nanomachines range from medical purposes for curing ailments and modifying the taste of food. A new generation of humans now also have a chip embedded in them which allows them to be connected to the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
at all times. With the dawn of these new technologies, warfare has expanded beyond the physical world onto the virtual world. People engage in combat online in sumicrams, the name of the mecha units in the game, or with viruses (unmanned robots).
Story
The story of Baldr Sky revolves around the male protagonist and is told through two timelines, the present and the past through flashbacks. At the beginning of the story, Kou is suffering from memory loss so much of the back story about the past is told through flashbacks while Kou is recalling his memories with the aid of medical nanomachines. In the present, Kou and his subordinate, , are after a group of scientists who had inadvertently triggered a hazard due to a developing nanomachine. The city and the surrounding area that the lab is located in is ultimately demolished but the scientists had actually evacuated to safety from the lab before the place was destroyed. Kou wishes to uncover the truth about what happened that day and to prevent another tragedy from occurring again, as his girlfriend Sora was killed by the nanomachines. It is eventually revealed that Kurihara Naoki had accessed the Baldr System and been possessed by the consciousness of the mad scientist Neunzehn, who caused the tragedy to happen. It is also revealed that in a parallel world where is was not her but him who was killed, Sora, like Kou, became a mercenary also partnering Rain and fought Dominion and GOAT, and in an attempt to stop the Tranquilizer, ended up at the Sea of Es where the AI's subconscious allowed her to see and meddle with other worlds. Neunzehn, linked to the Tranquilizer, was also given that ability, and the two fought a multiversal war with Sora trying to save the Kou of other worlds through her avatar the Agent, while Neunzehn tried to destroy mankind with the Assembler via his own avatar, Father Gregory. The memories of the events of the other worlds eventually flow back to Sora's where they awaken Kou's simulacra, and he kills Neunzehn. However in Sora's world mankind has already been wiped out by the Assembler and all the people are actually wired ghosts, electronic life-forms with no bodies in the real world. They use nanomachines to recreate life on Earth, however, and after an immesearuble amount of time are able to create clone bodies of their old selves which they then inhabit. Meanwhile in yet another world, Kurihara, with Makoto's help, does not succumb to Neunzehn and the Assembler is completed successfully, so the Gray Christmas never happens.Music
The opening theme for Dive1, entitled , is sung by KOTOKO. The opening theme for Dive2 is jihad, also by KOTOKO.Development
Baldr Sky is the third game in the Baldr series following Baldr Force and Baldr Bullet "Revellion". Character designs were, like the other two games in the series, by Seiji Kikuchi. Music composition was provided by Tgz Sounds, Barbarian on the Groove, and LittleWing.Release history
Prior to Dive1s release, GIGA released a demo of the game's prologue chapter online on the Internet on January 23, 2009. The full game was released about two months later on March 27, 2009.In September 2010, GIGA also published a spin-off episode called "BALDR Sky DiveX: Dream World", which included many scenes that weren't mentioned in Dive1 and Dive2, such as the memories of Kou while he was a mercenary with Rain.