Machi

Gameplay

Machi is a story-driven adventure game that follows 8 different characters over the course of five days. The presentation of the game is very similar to the Ace Attorney series in that, besides static pictures of characters and locations onscreen, the majority of the player's interaction is through text, though there are occasional animated cutscenes. The player can switch between the different characters at any time to continue the story, and  depending on choices made throughout the game the player can bring about a good or bad ending. All of the characters live within the city of Shibuya, and many of them can cross paths with each other depending on how the game is being played. For example, in one scenario playing as Gang Member Masami Ushio, the player decides how to best pull off a jewelry store heist. If the player is successful, Masami remains on the run throughout the rest of the game. This further complicates the story for other characters like Jintaro Umabe, who looks like Masami, and is unknowingly implicated in the jewelry robbery. If the player does not succeed in the Jewel robbery, Masami's story ends, and Jintaro does not get implicated at all. Choices with similar repercussions can occur for each of the eight other principal characters. The Japanese phrase used by the creators of the game to describe this mechanic roughly translates to "chain of fate".
 

Characters

• Keima Amemiya - Policeman
• Jintaro Umabe - Actor
• Masami Ushio - Gang Member
• Isamu Sagiyama - Film Director
  
• Atsushi Takamine - A Businessman
• Ryuji Takamine - an AWOL soldier
  
• Norio Aoi - High School Student
• Fumiyasu Ichikawa - an Author