View source for Software:Shikkoku no Sharnoth: What a Beautiful Tomorrow

{{Infobox video game
| title          =
| image          = Shikkoku no Sharnoth cover.jpg
| developer      = Liar-soft
| publisher      = Liar-soft
| designer       = Hikaru Sakurai
| writer         = Hikaru Sakurai
| artist         = Akira
| composer       = Blueberry & Yogurt<br/>M.U.T.S. Music Studio
| engine         = 
| released       = November 21, 2008
| genre          = Eroge, visual novel
| modes          = [[Software:Single-player video game|Single-player]]
| platforms      = [[Software:Microsoft Windows|Microsoft Windows]]
}}
{{Nihongo|'''''Shikkoku no Sharnoth: What a Beautiful Tomorrow'''''|漆黒のシャルノス ~What a beautiful tomorrow~|Shikkoku no Sharunosu ~What a beautiful tomorrow~}} is a Japanese adult visual novel developed by Liar-soft. It was released on November 21, 2008 for [[Software:Microsoft Windows|Microsoft Windows]]. ''Shikkoku no Sharnoth'' is Liar-soft's 24th game.<ref name="official-site">{{cite web|url=http://www.liar.co.jp/sharnothtop.html|script-title=ja:ライアーソフト第24弾[漆黒のシャルノス]公式サイト|trans-title=Liar Soft #24 "Shikkoku no Sharnoth" official website|language=Japanese|publisher=Liar-soft|accessdate=2009-12-30}}</ref> The game is described as a {{Nihongo|"steampunk horror [[Software:Adventure game|ADV]]"|スチームパンク ホラーADV|suchiimupanku horaa ADV}}.<ref name="official-site"/> An English translation patch to the game was released on September 5, 2011.<ref name="translation">{{cite web|url=http://amaterasu.tindabox.net/blog/?p=962|title=Amaterasu Translations Blog|accessdate=2011-09-23|archive-date=2013-04-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130425194006/http://amaterasu.tindabox.net/blog/?p=962|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The game includes references to the works of H.P. Lovecraft including mention of Kadath and having a character called 'Howard Phillips'.

==Gameplay==
''Shikkoku no Sharnoth'''s has two modes of [[Software:Gameplay|gameplay]]. The first mode, like other visual novels, requires little interaction from the player as much of the player's time is spent reading the text that appears on the game's screen which represents the protagonist's thoughts or the dialogue between the different characters. The second mode occurs twice every chapter.<ref name="official-gameplay">{{cite web|url=http://www.liar.co.jp/shar_system.html|title=Shikkoku no Sharnoth's official website's game system section|publisher=Liar-soft|language=Japanese|accessdate=2010-01-01}}</ref> In this mode, the player is presented with an [[Isometric projection|isometric view]] of the protagonist and her surroundings and is tasked with guiding the protagonist to certain spots in the map while avoiding the monsters in the area in a turn-based system.<ref name="official-gameplay"/> This secondary gameplay feature is rather unique to ''Shikkoku no Sharnoth'' as the player's interaction with a visual novel is usually isolated to the graphics and audio.<ref name="ann-hirameki">{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-01-06/hirameki-no-longer-publishing-interactive-visual-novels|title=Hirameki No Longer Publishing Interactive Visual Novels|publisher=Anime News Network|date=2008-01-07|accessdate=2009-01-10}}</ref>

==Plot==

===Setting===
''Shikkoku no Sharnoth'' is set in 1905 and takes place in [[Place:London|London]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liar.co.jp/shar_story.html|title=Shikkoku no Sharnoth's official website's story section|publisher=Liar-soft|language=Japanese|accessdate=2009-12-31}}</ref>

===Characters===
The player assumes the role of {{Nihongo|Mary Clarissa Christie|メアリ　クラリッサ　クリスティ|Meari Kurarissa Kurisuti|''voiced by:'' Rino Kawashima}}, the protagonist of ''Shikkoku no Sharnoth''. Mary has heterochromia eyes, her right eye is gold while her left eye is blue.<ref name="official-mary">{{cite web|url=http://www.liar.co.jp/shar_chara11.html|title=Shikkoku no Sharnoth's official website's section on Mary Clarissa Christie|publisher=Liar-soft|language=Japanese|accessdate=2010-01-01}}</ref> She originally had blue eyes but her right eye changed colours one year prior to the game's events<ref name="official-mary"/> and she has been seeing strange visions since.

==Development==
The planner and scenario writer of ''Shikkoku no Sharnoth'' is Hikari Sakurai.<ref name="official-site"/> Sakurai has previously worked as a planner and scenario writer for Liar-soft on ''Sōten no Celenaria: What a beautiful world'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liar.co.jp/cele_info.html|title=Sōten no Celenaria official website's product information section|publisher=Liar-soft|language=Japanese|accessdate=2009-12-31}}</ref> ''Sekien no Inganock: What a beautiful people'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liar.co.jp/inganock.html|title=Sekien no Inganock's official website|publisher=Liar-soft|language=Japanese|accessdate=2009-12-31}}</ref> and would follow Sharnoth with ''Hikaru no Valusia: What a beautiful hopes''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liar.co.jp/val_top.html|title=Hikaru no Valusia's official website|publisher=Liar-soft|language=Japanese|accessdate=2009-12-31}}</ref> the following year. The art and character designs of ''Shikkoku no Sharnoth'' were provided by AKIRA.<ref name="official-site"/> The background music was composed by Blueberry & Yogurt and M.U.T.S. Music Studio.<ref name="official-site"/>

While Liar-soft's other steampunk games had been set in fictional places, Sakurai decided to set ''Shikkoku no Sharnoth'' in London as she wanted to approach the game from a different angle.<ref name="game-style-interview-pg1">{{cite web|url=http://www.game-style.jp/extra/200911/16/05ext_gs-01.php|script-title=ja:第5回：ライアーソフトインタビュー（『白光のヴァルーシア』）その1|trans-title=Number 5: Liar-soft interview ("Hikari no Valusia") part 1|publisher=Game-Style|language=Japanese|date=2009-11-16|accessdate=2010-01-01 |title=Game-style.jp - game style Resources and Information }}</ref> She also felt that London was a very important city in the steampunk genre.<ref name="game-style-interview-pg1"/>

===Release history===
On October 11, 2008, Liar-soft released a [[Software:Game demo|demo]] of ''Shikkoku no Sharnoth'' on the web.<ref name="liar-news-history">{{cite web|url=http://www.liar.co.jp/rireki.html|script-title=ja:コウシンリレキ|trans-title=Update history|publisher=Liar-soft|language=Japanese|date=2009-12-07|accessdate=2010-01-01}}</ref> The game was then declared [[Software release life cycle#RTM|gold master]] on November 6, 2008<ref name="liar-news-history"/> and released on November 21, 2008.<ref name="official-site"/><ref name="liar-news-history"/>

==Music==
''Shikkoku no Sharnoth'' has two theme songs, the main theme "Dorchadas" and the ending theme "Saudade". Both songs are sung by Rita.<ref name="official-site"/><ref>{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100125131850/http://ritarita.jp/work2008Vo.html|archivedate=January 25, 2010|url=http://www.ritarita.jp/work2008Vo.html|title=List of Rita's works in 2008|language=Japanese|accessdate=August 16, 2015}}</ref>

==Reception==
During the month of November 2008, ''Shikkoku no Sharnoth'' was the ninth most widely sold PC game on Getchu.com.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.getchu.com/pc/salesranking200811.html|title=Highest selling games of November 2008 on Getchu.com ranking|publisher=Getchu.com|language=Japanese|accessdate=2009-12-30}}</ref> In a countrywide ranking of bishōjo game sales in Japan of November 2008, ''Shikkoku no Sharnoth'' appeared in thirteenth place out of fifty.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pc-press.info/salesrog.html|title=PCpress' Software Sales Ranking 50|publisher=PCpress|language=Japanese|accessdate=2010-01-01|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101123212516/http://www.pc-press.info/salesrog.html|archivedate=2010-11-23}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.liar.co.jp/sharnothtop.html Official website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shikkoku no Sharnoth: What a beautiful tomorrow}}
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Single-player video games]]

{{Sourceattribution|Shikkoku no Sharnoth: What a Beautiful Tomorrow}}