LustGrimm Again

LustGrimm Again is an eroge released by 62studio on June 30, 2021. It is a remake of Lust Grimm.

The game has separate versions for Windows and Mac computers, which can be bought from DLsite (Windows and Mac). It also has a separate game, Lust Grimm Dummy, which contains a hidden genocide route. An English translation is available here.

The game received a major content update, Version 1.5, on August 31 2021. It received another major update, Version 2, on January 23 2022.

LustGrimm Again includes one of 62studio's six projects, the 3 Rs (3つのR). This is a collaboration with three other game developer circles, which will feature one character from each of the collaborators as bonus characters. These characters are Lilith, Dolce and Vilty.

Story
The story follows Magrut, a boy or young man of indeterminate age. After a meeting with a friend, he hears a voice coming from one of his old picture books. He is thus drawn into the book. While surrounded by darkness, he hears someone asking for help and apologizing for dragging him into this situation.

Next is a retelling of the story of Little Red Riding Hood. An unknown speaker calls it boring due to the lack of tragedy. As the camera pans over various locations occupied by succubi, the speaker talks about her desire to create her own tale, one completely devoid of hope. The speaker addresses someone as "Little Red", who briefly appears (though in shadow) and agrees with the speaker.

Magrut wakes up in a strange house and is greeted by a talking chicken who introduces himself as Primary. Primary explains the nature of the world: men often are drawn into this world and become trapped, and the dominant species are succubi who rape men to death. Primary advises Magrut to remain in one of the world's refuges for safety.

Magrut leaves the house and notices a page from a picture book, containing a picture of Little Red Riding Hood. He then runs into the mysterious Chloe, who is seemingly the only human woman in this world. Chloe notices the page and gives him the cover of the book it belongs to, suggesting that he should search for the remaining pages.

When Magrut leaves the village, he runs into Fess, one of three powerful succubus sisters. She challenges him to a fight, demonstrating the sexual nature of combat in this world. Fess refrains from using her full power and eventually teleports away, leaving a warning that she won't hold back the next time they meet.

Magrut travels across the world searching for the pages. The story revealed in the pages is a modified version of Little Red Riding Hood. One recurring person he meets is Emilyn, a man crossdressing as a woman who behaves flirtatiously towards him and often provides assistance. Another recurring person is Demonia, a strange white-haired succubus who has altered some of the world by creating gaping holes in them and who shortcuts his quest to retrieve some of the pages.

Upon reaching Harmonia Town Magrut learns that Welcome Bridge, which leads south, is broken, and the bridge repairman is in a slump due to a honey shortage. He speaks to the Harmonia Town bartender who offers him a sickle to cut past Alraune's lair to get some honey from the Grizzly Bears living behind. This reinvigorates the repairman and he starts his work, opening the way forward.

Right at the other end of the bridge is Chloe, who asks Magrut to find Primary and deliver a letter to him. Magrut finds Primary outside an unknown house in the forest to the north and hands over the letter. Primary reveals that, in the letter, Chloe has stated that Magrut is the key towards freeing all those trapped in the world. He then reveals his own history: like Magrut, he also doesn't remember how he came to this world, but he was helped by another (Chloe in his case). Magrut then heads off, but is intercepted by Rotkappchen, a powerful succubus who describes herself as their leader. She declares her love for Magrut, and blasting Primary out of the way when he tries to intervene. Rotkäppchen leaves, claiming that they will definitely meet again. Primary recovers and advises Magrut to be careful.

Continuing his search for the pages, Magrut comes to the roof of Daydream Tower. The black-haired succubus Manuve appears and introduces herself as the eldest of the succubus sisters. However, she says she does not intend to fight and leaves. Magrut finds a cooped-up scientist in the higher floors of the tower who hands him an Orc Sucker, which allows Magrut to clear the way past the swamp to Lacrima Village, where he learns of Herman and his relation to Emilyn.

After trading for the Pirate's Pass, Magrut boards the Pirate Ship docked at Hades Coast, and after negotiating with the Pirate Succubus, he obtains a blue orb. Affixing it to the monument in the middle of Harmonia Town lets him access an offshore cave, where he eventually finds the Pirate Succubus's treasure guarded by a kraken. He reclaims the treasure and returns it to the Pirate Succubus, who offers her Rosario should Magrut manage to best her in combat.

The Rosario is used to empower a crystal near the House at the beginning of the game, sending Magrut to The Dawn Of Heaven. His trip in that realm is cut short when he bumps into Demonia again, who points out that the rest of the place is inaccessible. She hands him a Missing Page before directing him to the Waterway underneath Harmonia Town.

Magrut descends into the Waterway, but a locked door stands in his way. Emilyn directs him to a tunnel in Lacrima Village that leads to the hidden village of Back Cover. Here he finds the famed scholar Herman, who explains more about the world: it is one of the stories of the Brothers Grimm, altered by a succubus into its current state; humans who read it are sucked in, with women immediately transforming into succubi; men who are drained dry by succubi turn into a character in the story (a process he calls Grimmification), resulting in the talking animals and other fantasy creatures; reassembling the picture book with the seven pages will free the trapped humans; the pages are invisible to succubi until they are touched by a human. Herman asks Magrut to obtain the remaining page, something he can't do himself since (like the succubi) he can't see them, and gives him the key to the door.

After collecting the final page in the Succubus School of Junk Town, Magrut deduces from the pages that Rotkäppchen was attacked and turned into a succubus by other succubi. He hears her voice, asking for help and apologising to those drawn into the story. However, Manuve and Ideal (the middle sister of the three succubus sisters) teleport into the room. Manuve incapacitates Magrut but decides not to rape him, advising him to accept living in this world. If he refuses, she tells him to come to their home of Howling Castle where they will subdue him. Magrut wakes up to find the pages and book cover stolen.

Magrut enters Howling Castle. In the dungeon he finds an imprisoned Chloe, who frees her. He defeats the two younger sisters but learns from Ideal that Manuve is not in the castle; she has gone to Back Cover to cut off any remaining method of escaping this world. While hurrying through the tunnel to Back Cover, Magrut encounters a group of succubi that is too large for him to defeat. Emilyn appears and reveals himself to be Ludwig Emil Grimm, the youngest brother of the Grimm siblings. Ludwig sacrifices himself to defeat the succubi.

Back Cover is filled with an army of succubi brought by Manuve. Herman has devoted himself to a magic ritual that weakens the succubi, but he is running out of power and asks Magrut to defeat Manuve. Magrut hurries off but finds Chloe instead, who explains her purpose and reveals that she was actually Manuve in disguise. After Magrut defeats her, Manuve says that her subordinates are still around, only for a loud explosion to occur and all signs of the other succubi to vanish. Manuve realises that Herman sacrificed himself to defeat the other succubi and decides to retreat. She hands over the completed picture book to Magrut and tells him to go to Little Red Riding Hood.

Magrut returns to Little Red Riding Hood's house and encounters Rotkäppchen again. She reveals that she was expecting him and explains how she fell in love with him because he, unlike the other children, never threw away her book. Primary jumps into the house and is revealed by Rotkäppchen to be the Hunter, another character originally in the story who was Grimmified by succubi. Primary, having regained his memories, wants the world to return to normal but Rotkäppchen refuses as this world (and her current power) let her be with Magrut. Primary attempts to blow himself up to defeat Rotkäppchen, but she survives with no apparent harm. Magrut fights and defeats Rotkäppchen, seemingly causing her to give up. She tells him to return to the real world via a portal in the back of the house, which should also free everyone else, and asks that he not forget her.

Magrut reappears in his room. However, Demonia appears, congratulates him and reveals that Rotkappchen has not truly been defeated. He thus has no choice but to return and Demonia will guide him to her if he fulfills one condition. Demonia leaves and Magrut touches a book to return to the succubus-filled world.

There is a brief scene in which Dolce and Vilty, two people summoned from other worlds, converse. Demonia arrives along with Lilith and they are all introduced to each other. Demonia explains that she's summoned them to defeat a certain human (Magrut) and has given them all special powers to help with this. She tells them to wait in their rooms until Magrut arrives.

Magrut comes to the Old Succubus House where he meets Demonia, who explains that her condition is to defeat the three people waiting up ahead. He successfully does so, but then Demonia reveals that she never intended to give him information on Rotkappchen. She uses her backup plan, the powerful succubus Mel, but Magrut is able to outlast Mel's patience. Demonia tries to defeat him herself, but she loses. Having lost completely, Demonia gives up, tells Magrut to forget her if he wants a peaceful life, tells him that he must defeat the true mastermind Lust Reaper, and leaves.

There is another cutscene with the three summoned succubi, who discuss Magrut and what they should do now.

Magrut reappears outside the house, now with a letter from Demonia in his pocket. She hints that the path to the mastermind will eventually show itself once Magrut finds all 14 pages - including the Lost and Unknown ones - with one Unknown page hidden behind her letter. Until all pages are collected, she advises Magrut to take his time to train for the final battle.

Later, Magrut finds a letter from Rotkappchen outside Outset House, telling him to meet her at the house in the forest after collecting the remaining Unknown Pages and the key to her house's door. Magrut does so and fights Rotkappchen for a second time, defeating her again. Rotkappchen returns to her senses and is horrified at her actions. The true mastermind appears, expresses disappointment at this outcome and banishes Rotkappchen. Finally, she tells Magrut to spend the rest of his life wandering this world.

Magrut is sent to the strange and otherworldly location of Story's Beginning. At the end he finds the mastermind again, who introduces herself as Lust Reaper and explains how she wrote this story. She attacks him with the intent of making him lose and thus creating a bad ending. During this fight, Magrut can listen to Rotkappchen's voice, which weakens Lust Reaper. Magrut ultimately wins, making Lust Reaper give up and release all those trapped in the book. The men and succubi vanish as the credits roll.

Finally back in his room for good, Magrut looks around briefly before walking out. Rotkappchen appears in the room. She thanks Magrut for saving everyone and for not forgetting her, and says she will never forget him.

Afterwards, Lust Reaper muses on her loss and tells the three succubus sisters that, as she no longer needs them, they can now live as they want. The scene changes to Manuve and her sisters in their house, with Manuve uncertain about the future since their mission is complete. Ideal suggests pursuing Magrut and Fess thinks that this is a good idea. Manuve decides to be more carefree from now on and thinks that it might be good to live as Chloe. This results in the True End of the game.

LustGrimm Dummy has much less content than the normal game: most of the world is distorted and inaccessible, enemy attacks instantly defeat the player and cause a Game Over, and almost no H-scenes are available. The genocide route requires the player to play both this and the normal game. In the normal game, the player needs to collect at least 60 Red Riding Medals, listen to the Grimm Radio on the frequency 666, and talk to at least six of a certain set of succubus NPCs (who appear when the player has obtained Brave victories against certain bosses on the highest difficulty, Real); finally, they must save the game in Hoshifuri Village: Outskirts. They must transfer this save file to LustGrimm Dummy and load this save file.

Speaking to Hatter and answering "Yes" to her question transports Magrut to a strange area with green platforms and Vigor-draining succubi. While going through this area, Magrut will learn the Hatter and Cheshire Cat have come to this world to investigate something. At the end, the Hatter warns Magrut of a powerful devil sealed here and tells him to forget everything he's seen just now.

Magrut then returns to the previous world. If he then examines the sign here repeatedly, it will ask if he desires the future's end and ask him to hand over power. Doing so transports Magrut to the sealed Demon, who explains how she was sealed and wounded by her most hated enemy, but his power will let her escape and send that enemy into despair. The player is offered a choice of submitting to Demon or quitting the game, but regardless of what they pick (even if they manually close the game window), Demon overwrites every save file and and drains Magrut's power with a titjob. The title screen is now altered to show just the word "Again" and a distorted, red view of Demon's face.

Gameplay
For more detail, see the Gameplay article.

The gameplay of LustGrimm Again is broadly similar to that of Lust Grimm and most other games by 62studio. It is a JRPG in a 2D world with turn-based battles against enemy succubi.

Enemies are represented on the map with unique sprites (in contrast to the generic sprites of Lust Grimm) and have 1-3 stars above their heads denoting their strength relative to other enemies in the area. Enemies with 1 star are normal in strength, while those with 3 stars are extremely strong. Enemies pursue the player once they get near and battle is initiated upon making contact, but unlike in Lust Grimm, contacting an enemy's back does not give a free turn at start of battle. If the player is much higher in level than an enemy, then the battle with that enemy is skipped and the player receives experience and muni. Finally, after the boss of an area is defeated, enemies in the same area will flee from the player rather than attacking them (this can be changed in the settings).

In battle, the player has three gauges to worry about: Vigor (labeled "Energy" in a tutorial image), Stamina and Life. Vigor is depleted by enemy attacks and when it hits 0, the player ejaculates and cannot act for several turns while the enemy becomes stronger; after several turns, Vigor is partially restored and the player can act again. Stamina is consumed to use skills and regenerates each turn. Life is depleted by ejaculating and by enemy attacks received while at 0 Vigor, and the battle is lost when Life hits 0.

Certain enemy attacks can be avoided by successfully completing a Push Action: a sequence of arrow keys that must be input within a certain time limit. This sequence can be input using either the keys on the keyboard or by clicking on arrows on the screen. Pressing an incorrect key or running out of time results in a failure of the Push Action.

A major component of gameplay is Lust. This is a percentage in the top right of the screen that increases from enemy attacks, during each turn in battle, on escaping from battle or by stepping on traps. The higher the Lust value, the more damage the player receives from enemies and the longer the sequences during Push Actions.

The sexual content of LustGrimm Again is greatly expanded over that of previous games. All succubi have two H-scenes each (one of which is a titjob) when the player loses to them, and the player can choose between them on loss. This is in addition to each defeat H-scene having two variants, one for the first loss and one for subsequent losses. Additionally, certain H-scenes are animated (something only previously done in Cow Girl Ending).

The character 62-chan helps the player in various ways. An item allows the player to ask her for hints on how to progress through the story. During battles, she gives hints on what to do. If the player loses to a boss a certain number of times, 62-chan appears nearby to provide hints and (optionally) skip the boss entirely.

Guides

 * Information on enemy stats, treasure locations, sidequests etc.: http://think-game.com/archives/44265271.html
 * Walkthrough: http://think-game.com/archives/44278846.html