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[[File:Lain_PS1.jpg|thumb|Serial Experiments Lain is a video game | {{DISPLAYTITLE:''Serial Experiments Lain'' (game)}}[[File:Lain_PS1.jpg|thumb|The cover artwork for the PS1 game.|right]] | ||
'''''Serial Experiments Lain''''' is a Japanese video game for the [[Wikipedia:PlayStation 1|PlayStation 1]] based on [[Serial Experiments Lain|the animated series of the same name]], which was released on November 26, 1998. The game consists mostly of pieces of information collected in a random order that allow the player to piece together [[Lain Iwakura]]'s story. [[Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide|A companion guidebook]] was released in December 1998. | |||
==Summary== | ==Summary== | ||
The player controls a Lain avatar and navigates a hierarchical system of computer files. The events of the game follow Iwakura Lain and her psychiatrist Yonera Touko. The following is a rough summary of the game's events as related by Keisuke Shindo. | The player controls a Lain avatar and navigates a hierarchical system of computer files. The events of the game follow Iwakura Lain and her psychiatrist Yonera Touko. The following is a rough summary of the game's events as related by Keisuke Shindo. | ||
*Lain (11) begins to visit Touko (27) because of hallucinations. | *Lain (11) begins to visit Touko (27) because of hallucinations. | ||
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==Characters== | ==Characters== | ||
[[Iwakura | * '''[[Lain Iwakura]]''': An apparently ordinary girl with a highly introverted nature and low self-esteem. At age 11, she begins to see and hear hallucinations, most prominently a double of herself. As a result, she sees a therapist at Tachibana General Laboratories. Lain also proves to be adept at psychology and computer science. Most of all, she is unbearably lonely. | ||
An apparently ordinary girl with a highly introverted nature and low self-esteem. At age 11, she begins to see and hear hallucinations, most prominently a double of herself. As a result, she sees a therapist at Tachibana General Laboratories. Lain also proves to be adept at psychology and computer science. Most of all, she is unbearably lonely. | * '''[[Touko Yonera]]''': Recently graduated from an American university, Touko serves as Lain's counselor and psychiatrist. She is a new employee at Tachibana Research Center, and Lain is her very first client, establishing quite a good relationship with her. | ||
* '''[[Makino Shin'ichirou]]''': An ordinary office worker who encounters Lain online. Impressed with her abilities, he provides news, data and computer parts for her. | |||
[[Yonera | * '''[[Tomo]]''': A boy in Lain's elementary school class that Lain has a crush on. | ||
Recently graduated from an American university, Touko serves as Lain's counselor and psychiatrist. She is a new employee at Tachibana Research Center, and Lain is her very first client, establishing quite a good relationship with her. | * '''[[Kyoko]]''': A girl in Lain's elementary school class that Lain is somewhat friendly with, who treats Lain like a younger sister. | ||
* '''[[Mayu]]''': A friend of Kyoko's. | |||
[[Makino Shin'ichirou]] | * '''[[Kaori]]''': A girl in Lain's elementary school class that tries to be friendly with everyone. | ||
An ordinary office worker who encounters Lain online. Impressed with her abilities, he provides news, data and computer parts for her. | * '''[[Yasuo Iwakura]]''': Lain's father. He and Lain are very close and he treats Lain very kindly, often buying her presents. He is a businessman that occasionally needs to travel. | ||
* '''[[Miho Iwakura]]''': Lain's mother. She and Lain are on slightly less good terms, and she is a bit harder on Lain than her father. She still treats Lain very well and looks after her when she needs help. She is a housewife. | |||
[[Tomo]] | * '''[[Misato]]''': Lain's (imaginary) friend in her middle school class. Getting along extremely well, Lain and her do all sorts of things together, at least in Lain's memory. Misato is an ideal girl, able to play the violin beautifully, paint exquisitely, and is also very beautiful and elegant. | ||
A boy in Lain's elementary school class that Lain has a crush on. | * '''[[Harumi]]''': Touko's longtime friend. She rather abruptly gets married. | ||
* '''[[Kanako]]''': Touko's longtime friend. She's a hardworking woman trying to become a publisher. | |||
[[Kyoko]] | * '''[[Takeshi]]''': Touko's boyfriend, met while studying abroad. He works at Tachibana General Laboratories alongside Touko. Their relationship is very platonic. | ||
A girl in Lain's elementary school class that Lain is somewhat friendly with, who treats Lain like a younger sister. | * '''[[Yoshida]]''': Touko's other lover. He works at an exercise equipment manufacturing company that visits Tachibana General Laboratories from time to time. He is popular with women. | ||
* '''[[Professor Takashima]]''': Touko's boss. A well-meaning man that often dumps chores on Touko, impeding her research. Touko hates him. | |||
[[Mayu]] | * '''[[Mr. Rabbit]]''': A friend that Lain made online. He teaches her how to hack. | ||
A friend of Kyoko's. | * '''[[Shock Spammer]]''': A malevolent user online that sends encrypted shock images to Lain's inbox, such as images of a dead infant and a dead woman. | ||
* '''[[Progenetis]]''': Lain's father. After the disappearance of Father, Lain begins to make artificial replacements of her friends and family, starting with Father. | |||
[[Kaori]] | * '''[[Bike-chan]]''': A stuffed toy dog that allegedly has been Lain since her birth. Lain seems to view it as a friend. | ||
A girl in Lain's elementary school class that tries to be friendly with everyone. | * '''[[The Other Self]]''': A hallucination of another Lain that appears nude. She is the reason that Lain starts seeing Touko. | ||
* '''[[CLN-1]]''': An unnamed woman in a school-girl's uniform that shoots her boyfriend in public. | |||
[[ | |||
Lain's father. He and Lain are very close and he treats Lain very kindly, often buying her presents. He is a businessman that occasionally needs to travel. | |||
[[ | |||
Lain's mother. She and Lain are on slightly less good terms, and she is a bit harder on Lain than her father. She still treats Lain very well and looks after her when she needs help. She is a housewife. | |||
[[Misato]] | |||
Lain's (imaginary) friend in her middle school class. Getting along extremely well, Lain and her do all sorts of things together, at least in Lain's memory. Misato is an ideal girl, able to play the violin beautifully, paint exquisitely, and is also very beautiful and elegant. | |||
==File system== | |||
==File | |||
The game's interface is designed to be somewhat similar to a database, apparently called the "life instinct function" or "lif", which appears to be located on a server at [[Tachibana General Laboratories]]. The name of the database could hint that it is serving the purpose of keeping lain alive somehow. The database is divided into two Sites: Site A and Site B. Site B is locked when the player begins the game, and can only be unlocked by finding updates hidden in the files. Each file in the site contains an invisible version number. The version of the player's in-game media player must be greater than or equal to that number in order to play the file. The media player can be updated by finding various upgrades hidden in the files. | The game's interface is designed to be somewhat similar to a database, apparently called the "life instinct function" or "lif", which appears to be located on a server at [[Tachibana General Laboratories]]. The name of the database could hint that it is serving the purpose of keeping lain alive somehow. The database is divided into two Sites: Site A and Site B. Site B is locked when the player begins the game, and can only be unlocked by finding updates hidden in the files. Each file in the site contains an invisible version number. The version of the player's in-game media player must be greater than or equal to that number in order to play the file. The media player can be updated by finding various upgrades hidden in the files. | ||
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*'''TaK''' is a series of 181 recordings of a single sentence each by either Lain or Touko, seemingly addressing the player. These sentences are often random questions. Unlike other filetypes, which are mostly presented in chronological order by level number, these files are presented in two apparently parallel chronologies, one consisting of the recordings by Lain (TaK001-TaK121) and the other by Touko (TaK122-181). There is no label for this filetype, but the Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide calls them "Talk" files. | *'''TaK''' is a series of 181 recordings of a single sentence each by either Lain or Touko, seemingly addressing the player. These sentences are often random questions. Unlike other filetypes, which are mostly presented in chronological order by level number, these files are presented in two apparently parallel chronologies, one consisting of the recordings by Lain (TaK001-TaK121) and the other by Touko (TaK122-181). There is no label for this filetype, but the Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide calls them "Talk" files. | ||
*'''Ekm''' is a series of 6 recordings of conversations between Lain and Kyoko. The label for this filetype is "DATA of CLN01", but the Serial Experiments Lain | *'''Ekm''' is a series of 6 recordings of conversations between Lain and Kyoko. The label for this filetype is "DATA of CLN01", but the Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide calls these files "Extra Kyoko's Memory". These files only exist on Site A. | ||
*'''Ere''', or RESEARCH_"Ky" and RESEARCH_"Ka" is a series of 10 interviews between Touko and some of Lain's classmates regarding Lain. The Serial Experiments Official Guide calls these files "Extra Research". These files only exist on Site B. | *'''Ere''', or RESEARCH_"Ky" and RESEARCH_"Ka" is a series of 10 interviews between Touko and some of Lain's classmates regarding Lain. The Serial Experiments Official Guide calls these files "Extra Research". These files only exist on Site B. | ||
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==Connections between the game and the anime== | ==Connections between the game and the anime== | ||
This game explains many elements in the [[anime]] that are taken for granted or left unexplained. It can be considered an alternate timeline to the anime, perhaps one where Lain is incarnated into a different environment | This game explains many elements in the [[Serial Experiments Lain|anime]] that are taken for granted or left unexplained. It can be considered an alternate timeline to the anime, perhaps one where Lain is incarnated into a different environment. | ||
*Lain's haircut: In the game, it is revealed that Lain cut her own hair. The longer lock of hair where she clips her [[Lain's Hairclip|hairclip]] is meant to prevent something that "enters from the right" from "going out through the left". Not much is known about the context of this statement (at least to the English-speaking fandom), but it has been theorised that Lain's hairstyle wards off demons or prevents her memories from disappearing. According to the [[Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide|guide]], Lain's mysterious statement is referring to her [[crosstalk|auditory hallucinations.]] See [[Q&A]] for more information. | |||
*The chip from [[Layer 09]]: This may be the same in nature as the machine that [[Touko Yonera]] received from [[Tachibana General Laboratories]]. | |||
*Shared [[:Category:Themes|themes]] | *Shared [[:Category:Themes|themes]] | ||
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As the videogame has never been officially translated, a team of fans has fan translated the entire game in English and made the nodes easily browsable. Project began in 2008 and the translation was released in 2014. | As the videogame has never been officially translated, a team of fans has fan translated the entire game in English and made the nodes easily browsable. Project began in 2008 and the translation was released in 2014. | ||
A long time passed after a team of volunteers decided to remake the game from the ground up using web technologies (React, three.js, WebGL) making the whole game playable in the web browser. Work on [https://github.com/ad044/lainTSX lainTSX] started solo by ad044 since August 2020, and on | A long time passed after a team of volunteers decided to remake the game from the ground up using web technologies (React, three.js, WebGL) making the whole game playable in the web browser. Work on [https://github.com/ad044/lainTSX lainTSX] started solo by ad044 since August 2020, and on 13 September 2020 help was gathered from community. Decision to recreate the game in the browser made the translation, especially the integration of the subtitles easier, and gave the opportunity to smooth the gameplay and the animation using a better framerate and overall timing. | ||
{{GameCharacters}} {{Media}} | |||
[[Category:Media]] | [[Category:Media]] | ||