The latest in the controversial drink-mixing visual novel app is now available.
The Bar Oasis games are a series of apps developed by Corners Studio Ultramarine for iOS which utilize your device’s touch-screen to teach players how to mix up a range of fancy, and true-to-life, beverages. The original game in the series reached number one on the Korean iTunes app store before being banned for its depictions of alcohol, but in the regions it’s still available, the app is rated 17+ for “Frequent/Intense Alcohol, Tobacco, or Drug Use or References” and “Infrequent/Mild Sexual Content and Nudity”. iTunes may be a veritable wild west when it comes to the apps released on it, but Apple are still a stickler when it comes to potential “inappropriate” content.
Japan, however, was seemingly not as offended as its neighbour, and the drink-focused app remained in the top 10 RPGs of 2011 on the Japanese version of Apple’s iTunes store.
Bar Oasis 2: Aftertaste 01 is the fourth installment in the popular series and, while the accurately simulated drink-mixing part is fun, it’s the stories of the patrons who frequent the titular bar that really shine during the visual novel portion of the game. After all, we all know that hearing the juicy stories of the men and women you serve is one of the most interesting parts of being a bartender. Now you can get the experience without having to leave the comfort of your couch and, most importantly, you can just close the app whenever you’ve had enough of a customer’s chatter.
As well as the engaging mixture of different kinds of gameplay, the high-quality art and soundtrack have also contributed to the positive response to the games, and the K-pop inspired soundtracks have been made available ahead of the release with a range of smooth tunes from composer Goomin “Nauts” Nam.
In short, all signs point to this being one of the rare iOS games out there that’s actually worth the money, and you could do worse than to giving it a shot. You can check out the Bar Oasis series on your country’s iTunes store, and visit their official Facebook page here. We’ve also got some lush artwork from the game to share with you, so go ahead and whet your appetite for this mature cocktail-themed experience on the images below.
Top image: YouTube/TouchGameplay
Other images courtesy of Corners Studio Ultramarine
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