[b]Excellent news Volunteers! After spending ten long months in the Alleyne's lab, Anna: The Series Test phase 4 is finally here, and playable now! Dr Alleyne can't wait to share with you all what she's been working on![/b] This phase is jam-packed with content from start to finish, plus reworked scenes from the original release. This phase is going to push you into the hardest choice you've made in The Series Test so far and it's going to be asking you; [i] who's your victor for The Series Test?[/i] Phase four is going to have you walking through Alleyne's test and connecting with her replica's while they are at their most emotional state. Each replica has encountered The Mother in some way or another in their previous, cloned, lives. Now this phase you'll be visiting the replica's in their homes all so you can ask them the most important questions of all. [b] Who is The Mother? How do you know her? And, can you end her rebirth?[/b] So, what has Alleyne prepared for you this phase? Let's find out: [b] - Kiyomi Sasaki: [/b] This phase you'll be visiting Kiyomi's private abode trying to figure what exactly it is the master assassin knows. Only problem is, while you've been laying out your plans, Kiyomi's been making plans of her own. What's Kiyomi really been up to this whole time you've been loitering around Series Shores, and how much of what she's found out will she be willing to share with you? Kiyomi story comes to a decisive choice this phase which lay you on the path of betrayal or mutual trust. Does Kiyomi care enough to let you make the choice or will she make it herself? [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40401367/4f478ee164bfab47eb1970669d9c9b535e3775a8.jpg[/img] [b] - Aiko Michiyo-Sasaki: [/b] Every single time you've encountered the princess of insanity thus far, she's been a unpredictable cannon of sheer violence and madness. Now you're catching Princess Aiko in her own home, will she be stable? Stable as she can be at least. Aiko holds the key to The Mother's previous demise and that is a key you so desperately need. But what exactly happened when Aiko encountered The Mother last time, and why did she do what she did? Time to step into insanities lair and find out. [b] - Alma Way: [/b] Sheriff Alma Way has always been somewhat of a wild card. She wants you think she trusts you, you want to trust her, but do you? Does she? What did you do in phase three? Did you spill the beans to the Sheriff or have you played your cards close to your chest? Depending on what you chose in phase 3, depends on where Alma's phase goes this time as it splits into two paths. Are you planning to have the Sheriff help you blow Series Shores wide open or do you want to keep her locked in her own mind doing your bidding? [b] - Cherry Valentina: [/b] Cherry Valentina has been so excited to show you all the treasures Series Shores offers. She's been happy to live in her own world ignoring the darkest sides of life her replica sisters hold. Yet what will she do when you bring the darker side to her doorstep? This phase you'll be meeting Cherry in her home, or yours if you're loved up, while trying to uncover whether Cherry has a darker side lurking within. A darker side you're going to need if you ever want to stop The Mother's threat. After all these months though, have you hardened Cherry's resolve or has she softened yours? [b] - Freya Valentina: [/b] The most tortured soul in Series Shores, Freya Valentina, is she still in your test or was her hatred toward your kind too much for you to handle? This phase you'll be learning all about Freya's history and why she detests humanity so much. Is her hatred just, or is this a woman who's bottled up so many bad memories that she's now bound to explode? Freya only wants to live a peaceful life. She's been through the worst and now only wishes to hide away from the rest of the world. Question is, are you going to let her? Or is the power she holds too much to pass up on? Even if it means destroying another's life. [img]{STEAM_CLAN_IMAGE}/40401367/7ebc05a01d8480dac470186999673a9b25792907.jpg[/img] [b] - Alei-yin Xiao: [/b] Alei-yin has more content in this phase than she's ever had before and this time she'll fill in all the blanks you been holding onto for months. Who is Apex? Who is The Mother? Who are you? Plus, after phase three's heated ending, the cold doctor has some explaining to do herself. What exactly has she been doing to the replicas once you push their buttons? Find out in phase 4. [b] So, as you can see there is lots of content going on in phase 4 and that's just explaining the basic routes without dipping into the variations each one has, or the secret routes where things will go a little off course. [/b] [i] As always I will warn that due to the amount of varying paths in this game, to see all the new content will require more than one playthrough. If you are playing on one route there is loads of content for you, but there is more elsewhere.[/i] [u]Update notes and content include in the new update:[/u] [list] [*] Full new scenes for each replica's standard visit, with HD renders and stories. Plus variations of these stories based on your affinity with each replica and who still remains. - Kiyomi's event has 3 variations. - Aiko's event has 3 variations. - plus a secret Cherry route. - Alma's event has 4 variations. - plus a love route and a secret Aiko route. - Freya's event has 3 variations. - Cherry's event has 3 variations. - plus a secret Aiko route. [*] 5 New home scenes for Alei-yin if you are following her route and 3 new scenes for Cherry if you are following her date route. Each with choices to be made which affect your test and what you've done so far. [*] A continuation of the Haunting storyline. Which is tailored to which replica has been stalking you. [*] 2 continuation scenes which carry on from where you left off in phase 3 and who you left of with. [*] Make your final choice and see where you last choice is leading you to. Plus uncover a new player which has come to town. Is she willing to help or would she rather hinder? [*] Alma Way has finally become a romantic option for you to pursue, but can you keep the love contained to you two or is another woman needed? [*] 2 new true routes have been introduced in this phase. Where will these varying choices lead you to? - An Alma/Kiyomi route. - A clone Aer-dula route. [*] Secret routes come into play this phase. Giving you the option of having more than one final candidate for your test. Will you stumble upon any? - Alma/Freya - lovers route. - Alma/Aiko - lovers route. - Aiko/Kiyomi - lovers route. - Aiko/Cherry - lovers route. - Cherry/Freya - Family route. [*] There are now 29 possible endings to the game in it's current state. Some are unique, others are variations. All will lead to different endings in the final phase. [*] 3,400+ new full quality HD renders. [*] 17 new short animations. [*] 60,000 new lines of code. [*] Alma's, Kiyomi's and Cherry's phase 1 scenes have all be re-rendered and adjusted. (Aiko's and Freya's are coming soon.) [*] The checklists have been updated to give a cleaner and more precise view of what's been missed. [*] All maps have been redone to make them more clean and fit more with the new style. Plus a new main menu screen. [*] Various bug fixes and spelling corrections have been made. [/list] [b] For those of you who have the Volume 1 Render DLC, good news here too as within the next day there is an update coming to that which will include 80+ new 4k renders. Keep an eye out for that. [/b] [i] Now to share some bad news, the gallery has not been updated with this phase as I am looking into changing the whole gallery system to make it more streamlined. Any of the true routes which could be ended on in phase 3 have not been complete as of yet, they are going to be in the next update. Lastly The Xiao Trials has not had any major updates, but that too should come in the next update. [/i] [b] So that's where we are Volunteers! Phase four is finally here bringing tons of content with it and I can't wait for you all to jump in. If you have any comments or questions please feel free to drop them in the discussions or contact me, because I love hearing from the community about what is working well and what can be improved. As for this, there is currently a guide in the discussions on how to unlock each true route. I will be updating that soon with the new true routes, the new date routes, and the secret endings. Why don't you take your next dip into Series Shores Volunteers and take the last step toward ending your test. Alleyne's been waiting for you. [/b]