LJ3

Really recommended order: Arc -> Ciel -> Akiha -> Hisui -> Kohaku.

Because Ciel's is a terrible way to end this.

Disagree. Kohaku's ending was the most wishy-washy, superficial ending of them all.

Ciel true, on the other hand, has some quite interesting aspects to its ending.

Originally Posted by raygirl

Disagree. Kohaku's ending was the most wishy-washy, superficial ending of them all.

Ciel true, on the other hand, has some quite interesting aspects to its ending.

You can't look at just the endings, you have to look at the whole paths.

Kohaku's had stuff to it. Ciel's... well, everyone knows the jokes, don't they?

Ciel's route had plenty of interesting things. It was like an improved version of Arc's route. I'd want to go into what those things are, but it would require spoiling them for LJ3, which I don't want to do.

Originally Posted by Dark Pulse

You can't look at just the endings, you have to look at the whole paths.

Kohaku's had stuff to it. Ciel's... well, everyone knows the jokes, don't they?

Do I really have to fight you, Darples?

I read through Arc's route, but the art is kind of offputting. WHY IS EVERYTHING BLUE?

It's Takeuchi attempting to "channel" film noir

Originally Posted by The Geek

I read through Arc's route, but the art is kind of offputting. WHY IS EVERYTHING BLUE?

Tsukihime takes place in an alternate timeline created by the 5th Magic, Blue.

Imagine eating first soup, the way you are supposed to, then they bring you a big chicken with potatoes/vegetables, and you eat the chicken alone as it is, declare you have enough, and are brought the desserts. You first eat the pie and then the cake, and the cake turns out to be your favourite kind and really makes you feel good after the whole thing.
And THEN you decide to eat the sidedishes from the chicken, for completion's sake. Nothing against Ciel, but, would totally hate reading her route after DREAMS OF SUNSHINE.

Oh yeah, and I keep repeating that there is a lot to be said about everything in Tsukihime being blue, whether it's intended or not, it's definitely a part of the appeal.

I like Ciel. It's why I'm saving it for last.

And hey! Maybe it'll be like it was when reading Fate: it's actually pretty good and not shit.

Originally Posted by Polly

Do I really have to fight you, Darples?

Bitch, yes. We rollin'.

Originally Posted by LJ3

I like Ciel. It's why I'm saving it for last.

And hey! Maybe it'll be like it was when reading Fate: it's actually pretty good and not shit.

...Unfortunately, the combination of Curry + Ass will prove you wrong.

You may like Ciel and that's all fine and dandy, but reading her after you do the Far-Sides is going to be severely underwhelming.

Originally Posted by Dark Pulse

You may like Ciel and that's all fine and dandy, but reading her after you do the Far-Sides is going to be severely underwhelming.

Why? Far Side is pretty underwhelming for me, especially Kohaku's ending. The second half of Ciel's route is awesome (with the first pretty much being Arc's route). I really don't understand what people's gripes are with it.

See, there is an ideological line going through Tsukihime beyond killing things so hard they die to death, and the recommended playing order reflects it.
Consider the following:
Arcueid surpasses Shiki completely. He struggles to keep up with her, and eventually has to get on her level. Arcueid is someone Shiki ends up becoming dependent on, and she decides to level down with him, because she recognizes he needs her. Some, like Roa, may argue she is now less than she used to be, and will be right, but the funny thing is, sometimes becoming worse is the right thing to do.
Ciel is similliar to Shiki, but superior to him. Their entire relationship is based on her projecting on him. He is capable on getting up to her level eventually, and he does, but first he needs to make a lot of hard decisions selfishly.
Akiha is Shiki's equal, and is the only heroine able to judge him justly. She is also the only one who actually understands him right off the bat despite not having seen him for such a long time, and the only one who provides proper insight on his personality. By virtue of her and SHIKI mirroring him in many ways, the route is completely about Shiki. Akiha really is the Rin of Tsukihime.
Hisui is someone who has a reason to hold herself back. She needs to put in serious effort to keep up with Shiki, and she eventually manages to. This can happen either by ridding herself of the restraints forcibly, or by it happening conveniently, but it's never a nice thing to go through.
Now, with Kohaku, you have come full circle. This part is extremely important to understand: Shiki is to Kohaku what Arcueid is to Shiki. There are things he has to give up to even begin to comphrehend her, but she has to to get over herself, too, in the end. That's why Akiha, who represented the parts of Shiki he had to deal with, plays the role she does in the route.

What's worse, Kohaku's route is written to be the summary and conclusion from the get go. You are going to miss stuff if you have not read Ciel by then. Actually, chances are you are going to feel serious guilt for not going for Kohaku after Kohaku.

Originally Posted by Dark Pulse

Bitch, yes. We rollin'.

Pistols at dawn, good sir. Nobody insults Senpai on my watch!

Originally Posted by Polly

Pistols at dawn, good sir. Nobody insults Senpai on my watch!

Pistols? We are Type-Moon fans, obviously blades are the way to go.

Pistols go better with the fedoras.

Nothing ever goes well with fedoras except Harrison Ford's face, but the thing is, Harrison Ford's face goes with virutally anything imaginable.

That's a really good argument for the recommended order. I'll still go through the Far Side sequentially but I think I can handle potential dissatisfaction on ending on Ciel's.

I think I'm okay with doing this kind of order since I did the same thing with F/SN (Fate, Heaven's Feel, Unlimited Blade Works). It probably is because when spoiling myself some time ago on Ciel's True End, I was really touched by it. Even with viewing the others, that really struck me more for some reason.

But you give me high hopes for being really satisfied by the Far Side routes then.

Ratman made the perfect case for why the standart order is best. Even if Arc and Ciel basically have the same route.

Originally Posted by LJ3

I think I'm okay with doing this kind of order since I did the same thing with F/SN (Fate, Heaven's Feel, Unlimited Blade Works).

It's... kind of impossible to do it in that order. The game explicitly sets flags that FORCES it to be Fate -> UBW -> HF, unless you started from an all-clear savestate.

You're not forced to go to that level here (Must do a Near-Side before any Far-Sides unlock, must do Hisui's before you can do Kohaku's), but for the reasons Ratman mentioned, as well as the fact that it's very similar to the Arc path until after halfway or so, it's going to feel rather hollow if you put Ciel last, even if you like her.