How much replayability?

[n107]

In the flood of emotions upon discovering "Last Night on Earth" exists and my continuing search to get my hands on it, I've been ignoring everything about "A Touch of Evil". I've seen the box art, seen the name, and, more importantly, found a website in Japan that sells it (for now).

I finally decided to look into the game and, much like the elusive LNoE, this game seems dripping with atmosphere. I don't know who these Flying Frog people are, but why weren't they making these games back when I lived in the US and had a conveniently located gaming shop near my home? These games seem from my outsider's perspective to be made by fans of the genre who have the know how to translate that into a board game experience. Keep in mind, I haven't played either, but I've read the rulebooks and I'm not only a BG fan but a fan of zombie and old monster movies.

However, one thing caught my attention after reading through the booklet and multiple posts on BGG: there are only 4 villains. This concerns me that there will not be a lot of replayability when fighting the same 4 monsters. True there's a web exclusive monster and an expansion on the way, but keep in mind this game will cost me roughly US$100. I'm willing to pay it, but I need to know if it stays fresh and original even after you go through all four monsters.

I've read people say that it's never the same game twice, but they don't explain how. That doesn't mean it's really going to be a different experience. Much like "Left 4 Dead", it could mean that in game A a zombie spawns in the left room, in game B he spawns in the right. Yes it's random, yes it changes each time, but it's still the same experience. How does AToE keep things unique and worth killing (or attempting to do so) a Scarecrow multiple times?

Another member on BGG wrote that after you go through the monsters once, you know exactly how to prepare to face them so it becomes a lot easier. That's sort of what I hope to avoid. I don't want it to become easier after I see a villain once, especially since there are only 4. And I know there are/will be online fan-made villains which may be cool but I've always been reluctant to use anything fan-made in games. I don't know why, but I've always preferred the original source over fan stuff. Even the few times I've made my own content for games, I've refused to use them. :rolleyes:

So if anyone could be kind enough to explain these things in detail, I'd be very grateful. I know it's an annoying thing to ask, but if there's anyone who just wants to ramble on explaining the game, now's your chance. The more to read, the better. I want to know if I can justify spending $100 on this since my true goal, LNoE, isn't available.

Oh and if anyone has magical powers and can find me an online store full of saints and other mythical heroes who'd be willing to ship LNoE or AToE to Japan without the exorbitant shipping fee, I'll buy you a muffin.