Shooters And Shmups – Uncovering The Hybrid
Aiming For The Moon
On
the surface Action Shooters and Shmups might seem to be the gameplay
styles which have the most patchy and inconsistent relationship with
narrative. Yet when it comes to visual novels they follow a series of relationships in order to allow them to function at their
best. While the flexibility of visual novels allows them to form
around the Shooter, the gameplay style itself is by its nature
extremely fixed and controlled meaning it cannot offer the same
ability to change in return. One of the ways this manifests is
through each part’s ability to act as an accessory to the other
where they can highlight key moments rather than being a primary
focus. A visual novel element can adapt to match the rigid nature of
the Shooter or push against it to meet the developer’s needs. There
is an important feeling of forward momentum to Shooters which can
sometimes be uneven in a pure version due to the necessity of downtime
but with the addition of visual novel sections this can be more
consistently maintained. Let’s fire out bullets and discover how
this hybrid comes together.
Accessorizing Core Identity
A
common way visual novels and Shooters merge is through one of them
acting as an accessory to the other. What is this often means is one
of them is reduced to a minor role where they appear briefly to create an impactful moment the other could not achieve on their own.
Their functionality in this situation comes from their ability to be
a flexible tool capable of appearing wherever it is needed. When the
visual novel sections are the minor element they work to give the
otherwise disconnected Shooter levels a sense of cohesive direction.
This is made easier due to their simple presentation lending them a
fast pace so they can communicate information and tone in the small
time frame given in a way a more elaborate narrative style would
struggle to do. Being lower cost to produce also plays a role in this
since committing a large amount of resources to something which
appears infrequently is not something many developer’s want to do
and this makes the visual novel an appealing option. On the opposite
extreme are the title where the Shooter occupies the position as the
minor element. In many ways it is similar to other gameplay styles in
that it offers a break from the visual novel and a chance to create a
vastly different mood within the game. However, what makes it
distinct from other examples of this is the way its action gameplay
is such a large departure from the static nature of visual novels it
creates a powerful and memorable way to provide a dynamic feeling. It can help
support the drama and pace of the story surrounding it through asking the player to act fast just like the characters are doing while not
overstaying its welcome. A fast paced gameplay style also allows it
to feel natural in the short and aggressive bursts needed to fulfil
its role without feeling too simplistic within its limitations.
 |
| Here come the butterflies |
Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly is one such visual novel
containing Shooter elements in an arcade style where butterflies move
towards the screen and the player must shoot them down. These are
placed in narrative moments when the cast is in danger and act as a
way to provide weight to scenes which can otherwise come across as
lacking impact. Actions scenes in Psychedelica lack a
proper sense of tension and stakes as it is clear the character drama
is the game’s main concern and so the Shooter gameplay has been
brought in to compensate for this weakness. Due to that focus on
characters and their interpersonal conflicts there are only few
Shooter sections in the entire game so they are basic in nature in
order to not interrupt the flow. The game does not want the player to
be challenged by the arcade shooting and it is difficult to fail them
since there is a generous amount of health, enemies move slowly and
you have infinite ammo. In terms of how the Shooter is presented
within the aesthetics and tone of the title, there has been a lot of
thought put into preventing it appearing too out of place on this
front. The characters all have guns in the story so it makes sense
for them to be able to engaging in shooting gameplay and choosing
butterflies as the enemies works within what has been established
about their role in the setting alongside creating a common imagery
for both side to use.
On Rails
When
talking about Shmups it is rare for visual novels or narrative in
general to come up in the conversation and yet when one wants to
present a story they always fall back on some kind of visual novel
element. This is due to the contrast between the on rails nature of
their mechanics and the appearance of the more open and free-form
nature presented by visual novels. Obviously visual novels can be
just a rigid as Shmups in terms of progression but their human focus
allows for a feeling of chaos to be injected into proceedings and
create the idea that anything is possible. The result of combining
these two is a mixture of complimentary drama and contrasting
flexibility. A Shmup level is inherently a roller-coaster ride of
particle effects, explosions and moment to moment decision making and
this works well as the dramatic core which a visual novel section can
build off for its heightened emotional moments which keeps pace with the gameplay. By deliberately
creating a friction between the structures of the two parts, the game
is able to highlight their individual distinguishing features and
draw the player’s attention to aspects of each as they are given
new life. Despite there being little in common in terms of mechanics, there is some crossover in terms of presentation which can be used to
make it clear what matters on both sides.
 |
| Quick solve the mystery! |
Let’s look at a somewhat
unconventional example in the form of Yurukill: The Calumniation
Games. This is an odd one since it converts parts of its Shooter
gameplay into a multiple choice deduction puzzle were the ship must
fly through the correct answer. Having such a large departure from
the expected gameplay of its genre is an attempt to draw the visual
novel half closer to it by placing elements commonly found there into
a Shooter context. Rather than reconciling the two halves, it instead
seeks to align them in what they represent in terms of narrative
direction with everything tying back into the interpersonal conflicts
of its cast. There is still a strong contrast between the visual
novel and Shooter sections even with their common ground and they
push up against each other to create a series of highs and lows
depending on where the game places them within its overall structure.
The over the top tone which remains constant through the cast’s
exploration of Yurukill Land helps these parts from a cohesive
feeling whole since there is an underlying expectation from the
player for things to not be straightforward and the inclusion of
contrasting mechanical elements certainly fits.
Constant Momentum
On
the opposite end to the use of two as contrasting elements are the
titles which push both into the role of perpetuation the game’s
momentum. Presenting the title through only one lens leads to a
degree of predictability as the player becomes comfortable with the
limits of what they can expect for it. For a game relying on its
action and drama as its core hooks this is not a desirable state
since they want to keep the high moments coming and that is difficult
when the tension has been drained out of the gameplay. The answer is
into lean into the Shooter’s nature as an experience with a lot of
forward momentum and combine with it with the personal tension of a
visual novel narrative to create an experience which bounces between
the two in order to never lose steam. This is not to say that these
games do not have any downtime but instead they emphasise their high
points through a back and forth along narrative and mechanical lines.
It does not completely remove the familiarity since if the title
wants complex gameplay or plot it needs to slowly build it up and so tries to space the swaps far enough apart that they can still hold some
impact but not so much that it undermines the player’s ability to
engage with the mechanics or narrative.
 |
| Mecha combat has quite an impact |
One set of titles which likes
to play this angle are the BALDR SKY games. Its mecha Shooter
gameplay is cleverly weaved into the narrative to keep it moving
forwards with a noticeable briskness during sections of escalating
conflict. This way its momentum does not get in the way of the
downtime and character interactions which shape the direction of the
plot. Sharing a common focus on the destructive battles of the mecha
contributes to a feeling of the player’s actions within the Shooter
sections having weight and smoothly leads into and out of the visual
novel’s presentation. Without these mecha piloting sections these
massive machines would lack a proper sense of place within the
narrative as the act of pushing through enemy resistance provides a
momentum and physicality to this hulking metal humanoid. BALDR SKY
does highlight how this use of the hybrid prefers titles with an easy
to communicate source of fighting which a Shooters can systemise in
order to create a coherent mechanical identity. Something too simple
or non combative would not suit the kind of gameplay favoured by
Shooters hence why BALDR SKY’s mecha are perfect for this purpose.
Conclusion
Heart
pumping Shooters and edge of the seat visual novels are a
surprisingly good match for each other despite their vastly different
natures. One can act in a minor role inside the other where they
offer a short break from the established identity of the work to
present an idea or tone which would not be easy to otherwise convey.
Their union can also bring out their respective strong presentation
of forward momentum while keeping the player from becoming too overly
familiar with either side. Above all the contrast between the two is
the most powerful tool they leverage to play on the rigidity and
flexibility of their respective content and communicate ideas and
themes on a more subtle level than could be achieved in isolation.
This hybrid is one all developers should keep in the back of their
mind when looking for a way to blend action and a strong narrative.
Distinctive Routes – An Anatomy Of Visual Novels
Writing Alternative History
Due
to the character centric nature of visual novels, their structures and
narratives tend to focus around individuals and do
not deviate too much from a set organisation of events common to all
routes. Routes which each offer a drastically different series of
events demand are less present in the medium and tend not to be used
in populous genres like romance and slice of life. This is due to
complex nature of having to prevent the divergent paths from openly
contradicting each other while supplying the routes with interesting
plots that are different yet believably come from the same source.
One approach these titles take is to divide the experience between
various factions and ask the player to choose one since their
competing ideologies will naturally lead to engaging conflicts. Evil
routes are a recurring way visual novels choose to create memorable
sections as it gives the player the chance to see a darker side to
the characters. Framing these as alternative futures for the
protagonist or even having them influence some kind of greater plot
does a lot to alleviate any tension between them. Let’s
dramatically change our fate and find out how all these elements come
together in practice.
Choosing A Faction
A
clean and easy way to have drastically different
routes in a visual novel is to divide them among the setting's factions. This is a far more common approach to narrative choices in
the wider gaming space through titles like Fallout and other western
RPGs since it nicely slots into their actions have consequences style
of storytelling. Since a visual novel has to rely solely on its narrative it
cannot be as free-form as these games and its extremely character
driven nature compounds this issue. As such the faction based routes
have to tread a delicate line around these limitations and it does so
by framing the factions through the characters who make them up.
Instead of simply being manifestations of competing ideologies, they are
messy groups of individuals who are all vaguely going in the same
direction even if they see their ultimate goal slightly differently.
This makes the transition into a route feel like a natural shift
within the conflict of the narrative due to the overall focus
being similar to a standard route structure. However, once inside
these factional routes the visual novel has a lot more room to make
dramatic changes to the progression of events since the competing
factions will naturally clash with one another and act upon their
ideologies. They may not quite get the ending they envision but the
characters' destinations will be completely divergent in each faction's route. It is a much larger picture style of narrative than is normal
for visual novels which can accommodate a larger cast of diverse
perspectives, but the trade off is the loss of some of the powerful intimacy
often utilised by the medium.
 |
| Locking heroines to specific factions makes sense within the context of their conflict |
Since there are so few examples of this
factional approach we shall focus on one notable title utilising it,
Soukoku no Arterial. The player is offered three factions too choose
from at the end of the common route, side with the angels, demons or
remain independent, and all these result in vastly different
narrative directions. There is an effort to make none of these options
appear more desirable than the others with every faction having
their own positives and negatives. In particular the player is
offered personal perspectives from each side through the members of
those groups they fight with and against which does a lot to bring
the mythical angels and demons down to a human level despite their
magical powers. An interesting thing to note about Arterial’s use
of faction routes is it still includes a heroine focus in the form of
unique endings for them with each faction being given their own
handful. They have almost no effect on the greater plot and exist as
a series of self contained events where the heroine gets more time
for character development. This is clearly an attempt to reconcile
the expectation for character based content with the grander faction
narratives and they succeeds in being a condensation of a heroine
route but lack the proper impact of a more focused experience.
Depending on how long the player takes in other parts of the game
they can go for extended periods of time without experiencing any
heroine events, so they were never going to feel impactful and instead
existing as a sideshow to the main plot.
Doing An Evil Deed
It
is common in visual novels and games in general for the protagonist
to act in an unquestionably moral good manner so an easy way to
create a memorable route is to have them do the opposite to the
normal. So was born the evil route where the player leads the cast
down a dark path as everything established in the good paths is torn
up and remade in the chaos caused by this shift in priorities. There
is an element of catharsis in being evil in a virtual space hence why
RPG’s of all stripes from Mass Effect to Fable have such elements and this is made
more meaningful through the presence of a good path. It is in the
choosing that the impact is created, in the turning away from
traditional moral good and embracing darker actions, which is
absolutely perfect for a visual novel looking to make distinct
routes. Of course what constitutes ‘evil’ in these routes varies
wildly from title to title based on the kind of experience they are
aiming for and how believable the switch to an evil course is for the
cast. The main common thread between them is how they frame the
characters’ fall within the same context and language as their good
route to balance the different tones of the two parts through
presenting them as how choices have a large impact on a character’s
perception of events.
 |
| Sometime what defines evil can be very subjective |
Due to the variety of ways to implement an evil
route it is difficult to find a single game to encapsulate it so
let’s cover a wider range to properly showcase it. On the fringes
there are titles like Daiteikoku and OZMAFIA!! who have evil routes
in the loosest sense where the questionable actions of the
protagonist are justifiable within the context of the story or
otherwise only vaguely considering the moral implications of their
actions. This type are using the evil element as a kind of extra
spice rather than entirely committing to it and as such the player
will not think too much about it outside of key dramatic moments.
However, it is still enough to leave a distinctive impact when
compared to more ‘good’ routes and so expands the
identity of the works. Sitting on the opposite extreme to this games
like Himegari Dungeon Meister where the protagonist is already
aligned with what would be normally considered the villains and
having an evil route is less of a surprising feature. In many ways
the good route is the part of these titles which brings in greatest
contrast since it is against what a player would expect from an
amoral character. Yet the evil route remains the more memorable
section since a good route cannot help but lean heavily into standard
and conventional right actions so becomes predictable by comparison.
There is a certain glee to be gained from watching someone evil doing
evil things in the fictional context as they get to indulge the
darker parts of our nature.
Another Time, Another Face
Beyond
the more clearly defined types of distinctive routes exist those
which can be broadly classified as alternative timeline based. This
is routes where each of them diverge noticeably from the others but
clearly exist as a cohesive part of an overarching narrative identity
while treading a line between being new and exciting and a part of
that vision. In general these are far less immediately memorable when
compared to the faction and evil types but gain a degree of coherency
needed for a game wanting to present wider themes and ideas.
Approaching the design of routes from this angle does limit just how
out there they can make the plots of each route so they have to get
inventive in order to achieve their distinctive feel. This often
leads to them being more creative in the small details than other
types of routes such as recognising or twisting character arcs or key
details from other routes within a new context. In their totality
they come together as a kind of patchwork of differences which
rewards the player for noticing the important details about how and
why events play out the way they do. The result is an overall work
where the actions of all its characters appear to be driving force of
the narrative rather than an overarching plot or threat compelling
them to act.
 |
| A common starting point for three very different routes |
Fate Stay Night is one title following this principle
for its routes and it slow escalates the differences over its playtime. The Fate route exists as a baseline for future
routes to build on and as such it never shakes the boat too much in
order to make the later contrast more powerful. Unlimited Blade Works
is a noticeable departure from Fate in the characters and events it
chooses to focus on. It takes previously minor characters and fleshes
them out as well as bringing conflicts where were present in Fate to
their boiling point to give a dramatic high greater than Fate’s own
climax. Then Heaven’s Feel comes along and completely rips up the
foundations of Fate and rewrites them into a story interested in the
shadowy nature of the Holy Grail War itself. It strips away the
pillars which UBW and Fate had in common in order to place Sakura and
her conflict front and centre with familiar elements remade around
this new core. However, it is still very much Fate Stay Night even
with its deviations and does not move too far away from this identity
and is instead the natural conclusion of the procession of the
narrative as it explores what drives its characters.
Conclusion
Everyone
wants their visual novel to stand out and be a memorable experience
for the player so developers try their hand at distinctive routes to
achieve this effect. Some frame the routes through the lens of
choosing a faction to support and create drastically different
narratives based on their competing values and internal conflicts.
Others present the routes as alternative possibilities and rely on a
slow expansion of the narrative space through interlocking small and
shifting details. Then on the extreme end a developer can lean into
the catharsis of being evil to create a vastly different take on
their characters where their darker side can be explored. Overall
distinctive routes are a powerful tool for a visual novel developer
but require them to be able to engage with their material in a
flexible manner and may not be appropriate for every genre or style
of story.
Fan Fiction – Genre Deep Dive
Beyond The Original
As
long as creative works have existed there has always been Fan Fiction
from the expansions to ancient myths up to contemporary books and
films, so it should come as no surprise that visual novels share in
this tradition. It is a strange genre to talk about since its only
unifying characteristic is the people who produce it not being in any
way endorsed by the original creator. Yet underneath this myriad of
stories are some powerful undercurrents which the visual novel medium
makes for the perfect place to explore. The simplest of these is the
expression and engagement of a fandom in a creative act which makes
them part of that community and its identity. Next to this is the
expansion of ideas left unexplored by the original title and these are
a prime space for new stories to be woven. Of course there is no
requirement for Fan Fiction to adhere to the original’s themes and
tone and there are many which craft their own vision of what they
wanted from the title. Let’s nerd out over our favourite series and
find out why visual novel Fan Fiction has such a wide scope.
Passionate Fandoms
Creating
Fan Fiction can be a major part of how a fandom defines its identity
as a community and the way they communicate their common interest in
a work. Through their visual novels they can express core elements
from the original work extracted from their context and exaggerated
to an extreme while making them the main focus. Alongside this there
is a tendency to often miss the point of the original work in favour
of presenting common character ships, memes or other aspects created
by the fandom. Including things like these helps the creator of the
Fan Fiction fit their work within the community's expectations and
mark them as one of the group in order for it to be accepted. This is
not a paint Fan Fiction as something which entirely exists to pander
towards other fans but rather to highlight the underlying changes a
creator in this sphere makes to be part of the community. Since there
is no money or future creative prospects on the line, the love of the
original is main reason for the developer to work on their Fan
Fiction and so the larger the fandom surrounding it the more they
will have an impact on these works since they will naturally form a
common language which the creator will draw from since they are
intimately familiar with it.
 |
| Defining one's identity through fiction |
Perhaps the most extensive example of
this practice are the many fan titles which have sprung up from Doki
Doki Literature Club. These chose a single facet of Doki Doki and use
it as the basis of the common language they speak with to the player.
Doki Doki Literature Club! Purist Mod focuses solely on the earlier
slice of life sections of the original as its common ground and
transforms the game into a more standard romance visual novel. On the
other end of the spectrum we have Monika After Story which is only
interested in the just Monika part and playing on the memorable
elements of that sequence. What these two share is the attention they
place on the distinctive features of the original that the game’s
community have made its own through their collective interpretation
of it. This ability to be whatever its community wants is one of Doki
Doki’s most potent qualities and is responsible for the longevity
of its popularity despite it being not having all the bells and
whistles of more expensive titles. Its characters and story can be
quickly and easily referenced in the form of simple memes and iconic
lines so any person who has played it can know exactly what another
player is referencing immediately. This leads to Fan Fiction based on
it to adopt a similar structure in an attempt to recapture those
iconic moments through the lens of its community and their
interpretations of the original material.
Expanding On Ideas
Over
the course of a title there is not always space to explain or explore
every avenue and possibility due to various issues such as a need for
good pacing or it simply not being relevant to the overall title. Fan
Fiction is not bound by the same constraints as the original work
since it can generally rely on the player having experienced the
title it is based off so it free to do its own thing. As such
creators in this space often take these left over aspects of the
original and expand on them to explore new angles on the story they
love. This often leads to an interesting mix of old ideas and those
from the creators own mind with everything from new characters to new
major events while still sticking close to what came before. It is a
fine line to walk for Fan Fiction and is prone to mistakes in
continuity and out of character moments but the overall lower
expectations from the player make these easier to ignore. Not being a
professional or original work saves Fan Fiction from a lot of the
criticism that would normally be aimed at it due to its free and amateur
nature being on full display. It also frees them to be more creative in
how they engage with their material and as a result it ends up being
a genuine expression of their passion for the work in a deeply
personal way.
 |
| Another day in court |
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – The Contempt of Court
is an interesting example of how expansions on existing material can
be executed. Set after Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney: Trials and
Tribulations it uses the space opened up between entries in the
series to insert its own take on the characters while adding some
of its own to create an excuse why nobody mentions this incident in
future cannon titles. It is not afraid to make references to the
original material as a method of legitimising its content and
creating a sense of it naturally flowing out of the Trails and
Tribulations as another chapter of Phoenix Wright’s life. Of course
all of this has an amateur quality to it from the overeager love for
the series which is constantly on display to the uneven new art
assets and their out of place appearance when placed alongside the
old ones. This meets the player’s expectations for Fan Fiction and
so works in the game’s favour to help focus the player’s
attention of the dramatic court battles rather than any wrinkles
surrounding them.
Going In New Directions
At
the extreme of Fan Fiction are the works which keep only the core
concepts and name of the original and crave their own vision of what
those elements mean. These games are in many ways closer to entirely
original works rather than derivative ones and walk a fine line
between the two where old iconography is made to function for a new
purpose. It remains an expression of the creator’s passion for the
title at its core but passed through the lens of their own creative
vision. For the most part the original’s cast and locations are
stripped out and might only make cameo appearances in order for them
not to outshine the creator’s new characters and setting. There are
also a lack of meaningful connections to the existing timeline with
the work being a completely self-contained affair except for other
works from the creator. Large ideas are the focus as they are
leveraged to capture the essence of the original over the course of
its playtime and yet it is never quite the same since it has passed
through the creators interpretation of the material. The
resulting push and pull of creative intent and the limitations of the
original material can produce an uneven experience where the
creator’s own vision is rubbing up against the restrictions of Fan
Fiction.
 |
| Time to find the killer with a new cast |
An example of this can be seen in the Danganronpa fan games
by Linuj as they start close to their source material but slowly move
away from it. Danganronpa: Another ~Another Despair Academy~ is their
first work and it contains a original story with new
characters while still keeping most of the elements from the original
such as Monokuma. Yet as the title goes on it moves increasingly in
its own direction with its own cast completely taking over the space
and little of the original’s influence remains. However, it is
careful to make the whole thing self-contained so it does not try and
make itself important to the cannon as such the result is an even
more personal tale than the original games. This is taken even
further in its sequel Super Danganronpa Another 2 ~The Sun of Despair
and the Moon of Hope~ which is almost entirely distinct from the
original Danganronpa. Gone is Monokuma who has been replaced by a
similar looking bird named Monokeurou. While there is still an air of
familiarity to its, it scrapes so close to just being an entirely new
game that it comes across as the creator’s own work rather than a
Fan Fiction.
Conclusion
For
many people Fan Fiction is a genre which offers a flexible creative
outlet and it is no different when dealing with visual novels. They can
be way for a fandom to express their collective love for a title as
well as being a means by which people can signal their membership of
it. Sometimes they can take the original work in new directions where
only the core identity of the series remains and new elements are
brought in to provide their own angle. These can also just be
expansions on areas skimmed over by the original work due to time
constrains and this can help flesh out the greater world of the
franchise. Overall, this is a strange genre of inconsistent quality
but if there is one thing they all share it is passion and there is
no denying how important that is for the creative pursuits.
Da Capo III Review – Flowers Blooms For Love Eternal
Genre – Romance, Slice of Life, Magic School Play Time – 40 hours Developer – CIRCUS Steam VNDB
Magical School Life
A
strange text message from the past and the sudden blooming of sakura
in the middle of winter herald a tale of magic and pure love. Da Capo
III is a game of two parts the modern day school romance and the 50’s
magical school drama and these work to form a contrasting web of
delicate emotions and characters. Its nature as a love story remains
at the core of the game’s identity from beginning to end no matter
what extraordinary events happen, everything always comes back to the pair’s romance. Driving the drama is a cast of memorable and
likeable people who are subtly different in the past and
present sections. Backing all of this is a presentational style
which is clear and bright to match the game’s tone perfectly.
Having a divide between two different time periods does have a down
side and that is the way the past sections are significantly more
interesting than the more standard present day ones to a distracting
degree. The Da Capo series is well known for its blend strong
emotional moments and heart-warming romances but does its this third
entry live up to its legacy? Let’s stand under the blossom and find
out.
Meshing Past And Present – Narrative and Themes
As
you would expect from a romance visual novel, the bulk of Da Capo
III’s playtime is dedicated to love stories for each heroine and
the associated drama. While this might seem to be an obvious feature
at first glance, since what else would you expect from this genre,
there are numerous small touches, combined with its core messaging, which ensure it always comes back to its core identity and never gets
lost in all the surrounding elements. Keeping this focus is most
important when it comes to how the game handles its drama since this
is where the majority of the narrative’s conflict originates from,
but it is also the point where the game could easily become too
caught up in making itself as climatic as possible. Da Capo constantly
draws a clear connection between the drama and what is it at stake,
the couple’s love, and makes sure the player feels the weight of
the characters emotional connection as it is strained under this
tension. Since the player is by this point intimately familiar and
invested with the couple’s affection, it helps provide a context to
why they should care about what is going on and this is valuable when
the stakes are otherwise low due to the more grounded nature of the
conflicts. Another way the focus on the idea of a pure love story
works in the game’s favour is through providing a unifying context
to the past and present versions of the characters. The exact events
surrounding how each version of them fall in love might be different
yet the love is the same at its core and reflects the nature of their
bond as an eternal and meaningful one. In this way romance becomes
the glue which holds the whole experience together in the way any
good story of the genre should aim for.
 |
| Early on the past sections are presented like a half remembered dream |
By
far the biggest draw for the title is its two complimentary settings,
a present day school and a 50’s magic school. These two share a lot
of common slice of life elements recontextualised into the culture
and place each offers to invite the player to compare and contrast
them. Its present day half is more or less what you would expect of a
visual novel from this genre with its clubs and general air of
optimistic youthfulness. On the other hand the magic school puts its
own spin on these elements as aspects of its magical world and in
turn give them new life to keep things feeling fresh. Until the
finale the magic side of the story holds a certain distance from the
player’s perspective and offers the main source of overarching
intrigue since it is obvious what is happening with the peeks into
the past versions of the characters, but not why it has started
happening now. This prevents it from drawing away attention for the
present day romance which remains front and centre for much of the
playtime so the emotions of this set of characters can presented
clearly and be properly explored. When the past finally does
take centre stage it works as an impactful and distinctive way to tie
up loose ends in order to engage the player just when the structure
of the heroine routes has become predictable and help the title end
on a high note.
 |
| Love blooms from the smallest things |
Leaning
so heavily into this present and past divide as its main unique
feature results in Da Capo III’s biggest problem in the form of the
unflattering contrast it presents. The present day side of the
narrative is a fairly standard affair when it comes to its own
content and anyone who has played a game in this genre will be
familiar with everything it has to offer. By itself this is not
necessarily an issue given many other titles follow the same patterns
without it being a problem, it is presence of the past sections and their more memorable characteristics which
highlight the formulaic nature of much of the present day content. This is made more noticeable due to all the important
overarching elements taking place in the past or being directly
related to it with nothing going in the opposite direction. Through
this lack of broad plot beats, the present feels like it
lacks substance and undermines the dramatic tension it aims to create
through the feeling of it being ephemeral to the overall game.
Further emphasising this is the fact the final route, which wraps up
the story, almost exclusively focuses on the past with little
interest in the present and it is the pay off for all the build up
throughout the entire game. As a result past sections come across as
the parts of the game the developers were excited to create and
put the most effort into while the present day events feel weaker by
contrast even if they are not bad for their genre.
Enchanting Humanity – Characters
For
a game reliant on romance as its core hook, Da Capo made sure to
include a wide range of engaging and memorable heroines so the player
will be interested in pursuing each one. This is given an additional
layer due to the presence of the past versions of these characters
who are subtly different from their present day counterparts. At
their core they are the same people but have been shaped by their respective lives and it results in changes which reveal more about what makes
them both tick. It is a key element in how the game maintains
the player’s interest over the long term as it unveils new sides to
the cast and gives the player a new appreciation for them. Take for
example Morizono Rikka and Ricca Greenwood, they share the same
charismatic and intelligent personality with an aspect of
mischievousness to them, but it is in how they differ from one
another where their hidden sides reveal themselves. Ricca has a deep
loneness within her and her teasing and tricks are her way of
concealing that pain while Rikka uses her charisma to keep control of
what is going on around her so she does not have to get too close to
the people she calls her friends. This comparison invites the player
to re-examine both girls to find how each uses the techniques of the
other and what new aspect of them can be uncovered and spill some new
secret. Such an engagement is also present for secondary characters
since many of them also have past versions which reveal similar
truths about them but these are simpler in nature so as not to
distract from the heroines.
 |
| These five are a joy to watch as they banter back and forth |
Shining And Clear – Visual, Audio and Technical
The
idea of the bright and pure spring of youth runs through all aspects
of Da Capo’s visuals and audio in both the past and present.
Blooming sakura is a fairly standard motif to signal spring but here
it is the focal point of the visual style and forms an important
thematic icon due to the mysterious blooming tree in winter. The resulting
art style is one painted in bright colours designed to articulate the
nature of the romance they are accompanying and help convey the
inexperienced nature of the character's emotions. Being so overwhelmingly colourful also remands the player of
the magic of the past sections and the strangeness of the sakura
blossom in winter in order to underscore their significance to the
overarching story and keep them in back of the player’s mind. Above
all of this is the way bright visuals convey the slice of life nature
of the game and set exceptions about what the majority of the story
will be like. From an audio standpoint the soundtrack is nothing
particularly special with no real standout tracks and instead aims to
create a singular mood, relaxing romance. On this front it performs
admirably with sweet and light tunes to match every kind of everyday
scene, even of the magical kind, with a lot of thought clearly having
gone into creating such a clear musical palette while maintaining a
core identity. With regards to the mechanical elements of the game
there are sections where the player will be given a menu of options
for how the protagonist will spend their time. Unfortunately there is
no complexity to this system and it is instead just a glorified
version of the normal choices leading to heroine routes just pushed
through a foggy lens to add more confusion which leads to some
frustration at times.
 |
| Prepare to see screen a lot |
Conclusion
Emphasising
the magical qualities of a pure love story is what Da Capo III does best
both literally and metaphorically. It balances its cute romances with
the necessary drama needed to give them a sense of weight and
genuineness for a rounded experience. The visuals and audio reinforce
this consistent tone and maintain a bright and clear quality to push
the narrative’s core thematic moments. Helping these elements is
the divide between the present and past sections which push the
game’s ideas through familiar and magical angles. This goes for the
characters as well who are given new ways to appreciate them through
how their different versions reaction to the events around them.
Weakening this package is the way the past sections are distinctly
more interesting then the present and tend to get all of the
overarching plot significant moments which makes the present feel
hollow. Alongside a weak choice system and the experience can feel
uneven at times. Despite these hiccups this is a strong romance
visual novel with a good mix of emotional moments and plot
progression to keep you engaged for its entire duration.
Verdict –
Captures the feelings of bright youthful romance and adds in some
magical spice to create a memorable tale spanning across time. Even
if it does have an uneven feeling when it comes to its overarching
story.
Pros -
+
Strong and pure romances with each heroine are backed up by a good
dose of engaging drama.
+
Contrasting the present and past makes for an exciting way to keep
the player’s interest.
+
Having present and past versions of characters offers unique insights
into their personalities and motivations.
+
A strong and clear visual and audio style helps the game maintain a
light and refreshing tone across its entire playtime.
Cons -
-
The past is significantly more interesting then the present due to it
being where all the magical elements happen as well as many
significant overarching plot beats. This leads to the game feeling
uneven.
-
Mechanics are disappointingly simple and somewhat confusing at time
when you are just trying to get to the next route.
Best Visual Novel Releases – May 2025
As
we creepy slowly closer to summer, the temperature has been rising in
the world of visual novels with a suite of exciting releases. It has
been a month full of a little bit for everyone from those who want a
harem of catgirls to the complex relationships of yuri and yaoi to
various supernatural tales dripping in danger. Let’s dive in and
find out what visual novels from the past month you should be
playing.
Official Releases
NEKOPARA After
It
has been five years since the last entry in the NEKOPARA franchise
and this seemed to be a series which had reached its natural end.
Then along come After to inject life with a game focused around a
previously minor catgirl and the protagonist’s sister. Nothing
about this game is interested in breaking the formula established in
previous titles and it instead doubles down on the familiar
characters and setting as its main selling points. This is a victory
lap of sorts focused on the only remaining character without meaning
exploration, Kashou’s sister Shigure and her odd relationship
with her brother. Since the games have generally had a dual heroines,
the catgirl of Kashou’s grandmother has been brought in to act as a
foil to the antics of Shigure and their dynamic is main selling point
of After. If you are a fan of NEKOPARA then After is a must buy, but
it will not be converting anyone who never meshed with its brand of
humour and slice of life story.
7'scarlet
Originally
released on the PSVita back in 2018, this Nintendo Switch release
opens up the supernatural romance up to a new audience who get to
enjoy its imaginative brand of otome. The visual novel is focused
around the heroine’s search for her brother who has gone missing
after he visited Okunezato. With this as her only clue she sets out
with her childhood friend Kagutsuchi Hino to investigate this
mysterious town, but what she find is more dangerous than she could
have anticipated as the local ‘Legend of the Dead’ turns out to
be very real. This supernatural mystery forms the backbone of the
narrative as each new route reveals a piece of the puzzle alongside
getting to know the various suitors. It does a good job of balancing
the love and the danger to create an engaging tension between the
leads which helps spice up the typical otome romance. Overall
7'scarlet is a fun otome for those looking to add a little more
intrigue to their pursuit of the suitors.
The Town of Nie Iromusubi
Being
the fandisc to the original The Town Of Nie puts Iromusubi in an
interesting position due to that first game’s darker themes and
afterlife centric story. It chooses to tackle these elements by
leaning into them as it expands on both the good and bad endings from
the original in order to continue the rounded perspective on its
characters. There are also the customary extra stories
common in fandiscs, here they are all given to side characters so
their backstories can be explored in a way they could not be before.
As a whole Iromusubi shifts away from the direct sense of danger and
mystery into a title examining the few possibilities left from new
angles. While not quite offering the same experience as the original
it still manages to offer fans something substantial to chew on.
Perennial Dusk -Kinsenka-
Frontwing’s
newest title has an interesting set up with it following a group of
exorcists in training in a world where the living and the dead freely
mingle. Everything about this game is set up it makes its intent to
create a powerful and resonant emotional journey clear as well as
the fact it will not be an entirely happy one. This is a story about
the ability of the human spirit to endure hardships and how that
shapes people while they keep pushing forwards. However, this is a
Frontwing game so this is never going to be a wall to wall bleak
affair and instead leans into elements of action and slice of life to
break up any darker feelings and make time for the characters to just
be themselves. Being a focused and linear version of the developer’s
style makes Perennial Dusk an excellent place to dip your toes into
their portfolio and offers a compelling experience for existing fans.
Clover Reset
For
this month’s yuri game we have Cover Reset, a tale of young love
and heightened emotions. This is a title which firmly leans into its
teenage cast and school setting to present its romance through a
heart-warming coming of age story. It puts a lot of effort into
making its cast feel human and with relatable concerns which build upon
each other to create an excellent breeding ground for drama. All this
results in a very inward looking narrative where the inner journeys
of these characters are in many ways more important than their actual
actions. Cover Reset is a suitably emotional ride that will appeal to
fans of the genre and those looking for something with an
introspective nature.
POV Characters – An Anatomy Of Visual Novels
A Window Into The World
Every
story needs someone to tell it and often this role is given to the tale's
protagonists so they can paint an intimate picture of their journey.
Visual novels love to play with perspective due to their tendency
towards first person narratives where it can help the player better
understand events or trick them with smoke and mirrors. This
regularly involves entire large sections from the different points of
view among its cast, each of which provide new information to help
construct a complete picture of what is going on. Not every use of
perspectives needs to grand with many titles jumping POV for only
small periods of time to create an emphasis on key emotional moments.
Of course the simplest use of this technique is the bait and switch
protagonist where it looks like one character is going to the
protagonist only for something to change and another
character to raise up in their place. There is a great deal of
expression available for a developer through showcasing multiple
perspectives and opening the player up to new experiences. Let’s
swap characters and find out how this all works in practice.
Differing Perspectives
Having
multiple POV characters opens a lot a possibilities in how a
narrative can present itself and what information the player will be
given and by whom. It allows for its characters to show the same
events through different eyes in order to slowly reveal the complete
picture as the game goes on. Choosing to structure a visual novel in
this way means adopting a non-linear formatting to progression either
directly within the story flow or in an episodic fashion due to how
much jumping back and forth it will be doing. It is also rarely a
simple duel protagonist set up and there can instead be as many as
five competing perspectives on the same events which can be a
challenge for the player to keep track of, so it is key for the game
to make it clear who is currently the POV and what they stand for as
fast as possible. The main advantage of having so many POV characters
is how it offers a natural way to recontextualise what the player
believes to be true without stopping the story to do a big plot
reveal. What happens instead is the characters just give out what
information on what they are seeing and feeling and it is only from
the player’s perspective that they have this additional layer of
meaning. To someone within the story their world view seems normal
and it is only from a higher angle it can be revealed to full of
holes. There is an important development cost angle to this use of
multiple characters since the repeated revisiting of the same places
and times means the assets created for it can be reused with each
return. As such there are generally less overall assets to create and
this leads to a freeing of resources for the key narrative moments or
to keep the project within budget.
 |
| VNs with lots of POVs often have some sort of chart to help track them all |
Looking
at Wonderful Everyday and 428: Shibuya Scramble as examples of visual
novels using this structure we can see the two contrasting visions of
how it can be implemented. Wonderful Everyday has an
episodic take on the multiple protagonists approach with it swapping
to an entirely new perspective at the start of each episode. The
events and time period of every episode are mostly the same with
a few outliers and showcase how they looked for another angle as well
as showing things the other protagonists could not have seen since
they were not present. What forms is a slowly expanding picture of
these events where the player is constantly having to reevaluate
their prior knowledge as people they thought were reliable turn out
not to be and vice-versa. Its constant stream of new protagonists
helps create a broad and empathetic cast where previously minor
characters get a chance to shine and demonstrate how their relevancy
to the overarching narrative. This leads to the plot feeling like the
natural conclusion of various people’s actions rather than a
contrived plot structure. On the opposite side of this embracing
multiple perspectives sits 428: Shibuya Scramble and the way it
constantly pushes the player between different protagonists. Its
structure is decidedly non-linear with it not being possible to
complete one perspective without having finished parts of various
others in order to progress. Adopting this approach allows the game
to lean into the interconnectivity of the characters’ lives and
provide the player with different options of what to experience next
without giving away control of how and when major plot beats are
experienced. Rather than making the player question the reliability
of its POV characters, Shibuya Scramble uses this differing
perspectives to give each a piece of the picture which only makes
sense when placed alongside those from other characters to give the
narrative a jigsaw like feeling.
Creating Emphasis
Not
all uses of different perspectives need to be extensive and instead
they can function as short pacing and information controllers. These
manifest in the form of quick switches of POV from the main character
into the head of another in order to get their viewpoint of
events before returning back to the protagonist. By quickly providing
a new angle on the emotions and events of a scene they can highlight
these moments as significant in a broader sense and makes them stick
out in the player’s mind. Each acts as a widening of the player’s
appreciation for their consequences and opens the window to the
feelings evolving in characters beyond just the protagonist. Unlike a
more extensive multiple POV structure, these small tangents are
intense bubbles of emotion which aim to create drama and suspense
rather than feed into some greater picture. As you might expect they
are somewhat contrived in nature and can be a little nonsensical if
the player ever stops to think about them hence why they are so short
so there is no time to give them serious consideration before the
game moves on to the next plot beat. They are also used sparingly
over the course of a visual novel so they do not become invasive and
take the player out of the protagonist’s head space which many
titles rely heavily on in order to create an impactful experience. The infrequent use of perspective changes does not create
this friction while also countering any potential sense that the
world revolves completely around the protagonist.
 |
| I'm sure she is completely reliable right? |
Using
multiple perspectives in this manner is most common in various slice
of life or romance visual novels where the aim is to use them to
underscore the blossoming love between the leads. One developer in
this genre who loves to regularly dip into different POV’s is
Yuzusoft and they have even experimented with more expansive
protagonist swapping. Their short dives into another character’s
mind are almost always into the head of the route heroine or story
relevant characters close to them. Focusing on the heroine is a way
through which the game can communicate the mutual nature of the
couple’s affections rather than making the heroine appear to exist
just for the protagonist’s desires. This is especially important
due to the erotic component in these titles since it could come
across as objectifying the heroine or be otherwise uncomfortable for
the player if it did not make their common feelings so clear. It also
serves a minor role in pushing the plot forward if the conflict is
placing the heroine in some kind of direct danger where the
protagonist may not be aware of it or simply cannot perceive it due
to it being internal in nature. However, Yuzusoft are careful to have
everything come back towards the protagonist so the romance can
remain front and centre in order to sell their relationship as a
seamless experience for the player.
Bait And Switch
Not
every visual novel immediately makes it clear if there are going to
be multiple protagonists within their story in order to trick the
player into believing they know how things will play out. This is
done purely for the sake of a twist reveal that the initial
protagonist was in fact not the main character of the story and the
role falls to another of the established characters. A bait and
switch like this regularly results in the first POV character being
removed from the story now they have fulfilled their purpose and all
the remaining play time is from the new POV. Narrative techniques of
this type are a once and done affair since the player is now aware of
the trick and any additional attempts to do the same thing will lack
impact. It acts as a means of grabbing the player’s attention in a
shocking manner and drawing them into a plot they thought they had
all figured out. One the notable risk to this approach is if the
player has bonded with the original protagonist they may not like it
when this character is taken away and they are forced onto another
one. This may leave a bad taste in their mouth and prevent them from
properly engaging with the new POV character as they now have a
bitter association between this protagonist and these negative
feelings. Hence most bait and switches of this type tend to take
place in the opening hours of a game to not give the player enough
time to get overly attached to the character who is about to be
thrown away.
 |
| Danganronpa can get away with a lot other titles cannot |
A
particularly famous example of this technique can be seen in
Danganronpa V3 at the climax of its first trial. Here the first
protagonist Akamatsu Kaede is shown to not be a reliable narrator to
the events of the chapter and is in fact the murderer they have been
attempting to uncover. The POV then swaps to reveal the real
protagonist to be Saihara Shuuichi someone who had been a major
character beforehand so the transition has a believable passing of
the torch quality. Since Kaede dies not long after Danganronpa
cleverly makes her existence and absence impactful for Shuuichi so
Kaede does not entirely disappear for the narrative the moment the
game is done with her, even if it is only in spirit. The reason for
the bait and switch is simple, shock value. As a franchise
Danganronpa lives on its over the top nature and this big twist fits
right in with its existing tone which helps smooth over the
transition between the two protagonists. Other visual novels would
have struggled to retain the player’s interest in quite the same
way after such a dramatic end to a likeable character.
Conclusion
The
eyes through which the player sees the story of a visual novel
control a lot about how they engage with it and so shifting between
multiple of them opens up a lot of possibilities. Through the use of a wide
range of POV characters the narrative takes on a patchwork quality
where competing perspectives offer pieces of the big picture for the
player to uncover. Performing a bait and switch with the protagonist
has the ability to create an impactful early experience which can
capture the attention of the player and help keep it for the long
term. Even the sprinkling in of infrequent POV swapping can be useful
when the story needs specific emotional moments and plot beats to have more
emphasis to help underscore their importance. There are few tools
available for visual novel developers which can have quite the impact
on the game’s overall structure and reception as multiple POV
characters so it is worth carefully considering how you use them when
making your own titles.
