Saturday, August 6, 2022
Deducing The Truth
Mysteries
have always been a constant part of fiction both as a minor addition
and the central driving force of the narrative. In the medium of
visual novels, the use of mysteries is particularly common by
comparison to other types of games due to how its traits align to
enhance the best qualities of a mystery. This list will cover various
kinds of mystery visual novels from murder mysteries to multiple
route mysteries, the only requirement is that the mystery must be
core to the identity of the game rather than a minor part of it. With that
out of the way, let’s begin the countdown to number one.
Top 10
10. The 25th Ward: The Silver Case -
Suda51
has always been known for the distinctive style of his games and The
25th Ward is no exception with its interweaving narratives within a bleak semi-futuristic world. Set five years after the first
game, it follows three separate protagonists with their own stories in
the 25th Ward and each expanding on the mystery which
permeates their distinctive experiences. The 25th Ward is a
visual novel which knows how to hold its cards close to its chest and
reveal just enough to help the player put the pieces of the mystery
together without making the truth too clear. Dystopias are a common
feature in many aspect of modern fiction but the 25th Ward
has a special kind of unsettling features with its reflection of our worst
qualities and they are merged with the mystery to slowly reveal
their true horror. The 25th Ward’s ability to juggle all
of these competing element with such grace and subtlety puts it above
many other mystery visual novels.
9. Kara no Shoujo -
VNDB Play
Time – 25 hours
The
bleak setting and tone continues with the ninth place on this list
except this time it is historical instead of futuristic. Kara no Shoujo is a
murder mystery set in 1950’s Japan and focuses on a series of
bizarre murders plaguing the area, where young women disappear, only
to turn up dead and maimed with their wombs torn out. As you can
imagine this is a visual novel which is relatively light on humour
but it understands how to use its darker moments sparingly so it does
not become unbearably depressing. Instead it uses these darker
elements to build the tension around the mystery to make sure
the player never becomes too comfortable and is always second guessing
themselves. An excellent example of what proper use of tone and
pacing can do to elevate a mystery visual novel.
8. I/O -
VNDB Play
Time – 40 Hours
If
there is a poster child of the multiple route and protagonist mystery
it is definitely I/O. This is the first game on this list to really
use the structure of visual novels as one of the core pillars of its
mystery. It uses its individual sections to contrast the perspectives
of seemingly very different protagonists while subtly dropping clues
as to how it all comes together and then asking you to return to this
section latter to gain a proper picture of how it all fits into the big
picture. On top of this, the clever way in which it uses time and
multiple perspectives adds a layer of intrigue which keeps the player
on the edge of their seat. A colourful sci-fi aesthetic and engaging
world building go a long way to complement and sell the story. The
only reason I/O is not higher on this list is that it can be very
hard to follow what is going on especially in the later sections when
the narrative really goes of the rails.
7. Collar X Malice -
Nintendo Eshop VNDB Play
Time – 50 Hours
The
number seven spot is occupied by the only otome on this list with
Collar X Malice. This game is a here because of its ability to
seamlessly blend the romantic trappings of otome with a well written
mystery. Collar X Malice’s emphasis on its characters and their
interpersonal struggles gives an intimate edge to the story. Coupled
with the protagonist having an explosive collar around her neck, the
story makes the player rooting for the cast to solve the case the core interest of the mystery rather
than just the intrigue of it. This is not to say that the
mystery is in any way weak as it continues the emphasis on characters with
each route focused around a different villain who holds a key to the
mystery while also acting a foil to the hero of the route. Successfully
mixing characters moments and keeping the pace of the mystery up can
be difficult, but Collar X Malice does an exceptional job with this
balancing act.
6. Chaos Head -
VNDB Play
Time – 25 Hours
It
is difficult to describe the brilliant madness that is Chaos Head.
This is in no small part due to the story being told from the
perspective of perhaps the most compelling unreliable protagonist in
visual novels. Trying to figure out what is real and what is
imaginary adds a great sense of suspense to the overarching mystery
of murder and paranoia by adding false pieces to the puzzle. This
works better than a simple red herring as the chaos of having an
unreliable narrator makes these false pieces seem like they might be
real and it is only through logical thinking can the truth be
reached. As you can imagine this type of stroy is a nightmare to write properly
which is why we see so few examples of the technique, but when done
well, as it is in Chaos Head, it is a sight to behold and a good
backbone for a mystery.
5. Ever 17: Out of Infinity -
Patch Download Play
Time – 40 hours
Ever
17 is easily the oldest visual novel on this list and it has enjoyed
continued popularity in no small part due to the quality of the
mystery which is the narrative’s driving force. What makes this
game stand out from the rest is its ability to play on and with
perceptions of time and place with its mystery. It achieves this
through a clever presentation of what are seemingly simple facts in
such a way that the player knows there is something more going on but
cannot quite put there finger on it while still having enough to
start to theorise. Ever 17’s ability to walk this fine line of
implicit and explicit truths is where is shines brightest and it keeps
the player engaged over the game's length. It also helps that it has one of
the greatest payoffs in a mystery visual novel to backup this
ability.
4. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair -
The
entire Danganronpa series could easily take up three positions on this list
by themselves since they are some of the most well put together and
totally insane mystery stories the medium has available. However,
since that would make for a boring list, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye
Despair was selected to the trilogy's representative. It encapsulates
the defining traits of the series an over the top narrative driven
by murder mysteries and trials which are simultaneously
hilarious and deeply touching. This unique blending of tones makes
Danaganronpa stand out from its peers and the second game is a
shining example of how to build upon a first game while not losing
what made it special. The loss of the magic in a sequel is a common
trait with mystery visual novels as the first game has already set
the expectations of the player and if the second game does not shake
things up it will become predictable, but at the same time it cannot
shake things up too much or it will lose what people liked about the
first one. Goodbye Despair brilliantly sidesteps this issue by
playing on the expectation of the player by both adhering and
subverting what the thought they knew. It is these qualities which
make Goodbye Despair deserve its number four spot.
3. Virtue's Last Reward -
If
Danganronpa is the wacky mystery game series then Zero Escape is its
serious twin and in particular the second game Virtue's Last Reward.
Having an enclosed space makes the mystery elements easier to keep
track of as the narrative progresses and this technique has been a
core part of mysteries for a long time with books like And Then There
Were None exemplifying its strengths. 999 used this technique with
some success but it is only with Virtue's Last Reward that we can see
how the medium of visual novels is well suited to the claustrophobic
feelings it invokes. Virtue's Last Reward revels in how
it can jump from paranoia to isolation so that the player is never
sure what is going to happen next and this allows the mystery to be
kept fresh through these changing emotions. Few other games can so
brilliantly manipulate the player with their mystery and for that
Virtue's Last Reward deserves its third place spot.
2. Higurashi When They Cry -
The
title of second place goes to a series which many of you are likely
very familiar with, Higurashi When They Cry. It earns its place here
through how it is able to marry horror and mystery over the course of
the entire game without either end of the partnership suffering as a
result. The problem with stretching a mystery out over a long
playtime is that the player can become accustomed to the patterns of
the mystery and either become able to predict them or simply become
bored of it. This is why most narratives mix in another element, be
it a murder or some actions scenes, to keep the player engaged and
this is what Higurahsi does exceptionally well. Neither half of
driving force of the narrative ever outlives its welcome as Higurashi
is careful about controlling it pacing and uses is moments of high
and low narrative tension to sell the overall story in a way which
neither half could do on its own. If you want to experience fear as
you desperately want to know what is really going on then Higurashi
is for you.
1. Wonderful Everyday ~Diskontinuierliches Dasein~ -
At
the top of the pile we have the phenomenal visual novel Wonderful
Everyday which brings together many of the traits which made the
previous games on this list brilliant while adding its own flair. It has multiple
protagonists, unreliable narrators, horror elements and many other
little touches which are often used along with the mystery and
cleverly blended into a whole which utilises the strength of each
part. What makes Wonderful Everyday work is how it uses its themes
and philosophical ideas as the backbone of both the personal
narrative and the mystery it is building before the player. This
commitment to a singular vision and identity which is nuanced enough
to allow for flexible storytelling but concrete enough that the
player never loses sight of the point the game is trying to make with
the mystery. It is this skillful understanding of how to use the
medium to enhance its mystery which earns Wonderful Everyday the top
stop on this list.
