Friday, September 30, 2022
Autumn
has rolled up and firmly placed itself over us as the days get
shorter and the weather gets colder. In this month of transition we
have been given a wide selection of visual novels to tide us through
the coming darker days. A little bit of otome, a little bit of comedy
and a lot of quality games are on the table. So without further ado
let’s begin our perusal of the best title on offer.
Official Releases
Renai X Royale -
Renai
X Royale marks the third ASa Project visual novel to have been
translated into English and shares those previous games’ focus on
comedy. The idea of a love battle royale is at the heart of the
humour with four girls all vying to be chosen by the protagonist and
their attempts to win him over and undermine the competition is
the focus of the narrative. This blend of slice of life high jinks
with the standard romance story lines of other games stands out
from its peers with its colourful and hyperactive tone and
characters. However, those who have played the other titles might
find themselves experiencing a strong sense of deja vu as the
developers adhered to the idea that if it isn’t broken don’t fix
it. The result is a game which will appeal to those who love their
style but not to anyone who was looking for some innovation to this
formula.
Heart de Roommate Remastered -
JAST Store VNDB Genre
– Slice of Life, Comedy. Play Time – 12 hours.
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Recently
JAST has taken to remastering some of their classic titles and Heart de Roommate is the latest game to receive
this treatment. It has been given a face lift in the graphical
department with HD artwork and user interface as well as improved
compatibility with modern systems. This is a much needed update as
the previous version of the game was originally released in 2003 and
was showing its age. Heart de Roommate is a classic visual novel from
an era in their history where the school comedy ecchi genre was in
its prime and this game is very much a reflection of the popular
tropes of the period. It acts as a snapshot of that moment in visual
novel history and makes for an interesting comparison to the modern
state of the medium. Even beyond the historical value of Heart de
Roommate, it is a pleasant and funny game which works surprising hard
to get you to feel for its heroines.
Piofiore: Episodio 1926 -
Nintendo Eshop VNDB Genre
– Crime Thriller, 20’s, Otome. Play Time – 40 hours.
As
the sequel to the excellent Piofiore: Fated Memories, Piofiore:
Episodio 1926 had some big shoes to fill and it more than lived up to
those expectations. This game is a collection of stories which extend
the previous game’s narrative in various ways. There are episodes
for each of the main characters where they get another chance to
shine and wrap up their stories, an intense murder mystery tale and a
what-if style story where the player gets to experience a new angle
on the original game. Overall, it is an expansive package which keeps
all of the qualities that made Fated Memories such a stand out title,
while offering its own twist on the narrative.
Amnesia: Memories + Amnesia: Later x Crowd -
Store Links - Memories Later x Crowd VNDB - Memories Later Crowd Genre
– Fantasy, Romance, Otome. Play Time – Memories – 30 hours.
Later x Crowd – 16 hours.
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This
is double release from Idea Factory with the Switch release of
Amnesia: Memories (you can read my recent review of it here) and the
first release of Amnesia: Later x Crowd which is a combination of the
two fandiscs. These two titles are some of the most interesting otomes to have been released in English with their ability to blur
the line between player and protagonist for the sake of creating
tension and mystery. The addition of the fandiscs adds some much
needed new life into a series which has not seen a new release in
some time and they provide a variety of side content to keep the
discerning otome fan engaged for many hours.
Dreamy Planet -
It
feels as if I talk about a Ebi-hime game almost every month and each
one is somehow just as good as the last. This time we have Ebi-hime
returning to the yuri sphere with the short game, Dreamy Planet. It
is a tale of two women, Haruka and Shiina, who were once inseparable
from each other but have since drifted apart. Five years later they
reunite and make an impromptu visit to a derelict theme part called
Dreamy Planet. The exploration of their damaged relationship is at
the heart of this games narrative and as it picks away at what drives
each of them you are left with a sense of profound emotional weight. A short
and powerful visual novel which will stay with you long after its
ending.
The Mysteries of Ranko Togawa: Murder on the Marine Express -
Here
we have another short visual novel but it could not be more different in tone
from the previous one. With its distinctive pixel art, The Mysteries
of Ranko Togawa: Murder on the Marine Express stands out as it puts
its own spin on the classic locked room and whodunit style detective
mysteries. There is a definite focus on emulating the older elements
of visual novels and text adventures in terms of presentation while
updating it for a modern audience. Rather than being a tense pursuit
of the murderer, it is instead a somewhat light-hearted joyride
through a colourful and charismatic cast of characters who are all
focused on bringing a smile to your face. It is a bite-sized title
which is enjoyable bubble gum for a few hours of fun relaxation.
Fan Translations -
Kimi ga Nozomu Muv-Luv -
Patch Download VNDB Genre
– Comedy, Drama. Play Time – 5 hours.
Muv-Luv
is a franchise which produces an exceptional variety of content
within its visual novels due to the contrasting genres of the original games.
Here we have another example of how far this series can go with the
madness that is Kimi ga Nozomu Muv-Luv. This fandisc is split into
two sections, a crossover story between Kimi ga Nozomu Eien and
Muv-Luv and a short story about daily life of the JFK Curry
Restoraunt crew. These heavily lean into the insane comedy which is
the hallmark of the slice of life centric Muv-Luv stories and is all
the better for it. Stay well away if you are not already an age fan
as the amount of references to past works is intimidating even for
those who have played their games.
Ima Sugu Onii-chan ni Imouto da tte Iitai! -
Patch Download VNDB Genre
– Slice of Life, Comedy, Romance. Play Time – 30 hours.
What
we have here is an example of the 'past version of the same setting
but not a prequel' genre, a strange subset of stories which want to
use the popularity of a previous narrative without being too bound to it.
The game being piggybacked off here is the much acclaimed Koi to
Senkyo to Chocolate with which it even shares a few characters.
Thankfully, this is more than a simple case of cynical moneymaking as
Ima Sugu Onii-chan ni Imouto da tte Iitai! is a strong story in its
own right. With a fun and engaging cast, this is a tale which focuses
on the slow-boiling romance between the protagonist and the chosen
heroine and it plays into the strengths which Koi to Senkyo to
Chocolate established. You do not have to be a fan of the previous
game to get the most out of this story and anybody who enjoys a good
love story is in for a treat.
