Archive for November 2022
Best Visual Novel Releases – November 2022
The
year has gone by so fast, it is hard to believe we are on the cusp of
December and Christmas is right around the corner. This month has
been a relatively quiet one for visual novel releases, no doubt due
to the closeness of the holiday season. However, despite this there
have been a few noteworthy titles which will be covered here and they
have an exciting variety to them including a conclusion to a mystery
trilogy and an intriguing thriller tale. So without further ado let’s
find out what has shaped the world of VNs this month.
Official Releases
Hoshizora no Memoria -Eternal Heart-
Seeing
the release of the Hoshizora no Memoria fandisc, Eternal Heart, makes
me feel like an old man. I remember playing the fan patched version
of Hoshizora back in 2012 and thinking that we would likely never get
a translation of the fandisc. However, after all these long years it
has arrived and is everything I had hoped for. Eternal Heart contains
additional story routes for Mare and Yume as well as after stories
for the rest of the heroines. The sections dedicated to Yume and Mare
are the main appeal of this game since the original Hoshizora did not
entirely complete their stories, which is especially true in the case
of Mare. For the most part these additions succeed in expanding on
what was established and providing suitable catharsis to their
stories and if you wanted closure for their stories this provides
handily. The after stories are also of a good quality, but there is a
definite sense while playing them that their narratives is just going
through the motions with characters who’s journeys are over. This is
a package designed for fans of the original game and while it does
add noticeable strength for Yume and Mare, it will not appeal to
those who had mixed feeling about the original.
Gore Screaming Show
JAST Store VNDB Genre
– Horror, Mystery. Play Time – 25 hours
JAST
seem to have made it their niche to release older visual novels and
Gore Screaming Show is their latest addition to the list. The first
thing that should be brought up is that, being a horror game, Gore
Screaming Show touches on ideas and imagery which may not be for
everyone so make sure to check if you are okay with its content
before playing (as you should with any horror game). With that out of
the way, it is interesting to see an older horror VN and how it
shapes up to a more modern sensibility. This is a game which released
in 2006 and has the elements visual style that one would expect for
the era and it gives Gore an undeniable charm which it knows how to
twist it to unsettle the player. On top of this, the overarching
mystery is a surprisingly interesting one given how it is initially
presented and does a good job at incentivising you to keep playing.
If you are interested in seeing an older style of horror in the
visual novel medium then Gore Screaming Show may well be what you are
looking for.
Milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk / Milk outside a bag of milk outside a bag of milk
Nintendo Eshop VNDB Genre
– Surreal, Meta. Play Time – 3 hours
Switch
users are getting another great visual novel port to add to their
library with this double release. It combines two releases by
Nikita Krjukov into a single package and the result is a the best way
to experience these games. Trying to talk about these games is
somewhat difficult for two reasons, firstly they are incredibly short so saying anything about them is some kind of
spoiler and secondly they are just so surreal that talking about them
almost immediately descends into a discussion of the themes and ideas
of the narrative. These are games which are not very straight with
the player and ask them to engage with what is being presented to
build a complete picture of the themes and ideas on offer. Its
relatively short length also compliments this allowing for repeat
playthroughs in a short time frame and not outstaying its welcome.
Combining these two elements and you have a bite-size and thoughtful
visual novel which is well worth your time.
A Clockwork Ley-Line: Flowers Falling in the Morning Mist
This
is final installment of the Clockwork Ley-Line trilogy and comes hot
on the heels of the previous game without the massive gap between releases which
happened last time. The second game left the series in an interesting
position with some big plot twists and Flowers Falling in the Morning
Mist picks up these threads and runs with them into an exciting
finale. It is also a much more even experience than the first game
which had to spend its play time setting up the world and characters
or the second game which was occupied with the big twists. However,
there is no real effort to accommodate new players in this game and
if you have not already played the previous two entries then I
recommend you start with them rather than this final entry.
Scar of the Doll
Nintendo Eshop VNDB Genre
– Thriller, Mystery. Play Time – 4 hours
Our
final visual novel this month is an odd one. This is a remake of a
much older title which started out life on the PC in 1999 before
being ported to IOS and then back to PC and is now a Nintendo Switch
game. It latest incarnation boasts a shift into a more modern anime
style aesthetic, a remastered soundtrack, additional story content
and the strange option to turn the horror elements on or off. The
narrative is focused around Kamijou Asumi and her search for her
older sister who she has lost contact with. In this pursuit she
uncovers disturbing facts which undermine what she thought she knew
and her life ends up the firing line against an unexpected threat.
Overall, this is a solid and short VN with enough charm to keep you
entertained over its duration. Something to pick up if you want some
quick thriller amusement.
Hello Lady! Analysis (Spoilers) – Pieces of Potential
Academic Subterfuge
The
English release of Hello Lady is a game in a strange situation. Being
a translation of the Complete Edition, it is effectively three games
tied into one which leads to some interest quirks. I knew that I would have to play the game since I enjoyed
one of the developers previous works, Coμ. Coμ was a flawed but
entertaining game and it is with these expectations I when into Hello
Lady. What I got was an extremely compelling but uneven experience
and here I will endeavour to explain the causes and strengths I
encountered.
In
this analysis I will cover my broader thoughts on Hello Lady which
could not be included in the review since they contain spoilers for most
of the plot. As such I advise you to read my original review before
continuing onward if you just want to know whether you should play
the game.
The Fires of Love and Revenge – Route Analysis
-Common Route -
Hello
Lady’s Common Route is on the longer side and as such has to keep
things engaging through a variety of events. There are your standard
slice of life sections, which do a good job at establishing the
characters, a mock superpower battle, for a little bit of action, and a
sizeable dose of tension between the character's motivations. The
majority of the Common Route is nothing terribly special with it
leaning into established genre ideas as its backbone. However, what
makes it stand out is how it ends. The curtain is pulled back and the
player gets to see the true extent of Narita’s desire for revenge
and how far he is willing to go. It is almost theatrical in how it
frames Narita’s act with a specially made replica gun and perfectly
timed entrance in order to inflict the greatest amount of fear in his target. Narita is the
lead actor in a tragedy fuelled by hate and we have front row seats
for this disaster.
As
mentioned in my review, the main problem in the Common Route is the
choices presented to the player regarding their feelings towards the
school. These fail on a number of levels. There is the issue of how
vague the notion of feelings is with only a binary like and dislike system
available and no method of understanding what this means in practice.
On top of this there is no indication about which heroines want what
number of like or dislike choices in order to access their route,
with some requiring one or the other and some which do not care about
either. This is made even more confusing by the presence of joke bad
endings if you pick too many of either the like or dislike choices
which can make the player believe they are doing something wrong by
choosing these options. Overall this is just a poorly though through
system that adds a blemish to an otherwise excellent Common Route.
-Akahito Tamao -
This
is a route which opens and ends strongly but has a meandering middle.
The inciting incident of Narita discovering Tamao is a spy acts as a
great source of tension with the two teaming up to plan an
infiltration of the secret lab while not trusting each other.
However, this conflict goes out of the window once Narita confesses
his love for Tamao and the narrative never quite recovers from this
loss. Shifting the focus onto the romance between the two might seem
like a sound choice in theory, but they are meant to
be getting ready for a life or death situation and seem to lack any
sense of danger. The interactions between the two are cute and
do a good job at selling their budding relationship while setting up
for the gut punch later on. Tamao’s route regains focus in the
final stretch with a heart wrenching battle of wills between Tamao
and Narita over Narita’s desire for revenge and it is a high point
of the story which saves it from the dip in the middle.
Tamao
and Sorako are the two initially available routes and share some
similar problems. As mentioned in my review, the game cannot know
which of them you will choice first and as a result there is a lot of
repeated information in each which can kill the pacing of whichever
one you choose second. On top of this issue there is the feeling that
these two routes only have one route’s worth of new information in them
and can feel empty at times as a result. Tamao’s route covers the
secret lab and Sorako’s route covers Narita’s past, but neither
cover their topics in much depth since the major revelation are being
kept for later in the game.
-Katsuragi Sorako -
Sorako’s
route is a much more even experience than Tamao’s even if it never
reaches the same highs as that route. Having Sorako act as a constant
remainder to Narita of the past and how it was not all as bad as he
wants to remember it being. Coupling this with Sorako’s generally more
positive disposition, makes her an excellent foil to him with her
both supporting his actions and undermining them in the same breath.
The overall character arc for Sorako is a strong and familiar one
with her gradually gain the confidence to make her wishes a reality
and make Narita see her for who she is rather than his memory of her.
It
is just a shame then that this route is plagued by questionable
choices which add nothing to the route. The choice to have Sorako be a
cross-dresser is an easy example to use of this problem. There is
precisely one scene in which this aspect of Sorako is explored and it
only gets a few lines dedicated to what has been a repeated and
obvious visual part of her identity. Nothing else is done with it,
Sorako never behaves like a male, it never effects how anyone treats
her and even her own family (the very people she is trying to impress
by doing this) never bring it up. It is almost to the point that it
seems as if Sorako may have original been written as a male character
but was changed later in development and the cross-dressing is a
remnant of that process. This would explain why it is not brought to
our attention much since a male dressing as a male is not something
you would draw attention to. Overall, it is just a strange clash
between how visible this trait is and how little it actually matters.
Another
major example of the confused narrative choices made for this route
is Sorako’s split personality. This is a very sudden plot twist
which comes out of nowhere at the start of her route with no
foreshadowing or proper set up. It feels jarring to be introduced to
this new character at the start of a route rather than during the
Common Route and the whole thing is rushed through so we can get on
with the plot. Then the game proceeds to do nothing with this new
character, they do not have their own character
arc and just seem to exist so Sorako has someone to talk about her
feelings. They do not do anything within the story which could not
have been done by Sorako herself and as such this split personality
could have been written out without issue. While it never ruins the
experience, it does distract as you wonder why they even included
this plot point.
-Takazaki Eru -
With
Eru’s route the overarching narrative picks up and we get lots of information to help understand what is going on. Watching the interactions
between Eru and Narita is the highlight of this route since Eru’s
no nonsense attitude contrasts wonderfully with Narita’s tendency
for flamboyance and they bounce off each other well. Of the routes
from the original game, this is the strongest with an excellent flow to it. We get an opening which sells the start of romance
between Narita and Eru with two coming naturally together as they
bond over their common interests while Eru slowly opens up about her
past and develops beyond the idea she is a doll. Throughout this
there is always a sense that Eru is hiding something which adds a
nice tension to affairs.
The
final part of Eru’s route has some of the best and worse aspects of
the original game. It becomes very clear that Saku is not in her
right mind any more as it is revealed she is responsible for the
murders of people with powers. This creates a situation where Eru’s
loyalty is tested and she turns on Narita, but comes around after
Narita pushes through Eru’s power. Having this conflict between
hero and heroine is a strong way to finalise their relationship and
it is the highest point of this route and plays off what has been
established between the two throughout the narrative. It is after
this point which the greater issues with Hello Lady start to rear
their heads. Saku’s dropping of any illusion that she is not the
antagonist here and going to town on the school set her up nicely as
a threat and makes you question which Saku is the real one, this one
or the one we knew before. This is an interesting direction to go in but
runs into the problem of having to hold back a lot of information
about Saku and any revelations about her powers until her own route.
As such the confrontation with Saku is incredibly underwhelming,
Narita attempts to attack Saku only once and when this fails simply lets
Eru use her power to win in an anticlimactic manner.
Eru’s
power is systematic of the strange ability design at play throughout
Hello Lady. The ability to influence the mental state of another
person to the point that attempting to harm Eru cause the person to
attack themselves sounds like a cool idea in theory, but in practice
is highly incompatible with the action focused nature of the narrative.
It appears the developers were aware of this problem as there are only two
proper fights involving Eru, the one just mentioned above vs. Saku
and on in the final route. Both consist of two people standing
opposite each other making noises as they have an invisible mental
battle. This does not exactly make for compelling viewing especially
for the confrontation with Saku since it is meant to conclude Eru’s
character arc and is an underwhelming note to end the route on.
-Otonashi Saku -
Oh
boy, here we are at the finale of the original game and the route
with the most missed potential and strangest twists. It has a lot of
ground to cover in terms of plot points and for the most part it is
well paced with a good build up of the relationship between Narita
and Saku while giving the final nail in the coffin for the legitimacy
of Narita’s revenge. The cracks only start to show once we reach
the finale were Saku’s lack of flaws reaches it apex with her being
effectively absolved of any wrong doing with regards to her evil self
which makes her hard to empathise with especially in contrast to the
mentally anguished Narita. Evil Saku is barely utilised
throughout the route's duration with this part of Saku only surfacing on a
few occasions and even then only for a moment. It really feels
as if the developers did not want to have this part of Saku effect
the players impression of her in any negative way. This is furthered
by the revelation that this part of Saku was not really her
succumbing to Onslaught Syndrome and was in fact her being possessed
by Ruri and used like a puppet to commit those murders. This puts
Saku in the clear for being responsible for those deaths since there
is no way she can be expected to fight against a mind control she had
no idea was even happening. Honestly this is a lot of missed
potential and in a later section I will expand on this in more
detail.
Next
we come to fight between Kurofune and Narita which the entire game
has been building up to and is completely undermined by Saku’s
presence. The fight has to constantly stop and start so that Saku and
Kurofune can debate their actions and explain their motives. This
completely kills the pacing of the fight with Narita barely being
involved in a scene which should be the climax of his character arc
and revenge. To put Narita in the background of his own fight and instead favour Saku, who has far less
investment in this fight and does not actually throw a single punch,
is a strange choice and leads to this fight feeling somewhat like a
damp cloth to end things on.
Of
course this is not really the end as our eleventh hour villain takes the
stage. Ruri is very poorly set up and is basically a
cardboard cut out evil who is just there to be defeated. However, this
section has some redeeming features which elevate it above the
Kurofune fight. It nicely acts as the final blow to Narita’s
motivations as the source of his desire for revenge is still alive
and was not the person what he believed her to be. On top of this, the
fight against Ruri is suitably climatic with everyone pitching in to
overcome her and her own powers being excellent for a final
antagonist. At this point it is worth bringing up the elephant in the
room, Saku’s power. It turns out she has the ability to negate
anyone else’s abilities and can take them from the person if she
wants to. This ability is so absurdly powerful in the context of
Hello Lady given how prominent those with powers are in the
narrative. Saku is basically invincible if she chooses to actually
use her powers which for the most part she does not so the plot can
happen and seemly for no other good reason. It is a shame Ruri’s
fight is finished because of Saku’s Deus Ex Machina power but I
suppose Saku had to be involved somehow.
Thus
ends the routes contain in the original game. Quite a mixed bag with
just as many excellent moments as strange narrative choices. If this
were the entirety of Hello Lady I would not remember the game so
kindly. However, it is not the end and what comes afterwards goes a
long way to filling the holes in the original game.
-Kabutoyama Mitori -
When
I realised one of the two New Division routes belong to Mitori I
cannot say I was very interested in it. In the original game Mitori
is a character who’s death, at the end of the common route, acts as
an inciting incident to break the status quo and introduce a new
layer of mystery to the game. There was not much else to her and as
such my expectations were low for her route, but little did I know
she would become my favourite character and her route would stand
head and shoulders above the rest.
Let’s
begin with the common problem which both of the New Division routes share, which is they begin without any build up and assume you are
familiar enough with the events of Hello Lady to follow along.
Mitori’s route does suffer from this more than Hishia since it
begins with an immediate action scene which does not let up for quite
a while. However, neither route is ruined by this issue and it
just means the player may initially be lost as to what has happened before to this opening.
Mitori’s
slow decline as she struggles against the Onslaught Syndrome as it is
eating away at her is everything I had hoped for when Evil Saku was
introduced. Witnessing this decline from both her internal point of view and
from Narita’s makes for a compelling narrative as both have to
grapple with this problem in their own ways, all the while being on
the run from the school who are doing everything in their power to
kill Mitori. The way this decline is contrasted with the growing
relationship between Mitori and Narita, even in the face of this
inevitable demise, works to heighten the tension and make their bond a
beacon of light in this dark time. The whole experience plays out as
any good tragedy should, we know how this is going to end and no
matter how hard the characters struggle they cannot escape the
ending. It is precisely this fight against the inevitable which makes
their efforts beautifully futile and you cannot help but cheer them
on. When Mitori’s end does come it is with one of the best fights
in the game between herself and Narita and perfectly encapsulates
their relationship while still being a climatic showdown. Few visual
novels do this kind of tragedy and it was a pleasant surprise to find
an example of it in Hello Lady.
-Hishia Mori -
This
is a route characterised by its tendency to meander. It spends the
majority of its play time dumping flashbacks and information about
Hishia and Narita’s past. Most of this knowledge we could either
already infer from what is known or adds nothing of value.
This is a shame as the actually relationship between the two is a
sweet romance focused around how the pair have a similar traumatic
past and find solace in one another. If it were not for the poor
pacing for the majority of the route this would have been one of the
better example in the game of how to handle romance.
However,
there is one part of this route which makes it worth playing through
all the dry backstory and this is the fight against Kurofune. Here we
can see what the fight in Saku’s route should have looked like and
how you do a climatic fight where the heroine contributes
without overshadowing the main conflict. Let’s pick apart why this
works and Saku’s does not. Firstly, Kurofune is established as a
threat by demonstrating his strength directly against Hishia and
Narita, rather than being constantly interrupted, which allows for a
greater catharsis when he is defeated. Second, character growth is
naturally tied into the procession of the fight with it coinciding
with the resolution of the main relationship. Finally, Hishia
contributes to the fight in a way which makes sense for her character
while not taking the limelight way from Narita who is the person with
the greater investment in this fight. It also helps that Kurofune is
given an expanded suite of moves to make the longer fight feel fresh
throughout. This fight is one of the best in Hello Lady and it amazes
me that it is consigned to a fandisc route.
-Superior Entelecheia -
Hello
Lady’s grand finale route is juggling differing priorities. It is
at once an explosive conclusion for the story and characters as well
as a remedy for the issues of the original game’s narrative.
Despite being pulled in these two directions it does an excellent job
making sure neither overshadows the other and ends up as a suitable send
off from the whole game.
When
it comes to being a conclusion to Hello Lady, this route knows it has
to up things to eleven to keep the player engaged to the very end. It
achieves this by giving all the characters enhanced versions of their
powers to increase the spectacle of the fights and having all the
major conflicts in the prior routes come to a head at the same time.
This might sound like it would be overwhelming but in practice
there is a strong flow to events in part due to it using a lot of
elements the player is already familiar with, ensuring they will not
become lost in the non-stop action.
This
route’s second objective is to fix issues with the original game
and the two most prominent examples of this are Saku and Ruri.
Saku gets the smaller enhancement with greater emphasis being placed
on her fear of being left behind by those she loves and more general
weaknesses to counteract the damage done by her own route making her
too perfect. Overall the game is successful in crafting a more
compelling personality for Saku, but there is still the lingering
harm done by her own route which is difficult to undo. Ruri on the
other hand is given the majority of the spotlight since she
essentially had no personality before this route as anything other
than a throwaway villain. Her transformation from generic bad guy to
empathetic heroine is this route’s greatest success and the main
appeal of playing it. By placing her in contrast to the rest of the cast
and playing her off against Narita, the player gets a nuanced look at
what motivates her and how despite everything she might say that she
is as human as the rest of the cast. Having her be forced to question
her world view also adds a lot to her character and we get to see her
struggle to come to terms with what is happening around her. It also
wonderfully expands Nartia by acting as a chance for him to be a
real family member now that the mask has dropped and the resulting
interactions create just the right balance of tension and feeling.
Greater Than The Sum of Its Parts – Overarching Thoughts
-Three Game Chimera -
As
a merger of three games there is some inevitable strangeness in how
the whole package is put together. Going from the cohesiveness of the
original game to selecting the next route from the main menu rather
than from your own choices is quite a jarring shift. It bring a
certain awareness of the fact this a game to the forefront of the
player’s mind and this is one thing most games strive to avoid
wherever possible. While this is not the end of the world for Hello
Lady, it is disappointing that there was no attempt to merge these
detached routes into the original game. This would have certainly
required some additional effort on the developer’s part, but the
benefits for immersion into this wonderful narrative and the
coherence it would have provided would have been well worth it.
-Saku’s Missed Potential -
When
Evil Saku was introduced in Eru’s route I was immediately intrigued
by the twist that a previously beacon of moral purity has a darker
side to them. This is initially presented as Onslaught Syndrome but
the player is clued into the fact it is not this because of how the
sympoms of Onslaught Syndrome do not exactly match what is happening
to Saku. She is too in control and too human. However, this potential
dies as you enter Saku’s route with it being pushed into the
background and ultimately revealed to be a case of possession by Ruri
and not anything related to Saku’s character.
This
is the single biggest missed opportunity in Hello Lady, especially
given how many of Saku’s plot points and character traits would
play well into a darker self and her overall arc. So join me as I
engage in a thought experiment (read as Fanfiction) about how this could have been handled
better.
Saku’s
character arc can be broadly split into two parts, her fear of being
left behind born from her friend’s death and her struggles to
reconcile the idea of being noble with the realities of an unfair
world. Her struggles with her friend’s death are the fertile
breeding ground for the construction of another personality to deal
with the issues Saku does not want to face. Multiple personalities as
a part of having powers already has a precedent with Sorako so this
would not be out of left field. This new Dark Saku would be
assertive, ruthless and willing to do whatever it takes to deal with
threats and in particular problematic people with powers, everything
the original is not or does not want to admit to being.
The
focus on those with powers would stem from the established fact that the person who killed her
friend was someone with powers who managed to get away with what
they were doing for a long time and was not somebody the normal
authorities could handle. So Dark Saku’s answer is to kill these
people to prevent them from causing harm since nobody else is willing
or able to do it. Saku would have some awareness of what is happening
to her but not remember the events when she is Dark Saku (as in the
actual game) and also cannot quite bring herself to fully reject her
other self’s methods. It is also easy to justify why Dark Saku
would have killed Eru’s Owner given how he treated Eru as a thing
rather than a person and thus would be unacceptable to Saku’s
values. Saku would also feel responsible for Eru since she would be
aware of being involved in Eru’s current state and as such she would take
Eru under her wing even if she is not comfortable with Eru’s
attachment to her.
Saku’s
route would focus on the same issues and themes as the original but
frame them through the duel personality and having Saku come to
accept this other self. Dark Saku would be more present, like Evil
Saku is in Eru’s route, and acts as both a mirror to Narita’s own
negative traits and a source of tension as the player would not know
if they are friend or foe. The Kurofune fight could also used as a
perfect ending to Saku’s arc by reconciling her and Narita’s
feelings with Kurofune acting as an opposite ideal to them and
forming a coop fight much like the one in Hishia’s route. As for
Ruri’s appearance, this is a more fundamental issue which one route
cannot solve and simply requires better set up throughout the entire
game. However, on a character level Ruri could act as an opposite in
terms of someone who stands above everyone else in terms of power and how they
should behave. Ruri believes everyone to be lesser because of their
weakness and uses them like toys, while Saku wants to protect
them with her powers and adhere to the ideal of being noble. This
makes Ruri occupy the same role as Kurofune but from a power centric view rather
than focused around beliefs.
Conclusion
Quite
a lot of ground has been covered in this analysis but I hope that it was insightful as to the many strengths and flaws of Hello Lady.
It should be obvious now this game is far from perfect with odd
pacing issues, problematic choices of superpowers and general missed
potential. However, it should be equally clear that it shines
brightly with emotive character arcs, outstanding action scenes and
an understanding of how to get the most out of each moment. Never has
a visual novel made me so conflicted about if I think it is good or
not throughout its entire length and swinging wildly backwards and
forwards on which side of the divide I sit on. So ends my brief
journey into madness and I will now try not to think about Hello Lady
for a while, it has occupied too much of my mind.
Hello Lady! Review – Revenge Is A Dish Best Served Hot
Genre – Superpowers, Action, Multiple Route Mystery. Play Time – 50 hours. Developer - Akatsuki WORKS. Steam VNDB
It Started With Fire
The
quest for revenge is a time worn tale which has assumed many forms
and is notoriously difficult to get right. It can be a struggle to
get the audience to empathise with a character who is seeking
revenge, especially when they start destroying the lives of others
and potentially killing people. Hello Lady throws its hat into this
complicated ring and presents its answer to this problem through a
merger of mystery, romance and action. The version we have translated
into English is the Complete Edition which includes the base game,
the New Division fandisc and an extra final route. This package leads
to some strange overall narrative quirks, but are its strengths
enough to overcome them and craft a compelling tale of revenge? Let’s
step into the shoes of Narita Shinri and find out.
 |
| The idea of what it means to be noble is a common motif. |
A Game of Three Parts - Narratives and Themes
Despite
being a merger of three separate sections (Original Game, New
Division and the Final Route) written at different times there is a
surprising level of cohesion between their overall narratives, but
also some strange choices which lead to moments which don’t quite
add up. Each part brings something unique to the table and explores
the world or characters in order to create a complete experience for
the player.
- The Original game -
This
is the first section of the game which the player has access to and it is
here they will spend the majority of their time. It follows a structure of sequentially unlocking routes in order
to control the information given to the player and provide a sense of
progression through the overarching mystery. However, this
results in there being little sense of agency on the part of the
player with the only freedom being given in the very beginning and
even then only in the choice of two routes. As such it falls on the characters
and plot to hold up the narrative and they succeed wonderfully.
Narita Shinri’s pursuit of revenge and how it interacts with each
of the heroines differently makes for a gripping tension as each
brings a unique angle to his quest and calls it into question his
motives. These dynamics are extended to the supporting cast with
Narita having to dance around them in order to conceal his intent
from them and enact his plans. This atmosphere between the characters
is further enhanced by the mystery of the plot as the secrets of the
school and of the world are slowly revealed and play on the sense
that Narita is not in control of the situation.
 |
| There is a good balance of light and dark moment |
While
the overall story of this section is strong there is an unevenness to
its quality. For example the two initially available routes can feel
like they repeat each other due to them being only able to assume the player
has played the common route before hand. Coupled with this is the sparsity of new plot points for the overall narrative and these
two routes come across as one route’s worth of content split into
two, which is not a great first impression. There are strange quirks
like this all the way through Hello Lady and to top it all off the final route
has an eleventh hour villain who pops up out of nowhere and is
defeated just as quickly. All of these little issues do not detract
from the enjoyment of the game as a whole, but if this was the only
part of the game then it would have scored lower since it can feel as
if it lacks focus.
- New Division -
New
Division consists of two routes which are accessed entirely separately from the original game and as such have no build up to
them as the player is suddenly thrust into the heart of the
narrative. As you might expect this can be a bit disorienting, but it is mitigated by the routes making it clear when they take place in the timeline
of Hello Lady.
The
two routes added are for Kabutoyama Mitori and Hishia Mori who were
previously minor characters and now step into the limelight.
Mitori’s route is the stronger of the two with a heart wrenching
story which not only expands the characters involved but also the
explains some unanswered questions and grows the world building
in interesting ways. It is one of the best routes in the game and
only held back by how it can only build on certain plot points and not
conclude them. On the other hand Hashia’s route is more
uneven. The opening parts of the route repeats information we already
know or could infer as well as containting numerous information dumps about
Hashia’s past with Narita. This leads to it feeling very front
loaded with content and kills any forward momentum the route might have be
able to develop. However, this is balanced out by an extremely
impactful finale where all the build up is turned into payoff with
Narita and Hashia having a joint fight which is not only a spectacle
but also ties their character arcs together. An overall slow route
filled with filler content is ultimately saved by Hello Lady’s
distinctive ability to make every conflict engaging and tense.
 |
| Everyone has something to hide |
- Final Route -
It
is difficult to say much about this route without spoilers since it acts as a
culmination of all the previous sections. What can be said is that it
is a worthy finale for the whole game and wraps up everything from
character arcs to stray plot points. It also understands that in
order to be a send off for the game it needs to crank things up to
eleven and it does so in a brilliant explosion of action with new
enhanced powers for the entire cast. On top of this it gives much
needed depth to the eleventh hour villain from the original game and
turns them from a cardboard cut-out designed only to be beaten by the
heroes into one of the most interesting characters who wonderfully
ties Narita’s story together. Without this route Hello Lady would
have been a much weaker experience and its presence more than makes
up for the short comings of what came before.
Web Of Liars – Characters
The
cast of Hello Lady covers a variety of roles effectively with
characters switching positions between ally and enemy depending on
the route and events. Their banter and tension does a great deal to
sell the narrative and make each section of the game distinctive.
However, they are not without flaws and there is a particularly
glaring failure to be found.
It
is rare for a visual novel to have a main cast this evenly strong and intriguing to watch dance around their scars and
hopes. Narita is our protagonist and point of view character and
epitomises the game’s standard of characters. He is a complicated
and conflicted person who at once driven by his quest for revenge and
his empathy for those around him. This conflict between his aims and
the new companions he has found forms the strong backbone of each
route's narrative and themes. It is also nice to have a protagonist
who will get things done rather than waiting for the plot to move
them forwards as can be found in many other visual novels.
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| Few things can stop Narita once he gets going |
Of
course the heroines are similarly well written with every one of them
testing a different part of Narita’s motivation. Tamao has a fiery
temperament and is always up to challenge Nartia but similarly to him
genuinely cares about those around her. Sorako indirectly forces
Narita to face his past as well as how his future will be shaped
while she herself finds the inner will to guide her forward. These
are just a couple of examples and from them it is clear the lengths
the developers went to make sure each heroine has not only a function
within Nartia’s overall story but also be compelling in their own
right.
Now
lets address the elephant in the room, Saku. For the majority of the
game she is a strong character and acts as a foil to Narita with her
moral righteousness contrasting with his crookedness. They work well
as a duo to highlight the flaws in each others approaches to life and
their aims which adds to the already dynamic cast interactions.
However, this all goes out of the window once the player enters
Saku’s route. The game becomes obsessed with painting Saku as pure
and true to the point at which they blast way anything previously
interesting about her character and make her flawless. At one point
it looked as if the game was going to have Saku be involved a moral
complicated situation but it back peddles on this plot point and
absolves her of any possible wrong doing. This is all before we reach the
issue of how her power is a deus machina which could solve so many
threats in the narrative if she decided to use it, but of course she
does not so the plot can happen. Overall, this leaves a sour taste in
the mouth and, while the final route does a lot to mitigate this
damage to Saku’s character, it feels like there is a favouritism
towards Saku over everyone else.
 |
| Saku's perfection detracts from the rest of the cast |
Superpowered Spectacle – Visuals, Audio and Technical
When
it comes to the polish of the moment to moment gameplay, Hello Lady
delivers some noticeable highs within a competently put together
package. The game is not without flaws but it is clear the developers
have an understanding of how to get the most out of their chosen
medium.
Juggling
the different tones and selling them through the visuals is a delicate
affair and one which Hello Lady manages to thread nicely. By
utilising a wide array of colours to complement the type of scene
they are accompanying and makes it clear to the player what emotions
they are trying to invoke. Bright colours and strong still poses show
that you are in a slice of life or romance section, while darker
colours and dynamic stances turn up the heat for an action or
dramatic section. The art style itself is nothing you have not seen
before and utilises a very standard anime aesthetic, but the
developers are comfortable with it and know how to get the most out
of it.
 |
| While the art style is not original it is used well |
The
audio is a similar story to the visuals. Sound effects are suitably
crunchy but are otherwise unremarkable. However, the music fairs
better with a selection of standout tracks which are excellent to
listen to in their own right and are spaced out throughout the
experience so there is always something new to listen to over the
course of what is a long game. This does not mean the entire
soundtrack is excellent with a lot of the more relaxed tracks being
extremely forgettable and, while not of terrible quality, they do
lessen the quality on offer elsewhere.
On
the technical front, there are some nice touches which elevate the
game and one very questionable choice. For the good features, there
are changing title screens which switch every time you complete a
major section of the game and give a sense of progress for the
player. In addition, Hello Lady is a game which uses both NVL and ADV to
their full effect alongside each other and this merger elevates
scenes and the tone of the game. As for the big misstep, it takes the
from of the choice system and how it add unnecessary confusion. The
choices come in two forms, ones which directly increase a heroines
affection and ones which increase or decrease Narita’s stance
towards the school. Heroine affection choices are the most standard,
pick the option your chosen heroine likes to gain points. This is
made easier by the game including a little picture each heroine on the
options they want picked.
The issues begin to appear when you factor
in the choices which effect Narita’s feelings towards the school.
Some heroine routes require a certain stance towards the school by
Narita while others do not care about it and there is no way to know
outside of trial and error which ones want what stance. This leads to a lot of confusion for the player with
them repeatedly having to go through the common route and test various combinations of choices to see what gets them on a route. As you
can imagine this is a frustrating experience and not conducive to
keeping the player engaged. To top it all off the routes do not in
any way recognise the stance of Narita based on these choices and
just focus on the heroine leading you to question why they even exist.
 |
| The choice system is needlessly confusing |
Verdict – 9/10 -
While there is an unevenness to Hello Lady's quality, it is ultimately an extremely compelling package which keeps you engaged with revenge and mystery and plays on your feelings for its characters.
Pros and Cons -
Pros -
+
A compelling overarching mystery and an emotive tale of revenge form
an exceptionally strong narrative core.
+
Having proactive and morally questionable protagonist with a drive to
get what he wants is a breath of fresh air.
+
The various and competing desires of the cast make for some tense and
heart-warming moments.
+
Careful use of visuals and audio alongside an understanding of how to
get the most out of the medium allow each scene to shine.
Cons -
-
The quality of the narrative is uneven with some sections being
stronger than others, which is not helped by the game being a messy
merger of three different games.
-
One of the most nonsensical choice systems in any visual novel.
-
Saku is favoured too much by the writers to the point at which she
barely has any flaws and is far too virtuous.
-
Certain plot points are not developed properly or given space to
breath, most noticeably the original game’s eleventh hour villain.
