Saturday, November 26, 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.
