Sunday, January 29, 2023
A
new year has begun and in this month of new beginnings we all start
out into an unknown future and visual novels are no different. It
has been a quiet march across the start line for major releases with
this month seeing none of note. However, it is exactly in this down
time where the indie scene and fan translations can come to the front
and make themselves felt. We have engaging Yuri and Otome, a visual
novel and action rpg hybrid and an innovative game presented entirely
through letters. Let’s look at what the first month has brought us.
Official Releases
Miracle Snack Shop -
Fancy
something sweet? Well this visual novel has you covered in both senses
of the word with the strange tale of a Korean snack shop. Rather than
being a pure visual novel this is a hybrid with a management sim
where the day to day running of the snack shop is simulated to immerse
the player in the narrative. It also has a sizeable fantasy element
in the form of a main heroine, Philia Salis, who appears from a
portal and is queen of an icy land, and this should give you an idea
of the overall tone of the game and, while there are a few twists, it
mostly sticks to it throughout the entire play time. It is not
everyday we get an interesting Korean visual novel like this translated into
English and it is a refreshing insight into a culinary
culture different from what is normal for Japanese or English
language releases. If you are looking for something short and a bit
different then Miracle Snack Shop is for you.
A Maiden Astrologer Divines the Future -
Various
kinds of divination are often used as throw away tropes and are
rarely given the spotlight as the central narrative device. A Maiden
Astrologer Divines The Future aims to buck this trend with a
heart-warming Yuri story which makes full use of divination as its
core thematic element. The story follows Mizushiro Isumi as she
divines the future for her clients in a small coffee shop, but strange
things start happening around her and as she starts to investigate
she meets a girl named Maki and her life will soon be reshaped by
their bond. Since this is a short game the emphasis is placed on the
main relationship and its dynamic to hold the entire experience up
and for the most part it succeeds with a pairing which showcase how
to play contrasting personalities off one another. Overall it is an
excellent bite sized and comfortable romance story with a distinctive
spin on the formula.
Hoping This Finds You Well -
Finding
the right words to communicate your feelings is hard and
it is easy to get sidetracked with unimportant details. This is what
Hoping This Finds You Well captures through its choice to present its
narrative as a series of letters written backwards and forwards
between two people. The result is a tale which show both the
intimacy and distance present in a relationship and how people can
talk passed each other even when they mean well. A relationship is an
awkward and messy thing were both participants are never completely
sure what the other is thinking and this is something the game
manages to express with surprising emotion. It is an extremely short
visual novel but has some of the most unique presentation in recent
memory and a concisely told story that does exactly what is sets out
to do.
Tristia: Restore -
Having
a genius protagonist risks alienating the player when the character
achieve their goals with little effort and cheats the narrative out
of the catharsis of overcoming the odds. The answer which Tristia:
Restore reached was to lean into a light hearted tone and play up the
endearing characteristics of its protagonist to make her victories
still hold meaning as you want to see her succeed in her good natured
deeds. Thus in Nanoca Flanca we have a protagonist who makes for a
most entertaining point of view character for this action/visual
novel hybrid game. This is a game that lets you know immediately it
does not want to be taken seriously. From the moment you start the
game the colours and dialogue sell the low stakes and relaxing vibe it proceeds to immerse you into. Something for those who want a
light and simple story with action gameplay to keep them engaged.
Fan Translations
Brothers Conflict: Precious Baby -
Patch Download VNDB Genre
– Otome, Romance Play Time – 60 hours
The
dream of being surrounded by hot guys is very much alive in Brothers
Conflict: Precious Baby and it knows exactly what its Otome loving
audience wants to see. This is a game which is very open with its
romantic fantasy to the point of being slightly absurd and, while it
might turn off some people, those it resonates with will find a
visual novel that knows how to play to the strengths of the genre.
When Asahina Ema’s mother remarries Ema suddenly gains eleven new
brothers and the player gains a wide selection of romance options all
with the spice of forbidden love. Given how spread thin the play time
is between each hero, there is an astonishing level of character
definition achieved for all of them and this goes a long way in
selling them as legitimately compatible with Ema. While this is not a
visual novel for everyone, but it knows its audience and for them
this is a gem worth their time.
