9 -nine- Series Review – Fragmented Artefacts From The Beyond

Sunday, July 2, 2023

Genre – Supernatural, Action, Mystery Play Time – 9 hours per game

Developer – Palette Steam VNDB

No Power Without Consequence

Everyone wants superpowers and think themselves far more capable of using them than the fictional heroes from comics or movies, but what they rarely consider is that for every hero there must be a monster and this monster will be destructive to their lives in ways they cannot begin to imagine. Such is the backbone of the threat which hang in air for 9 -nine-’s entire duration as while its protagonist Niimi Kakeru gains supernatural powers and loyal friends, he has to contend with an equally powerful murderer who has little interest in playing by the rules and a willingness to kill that continues to surprise Kakeru with each death. This urban fantasy visual novel chooses to present this suspense laden tale through a series of separately released episodes with each one covering a different heroine and forming a complete story. Rather than talking about them individually this review will cover the series in its totality and examine the broad strengths and weakness present in all the episodes while avoiding spoilers wherever possible. There is a fair amount to discuss as 9 -nine- showcases the episodic storytelling well and how a more plot orientated narrative is effected by this design choice. Let’s investigate some murders and find out if this plot hook can support an entire series.

Not cute at all if you ask me

Cycles Of Fate – Narrative And Themes

When constructing a narrative over the course of a series of episodes it can be difficult to maintain a coherent vision with each release being upwards of half a year apart from one another. This strain works in 9 -nine-’s favour as well as against it and the result is a series characterised by a continual identity painted in contradictory colours. Its compelling mysteries and excellent superpowered fights live alongside a constant tension between the romance and plot elements of each episode.

Greatest stealth mission ever

In the first game’s opening hours two big mysteries take centre stage, the origin and nature of the powers the cast now find themselves with and the identity of the murderer who has been going around petrifying their victims. These provide a sense of threat to the character’s safety on an internal and external level making the early sections a series of tense encounters where everyone is potentially out to get the cast. Obviously this is not sustainable over the course of an entire series so the later games smartly shift onto other mysteries of a more immediate and plot centric nature to compliment the shift into open conflict with the antagonists. Moving through these differing styles of narrative gives a good sense of forward momentum to the series as a whole and keeps the threats faced by the cast feeling fresh. This is on top of how the stories distinct to each episode feed into these overarching mysteries in a well thought through manner leads to a positive feedback loop of connected events and character arc playing into one another to form a cohesive series. Despite the occasion hiccup between plots of individual episodes the space provided by the staggered releases has been put to good use to ensure the best possible narrative escalation and mysteries to keep the player guessing even to the end.

Superpowered action starts as a minor element to build tension but over the course of the series it escalates into some of the most impressive fights in the medium. There is a variety of powers on display here from allies and enemies with their interactions and the situations where conflict takes place forming a constant stream of engaging moments. 9 -nine- understands the need for these battles to speak to some sort of greater emotional struggle between the parties involved, rather than them simply being spectacle and this makes the lesser early battles feel as meaningful as the later climatic ones. For example Kujou Miyako, the heroine of the first episode, has the ability steal objects and make the owner forget about said item and initially it is used in fights in the direct way you might imagine, taking the enemy’s weapon. However, in the later episodes this simple power is part of imaginative strategies that showcase just how far she has grown as a person and how she has come to understand her own powers. It is this merger of progression in scale and character growth which makes each episode a joy to read. If there is an issue it is that the most climatic and impressive fight occurs at the end of the third episode leaving the battles in the final episode feeling hollow by comparison. While this is not so terrible as to ruin these moments it does lead to a sense of a narrative spinning its wheels as it reaches it conclusion.

There is plenty of good action in 9 -nine-

By far the biggest black mark against the 9 -nine- series is the tension and unevenness existing between the romance and plot elements of each episode. This takes the form of the sudden and jarring shifting between the two parts, one moment you will be having a climatic plot revelation and the next the game will ‘remember’ it has a romance it needs to progress and switch over without any transition creating a sense of whiplash. The issue is mostly concentrated in the latter two episodes where the plot takes centre stage as the stakes are upped, but they still felt the need to include romances for the remaining heroines even when it does little for the narrative. Separately these elements are excellent in their quality, it is only when they rub up against one another that their issues emerge and it becomes clear there are problems with how the game handles them. What was once the palette cleanser now feels hollow and tone deaf to what is going on around the characters as their very lives are on the line. There is a time and a place for everything and this is something these episodes struggle with.

Powers Maketh The Man – Characters

Gaining supernatural abilities is no walk in the park and changes the person who now plays host to them. The characters reflect their powers often in surprising ways when their multilayered personalities rub against one another as they form a team to take down the killer. A colourful central cast is one of the most memorable elements of 9 -nine- and especially how well they interact with Kakeru in their own easy to identity manner. It is a shame that the villains by comparison are such a mixed bag with many of them being flat and having extremely weak motivations.

Team dynamics are key to a visual novel as focused on a small cast as 9 -nine- is and the game’s characters are careful structured in order to take advantage of this expectation. We have the morally upstanding Kujou Miyako, the bantering little sister Niimi Sora, the shy and sweet senpai Kousaka Haruka and the chuunibyou leader of the group Yuuki Noa. Each one bring their own flare to the team to create a melting pot of beliefs and personalities that help to sell the current episode’s heroine as the remaining members support her growth and love. This cycling in and out of the spotlight for each team member gives a chance for them to shine and it means that even when they recede into the background their arcs are still reflected in the way they treat each other. There are also small shifts in the dynamic to fit the themes of individual episodes with each character assuming subtly different roles in a way that helps sell the ideas of the narrative without compromising the integrity of the characters. These smart uses of the main cast gives them a palpable life and provides a sense of belong to this group of misfits as they overcome the trials before them.

Each heroine bring something new to the table

Romancing a new heroine every episode forms a key part of the game’s efforts to keep the player engaged during the down time and invest them in the characters. Each one offers a different kind of dynamic with Kakeru to keep them feeling distinct from one another and fresh in your mind. For example Sora’s relationship is one more about trading wit which contrasts with the far more gentle showering of mutual affection present in Haruka’s relationship. These are believable extensions of what are already know elements of these characters and allow them to shine in their interactions with the protagonist as we get a proper sense of what motivates them. Having such a varied definition of intimacy gives these episodes the space to explore what romance means to a variety of personalities. Do they want security and comfort, someone to stand by them as their equal or a person who sees them as they truly are? While they are by no means a deep examination of relationships, what they do add is some much needed depth to help the player invest in these heroines when the chips are down and their lives are on the line.

It is a real shame that the villains the cast fight are such a mixed bag. Rather than matching the charisma and flare of the heroines, they are instead a collection of generically evil people with equally weak motivations. They do most of their actions because just because they are evil and cruel and for little other reason which makes them come across as flat. Early on this is not so much of an issue since the mystery of their identity and motives conceal them which makes them threatening, but in later episodes when this is no longer the case they can become quite boring and lack presence. Being generically evil can work if the characters play into in a convincing way and embrace the somewhat hammy nature of this archetype. However, 9 -nine-’s villains do not commit and instead feel undercooked and sloppy implemented. There is one exception to this and that is Ghost. She is the first villain to reveal herself and she commits to the idea of being evil in an almost gleeful way which helps her come across as both threatening and genuine in her actions. Her overall believability is also enhanced by the fact that she is not tied solely into the role of villain and as events swing things around she is adapted to fit them and this makes her a strangely endearing character who can proudly sit alongside the heroines for how good she is as a personality.

Who's this? That's right it is the best girl.

Artefacts Of Astonishing Beauty – Visual, Audio And Technical

From a technical standpoint the best way to describe 9 -nine- is solid but uninspired. Its visuals are what you would expect when you imagine a modern day title in this genre. Backgrounds and character portraits are clean and expressive while CGs come in fun normal and chibi varieties, but there is very little about them that gives them any sense of their own identity. Place them side by side with many other visual novels and you would struggle to tell them apart. In terms of features it has the suite that players have come to expect with quick save and load options as well as control over small elements like what animations play. This mediocrity never draw attention to itself and there are no parts of actively bad quality which allows them to sink from view and not obscure the strong narrative and character beats. The only exception to this is the outstanding soundtrack that is worth listening to even separately to the game. It is a mix of emotive mood music and distinctive battle and scene themes working to tie each story's beat to a tone in an impactful way. It easily stands head and shoulders above the quality of the rest of technical experience.

There is nothing beyond what you would expect here

In terms of choices and player agency there is some, but it just a choice about what order to experience the content or choices that exist for thematic or narrative purposes. 9 -nine- likes to express key plot elements through choices and has the player act out this part of the character’s actions to give them a little role playing immersion. The game does not try to hide what it is doing and it is clear very early on that all choices have no consequences so the player does not feel cheated later on. On the other side of this game’s choices are the ones where it opens the game up a little and gives several paths forwards which must all be complete but can be done in any order. These sections of freedom are a good change in pace and provide a direct sense that the narrative is progressing in a solid and comprehensible way. You should understand what to expect from the game and not come in with ideas about being able to decide anything meaningful.

Verdict –

The new standard for superpowered action episodic visual novels which combines excellent characters and mysteries with a proper sense of escalation. Even if it sometimes has trouble smoothlymerging its elements together.