Archive for December 2023
2023 – A Year In Visual Novels
As
we see out another packed year, it is time to look back and appreciate
the bountiful and brilliant games we have been blessed with. 2023 was
a good year for the video game industry with big title after big
title and visual novels were no slouch in this department. Our
communities continue to support and critique the medium we all engage
with and love in new and exciting ways. The variety of genres, ideas
and characters present in the releases this year makes me proud to be
a part of it as we can engage with them in ways no other type of game
can. Let’s take a drive down memory lane and pick out the
highlights of this year while considering what 2024 might bring for
us.
Notable Events
Shiravune’s Rise To Prominence
This
year marks the explosion onto the visual novel scene of Shiravune
with a flurry of quality titles and an expansion onto new and
accessible store fronts. Shiravune is not a new entrant to the market
and has been releasing titles over the past few years but they have
had only a small selection of notable visual novels to attract
attention. They also tended to use the site Johren for most of their
releases which was not a popular pick for consumers and this limited their
sales and exposure. All this would change in 2023 as Shiravune would
output titles that turned heads with everything from a new release of
Kara no Shoujo, now called The Shell Part I: Inferno, to the classic
White Album to the remaster of One. On top of this they would expand
the stores from which their games would be available to include JAST,
MangaGamer and Kagura Games, greatly increasing their exposure and
allow the consumer to choose the avenue of their purchase. Another
publisher seeing success in the visual novel space is a good sign for
our medium and we can hope for excellent future
localisations from a more competative release schedule.
Tencent Acquire Visual Arts
July
saw Tencent gaining full control of Visual Arts, the parent company of
the beloved visual novel developer Key. This occurred due to the
representative director Baba Takahiro choosing to retire from the
company and becoming an advisor, in doing so he also transferred all
his shares to Tencent giving them control over the running of
business. Such a series of events is not entirely unsurprising given
Baba is now in his 60’s and managing Visual Arts must have become
increasingly problematic. As for what this change in ruler means for
Visual Arts, that is far more unclear. At the time of writing there
have been no public or noticeable alterations to the company’s
activities, but who knows what the future may hold. We can only hope
that the its continued profitability shields it from harm.
Interesting Visual Novels From Game Jams
If
you want to find the innovative and new from a medium then Game Jams
are where you should look first. This more experimental side of
visual novels continues to surprise in 2023 and be the beating heart
of the English speaking scene. Keeping people aware of development in
the medium is important and as such this section will cover some of
the most interesting title from Jams held this year.
NaNoRenO 2023
Reaper’s GoodBye
The
framing of the narrative as five patrons, each telling their tales at
a food stand as they wait for the midnight train, is well utilised to
engage their lives in a web of interconnected emotions. Coupled with
a cleaver use of comic style speech bubbles and the result is fresh
and evocative title.
Potions for Tomorrow
While
the idea of a potion shop is hardly an original one for games at this
point, the way Potions for Tomorrow lets its characters sell their
own short stories helps elevate the title and forms an adorable
atmosphere. The light potion making sections do just enough to keep
the player entertained without demanding too much from them.
A phone found in tall grass
Presenting
an apocalypse through the lens of a person’s twitter feed is a take
on the genre which has gone strangely unexplored. So much of people’s
lives is showcased on their social media that it makes sense to
explore the end of the world from this angle.
SuNoFes 2023
Hollow Victory
If
having to visit your ex in jail was not bad enough, what about if he
had tried to take over the world as well? This short visual novel
takes its limited resources as a challenge to produce the keenest and
sharpest personality on screen for the maximum amusement.
Pilla’s Paradise
A
sci-fi take on the narrative about the life of a streamer is a
surprisingly novel concept especially when paired with an energetic
and accident prone protagonist. Add in a soul searching quest which takes her out of
her comfort zone and the results should speak from themselves.
Yuri Game Jam 2023
Star Crossed
Contrasting
and complementing ideals are fertile ground for conflict and doubly so when
mixed with the chaotic element that is love. The two heroines, Clara
and Laila, are strong foils from one another and make for a powerful
ride as they pair clash against the realities of the world they
inhabit.
Adieu Those In Love
Red
is an emotive colour and it is used here to its utmost to sell the
characters feelings in an all-consuming manner. You cannot help but
inhabit their mental space as the visual novel prevents you from
looking away from the characters on screen.
Selection Of The Best Visual Novel Releases
Deciding
what visual novels to highlight from such a packed year was a task
which proved more difficult than I had first imagined. There are just
so many excellent games to pick from all showcasing a variety of
amazing genres. However, in the end there were a set of clear winners
that you should definitely have played this year.
Sona-Nyl of the Violet Shadows Refrain (Steam)
Probably
my favourite visual novel released this year as I have always been a
sucker for Liar-soft’s strong narratives, visuals and ability to
engage with the literary elements of the medium. Once again we return
to their steampunk world, this time to the deserted streets of New
York after all its residences simply disappeared one day. Following
the two perspectives of a pair of girls, Elysia and Lily, as they
each tackle their strange situations from vastly different angles and
both above and bellow the city. Liar-soft’s ability in Sona-Nyl to
play with all the cards the medium’s presentation has to offer in
order to sell the content and emotion of each and every moment is why
they are one of the greatest developers in this design space.
WHITE ALBUM: Memories like Falling Snow (Steam)
Dealing
with the success of your significant other can be difficult,
especially when the world seems to be pushing the two of you away
from each other. Exploring how someone copes or fails to cope with
this adversity is the core of WHITE ALBUM and leads to all the
emotion and entertainment it relies upon to keep the player engaged.
While the tedium of the common route’s dating sim elements leaves a
lot to be desired, the core heroine routes each bring something
distinct to the table both in terms of the heroine’s own arc and
the protagonist’s weakness as both work in tandem to keep tensions
high. WHITE ALBUM does not quite live up to its amazing sequel, but it
still stand head and shoulders above any of its peers.
Azrael on the Boundary of Life and Death (Patch Dowload)
When
I first downloaded Azrael I did not think much of it. The clearly low
budget title only had a small selection of character portraits and
CGs and altered photos for backgrounds which did not exactly set my
heart on fire. You would think that I would have stopped judging a
book by its cover at this point, but Azreal once again remained me
that it is strong ideas and emotions which make a good visual novel
and not the surrounding fluff. Taking a person’s life and showing
the best and worse versions of it and then asking if both are equally
worth living is surprising impactful and thought-provoking. It is
easy to say that all life is valuable in the abstract, but it is much
harder to do when confronted with the reality of their suffering. Even
in all the darker subjects Azrael tackles, there is a strong sense of
hope permeating throughout and helped along by a short playtime,
culminating in a satisfying pay off.
Witch on the Holy Night (Steam)
Seeing a Type-Moon visual novel available officially in English is surreal
experience after all these years of being denied their release.
Starting with Witch on the Holy Night was a smart choice given its
relatively self-contained nature, combined with its relatively low
stakes conflict compared to other more recent titles, and you have a
perfect entry point for the expanded world of Type-Moon to get its
claws into a player. Even for veterans it offers a new angle on the life of
mages and brings in a few fan favourite characters to show them off
in more details as the core of the narrative rather than side
elements not properly touched upon.
ANONYMOUS;CODE (Steam)
It
has been good to see that the Science Adventures series has not lost
its pedigree for outputting excellent visual novels with the release
of ANONYMOUS;CODE. Bring the series sci-fi talent to the world of
hacking fiction in order to take it into the futuristic 2030s, a
place near enough to be familiar but far enough away to be a little
alien. Keeping the character focus that was key to the success of
their previous titles allows ANONYMOUS;CODE to keep the player
invested in their struggles and prevent the larger conflicts from
losing their meaning among all the in-universe concepts. Add in a
good helping of eye popping visuals and the result is a
roller-coaster of a good time.
H2O√ after and another Complete story Edition (Steam)
Having
a blind protagonist in what is an inherently visual medium is a
unique type of challenge for a developer to undertake. The solution
H2O came up with is to present the images the player sees as what the
protagonist, Hirose Takuma, imagines the world to look like. This
makes him an interesting take on the unreliable narrator since it is
not that he is mentally unsound or has any malice, but instead he
simply lacks an important avenue of information and in turn so does
the player. Though this lens H2O asks what meaning and value can be
found in how people live their lives from the small actions to grand
feelings of love. No stone is left unturned in this tale about those
seeking reason and purpose to their continued existence.
Things To Look Out For Next Year
Tsukihime- A piece of blue glass moon-
Now
the appetiser, Witch On The Holy Night, is out of the way we can sit
in anticipation of the main course, the Tsukihime remake. Covering
the first half of the original game’s narrative, it expands on that
foundation and in particular Ciel’s route which had previously
lacked any meaningful identity of its own. If you want my extended
thoughts on the remake you can look to my review.
The short version is this reimagining does wonders for bringing the
title into the modern era for new and old fans with shiny visuals and
excellent new characters. It is not without issues such as the way
some sections exist to be paid off in the currently non-existent
second half of the remake. However, the quality of this package makes
it easy to overlook these problems and just enjoy this urban fantasy
ride.
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy
Look
for a good visual novel to start the year with, then look no further
than the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy releasing on January
24th. While not as widely loved as the original Ace
Attorney games, the Apollo Justice Trilogy continues the series’
humour and courtroom drama which made it so popular in the first
place. Given this single remaster offers three complete titles for a
reasonable price and in an accessible form rather than being tied to
the DS, now is the perfect opportunity for new players to find out
what they have been missing or to complete their collection as this
makes a nice pair with the previous trilogy. A promising way to begin
the year and remind people of the potential this medium has for all
kinds of games.
Angelic☆Chaos RE-BOOT!
Another
year and another Yuzusoft title to look forward to. This time they
have chosen to go with a reincarnation isekai style narrative where
our protagonist was the demon lord in his previous life. Soon enough
he finds himself surrounded by all manner of supernatural creatures
and chief among them is the angel who was responsible from bringing
his quiet life to end. Mixing in a good amount of magical hijinks
alongside the normal kind looks to be a refreshing change from the
straight forward slice of life elements that usually populates most
of the playtime. Beyond this new element the high bar of quality is
maintained and it marks Yuzusoft as the continued premier developer
of this genre.
Best Visual Novel Releases – December 2023
Its
that festive time again as the year ends with feasting and
fireworks. Not wanting to be outdone by the year’s flashy exit,
visual novels have upped their game with some of outstanding
titles coming out this month. We have everything from two anticipated
Type-Moon games to a classic remaster to a dating sim where you
romance Death himself! This month has been a wild ride so let’s
wade the piles of gold and see what the best releases are in this
packed schedule.
Official Release
Sona-Nyl of the Violet Shadows Refrain
Another
entry into Liar-soft’s steampunk series and yet another outstanding
tale that makes it clear why they are one of the greatest developers
in the medium. Set near the beginning of the 20th century
this alternative history continues the series’ seamless blending of
steampunk technology with fantasy elements into the smog of these
ever-changing cities and Sona-Nyl brings its own unique spin to
established ideas. Following the duel protagonist of Elysia and Lily
as the both confront New York and the mysterious disappearance of all
the people who once lived there. A strange Underground seems to hold
the key to what happened on that day and the two are draw towards it
for vastly different reasons, but their futures will be shaped by
what they find along the way. In the land of violet fog and darting
shadows, what truths await these girls? Overall this is definitely
worth your time with its unique atmosphere, excellent writing and
compelling characters.
A Date with Death
Dating
sims with unusual characters are all the rage at the moment with
Colonel Sanders being the main character in one of them. However, A Date With
Death stands out from them for how it takes this humour and the light
formula and adds some much needed depth and emotion to the
relationship. Your character has spent their entire life narrowly
avoiding death through pure luck, but it seems that your luck may
have run out as a mysterious program appears on your computer and
through it a man claiming to be the Grim Reaper starts to communicate
with you. Taking the aesthetics of the in-game program you use, the
narrative is a somewhat playful affair as it looks at the nature of
your characters relationship with the Grim Reaper and through this it manages some
surprisingly compelling and resonant moments. Since the Grim Reaper
is the only character in the story and your enjoyment of the game
directly correlates to how much your like his personality and while
he is interesting it is easy to see how someone would bounce right
off him. Given the low price tag of completely free, this title is
worth picking up if you are even vaguely intrigued.
Witch on the Holy Night
Never
would I have thought I would see the day when Type-Moon visual novels
received official English releases, but here we are with Witch On The
Holy Night. Set in 1980s Japan it focus in the life of mages in the
modern world far more than previous games through how a
variety of different personalities deal with their circumstances
without losing sense of adventure and action the world is known for.
The group dynamic between Aoko, Soujuurou and Alice is easy one of
its biggest selling points as they regularly do not get along leading not only to hilarious moments but also to meaningful looks at why they each act
the way they do. Its shorter playtime and linear narrative work in
its favour to keep the pace up and not let the world lose its sense
of wonder through repetition. Not only is this a must play for
Type-Moon fans it is also a decent entry point into this franchise
for new players.
ONE.
Remastering
a game can do a lot to make it more accessible to a modern audience
and usable on modern hardware and One is definitely a title which
needed a touch of paint. One is a classic romance visual novel
originally released in 1998 and had an undeniable influence on the
medium with its strong take on the Nakige genre, using it for maximum effect,
all to make the player cry. It weaves in a light fantasy element in a
way that does not undermine the grounded struggles of the protagonist
and heroines and instead uses it to highlight key narrative and
thematic ideas beyond those contained in any single route. There is
an understanding here of how to achieve an emotional resonance which
would go on to inform how many games afterwards would engage their
players even to this day. For those looking for a strong romance
narrative or who are interested in the past of the medium, the One
remaster is a must play.
Fan Translation
Fate/Extra CCC
Patch Download VNDB Genre
– Fantasy, Action, RPG Play Time – 60 hours
This is another
Type-Moon title which seemed as if it would never see a complete
translation with all attempts seeming to dissolve into nothing, until
now. Finally, people will be able to experience the sequel to the
original Fate/Extra and understand why it is highly regarded by those
who have played it. Taking the core setting of the original game and
putting its own spin on it is the name of the game for CCC. The
whole servant vs. servant battle royale is thrown aside in favour of a
more continuous narrative where each character gets a human
portrayal as they collaborate against a new threat. BB is the star
of this show and steals every scene she is in through the over the top
and playful villainy that brilliantly threads the line between humour and danger, it is little wonder she would be come a fan favourite
personality. CCC is truly the height of the Extra series and is worth
playing for anyone looking for a strong visual novel and JRPG hybrid
which showcases the best Type-Moon has to offer.
In-Game Encyclopedia – An Anatomy Of Visual Novels
Knowledge Is Power
When
exploring complicated ideas it can difficult to make sure the player
understands what is going on while still making the dialogue and
events believable and not an exposition dump, even more so if it uses
a lot of in universe concepts. The answer which visual novels have
come to is the inclusion of an in-game encyclopedia that
unlocks new entries as the player encounters new aspects of the
narrative. Also sometimes referred to as Tips or a Glossary, they act
as a place to point a confused player towards and helps them break down ideas into
manageable chunks what is being discussed so they grasp proceedings,
but it can just as easily be ignored by those who do not need
assistance. Beyond this there is space here to expand on the world of
the game into spaces the story will never tread in order to add
texture to what is shown. A more playful or mystery focused visual
novel might even drop subtle hints for people to pick up on and feel
cleaver for piecing together. While visual novels are not the only
types of games to have in-game encyclopedias, they are certainly the
ones which know how to make the most out of them to sell their core
identity. Let’s look up key information and consider
how and why in-game encyclopedias manifest in visual novels.
Breaking Down Complicated Concepts
Presenting
ideas within a narrative while keep the pacing from slowing down and creating believable characters to express them is a
balancing act most visual novels have to tread. The temptation is to
showcase all of the key information in a series of exposition dump in
order to get it out of the way and move into the more interesting
implications of these ideas. However, this is a sure-fire way bore
the player to tears as they become overloaded and fail to process what
is being said to them resulting in an unpleasant and
counterproductive experience. In-game encyclopedias severely
lessen the need for these dumps by providing the player with an easy
to access source of entries on all the key concepts when they appear
and gives them a means to refer back to what a word or idea means
long after it has been brought up. Doing this allows the remaining
exposition to focus in on the interesting and
dramatic knowledge it makes sense for the characters to discover at
the same time as the player to heighten the tension. It can also be
completely ignored on a second playthrough since it does not
interrupt the flow of the game and makes it a less
tedious experience with nobody explaining basic concepts the player
already knows. As a genre sci-fi benefits from this style of in-game
encyclopedia and Steins Gate showcases this through its constant use
of one. The game uses a lot of science, both real and fictional, that
it cannot expect its audience to have a complete understanding of,
yet it cannot spend its entire playtime explain each and every one of
them, so the in-game encyclopedia takes this burden off the main
narrative and contains all the tiny bits of knowledge the player needs. Beyond this it is used to contain a lot of
culturally specific information or references to other media that
would never normally be explained within the narrative since they are
so minor, but they can be given short entries so as to not assume the
player is aware of them. The
overall effect of putting this information in the encyclopedia is the
tension of the thrilling narrative of Steins Gate is not ground to a
halt every time something new appears while still allowing it access
to the complex concepts which define sci-fi.
 |
| Steins Gate covers a variety of different concepts in its encyclopedia |
A Sense Of The World Beyond
Stories
can only ever be a snapshot of the world they belong to and the
people who live there and it can be difficult to provide a sense that
it exist beyond being a contrivance for the plot to take place in.
The method open to those games which use in-game encyclopedias to
combat this shallow feeling is having extra world building or character
snippets. These are all superfluous to the main
narrative and provide information on the greater cultural,
technological or geographic considerations those in universe
would already be aware of in their day to day lives. Putting this
into the narrative proper would only cause bloat and pacing issues
where everything grinds to a halt for something too mundane to be
worth the player’s time. However, inside the in-game encyclopedia
it is an exciting bonus the player can engage with how and when they
want in order to give a much needed sense of place and context to the
gripping visual novel. Having such a rich background at their
fingertips gives people a reason to care about the harm posed by the
central threat beyond simply how it effects the main cast. It also
lends a lightness to encyclopedia through how it provides minor
details instead of just complex concepts to make it appear more
approachable. Take for example fault - StP – LIGHTKRAVTE, this
prequel to the main games exists in a very narrow and focused section
of the world in order to tell a deeply personal tale. As such it does
not provide a greater sense of place in its narrative and instead
only directly brings up the concepts it needs such as the society the
characters live in or the nature of their magic, but nothing beyond
what is absolutely necessary. The in-game encyclopedia is how
LIGHTKRAVTE prevents itself from feeling irrelevant to the main games
through the intriguing morsels connecting what happens to future
events. This lends not only promotes the idea of continuous and
connected setting but also legitimises the existence of this prequel
in the eyes of the player.
 |
| We never see a beare, but here is an entry on one |
Dropping Hints
Not
all uses of the in-game encyclopedia need to be overt and immediately meaningful, hiding clues in plane sight can do a lot to spice up the
entries and make people pay attention. These are generally inserted
into important information so as to be seen easily, but disguised
enough that it is unlikely they will be noticed until the necessary
context is provided later on. When it the time comes to unveil the
truth, these hints allow for the game to appear clever in its set up
with the multiple angles it took presenting its clues both in the
main narrative and in the encyclopedia. The punch of the Aha moment
is key for a mystery focused story, in particular those in a fantasy
or sci-fi setting where the other benefits of the encyclopedia can be
leveraged while also preventing the clues from being too overt, and
handing out clues gives the feeling that the player too could have
solved the mystery beforehand had they only been paying attention.
Should the hints be notice before the big reveal then the player gets
to feel clever for having discovered some hidden truth, but single
hint is enough to spoil the fun so a balance can be maintained
between information and ignorance. I/0 makes extensive use of this
technique to keep the flow the narrative going even in the down time.
The way the real and the digital world interact with each other and
themselves requires a lot of background explanation in the
encyclopedia while also being key to unveiling the truth which makes it
the perfect place to put in a hint or two. In doing this the game is
able to alleviate any possible confusion due to the multi-layered
nature of the mystery by having the hints slowly make sense over the
course of the narrative to clue the player into the fact that there
is still more to be unveiled and they are not misunderstanding what
is going on.
 |
| Keeping track of things is important in such a complex narrative |
Conclusion
Keeping
the player informed while also entertaining them is no easy task, but
the in-game encyclopedia helps bridge the gap between the two aims as
it removes the burden from the main game. It takes the complicated
ideas presented in the story and breaks them into manageable entries
which can be referred to if the player becomes confused and works
to keep a good sense of pace by removing unnecessary exposition.
Among the information it provides can be entries about the world the
game its set in that are not directly related to the narrative in
order to allow it to appear to be a vibrate and living place. From a
narrative design perspective, the most useful part of the encyclopedia
is its ability to conceal hints about upcoming plot reveals and makes
the player feel cleaver if they notice them. There is a lot of
flexibility offered to visual novels through this system, but the
game in question needs complicated enough ideas to be able to fill it
with entries in the first place, a slice of life romance would
struggle to do anything meaningful with it. For those titles its is
compatible with the benefits justify the investment.
Thriller – Genre Deep Dive
The Enemy Within
Sometimes
we just need a little danger to add some excitement to our lives, but
do not want to actually put ourselves in harms way so we turn to the
Thriller. This genre has had a long history of fiction covering
everything from spies to crime in order to keep the reader on their
toes. In many ways it is similar to another genre visual novels
thrive in, Horror, since both rely on invoking feelings of tension in
the player although it is more interested in a thrill than outright fear as
the end result. Tension on an intimate level is by far the medium’s
greatest strength so the Thriller fits nicely into what it has to
offer and gives a sense of animated humanity to scenes where the
tension is at its thickest. Thrillers are a flexible design space for
games since they can easily assimilate aspects of other genres making
it especially appealing to developer’s who want to add some spice
to an otherwise simple experience. However, just like with anything
it has to be handled properly or it can overwhelm all other flavours
and turn people off completing the meal. So let’s uncover a
conspiracy and discover how visual novels have utilised the Thriller.
Tension In The Smallest Movements
The
threat of danger is often more effective at holding a player in suspense than open displays of violence. A simple everyday
conversation takes on new life when we know one of the people
involved could kill the other if they feel like it. This dance of
masks and intentions is the main hallmark of the Thriller and requires
a subtly and deftness that visual novels find easy to accommodate.
Their limited means of presenting their narratives leads to them
making the most out of every movement and turn of phrase which is exactly
how a tense scene gets much of its mileage. When the player knows
something violent might be about to happen they tend to start to comb
every twitch of the eyebrow and the way something is described in
order to avoid the potential negative outcome. Thrillers take
advantage of this inherent fear of the consequences of conflict to
generate excitement, obviously the player knows they are not really
in danger but they are willing to put that aside and be pulled into
the space of play established through the visual novel.
 |
| Gonzou owns any scene he is in |
For a good
example of how this works in practice we can look to The Devil On
G-String and any scene where Azai Gonzou is present. This yakuza boss
is a constant source of danger for the protagonist, but it is never
entirely clear if that is immediate or if he is just playing with the
protagonist. Gonzou has a large presence any time he is on screen
despite not being a man of many words and instead he makes his
position of power clear through a no-nonsense approach where the
violence of his occupation is implied in his every action. The player
is made to jump at his subtle changes in expression and the way his
words are presented on screen through the developer’s constant
quiet shifting of how these elements come across. Sometimes
the player does no need a single clear person to feel in danger
and instead the idea that anybody the characters talk to could be a
murder is often more powerful. Kara No Shoujo has a series of
horrific killings and places a number of characters in front of the
player who are just as likely to be responsible as they are to be
next victim in order to make every interaction with them hold an
underlying tension. While this is nowhere near as directly potent as
the single person conversation, it does have a more continued
presence in the mind of the player and subtly pulls on their
thoughts. It also means the visual novel can provide a paced and even
rising tension that overflows into a more direct type of thrill at
the climax. This makes it the preferred type for games intending to
have a longer duration or include mystery elements where relying on
direct conflict may not be a reasonable narrative option.
Paranoia Is A Man’s Best Friend
Having
an easy to pinpoint source of danger is not a requirement to create a
sense of thrill, after all we can conjure up monster where none
exist. Employing the sense that someone or something is out to get
the characters but providing enough room to doubt the truth of those
feelings and not giving the player anything too solid to grasp onto makes for an abstract sense of danger.
The mind has a tendency of reaching the most negative conclusions
from the information it is given and for the Thriller this is shaped
into a palpable paranoia. Once in place the grasp it has on the
player’s thoughts helps build a tension in every activity the
characters perform. Is this going to be the moment when the shadows
come for them? Questions like this circle the mind and the developer
can use cues to get their desired reaction while guiding the story
forward. An extension of this approach is the unreliable narrator who
the player has no other choice but to work with as the point of view
they have been given. This leads to an uneasy and distrustful relationship
with a narrative force which is normally on the player’s side
leading to another layer of paranoia. It also gives a good sense of
catharsis when the truth about the protagonist lies comes out and the
player is on the same level as them again.
 |
| Is she a good person or something sinister? |
Take Chaos Head, this game
employs a clearly unreliable point of view character in the form of
Nishijou Takumi and a nebulous threat that lacks a single face to
identify them by. It treads close to the domain of Horror with it
attempting to instil in the player the same maddening fear Takumi finds himself
infected with, but avoid stepping all the way into that genre through
the way it frames this fear as a type of excitement.
There is always a sense of forward momentum even when it is not clear
the player where they will end up and it imitates the trilling
feeling of being thrown about by a roller-coaster while you have your
eyes closed. This is mostly achieved through the initial contrast
between Takumi’s instability and the normality of the rest of the
cast, only to have this slow stripped away and for the player to
begin to see things with the same unreliability as he does. Shifting
roles and allies are key to preventing a firm grasp on the situation
from being developed over the long term until the time is right for
the big reveal.
Excitement In A Static Medium
Generating
a sense of action and climax at the end of a Thriller when everything
come together to pay off a game’s worth of setup is a sizeable
challenge for the predominantly static medium of visual novels. In
order to create these heart pumping moments they must instead look to
what is at stake in this conflict and make sure it is brought to the
front at every possible moment. This way each game can lean into
their strengths and utilise other forms of climax that are more a
battle of wits than a fist fight. Being focused around the thoughts
in the characters heads as they try to outwit one another acts as a
better source of resolution to subtle tension or paranoia style of
Thriller discussed above and this forms a more complete experience
than any form of direct action scenes could hope to achieve. Despite
visual novel’s static nature, they do have some tool for dynamic
feeling actions through shifting character portraits, CG’s and
backgrounds which allow them to fine-tune the work done by the
narrative and sell this as the moment where everything is up for
grabs.
 |
| Truth is a tricky thing in Umineko |
Umineko provides us we an example of how a visual novel can
achieve a thrilling finale even with its static nature. Mysteries and
the examination of them is a the core of Umineko and as you would
expect this means the climax of each episode is an exercise in
problem solving and a battle of wits. In practice this is just two or
more people standing opposite each other and debating the issue and
on the surface this seems like it might to be exciting, but when
placed in context it is one of the most trilling things in any game.
This is achieved through a mixing of high stakes riding on every word
spoken and interesting mysteries that appear to have two distinctly
different but incompatible answer to them. The player is kept in
suspense about the fate of the character they have grown to like and
by their lack of knowledge about which truth is the correct one as
all side make some extremely compelling arguments. Umineko wrings
every drop out this dynamic in order to compensate for its lack of
visual quality and it worked wonders as the passionate playerbase has
shown.
Conclusion
There
is an undeniable parallel between the natural intensity and intimacy
present in visual novels and a Thriller’s aim of creating an
exciting and tense narrative. Crafting a feeling of danger from the
tiny details of a scene is something visual novels have the ability
to lean into due to the limited design space available to them and
this gives the Thriller fertile ground to keep the heart racing even
in what should be low stakes moments. The feeling of paranoia brought
on by an unclear antagonistic force or an unreliable narrator provide
the medium a means of forming a continuous feeling of tension within
a Thriller. Through playing off the strong sense of high stakes and
more battle of wits centric stories a text heavy game tends towards, a
visual novel can lead its Thriller to an appropriate climax.
Alongside Horror, the Thriller is perhaps the most compatible genre
with the strengths of the medium and allows each to show off their
strengths.
Stella Of The End Review – Do Androids Dream Of Being Human?
Genre – Sci-fi, Post-apocalypse, Journey Play Time – 7 hours Developer – Key Steam VNDB
How To Make A Human
Key
has an interesting fixation with robots and AI and Stella Of The End
marks their third notable attempt to address this subject matter.
While their games all use it to showcase something about humanity, using the
machines as a mirror, each individual title takes a different angle
in how it tackles the ideas it is handed. Stella Of The End chooses
to utilise a post-apocalypse where giant city sized robots roam the
earth and tackles them through the innocent android eyes of Philia
and the jaded human eyes of Jude. If this sound vaguely familiar then
you would be right since it bares more than a passing similarity to
one of Key’s other games, Planetarium, which is held up to be one
of the classics of the medium. This is not a one for one recreation
of that emotional title, but Stella Of The End tries to leverage its concepts
and character direction for similar ends through a longer and more action
packed narrative structure. Does Stella Of The End live up to its
predecessors legacy or is it an echo of the past like the ruined
cities its characters explore? Let’s journey alongside a cute
android girl and find out.
Journey To The End Of The Earth – Narrative And Themes
For
Stella Of The End, the journey is far more important than the
destination. This is a tale of two individuals' travels and it plays
out in a series of episodes each detached from the others in a new
area. Together they showcase the extremes of this world for the darker
parts of humanity to the good in people’s hearts to the beauty of
the abandoned ruins. Having a flexible framework where no consequence
matters for more than that chapter gives the game room to place the
duo of Stella and Jude into situations where they are forced to
reveal more about themselves and grow without worrying about how the
greater plot will be effected. These come in many different forms
from dangerous encounters with hostile humans to the robotic remnants
of a golden age, but they all provide opportunities for Jude to pass
on his worldly wisdom to Philia and receive some of his lost
innocence in return. Their relationship is the core of the narrative
as the only continual element in the chaos. However, on top of
this is an ever present sense of wonder at the world, a feeling that
no matter how ruined or terrifying it might be there is always somewhere you can just stop and admire. It does an excellent job of
counterbalancing the serious sections of the narrative in order to
keep the game from becoming too brooding or oppressive. This sense of
beauty also has a downside in the form of a poor understanding of
just how fragile human creations are and how they do not survive long
without constant maintenance. For some locations such as the mega
city the pair pass through, this is acceptable since there are clearly
robots keeping it in some functioning state, but there are many other
areas which have clearly been abandoned for some time with nobody
taking care of them and yet are still in near pristine condition.
This ends up being distracting when the characters treat this as
normal and makes it feel as if the developers have a poor
understanding of the subject matter their work is centred around.
 |
| Singularity Machines are wonderful and strange titans |
AI
and Androids as a stand-in for humanity and innocence is an
immediately obvious thematic element from the moment Philia opens her
mouth. She behaves like a new born child to whom the world is magical
and people are all inherently good and over the course of the game
this view point is challenged. This is the big common theme Stella Of
The End shares with the other Key titles featuring robots, but unlike
them it also has more unknowable and alien AIs in the form of the
Singularity Machines. These behemoths operate on an axis of logic a
human mind cannot fathom and their destructive wake is done from
reasons known to only them. As such they are the objects of fear
throughout the game forming a duality with the decidedly easy to
understand Philia making the player question exactly what it means to
be a machine and the extent to which Philia’s intentions are truly
known to them. In many ways the robotic entities form
another duality with the chaotic but understandable humans the pair meet along
the way. Although they might be dangerous and violent, there is an
easy to comprehend reason for their actions which the player can empathise with or
at least find parallels to it in the world around us. By showing the
two extremes of creator and created it can use them both to help
Philia and Jude develop as characters while giving the player some
meat to chew on when the consider what this post-apocalypse says
about their own lives and the march of the technology.
 |
| For the most part this world is well thought through |
Developers
form a brand image through the kind of games they create and Key is no
exception with them choosing making people cry as their core identity.
This emotional gut punch is a double edged sword since it can
provides a much need catharsis to their narratives, but at the same
time it makes the fate of its characters extremely predictable. It is
this issue of foreknowledge that proves to be the thorn in the side
of Stella Of The End. Philia and Jude are the only two characters of
note in the story and as such it is obvious from prior Key titles
something bad will happen to one of them. There is not even much of
an attempt to hide this within the context of the game itself with it
layering the foreshadowing of the tragedy on thick. Here in lies the
problem, this lack of subtly and blatant pandering to expectations
clashes against the emotive beauty and strong thematic elements. It
is as if a person is talking quietly in one ear and then suddenly
switches to shouting when they get too excited. Due to the game’s
shorter length, this noise is intently focused rather than being
spread out over a multiple routes and it does a good deal of damage to a
player suspension of disbelief when the game itself cannot do the
same.
On Man And Machine – Characters
Having
a narrative so focused around a journey means the pool of characters
the player has to latch onto is small since most will disappear as
fast as they pop up. This makes it important that the main cast is
engaging and easy to feel for, which is something Stella Of The End
does with flying colours through Philia and Jude. They are opposites
to each other and often clash with Philia’s innocence and desire to
help people rubbing up against Jude’s cynical and world-weary
approach to the dangers they face. Neither is entirely right in their
views on the world they inhabit, but at the same time they both make
valid points which draw upon ideas and beliefs the player will be
familiar with in their lives. Despite their conflicts they have an
undeniable bond which can be tracked as it forms slowly over the
course of the game creating something the player can see progressing
and latch onto in order to care about their trails and triumphs. Further
reinforcing this connecting is the banter the pair share over their journey, it starts out awkward with neither one being
sure of the other's limits, but as they grow and become more
comfortable in each other’s presence it is perfectly reflected in
how their interactions evolve. The cherry on top is the way they
represent the thematic ideas the title wants to present without
compromising their identity or being too in the player’s face.
Instead they carefully walk the line between their two roles by
shifting in and out of presenting these themes as and when the plot
demands it in order to retain the sense that they are people rather
than narrative devices.
 |
| Don't listen to him, deers pack a nasty kick |
When
it comes to the rest of the cast it is much more of a mixed bag. Some
fair reasonably well by being simple background characters who
require no additional screen time or by having a complete and short
character arc during their appearance. However, there are many who
due to the lack of screen time they get from the episodic structure
end up feeling half baked and provide the player little reason to
care about them. Take Willem Grosvenor for example, he is the person
who gives Jude the location of Philia and hires Jude to deliver her
to him kickstarting the events of the game. He is crucial to the plot
and makes appearances at the end of most episodes and yet he comes
across as extremely flat, he is mysterious old man with an obsession
with AI and androids and he never develops beyond this simple
archetype. Given his importance this lack of interesting aspects puts
him in direct contrast to the brilliance of the main pair and he ends
up feeling like a stock cryptic character with nothing going on
behind he vague words. Other characters follow this trend and lack
anything to hold the player’s attention and feel like gaping voids
in this otherwise thoughtful and emotive tale.
 |
| Oh so mysterious (Rolls Eyes) |
After Humanity Is Gone – Visuals, Audio And Technical
In
a visual novel so focused around a sense of place and characters,
presentation is key to ensuring they can be properly expressed in a
manner pleasing to the player. Here Key gets to flex its higher
budget and years of experience to create a seamless and immersive
world. The soundtrack aims for the atmospheric rather than the
memorable with understated synth melodies shifting into heart pumping
smooth actions tracks. Sound effects are similarity geared towards
keeping the player firmly in the moment with the rustling of
equipment or the subtle opening of a door which give the player an
audio outlet to match what is going on in the story. Of course the
visuals are excellent with a wide colour palette from the muted greys
and browns of the surviving human settlement to the neon blue glow of
the giant ruined technological metropolises. It is worth noting how
the art style wears its influences on its sleeve such as with Jude’s
outfit being similar to that of Sam from Death Stranding and there
are many other small nods over its play time. This allows Stella
Of The End to share a knowing look with the player without losing its
sense of immersion since they all have in universe explanations as to
why they look or act as they do. By far the design aspect which
stands out the most is the Singularity Machines, each distinct from
one another like they are individuals who are driven by an unknown
purpose carved into their very existence. They leave a powerful
impression and are used sparingly enough to maintain their mysterious
appearance throughout the game. In their totality the presentational
choices made by Key show why they have continued to draw in a
passionate audience even after all these years.
 |
| Every inch of the art is a sight to behold |
On the technical side, Stella Of The End contains some useful features, the most important of all being the ability to go to any chapter in the story from the main menu. Due to this being a linear visual novel with no choices these options effectively give the player easy access to the entire length of narrative. This is key to ensuring the game has some sense of replayability by allowing the player to dive into the individual episodes they want rather than having to play through content they have no interest in. It almost encourages a highlights reel style approach to subsequent playthroughs which the episodic nature of Stella Of The End helps along through each section existing within its own self contained narrative bubble meaning the player never feels lost or confused when jumping in. Beyond this the title contains the standard suit of expected functions and is surprisingly unremarkable when looking it in its entirety.
Verdict –
This emotional post-apocalypse presents an intriguing tale of AI
and humanity and their ever changing relationship as each reflects
back onto the other flaws. It is only held back by Key’s obsession
with its brand identity and a few weaker characters.
Pros
+
A wonderfully vivid world masterfully painted in both visuals, audio
and text.
+
Philia and Jude make for an entertaining dynamic duo who learn and
grow from their time together.
+
Uses its thematics to reflect the modern trend of AI and drives it to
ask questions about the nature of our own humanity.
Cons
-
Key’s obsession with getting the player to cry has become too
predictable and actively damages the experience.
-
Characters outside of the main pair are poorly developed and lack the
strength to maintain your interest.
-
Basic technical features that do the job and nothing more.
