Sunday, February 25, 2024
Now
that the world has recovered from the New Year, we have had our first
real productive month which has brought forth hope for what is to
come. For visual novels this has been a month of truly exceptional
releases and it has been difficult picking out which ones to highlight
in such a quality field. We have everything you could ever want, the
third instalment of an excellent horror series, a romance spanning
alternative dimensions and a Key title set in wondrous VR world.
Let’s dive in and see what is worth playing from cusp of spring.
Official Releases
LUNARiA -Virtualized Moonchild-
Nintendo Eshop VNDB Genre
– Sci-fi, Virtual Reality, Nakige Play Time – 9 hours
Key
are at it once again with yet another story staring an AI heroine.
This time it is centred around the VR race called Skyout and it is here
where the protagonist spends most of his time as the undefeated
genius T-bit. One day he finds himself in a strange area of the game,
a Luna server, and here he meets LUNAR-Q and their fates become
intertwined. If you have ever played a Key game before then you know
what you are in for and LUNARiA makes no attempt to change their
established formula. Instead it plays up its unique setting of this
sci-fi world and its thematics to sell the inevitable moments designed
to get you to cry. Through this whole hearted commitment it manages
to avoid feeling too much like the titles which came before, but it is
still easy to predict the story beats for a veteran and this is
something to keep in mind if you are looking to pick this one up. Those who seek to introduce someone to Key’s games may want to look to
LUNARiA for the new shiny thing to tempt people into the love and
heartbreak we all know and adore.
Irotoridori No Sekai - The Colorful World
Mixing
mundanity with an extraordinary fantasy element is a common trick
employed by many visual novels, but none can match the seamless
integration and impact Irotoridori No Sekai demonstrates. This tale
of an amnesiac boy and the spirit like girl attached to him plays on
the expectations of what the real world and the alternative universes should be and where the boundaries exist. It is less about
the big twist (although there are some of those) and is instead about
how lives of the characters have been influenced by their exposure to
both sides of this world. Promises made and forgotten form a core
part of the game’s identity as it asks if they still hold value when
on of the parties involved has entirely forgotten about them.
Together these elements give Irotoridori No Sekai a wistful feeling
where the longing for a lost past is complimented by the meaning the
characters find in their future together. A title you should
definitely pick up if you are looking for an emotionally resonant
narrative with a set of uniquely human characters.
Dungeon Travelers: To Heart 2 in Another World
Romance
visual novels and dungeon crawlers are not genres generally
associated with one another. So having a game as beloved as To Heart
2 make the transition between the two genres allows for an interesting
mix of narrative beats and design ideas. After being transported to
another world through the antics of the eccentric Maryan, the cast
must recover their missing friends and overcome the final boss if
they wish to return home. From the brief overview you can probably
predict exactly how they story will go and the game makes no attempt
to hide this fact. Instead it relies on its extensive and amusing
cast to hold the player’s attention through their banter and the
hijinks they get up to as their personalities clash. This leads to an
overall light tone which is reflected in the enemies all being
monster girls or other inoffensive animals. With that said this is
still a dungeon crawler and so leans on the harder side of the RPG
divide, but it is still nowhere near as challenging as some of its
peers. For those looking to spend more time with the cast of To Heart
2 or those just seeking a light hearted hybrid visual novel with
something substantial to dig into, Dungeon Travellers is a must play
and well worth the asking price.
Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II
As
the third entry in the Spirit Hunter series and the squeal to the
beloved first game, Death Mark II has some big shoes to fill. It also
marks a departure from the point of view style of gameplay from the
first two games and a move to a 2D side scroller with the characters
on full display. This has resulted in an interesting change in
narrative structure and how the title approaches its horror. Rather
than a focus on slow bubbling tension which characterised previous
games, it instead leans much more heavily into the mystery and
investigation sides of the experience with the threat of the monsters
taking somewhat of a backseat to actually figuring out what they are
and how to fight them. These elements have long been part of the
series, but here they are given greater clarity than before to the
point of potentially losing fans who liked the unique atmosphere the
old games offered. Despite this change the core identity of the
Spirit Hunter series is still intact and it provides a unique horror
experience not found anywhere else. For those with a love for horror
it is a must play title and fans will still appreciate it despite the
many changes.
NUKITASHI 2
How
does one adequately express the sheer over the top nature of
NUKITASHI’s humour and the way it escalates to new heights in this
sequel? Taking place after the cast’s victory in the first game,
our protagonist and the three main heroines find themselves whisked
off to an alternative dimension where they involved in the conflict
there as they search for a way home. The parody elements are still as
strong as ever and they lend the whole experience a very tongue-in-cheek
tone where the game give the player a knowing wink. If you liked this
unique brand of humour then the sequel takes that and runs with it
making it a must play, but if you did not find the first game funny
then this will do little to change that perception.
