Archive for August 2024
Best Visual Novel Releases – August 2024
As
another brilliant summer comes to an end it has decided to go out
with an explosion of amazing new visual novels. If you were looking
for some of the best games of the year then you will not be
disappointed by what is on offer as there are some truly inventive
titles. These releases cover some long anticipated visual novels in
the romance and urban fantasy genres alongside a selection of
memorable oddities from supernatural mystery to sci-fi. Let’s dive
in and find out what you should be playing from the last month.
Official releases
Katawa Shoujo
It
has been a long time since the original release of Katawa Shoujo but
its arrival on Steam looks to breath new life into this classic
title. This tale of romance and the struggles of its disabled cast paints
a distinctive story dealing with ideas and emotions few other games
are willing to handle. At its core this is a tale about people making
the most out of their lives despite everything that trying to get in
their way and its hopeful attitude is a core part of its appeal.
Drama is another aspect is handles well as the cast has to grapple
with not only their own feelings but events that are spiralling out
of their control in a way that sell the tension and stakes of the
narrative climax. Now its is more widely and easily available than
ever there is no excuse not to play it, especially since it is free.
Revue Starlight El Dorado
A
part of the greater Revue Starlight multimedia project where it joins
the anime, manga and gatcha game which compose this expansive
universe. This game is an interesting mix of theatre, character drama
and a dash of action to help keep things interesting. It follows the
students of the 99th class as the Starlight festival
approaches and they must take on the challenge of performing ‘El
Dorado’ on the theatrical high seas. The majority of the appeal of
this title comes from its character interactions and there is a
degree of expectation that the player be at least somewhat familiar
with them from previous media in order to get the most out of the
experience. A new player can still find enjoyment in the overall
narrative as it sweeps them up in the drama of the theatre, but it is
undeniably a game aimed at existing fans and if that is you then you
are in for a good time.
Fate/stay night REMASTERED
At
long last Type Moon’s most famous work is now available officially
in English and despite its rocky launch still stands up to the test
of time. This is an urban fantasy tale of seven pairs of masters and
legendary heroes who battle for a chance to obtain the wish granting
Holy Grail. It is a very different narrative experience than the
later entries in the franchise, like Fate Grand Order, since the
focus is on the ground level character interactions and a small
number of master/ servant relationship per route rather than larger
battles and overarching plots. Over the course of its three routes
the player will come to appreciate the layered nature of its cast’s
motivations and how they twist and turn around each other to form the
web of conflict which makes up this Holy Grail War. This is one of
the defining games of the medium and is one you should play if only
so you can develop your own opinion on it and understand the
influence it has had over the years.
Zombie Police: Christmas Dancing with Police Zombies
A
buddy cop detective mystery where one of the two is a zombie is
certainly a unique spin on these genres and helps it stand out. It
focuses on the dynamic duo of the new detective Tamura Yasu and his
partner the zombie detective Kabane Akemi as they grapple with the
cases they encounter in this strange world. Despite the game’s
relatively short play time it does a good job at creating a textured
sense of place where its supernatural elements feel like they belong
and the player can solve the mysteries presented to them. Another
core part of this title’s experience is the questions about the
case that it will periodically demand you answer from the information
you have gathered. These do a lot to immerse the player in the
detective state of mind and keep their attention squarely on the
events in front of them. A definite must play for those looking for a
slightly off the wall detective mystery.
Emio – The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club
Nintendo Eshop VNDB Genre
– Mystery, Detective
Nintendo
seem to be really keen on the Famicom Detective Club series as this
is the second round of remakes of these famicom games. Given the
quality and fatefulness to the original of the previous entries it is
reasonable to expect the same level of polish in Emio. The premise of
Emio is noticeably darker and more direct than those earlier titles
with a serial killer known as the Smiling Man seemly being
responsible for gruesome murders both in the present day and eighteen
years ago. It looks to deliver the compelling drama the series is
known for in a far more tense environment to help make it stand out
from others in its genre. If you are looking for an updated version
of an old fashioned detective game then Emio – The Smiling Man is
for you.
Moonless Moon
Yomichi
is a relatively normal girl living a relatively normal life during
the day, but when sunset comes she finds herself transported to a
completely different world each time. There she experiences many
strange things and makes new friends as she grapples with what all of
this means for and if the world of day still has any meaning to her.
Moonless Moon is an introspective character piece which looks at the
nature of the bonds between people and where people can find meaning
in them in the face of a changing world. It short length help it make
its point in a clear and concise way with each part having a clear
purpose and message. For those looking to have a little more humanity
in their games this is one you should pick up.
UI Design – An Anatomy Of Visual Novels
The Magic Of Buttons
One
of the most underappreciated areas of a visual novel is the work
which goes into its UI design. An ideal UI will never draw attention
to itself and become a natural extension of the player’s engagement
with the game. This is not an easy thing to achieve since a balance
has to be struck between its presence on screen, its ease of use and
its aesthetics. Over the years a standard set of expected practices
have grown up for both ADV and NVL UI design and the majority of
visual novels follow them to avoid the pitfalls of invasive UI.
However, if the
developer is willing to run the risk of potentially irritating the
player with unfamiliar layouts, there is value in breaking these conventions for the sake of
creating a memorable overall experience. How do these differing approaches
influence the form and function of visual novels? Let’s press some
buttons and find out.
Standardised Structure
In
order to ensure the best player experience, visual novel developers
have learned from the mistakes and successes of the past and formed a
cohesive set of standards for UI which most modern titles adhere to.
These rules of style manifest slightly differently depend on if the
game uses ADV or NVL as its means of text presentation. For an ADV
title we can look at how Sabbat of the Witch handles its UI elements
and given Yuzusoft’s prominence within the industry they make for a
good bar to gauge how standards have been cemented. The first thing
which will strike the viewer is the layout of the text box comprising
the bottom eighth of the screen. Here it is a translucent
orange textbox and this use of a colour and opacity are done in order to
make the text clear to read while not entirely obscuring the
background and sprites behind them. Being as nonintrusive as possible
is the aim here as it means having as few barriers as possible to the
player’s immersion in the narrative and prevent them for being
reminded of the fact they are playing a game. Along the bottom of the
screen are a series of small buttons that provide access to the
various load and save features, the ability to skip in differing ways
and other important option settings. These are made as small as
possible while having the ability to let it disappear if the player
decides it is in the way and this is done to remove as much clutter
from the screen as possible and still providing access to all the
needed features a player expects to have at their fingertips.
 |
| ADV titles have a surprisingly large amount of UI to consider |
As for
the text in the text box, the name of the speaking character is sits
above the main body of the text aligned with its left side and the
text itself does not fill the entire box, but instead leaves about an
eighth of the text box as empty space. This formatting of the text
placement on the UI keeps the text feeling like a consistent flow as
everything occupies roughly the same amount of space regardless of
how much is said and it prevents the text from feeling disorderly.
All these common UI elements are in service of the general aim to
make itself as easy to ignore as possible while still being clear and
easy to navigate. There is also a light overall feeling from the
small size of the UI and the way it takes up so little of the screen
in order for the character sprites and CG to have an immediate and
striking impact. It is for these reasons that ADV is favoured by many
visual novels which want to keep their tone bright or those which
want to place an emphasis on their characters.
Hidden UI
The
standardisation of NVL has a lot of similarities to that of ADV since
both stem from the same design philosophies, but they manifest in
different ways and for different purposes. A common trend in NVL
titles is to have no UI buttons on the interface at all and instead
require the player to open and entirely separate pause menu to access
other functions like loading and saving. On the surface this
inconvenience might seem to be a major issue but it is a trade off to
compensate for the much larger amount of the screen which is covered
by the NVL textbox. Since it covers much of the portraits and CGs and
puts a greater emphasis on itself compared to its ADV counterpart,
there is a need to avoid drawing the player out of the experience
through the large UI and removing an unnecessary elements helps keep
the focus on the narrative.
 |
| I dream of a world without buttons |
The clean interface of Witch On The Holy
Night is a strong case for how effective it is for NVL to present a
minimalist front and not obscure the action and drama going on
underneath. Despite lacking bright colours and the bells and whistles
of ADV, its lack of clutter results in it feeling elegant and serious
which works well for the kind of story this game is aiming to tell.
Not all games using NVL are completely lacking in UI buttons with
some choosing a few key items to display for the player’s
convenience. Blending the UI into the tone of the game is how it
avoids drawing too much attention to itself and this is
achieved by making the buttons visually consistent with the
aesthetics of the narrative. This often means having buttons
without text which merely consist of symbols alluding to their
purpose as can be seen in Stella of the End. In this case they are
minimalist icons in line with a vaguely sci-fi theming to them and
they slot nicely into the future tech dominating the story to the
point that they do not seem out of place.
Thinking Outside Of The Box
Breaking
the rules and conventions of a medium has a strong impact on the
viewer and UI can make good use of this shock factor to play on their
emotional state. Rather than being clean and out of sight these
visual novels make their UI take up large sections of the screen and
be loud and obvious all the time. Such a direct presentational
element is impossible for the player to ignore as wel as the imagery and
messaging this interface is aiming to convey to them. Parts of
the UI might also change over time to keep itself interesting and
reflect the narrative or mental state of the characters at any given
moment. The uniqueness of these aspects helps the title to stick in
the player’s memory through a contrast with the familiar UI from
other games and encourages them to return and play it again to
experience the distinctiveness they cannot find anywhere else.
However, standards exist for a reason and a visual novel using an odd
or expansive interface may run afoul of frustrations stemming from
the inconvenience and confusion caused when attempting to do
something as simple as saving.
 |
| It is hard to forget a UI so striking |
For an example of what this kind of UI
looks like in practice we can turn to Girlfriend Simulator. It uses a
style of frame UI which encloses the backgrounds and sprites while
taking up a large section of screen space. Large and clear buttons
occupy the left hand side for easy access to the core features of a
visual novel and are presented as part of the merged edges of the
main window and the text box to create a feeling of importance and
continuity with the rest of the visuals. Behind all of this an
ominous image of an eye hang in a sea of unsettlingly dim orange
which communicates the tone and atmosphere of the game before a
single word has appeared on screen and remains as a constant reminder
of what underlies everything. In the top left sits an unease meter
that slowly ticks up as the player makes their choices and acts as a
constant communication of the protagonist’s decaying state.
Together these powerful elements show how a large UI can impact how a
player perceives a work and the way it can influence they emotional
state.
Conclusion
As
the part of a visual novel which is always present on screen, it is
important for the design of the UI to meet the needs of both the
developer and the player. Standardised rules formed for what UI
should look like and these have influenced many titles. Those using
ADV aim for a clean interface where the player has easy access to all
the key features they need while not distracting from the visuals.
NVL takes this to a greater extreme with many games often having no
visible buttons at all and those which do still have some try to
frame them within the aesthetics of the narrative. Rejecting rules
and guidelines can provide a powerful impact for a visual novel UI and
further the tonal and thematic ideas the game is presenting. When it
comes to UI there is a temptation to consider it as the last element
in the design process for a visual novel, but to do so is stripping
yourself of understanding a valuable angle of how the player will
experience your game.
Meta Fiction – Genre Deep Dive
Beyond The Screen
Addressing
the nature of the medium and the player directly has a long tradition
within video games as a means of introspection and entertainment. The
Meta Fiction genre is something visual novels have dipped their toes
into over the years with varying degrees of commitment to its use.
This manifests through everything from playing with the games
systems, jokes at the nature of the game they are part of to directly
talking to the player. Each approach offers something subtly
different to the experience of the game and they overlap in surprising
ways. Despite the limited design space available for many visual
novels, they have found ways to integrate this genre into almost
every part of their structure. Let’s break the fourth wall and find
out how all these elements work in practice.
And There Goes The Fourth Wall
Of
course the first and most immediately recognisable way a visual novel
can lean into the Meta Fiction genre is to address the player
directly. This breaking of the fourth wall takes the player’s
established role as an observer to events and recontextualise them as
a participant on the same level as the characters they have been
watching. Immediately the player is drawn into the story in a
personal manner as the game pulls them in by responding to the
player’s presence and engaging in a form of dialogue with them. It
also draws the fate of the cast closer to the player since it is
another avenue through which the characters can present their
humanity and appeal in order to create investment in their plight. A
major part of the strength of using the Meta Fiction genre in this manner is the tension it gains through the way it points the narrative
threat at the player themselves. Obviously this is a fine line to
walk as everyone playing a game is aware of its inherently
fictional nature and so it is difficult to feel any danger from
something distant for them. However, through not losing sight of its
core tone, a visual novel can make the tension from the fourth wall
breaking appear to be a natural extension of the already established
narrative. When utilised in this way it can give some much needed
spice to what might otherwise be a standard title and leaving the
player with an exciting and memorable experience.
 |
| Oh no, it would be terrible if something meta where to happen... |
The poster child
for shattering the fourth wall would have to be Doki Doki Literature
Club and its creative ways to keep the Meta Fiction fresh throughout
its entire playtime. Much of the plot centric drama stems from these
meta elements as the situation degrades into conflict with the player
becoming the focal point of everything that is going on. When it
addresses the player directly it often does so in a way where it is
unclear if the character is talking to the protagonist or the player
creating a sense of unease where the boundary between the two becomes
unclear and there is still an uncertainty about what is going on.
Once the fourth wall has finally been completely shattered the game
maintains a playful sense of danger where it places the threat
towards the player but does so in a tongue and cheek way. This
acknowledgment of the fundamentally silly nature of Meta Fiction
allows the player to invest themselves in the experience by
alleviating the friction between the presented danger and the reality
for the player. AI: The Somnium File – nivarnA Initiative takes a
more structural approach to its Meta Fiction genre. Its defining meta
moments are entirely player facing and have little influence on the
characters and so it has to deal with them in specific sections where
the game turns and openly talks to the player about the plot twist it
is revealing. The benefit of this method lies in the way it can
preserve the central plot and character from losing their sense of
being part of separate world while still having the flavour of Meta
Fiction. Of course this runs the risk of creating too much of a
division between this meta twist and everything else the player has
experienced which could leave them feeling cheated by something they
could never have seen coming.
For The Sake Of A Joke
Rather
than making the fourth wall breaking a plot element that the player
has to take seriously, many visual novels simply uses it as a cheeky
wink to camera to get a laugh. They focus on the silliness inherent
in the Meta Fiction genre as a source of comedy with a self aware
irony underlying it. This is often an accompaniment to a game which
already prides itself on its absurd and over the top tone so the meta
jokes feel right at home in its chaotic nature. They offer another
axis for the comedy to play on and help keep it fresh for the long
duration of an entire visual novel. It is not as simple as slapping
in some fourth wall breaks and call it a day since this runs the risk
of coming across as self indulgent. Balancing the presence of Meta
Fictional elements requires a sense of timing as to where and when to
places them so they come across as a natural extension of what is
already happening in the scene. Using them too frequently is another
issue often encountered by this kind of visual novel with the
temptation being to use them whenever there is a gap they could fit
into resulting in them becoming predictable and thus lose their
intended impact. As such delaying their use has the best effect to
keep the player from being able to predict exactly when one is coming
and making the surprise when they do come all the more entertaining.
 |
| Being playful is the best way to inclue meta elements |
Looking at Ren’ai x Royale reveals how intermittent use of meta
elements can be leveraged to enhance an existing atmosphere. The
overall light tone lends itself to being malleable when it comes to
its contents as the player will likely accept it within their
understanding of the game’s world rather than being drawn out of
the experience. Nevertheless, there is an effort to not overuse the
meta jokes in order to still make them feel special and not run the
risk of straining the tone by pushing it too far. On the opposite end
of the spectrum sits Lamunation which pushes meta fiction as humour
to its absolute limit. Fourth wall breaking meta jokes are a common
occurrence throughout and it relies of the constant stream and
variety of its absurd brand of humour to keep things fresh while not
giving the player enough time to think too deeply about the
implications of the meta elements. What results is a frenetic title
which understands its brand of comedy will not be for everyone since
Meta Fiction can alienate certain audiences who prefer when things
are played straight. The meta elements are in many ways a form of
silly glue to bind the other out there ideas Lamunation utilises and
provides a sort of passive justification for their inclusion through
these self-aware nods.
Engaging With Player Perceptions
Beyond
the winks to camera and fourth wall breaking there is a version of
Meta Fiction far more interested in mechanically linking itself to
the world beyond the visual novel. This involves playing with how the
game is being engaged with and highlighting its edges and point out
its own restrictive nature. One of two extremes can be achieved
through this approach, either it creates an immersive blurring of the
lines between the game and reality or a complete breaking of the game
as a believable self contained world in order to sell certain plot
elements. The first can be seen in action in Hate Plus through the
system where the player can only progress one in game day before they
must wait until twenty-four hours of real time which matches the
amount of time passing in the narrative. Linking the passage of time
helps create a sense of the game’s world as something reflecting
parts of our own and operates on a familiar and tactile axis. It is
also a relatively indirect method of communicating this feeling as it
draw attention to the artificial nature of the game but not a way
that demands the player remains focused on this aspect and instead
lets them smoothly transition in and out of this mechanic.
 |
| I'll see you again in 24 hours |
The other
half of this approach can once again be exemplified by Doki Doki
Literature Club and the way in which it asks the player to mess with
the very files of the game. It completely breaks down the illusion
that the game is a real place and instead asks that it be considered
for what it really is in a tongue and cheek way. The player gets to
feel a degree of power over the game since they are interfering with
the way the game itself functions and subverting the characters place
in their own world through these modifications. This is all smoke and
mirrors as the parts the player is messing with are in fact set up
specifically from them to do so and they are not in fact subverting
the game’s foundations.
Conclusion
Fiction
exists in its own space within our minds, one separate from the real
world and yet alive so when a visual novel steps over that divide it
can leave quite an impact. Meta Fiction as a genre comes in many
forms and provides a unique avenue to engage with the player. A
simple smashing of the fourth wall can give a scene a sense of
tension whereby the player themselves feels threatened and in the
same position as the characters. It can also engage on a mechanical
level by relating the actions it requires of the player to the real
world or giving them the ability to mess with its files. This does
not have to be used for serious purposes and a lot of titles like to
commit to a Meta Fiction element to have another angle of humour to
add to their own brand of comedy and try to surprise the player. A
genre like this is hard to recommend including in a visual novel
given the way it warps the entire structure and experience around it.
However, if it serves your narrative and tonal aims it may well be
worth integrating on a foundational level.
Himawari – The Sunflower – Review – Between Earth And Space
Genre – Mystery, Sci Fi, Slice of Life Play Time – 40 hours Developer – Blank Note & Frontwing Steam VNDB
Blooming Under The Sun
A
girl mysteriously falling from the sky and changing the protagonist’s
life is a well worn cliché. So when Aries crash lands the player
likely thinks they already know where this is going, but Himawari has
more than a few tricks up its sleeve to prove them wrong. Divided
into two halves, earth and space, this is a tale of love, sacrifice
and loss played out by a broken cast of colourful
characters. It is an odd mix of an early slow burn with a dynamic
second part where the game shifts genre dramatically which will
either turn people off or intrigue them. The twists and turns present
in the later parts of the game work to keep the game feeling fresh,
but there is a definite feeling that the game does not quite
understand when it should stop adding more elements. Does this story
of heaven and earth glitter brightly or collapse under the weight of
its own dramatic reveals? Let’s escape from space and find out.
Crash Landing From The Heavens – Narrative and Themes
The
opening section of the game is a decidedly slow burn in terms of
pacing with the narrative content taking its time after Aries
arrives. Slice of Life antics become the focus of events and there is
an effort to establish a baseline for the characters and world which
the later parts can build upon or undermine. Having the Space Club
being the binding element helps provides a means to connect the
sci-fi existence that is Aries and Co. to the otherwise grounded
presentation of the setting so they do not feel out of place. It also
works as a means of giving the characters an objective to aim for in
the form of their miniature spacecraft in order to offer a sense of
direction these opening hours might otherwise lack. On a surface
level, there is nothing here that the player has likely not seen many time
before as it leans into a lot of the standard story tropes of the
Slice of Life genre, but it is in the finer detail where Himawari
begins to expose its true nature. There is an unsettling air hanging
over the entire of this section with character’s behaving very
slightly off and key gaps beginning to form in the player’s
understand of what is going on. If the player takes a step off the
beaten path and into one of the bad ends then they are greeted by
events which call into question the reliability of the protagonist
and the intentions of those around him. These feelings build up over
time while the game still maintains the bright and happy veneer which
does a good job at keeping long term interest and unease. All this
build up is paid off when the first part ends and the mask comes off
as Himarwari reveals what kind of story it really wants to tell.
 |
| Aries is far from a normal girl who falls from the sky |
Once
the narrative shift occurs the game moves into being more direct with
its themes and character arcs. Despite the dramatic change in setting
there a sense of continuity maintained through the duality of earth
and space as a core motif around which it can place its twists and
turns. The new characters introduced do a good job of getting the
player invested in them quickly so the plot does not have to slow
down and returning ones are looked at from a new angle to make them
stand out once again. The many twists and revelations come to define
the feel of this half of the game with it often adopting the
approach of putting major plot reveals in every other scene. As the
truth nature of what was witnessed in the first part becomes clearer
it retroactively adds layers to its story while keeping the focus
firmly on what is happening in each new event. If a player remembers
anything about Himarwari it will be these sections given the contrast
it utilises to carve out its own identity. After these twists are
finished the game returns to the original setting to wrap up the
remaining plot threads and bring the other characters back into the
narrative to provide closure. The route following this return to the familiar works
well as a means to bring the game down from its previous high into a
more grounded sense of place so the themes and ideas can once again
be examined from this angle in light of the new information the
player has learned. At the end of this route there is a feeling of
conclusion to all that has come before as the important characters
reach a suitable resolution.
 |
| Everything is normal right? |
Unfortunately
the game does not end at the route following the twist section, there
is still one last route before the final credits roll. It focuses on
a side character who up until this point has been mostly a plot
device to motivate the primary antagonist. This does give them a chance
to shine after being sidelined for so long and there is no doubt that
an expansion to her role within the story was a much needed element.
However, it is in its execution and placement within the overall
structure of the game where it falls down and creates the feeling of
the game not knowing when to stop. Part of this stems from the
attempt this route makes to have the primary antagonist appear
sympathetic which in theory sounds like a good idea, but in execution
does not sit well with the rest of the game. The issue stems from the
way the antagonist has been shown to be irredeemably horrible to
characters the player has been made to care about and then game then
turns around expecting the player to forgive them without them really
doing anything to make amends for the harm they have caused. It also
hurts the side character who is meant to be the focus of the route by
cutting into their presence within the story and undermining their
character arc. Overall the route is messy and leaves Himawari feeling
inconsistent and unable to end its own story properly.
A Field Of Sunflowers – Characters
Nobody
is as they first appear in Himawari as their scars run deep and twist
them in ways which are not immediately obvious from the outside. It
is from this duality that provides much of the tension within the
narrative as the player constantly finds themselves uncertain about
character’s motivations. Rather than framing this act of
concealment as negative and deceitful, it is instead shown as a
desperate act of someone afraid of the pain they might risk from
opening themselves up to another. Each character plays this fear from
a different angle with some putting on a confident and energetic
front while others choose to be cold and abrasive, but all do so for
similar and interconnected reasons. The exploration of how and why
they became the way they are forms a lot of the appeal of Himawari as
it gives a long term feeling of progression for the player to dig
into and an easy means of tracking it. Through this concealment and
revelation, the characters can reflect the change between the first
and second section by performing the character equivalent to plot
twists and keeping up with the increased narrative drama. The unique
textured and sense of humanity this gives to the cast cannot be
oversold and makes them memorable long after the game has concluded.
 |
| Everyone has a side to them they don't want others to see |
Due
to the need to the characters’ motivations hidden so the twists
have their desired impact, the cast are noticeably restricted in the
first section and become more dynamic later on. On paper this might
sound like an acceptable compromise for the sake of the overall game,
and to a certain extent it is, yet the opening part is what the
player is initially presented with and it can struggle to hold their
interest until the meat of the narrative. Once the characters finish
their introductions they more or less remain static for the rest of
the opening in way which is obvious to the player and prevents the cast
from feeling like real people or providing reasons to be invested in
them. This hurts in the long term as it encourages a detachment from
the events of the story given it is the approach to its characters
the game has inadvertently warped the player’s emotional state.
While the more dynamic and developed character presentation of the
later sections do a lot to remedy this issue, the damage never quite
goes away and there is a definite sense of unbalance to the game’s
structure as a result.
On Earth And In The Stars – Visual, Audio and Technical
The
version of Himawari available in English is not the original release,
but instead the remaster. This is reflected in the higher quality
visual and audio design as well as some interesting technical
features for player convenience. Visually there is a core moe art
style with cute and round characters who fit right into the slice of
life and light hearted opening section and act as a contrast to the
darker elements displayed later on. It works as an upgraded version
of the original game’s visual design by preserving the intent of
its choices while giving it a much needed facelift to allow it to
appeal to a wider audience. The soundtrack has received a similar
injection of new life where the tracks have been provided with a
wider range of sounds and an improved audio quality. This invokes the
same feelings as the original but smooths off the rough edges to give
the player an overall more engaging experience with the fewest
barriers to their enjoyment as possible. In this vein the scene
viewer Himawari has available offers accessibility for the player to
any of the content they have already seen without having to play
through the entire game again. It is rare for a scene viewer to allow
for the picking of any scene in the game and most just show a select
few important ones, so the presence of such an expansive one here is
notable and leads to a more pleasant repeated play experience.
 |
| It is a very pleasent game to look at |
Conclusion
More
than most visual novels, Himawari relies on its plot twists and the
overall structure of its narrative and characters to present its
ideas and themes. It is a good thing then that all these elements are
so strong. The plot starts out as a slow burn where tension is built
up and it transitions into a plot twist driven drama before coming
back down to earth for a grounded wrap up of loose threads. Backing
this roller-coaster ride up is a cast of dynamic and deeply flawed
people who hide behind masks out of fear of being hurt again which
gives the narrative a unique texture. The game does have its
weaknesses such as static feeling characters at the beginning and the
story going on far beyond the point it should have reached its
natural conclusion, but none of this is enough to overshadow the
outstanding and human tale being told.
Verdict –
There are few titles which can match the perfect balance of
personal and thematic storytelling of Himawari. Even if it does
stubble in executing some character developed pacing and dragging on
beyond its narrative conclusion.
Pros -
+
Early slow burn adds tension and makes you question the character’s
motivations and reliability.
+
Once the twists start to kick in things are appropriately escalated
and lean into the key dramatic moments.
+
Cast is an engaging mix of dynamic and fragile with each offering
something unique, but also connected to one another.
+
The visual, soundtrack and accessibility benefits of being a remaster
improve appeal of the title to wider audience.
Cons -
-
Story does not know when to stop and continues on beyond its natural
conclusion.
-
Characters are relatively static early on which can make it difficult
to invest in them to the degree the game wants.
