Sunday, September 29, 2024
With
the leaves turning brown it is truly a sign that autumn is finally
here and with it another batch of excellent visual novel releases to
warm you up as temperatures drop. Both official titles and fan
patches are firing on all cylinders as they provide yet another month
of thought provoking and emotionally engaging games. The spread of
genres on display continues to impress from detective remasters to
boys love horror to two denpa visual novels, all bringing their own
spin on established and new ideas. Let’s rake over some leaves and
see what visual novel you should be playing.
Official Releases
Ace Attorney Investigations Collection
Capcom
continues the process of porting all the Ace Attorney games from the
DS systems to modern hardware. This time it is the turn of the
spin-offs staring Miles Edgeworth as the player swaps sides to the
prosecution. The investigation gameplay changes to match this new
protagonist with the act of prosecution being shown as a game of
chess where both side take turns breaking down their opponent’s
defences. It also trades out the point and click style of clue
discovery for sprites of the characters which the player controls
talk to witnesses and pick up evidence. Upon its original release
these two games received a mixed reception due to these gameplay
changes and the plot and mysteries being even more nonsensical than
usual, so it was a pleasant surprise to see them announce it was
getting a remaster. While this is be no means a game everyone will
enjoy, it is nevertheless something a fan of the series should at
least check out to see if its unique take on format appeals to them.
However, if you are new this is not the Ace Attorney game for you, it
assumes prior knowledge and investment in the franchise and there are
better titles with which to start your journey into this world.
Date A Live: Ren Dystopia
As
the fourth Date A Live visual novel and releasing after both the
light novel and anime have reached their conclusion, Ren Dystopia
sits in an odd position. Rather than being set after the end of the
concluded story, it instead takes place after the end of the events
covered in Date A Live III and focuses on the new additions from that
series, namely Natsumi and Origami. Structurally it is more or less
identical to Rinne Utopia and Arusu Install where each significant
spirit is given a section for the player to send time with them and
these all lead into a finale about the newly introduced character.
Like those previous two titles, this game feels like a love letter to
the spirits who have defined this series. This has the obvious
consequence of requiring the player to already have a familiarity
with the source material and it does nothing to assist new players in
understanding what is going on. One for the fans who will want to
spend more time with this colourful cast.
The Town of Nie
After
pursuing a strange man down a dark alley, Hisora finds himself in the
afterlife and with no way back he finds himself staying at an in
there alongside its excentric male residents. However, as a living
human in the world of the dead his life is a source of danger for him
as its population finds his condition enviable. Such is the set up for this
boys love tale of self exploration and coming to terms with one’s
own feelings. In terms of tone is aims for a kind of light horror
with bloody scenes as the backdrop to the romance between the male
leads and this mixture aids in keeping the interpersonal tension high
and the conflicts engaging. If you are looking for a different take
on the genre then The Town Of Nie is for you and offers some
excellent thrills and heartfelt moments.
HAPPY SAIN† SHEOL
Long
ago a disaster swept the land corrupting all in its path, leaving it desolate and making life difficult. So those who remained
gathered under the religious banner of Saint Sheol in order to claw
out an existence. In the present a young boy named Belial arrives at
the capital in order to become a trainee priest for Saint Sheol and
things seem to be looking up for him. However, this harsh world is
not so kind as to let that happiness last and Belial is about to find
out the hard way just how ruined this world really is. As a title
leaning heavily on the psychological horror and denpa genres to carry
the wait of its narrative where its characters are constantly in
danger from forces both external and internal they do no understand.
It also loves its pseudo Christian imagery and a core element of its
visual design comes from introducing and corrupting these symbols of
power and purity. For those seeking a haunting horror experience you
cannot go wrong with HAPPY SAIN† SHEOL.
Fan Translation
Karenai Sekai to Owaru Hana
Patch Download VNDB Genre
– Drama, Nakige Play Time – 11 hours
Working
at a cafe in a town filled with brilliant blooming flowers sounds
idyllic, but all is not quite as happy as it seems. One night our
protagonist Shou follows one of the sisters he works with away from
town to a hill covered in flowers and there she reveals the cost they
pay to continue to live in this world, other people’s lives. Such
is the basis of a tale about what it means to live in the face of a
world that seems to not care about your efforts. This is a game which
makes it clear from the start that it is trying to get you to cry at
the plight of its characters and it makes sure every moment is
building towards these emotional crescendos. It often feels very
episodic in nature with a fair amount of self contained incidents
without a core driving force until the later parts of the game. This
works as a method of creating an investment in the characters by
providing a platform for them to express themselves, but it does lack
something for the player to hold onto to motivate them to continue to
the end. Even with this issue, it is well worth your time if you want
an emotionally charged drama then Karenai will be a good time.
Tsui No Sora Remake
Patch Download VNDB Genre
- Denpa, Psychological Horror, Mystery, Philosophy Play Time –
20 hours
This
remake marks the third version of the Tsui No Sora concept, between
the original, Wonderful Everyday and the remake itself. As such it
has a lot of baggage to pick through in order to create its own
identity. Rather than the complete reimagining of Wonderful Everyday,
the remake sticks much closer to the plot and structure of the
original while adding in a few new things to expand it into a new
understanding of the narrative. The core appeal of its uniquely
biting denpa story translates well into this new incarnation and it
maintains the tension and visceral thrills many come to these games
for. So too does the games love for philosophy continue to shine
through as it intelligently handles its themes and ideas with both
direction emotion and abstract philosophical debates. Few games can
match the narrative strength of the Tsui No Sora Remake and you owe
to yourself to play this title.
