Sunday, November 10, 2024
Neon Drenched Streets
Nothing
quite speaks to the human condition in the way the Cyberpunk genre
does with its dynamic mix of cybernetics, AI, corporations and the
breakdown of society. Yet it never focuses on those things in isolation and ensures they are always placed on the personal level of the
characters. It is this choice of perspective which makes it a prime
candidate for a visual novel. Taking an intimate look a people’s
lives is something both do exceptionally well and together they are
able to capture a more even impression of the far future cities in
their good moments and when things go wrong. Leaning into the common
first person perspective of visual novels gives the genre an ability
to build atmosphere through an intense exposure to life and soul of
the setting to give it a sense of place. Beyond this core parts of
the genre’s identity, a visual novel can use the more exaggerated
nature of its anime styling to play up certain over the top elements
in order to push into territory not normally covered by the genre.
Let’s jack into cyberspace and find out how these all work in
practice.
In Light and Darkness
One
of the features of visual novel Cyberpunk which makes it distinct
from many other stories in this genre is the way it presented a more
balanced look at its world. There is a greater willingness to show the
good that can be found alongside the various issues faced by the
characters and generally paints the positives in brighter colours
than would normally be expected for the genre. Darker aspects still
maintain a strong presence and often act as the core thematic or plot
driving forces in the way one would traditionally expect. The two
halves often intertwine with each other to create a patchwork of
interactions that speak to the complex nature of humanity and how
people cannot be classified as a blanket good or evil. Such a
perspective has long been the strength of the Cyberpunk genre and
visual novels take this further through having their characters act
out their daily lives right next to danger. It pushes the
perseverance of humanity into focus and show the existence and
happiness people can create even in the face of a tide that threatens
to wash it away at any point. The intimacy with the characters common
to the medium does a lot to make sure the player gets to experience
first hand the emotions and conditions involved in living in this
world. So when the plot does come to tear it down there is a sense
not only of danger to the people, but also what they have built and
the lives which sit on a knifes edge.
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| There is a sense of the lives found among this jungle of technology |
This playing with duality and
divides can be seen in a variety of titles such a I/O with its real
and cyberspace worlds. It establishes early on a clear distinction
between the two spaces with the real world being a relatively normal
sci-fi setting where the characters are seemly safe and live as best
they can in face of the looming presence of the other world. By
contrast cyberspace is a fantastical domain filled with strange
events and all the hidden problems of the world and is where the
majority of the danger originates from making it manifest in a way
that challenges the player’s understand of it. Over time the
boundary between the two is shown to not be a clear cut as it
initially seems and I/O uses this to draw the characters into the
mire of intertwining motivations as roles get shifted around to
reveal truths about all involved. Not all uses of this type of
contrast are quite as direct with games like Read Only Memories
positioning the two halves within touching distance of each other.
This is helped by the distinctly grounded nature of how the title
addresses its setting as everything is framed through the everyday
lives of its inhabitants. While their appearance and jobs might be
alien to the player, their struggles are all relatable and personal
to them in a way helps make them believable and this contrast well
against the danger and mystery being uncovered. It also allows for
the set up of what needs to be protected and valued in the face of
what is going on in the shadows which communicates the themes of the
game in a clear manner with the contrast.
Building Atmosphere
Immersing
the player in the mood of a game is something visual novels do well
and leaning into the quality had produced some of its most popular
titles. For Cyberpunk stories this is especially important due to the
way they tend to lean into atmosphere in order to communicate
emotions and the overall message of the work without having to be
direct. Since the terms ‘mood’ and ‘atmosphere’ are nebulous
at best, let us look at a few examples to analyse what this
actually means. Synergia opens focused squarely on the brooding
thoughts of its protagonist and the equally broody city with its
sharp use of black and red contrast to highlight the dim streets
making for a striking image. It furthers this mood with its ambient
soundscape and synth music as it drags the player deeper into the
claustrophobic mental space brought about by a nation of restrictions
and isolation. The narrow perspective works to create singular and
intense emotional moments that speak to key parts of the overall mood
while reinforcing its all consuming nature to keep the player in
suspense about how the characters will interact and move beyond the
seemly bleak set up.
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| What you do not see is just as important as what you do |
Another example is The Silver Case which leans
even deeper into the mood building qualities through its use of
framing. Given the relatively static nature of visual novels, it is
easy to control the specific framing of any single moment without it
feeling unnatural. This is something The Silver Case understands as
it conceal or reveals parts of a scene in order to shape the player’s
engagement with what is on screen and create a curated mood for them
to experience. It likes to show only a section of a CG at a time and
build anticipation for the full image with these small fragments
forming a vague emotional state and preventing the player from
latching onto anything concrete. Presenting the narrative in this way
serves the purpose of underlining its mystery centric nature as the
drip feeding of information mirrors that of the characters’ own
journeys.
Pushing Beyond Reality
Unlike
in other mediums, a Cyberpunk story in a visual novel is not bound to any
sense of grounded reality due to the often exaggerated forms of its
artwork and content. This freedom to be more outlandish is granted
through the player’s expectations for a visual novel being vastly
different from those from more reserved types of games. Various forms
have emerged from this availability of exaggeration as it has no
singular interpretation and offers a blank slate onto which the
developer can create whatever tale they see fit. As such the main
features they have in common are related to their overall use of the
ideas of Cyberpunk. They tend to push the Cyberpunk stories further
into the distinctive elements of the genre so as to allow them to be
the focus even through all the other elements surrounding them. Take
ALPHA-NIGHTHAWK as an example, this title pushes the technology angle
of the Cyberpunk genre as its core exaggerated element. It host of
over the top mecha and mechanical forms which constantly introduce
new types to draw the player’s attention back to this core idea.
From this focus, the game is able to angle itself to have the
technology reflect its core thematic goals while also acting as a
source of entertainment via its elaborate designs being a feast for
the eyes. It load nature ensures there is no possibility of the
player missing it or any of the ideas it is presenting since it is
constantly and vibrantly pushed in front of them.
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| Dark colours define the metal and tech around the characters |
On the flip side
there is Kikokugai – The Cyber Slayer and its leanings into the
grimy and violent undertones of the Cyberpunk genre. Throughout the
game there is constant sense that the world is an unclean place that
the brilliant technology cannot conceal and the contrast use of dark
colours for the metallic aspects of the world is beyond absurd, but
it effectually communicates this message constantly. When the action
begins it is direct and violent which compliments the grimy world
they battle in and their common over the top nature. This is all
right next door the neon lights normally associated with Cyberpunk
and it contrast with them to create an extremes of perception through
which the game can work its plot and themes through so they are
clearly visible.
Conclusion
The
interactions between the Cyberpunk genre and visual novels are
distinctive from those of other mediums due to its unique features
and player expectations. It creates a balanced picture of the world
it visits and points out the light and dark to the high-tech cities
and the people in them to create contrast alongside the
value to be found in the lives there. Pushing into the absurd is
something the medium can easily do and when Cyberpunk runs with it
the result is a narrative where its distinctive features are made
more intense. The intimate nature of a visual novel works to help the
genre build the mood which is so key to the effectiveness of its
themes and it is flexible in how this is executed to accommodate a
variety of the genre’s styles. Together these elements ensure
Cyberpunk has a special place in the medium’s repertoire as a genre
able to fully take advantage of its unique qualities.
