Archive for March 2025
Best Visual Novel Releases – March 2025
Spring
is truly underway and just as the natural world has shown a sudden
burst of vitality so too has the visual novel space. This month has
been a deluge of major titles from classics finally receiving
official translations to exciting new games across the whole
spectrums of genres from sci-fi mysteries to romance to crime drama.
Let’s dive in and see what visual novels you should be playing from
the latest releases.
Official Releases
Love, Elections, & Chocolate
There
are few visual novels which leverage character drama quite as
successful as Love, Elections and Chocolate. The story follows Oojima
Yuuki as he attempts to prevent the closure of his club by standing
for student council president and becomes increasingly intertwined
with the girls in his life. Everything rotates around the core
pillars of the student council elections and love in order to create
an environment ripe for heightened emotions. Conflicts are grounded
yet exaggerated with the game playing off this contrast to help each
character have their own memorable arcs while using the same basic
material framed from their specific angle. Overall this is one of the
strongest cases for the value of the romantic drama style of visual
novel and if you enjoyed this studio's other work, Aokana - Four
Rhythms Across the Blue, then you will have a good time.
Ever 17 / Never 7
Steam - Ever 17 Never 7 VNDB - Ever 17 Never 7 Genre
– Mystery, Thriller, Sci-Fi Play Time – 20 – 30 hours each
Few
series can claim the level of influence attributed to the Infinity
games and this month saw the release of two of their most memorable
titles, Ever 17 and Never 7. These sci-fi classics each offer a
vastly different take on the mystery and thriller genres which keep
the player engaged with twists and a constant stream of new
questions. Ever
17 is about a group of people who find themselves trapped in the
underwater theme park LeMU and follows their struggle for survival as
odd happening begin to plague them. Meanwhile in Ever 7 we join
Makoto who
has been forced to attend a seminar on a remote island with some of
his classmates and everything seems normal until he finds a dead girl and
becomes trapped in a time loop.
Before I recommend these games to you there are a few things you
should know about this release. Firstly,
the
upscaling which was used on the artwork is of a mixed quality and
sometimes it smudges details into a blur or pushes colour over the
original lines making for a poor looking image. Secondly and more
importantly, the version of Ever 17 which has been released is not
the original but instead a modified version of the later remake. This
is important since some story changes were made to this remake that
have had a mixed reception so you should be aware of what you are
buying. Despite these issues these games are still worth picking up,
especially if this is your first time playing them since they still
stand up all these years later.
AIR
With
the release of AIR, all of the older Key titles have been officially
localised into English. Being their second major visual novel it
marked the beginning of the process of refining their identity as a
studio. AIR does not quite have all the features which would come to
define Key's later games and still has many of the rougher edges of its
predecessor Kanon. It focuses around the young traveller Kunisaki
Yukito who is trying to find the meaning behind the story left by his
deceased mother. As he interacts with the main heroines more of its
meaning becomes clear while he deepening his relationship with them
as they push through his cynical exterior. For those looking for a
strong tale of romance or like Key’s output, this is an easy visual
novel to recommend since its charms hold up well even alongside more
modern titles.
DesperaDrops
Nintendo Eshop VNDB Genre
– Otome, Crime, Mystery Play Time - 40 hours
Crime
stories and otome appear to be a powerful mixture with DesperaDrops
being the latest title to use this blend of genres. There is a
certain thrill added to the romance as the characters’ world is
turned upside-down and they must adapt to this rapid change in
circumstances. Naturally this leads to heightened emotions and it is
this specific part of mixture DesperaDrops prominently utilises to
push its variety of suitors into being open with the protagonist. It
helps that the available options cover a good spread of
personalities, appearances and ages to make, each one stand out in
order to capture your imagination and encourage you to pursue them. There is also a
very minor supernatural element in the form of the protagonist’s
power to read emotions and memories through touch. This is mostly
just a justification for the protagonist to be the centre of the
suitor’s attention and feels strangely disconnected from everything
else at times. However, despite this minor hiccup, DesperaDrops will
still scratch the otome itch and makes for an enjoyable time.
KAMITSUBAKI CITY REGENERATE
Styling
itself as a dark fantasy sci-fi visual novel, KAMITSUBAKI CITY REGENERATE immediately catches your
attention with its mash-up of normally distinct genres and ideas. It
is an isekai story where the player character is pulled into the parallel
universe city of Kamitsubaki which is on the brink of destruction.
They must interact with the various inhabitants of the city and work
together to steer this sinking ship into safer waters. Music is a
strong thematic element in KAMITSUBAKI and its role in bringing
people together despite their contrasting backgrounds and beliefs.
This makes the large amount of original vocal tracks hold additional
power over key narrative moments when they harmonize with what is
happening on screen. Overall this is a fun and well produced tale
which focuses on its core identity to great effect.
Trials of Innocence
It
is clear from the moment Trials of Innocence starts that its main
inspiration is the Ace Attorney series. Everything from the narrative
structure to the court room and investigation mechanics are extremely
close to its inspiration. Rather than feeling like a direct copy of
those games, it instead understands their core appeal and crafts its
own original story in their image. It follows a rookie layer called
Luna Ray as she comes to grips with the tumultuous legal world and
defends her clients. All the while she slowly uncovers the tendrils of
a conspiracy which deeply effects her and the lives of many. Trials of
Innocence is hardly a fountain of originality but it is upfront about
what it is and in this purpose it performs admirably.
Text Presentation – An Anatomy Of Visual Novels
Showing Is Telling
At
almost all points in a visual novel there will be some kind of text
on screen describing what is happening in the scene or showcasing dialogue. How the
characters of this text are presented deeply impacts the perception
of the game’s cast and their actions in a way that is often
incredibly subtle. Good text flows through the player’s mind
without much resistance so when alterations are made to the
established style they stand out. These changes can often be of the standard kind, things
like italics or bold text, and they are a common feature many
developers use for varying effects. Then there is the use of colour,
be it extensive or sparingly, to establish a mood, idea or person in
a way which immediately identifies it and sets it apart. On the
extreme end of the spectrum sits the special characters which stand
out from the normal text due to the fact they are often not words at
all and instead act as symbols. Let’s dip our pen and uncover how
small changes to the text can have a profound impact.
Standard Text Features
Almost
all visual novels use at least the most basic alterations during
their play time since it spices up what might otherwise be line after
line of repetitive black text. Even the smallest change can help
break the monotony and inject some much needed life into moments
where the writing has to do all the heavy lifting. It is subtle
enough to not draw an unnecessary amount of attention to any
additions yet offers enough flexibility to be worth using despite
their low overall impact on the player’s experience. The two forms
of this basic alteration which appear often are italics and bold
text and they share a similar function with key differences in how
they are perceived. Italics is used to emphasise certain words or
phrases and is often associated with the internal thoughts of the
protagonist or a character adding a texture to their spoken words.
The soft curves of italic text lend it a gentler and more implicit
nature almost as if it was a whisper in text form hence why its uses
tends towards those which favour indirect ideas. Nothing is more
indirect than when people say one thing and imply another and so
italics can underscore what might not come across in simple text form
in order to capture the subtleties of speech. This idea of being a
hidden element is played on when italics are used for a protagonist’s
internal thoughts. They are showing their most intimate and immediate
feelings, ones they will never voice out load but are key to
understanding them and what makes them act the way they do. Placing
them in italics frames the words as almost being whispered to the player
from inside the character’s mind in a deeply intimate fashion.
 |
| Muv-Luv's text on background approach does influence its presenation choices |
On
the other hand bold text is the visual equivalent of shouting at the
reader. There is no subtly at all to its appearance and it is
impossible for it to be ignored given how striking it is when
compared to the thin characters surrounding it. It generally
indicates key information which the game wants to ensure the player
is aware of and for it to have an immediate presence and impact. This
means that the highlighted information often has relevance to what is
currently going on rather than dropping hits for some future event.
Bold text can also be used to convey the strong emotions by making
the emotive words in the descriptions bold so they are understood as
the key experiences of the characters in that moment. When used in speech
it can underscore just how loudly a character is shouting and what
words carry the most weight providing important context for their
actions. Through small additions like these a wall of text can
be given additional meaning without having to waste space spelling it out in the text itself.
Colour And Text
Adding
a splash of colour to what would otherwise be lines of black text is
a far more of dramatic change than just making something italics and
as such the possibilities for it are also larger. This
flexibility comes from the way colours have a variety of associations
they can lend the text. Having red characters brings to mind power
and aggression while blue carries the idea of flowing and calm and
depending on what words are coloured this can be complimented or
contrasted against what is happening in the story. Some of this
depends on the culture since much of the connections related to
colour are taught, such as red being positive in relation to money in
China while the opposite is true in the west, so this makes colour a
less universal tool than the basic alteration if a developer is
aiming for a worldwide release. However, there is generally enough
commonality to make colour a useful method of adding interesting
texture to the text. For example Muv-Luv assigns each of its
characters a colour unique to them and their spoken words appear in
this colour. This serves two purposes, making it clear at a glance
who is talking and giving sense of identity to those words. Being
able to instantly know who is speaking without even reading their
name means the player is spending less time engaging with system elements
and this allows for a smooth flow from one line of text to another in
a game so focused around character dialogue and interactions. Coupled
with this change is how the character’s assigned colour reflects an
outline of what a character is like which the player is reminded of
every time they see it and it works as a way of remembering the
basic outline of who they are. Given the relatively simple and light
hearted nature of the game its cast adhere closely to their basic
outline and this makes their colours a useful shorthand of their role
in the story.
 |
| Even the truth can be deceptive when framed correctly |
Colour does not need to be a continuos feature and it
can instead be its rarity which can hold its influence on the player.
Umineko is a prime example of this power with its red text. It
appears infrequently and represents an absolute truth about the
mystery which often overturns both the Battler and the player’s
understanding of everything beforehand. Its vivid colour and the
violent swings accompanying it make it memorable so even before
the words have been read there is a sense of dread and anticipation
in the player’s stomach. If another colour had been chosen for this
text is would not have had the same impact due to its striking nature
when placed next to the walls of black which forms the rest of the
story. Umineko does not does not use the existing associations of red
and creates its own new ones to match its narrative needs.
Unusual Characters
Beyond
the familiar letters which make up the majority of text on screen over
the course of a title, there are some special characters and
symbols designed not to be read but instead to communicate a visual
language to the player. It allows the developer to express a vocal
trait or underlying concept without a clearly defined written form
and also it is repeatable while being self contained so can be used
whenever it is needed. Here the symbol’s shape and structure do a
lot of the heavy lifting as it can rely on the player’s established
emotional and cultural understanding of them to create the desired
effect. Probably the most well known implementations of this use of
symbols is the speech text of Berserker in Fate/Stay Night. Rather than
words his vocalisation are various types of roars and so instead of
just saying he roaring in a description or simply writing ‘roar’
in speech marks, Type Moon instead chose to use blocky shapes. The
primal nature of his roars is reflected in the way the shapes do not
have an even or consistent layout and their power is shown in the way they break
the conventions of what the player has come to expect for dialogue.
When Berserker is present these special characters make sure you
immediately understand what kind of person you are dealing with in
order to perfectly sell the mad warrior idea which the class is meant
to embody. This is not a feature many visual novels use due to it
being overly elaborate for the kind of stories they are trying to
tell and even those who do use it do so only in relation to specific
people or ideas in order to prevent any form of confusion about their
meaning.
 |
| Fate/Stay Night also likes to mix in colour alongside its unique symbols |
Conclusion
Given
the way visual novels tend to keep their text in standard formatting,
is it any wonder that breaking these rules has such a noticeable
impact? Even basic choices like bold and italics offer a means of
communicating simple changes in tone and adding texture to a character’s
speech due to the emphasis they provide. Utilising symbols in place
of the expected letters can push this distinctive feeling to new
heights and show a concept which would be difficult to express in
traditional words. Changing the colour of the text allows for an
expansion of what can be implied to the player in order to make
characters easily identifiable at a glance which does a lot to speed
up the flow in lighter titles. Overall, careful consideration on how
text is presented should always be at the front of a developer’s
mind and they should ask themselves if they can break away from the
monotony of textual expectations.
Card Games – Uncovering The Hybrid
Play Your Last Card
Video
games have long toyed with various forms of Card Games for
traditional ones like poker to CCGs to card battlers like Slay The
Spire. These are all unified by the need for some additional element
if they want to communicate a story alongside their gameplay which is
where visual novels come in. In many ways there is an inherent
juxtaposition between the cold and calculated mentality encouraged
within a Card Game and the deeply personal one offered through a
visual novel. It is a dynamic which often leans
in favour of the visual novel half and looks for it to act as the guide for the
overall flow of the game. The pervasiveness of Card Games means they
can rely on an established base of understanding in order to not get
in the way of player’s forward momentum. At the same time they can
also expand outwards to create complex and engaging battles if that
is what is called for over the course of the title. Their basic
presentation lends them to complimenting the cost effective nature of
visual novels and a relatively reasonable addition to them. Let’s
shuffle our decks and find out exactly how this all works in
practice.
Easy To Understand
At
their base level Card Games are easy to understand due to their mechanics being
concentrated in basic object the player can interact with and this gives a
pick and play quality. When placed alongside visual novel sections
this quality can create a smoother transition between the two
elements since the gameplay can be easily understood and focus can
instead be given to what the mechanics are meant to represent. For
games leaning into this simpler nature Card Games often stand in
place of one on one confrontations, be that physical or a contest of
wits. Take for example Princess Battles which uses a basic system of
cards and modifiers as a point of interaction to enhance the feel of
what it like to be in combat. It is designed to
simulated the ups and downs of the battle without having the player
spend too much time there and potential disturb the flow of the
story, yet still offer just enough tension to require them to engage
with the mechanics. Due to the game's relatively simple nature and limited
pool of opportunities to provide tests of skill, a complex Card Game
would have not had the space to organically grow and risks
overwhelming the player with too much extra information when they
should instead be immersed in the excitement of the clash.
 |
| Hanafuda is easy to understand for its audience |
Another
approach the hybrid likes to use is to utilise existing real world Card Games as the foundation
for their gameplay. This way they can rely on a large portion of
their audience having some pre-existing understand of the rules and
expectations of the games they are pulling from. Not having to
extensively explain the fundamentals of the Card Game systems leaves
it free to experiment while still being easy to digest and not
impeding the visual novel half. Hana Awase draws heavily from
Hanafuda for its mechanics which is a game its original audience
would have at least a passing familiarity with and gives it a
frame of reference to weave in real world elements into its
systems and narrative. Drawing from what people know creates a
tangible connection for the player to grasp onto from which they can
build a link to the characters and become invested. This is important
since overcoming that initial resistance to empathising with the cast
can be difficult so any assistance in bridging the gap is valuable
for the narrative.
Strategic Battles
Embracing
the opposite extreme of Card Games and encouraging complex play
patterns can help specific types of stories and structures shine. If
the visual novel wants the player to go through the game multiple
times in order to experience its various routes then a complex suite
of cards and mechanics give the player something to chew on over the
long term. This can be achieved through providing vastly different
fights between routes which demand an engagement with their mechanics
and specific kinds of cards or having cards unique to each routes
which open new and exciting interaction with player’s existing card
pool upon a new play through. Let’s look Soukoku no Arterial and
see how the game leans into this complexity over its three core paths
and myriad character endings. One way it uses its card mechanics to
enhance its narrative is through giving the player cards unique to
the path they are on, these being demon, angel and human. This not
only dynamically expands the tools the player has to express
themselves but it also thematically ties into the story and
characters of each path through their specific cards being given to
the player a key plot points. Another way it keeps the player
interested is through making the battles vastly different from one
another based on the path. It takes the factions identity as a base
and creates encounters which feel like you are fighting a member of
that group to sell them as distinct entities. For a visual novel this
is important since it helps sell each route as something new to
experience and reflects what has been established in the story.
 |
| Fun interactions are what make Card Games interesting to play |
When
a game has a single play-through in mind for its design it can use
the complexity as a way to communicate the growth of the
protagonist’s abilities and the dangers they face. In Kamifuda the
Card Game element is presented as how the characters
utilise their magic and so the battles are direct rather than
symbolic drawing a line between gameplay and character actions. As
such when the difficulty rises it has a direct correlation with the
abilities of the opponents being fought and it encourages the player
to rise to the challenge in order to draw them into the same state of
mind as the protagonist. It shows magic to be a fiddly and
interactive power which can be mixed and match to create interesting
new interaction through having it be a series of cards. This
offers it an identity separate from those who wield it yet not
entirely divorced from their personalities. There is also a tactile
feel to the game’s stakes since the higher they rise the more
resistance the player will have to overcome in order to progress and
linking it so directly to the emotional beats in the story helps each
sell a sense of coherency not possible without the
complexities offered by the Card Game mechanics.
Cost Effective
Developing
a game is a constant balancing act between the creative vision and
the money and time available. Visual novels already lean towards the
cost effective end of the spectrum with their limited graphics and
lack of complex systems allowing money to be focused elsewhere. Yet
not every developer has resources to flex and so the second type of gameplay
needs to be kept simple to produce so it can be kept within budget. This is
where Card Game mechanics can shine due to their potential for
minimalist presentation. There is a lot of flexibility on how a set
of cards can be shown to the player from basic movement to flashy
effect and the two extremes are equally acceptable to an audience due
to the abstract nature of card systems. As such many of the card
mechanics in visual novels tend towards the minimalist end of the
spectrum to match its presentational style and make the whole
experience feel more cohesive. For example Princess Waltz has simple
cards and UI for its Card Game sections in order to keep it
consistent with the rest of the content. In the moment to moment
gameplay it utilises similar VFX to those found in the action scenes
to help build continuity while keeping costs down through repurposing
assets. To reflect this simplicity the mechanics themselves are
fairly basic with only a small pool of cards and modifiers which
keeps their basic appearance feeling like it matches what the player
is doing.
 |
| There isn't much going on here but it does its job perfectly |
Conclusion
Cards
are an open ending way of expressing ideas and mechanics in both
physical and digital games so it should come as no surprise that they
work well with visual novels. They are easy to understand which makes
them flow better as a secondary element to the narrative and let the
key moments they represent stand out. Development cost can be kept
down due to their simple presentation and this is appealing to
developers on a tight budget who want some other mechanic beyond the
story sections. On the opposite extreme the game can embrace
complexity in order to help support the multiple play-throughs
demanded by the narrative or represent the intricate nature of the
powers the characters are using. If you are looking for a gameplay system to
use in your visual novel then considering a Card Game offers more
freedom than you might expect.
Time Loop – Genre Deep Dive
Déjà vu
Of
all the subgenres of sci-fi and fantasy there are none as popular and
influential in visual novels as the Time Loop. It feels as if half of
all titles which want to be taken seriously go with some form of Time
Loop in order to tell their story. This is perhaps a natural result
of wanting to explain the existence of routes from an in-universe
perspective without having to deal with their often complex and
contradictory content. Of course it can also be used as an excuse to have
serious elements sitting right next to silly moments while trying to
preserve some sense of continuity . Character reactions to the Time
Loop are a favourite playground of this genre and the existance of a loop means they
can pushed pushed to extremes without having any lasting consequences
since it will be all be reset. Furthering this approach is the effect
dehumanisation has on the person undergoing the loop as they struggle
to maintain their sanity in a space without an ending or any means to
escape it. Let’s break the loop and discover the appeal and power
of the genre.
The End is The Beginning
Attempts
to marry the structure and narrative of visual novels define the
medium’s use of this genre. It provides a suitable justification
for its route based nature or the flexibility to have a more open
ended construction and neither of these extremes feels out of place
within the context of Time Loop. There is an inbuilt expectation for
repetition in this genre which aids in the smooth transition in and
out of common routes and other opening scenes the player will
encounter since it makes sense protagonist to experience these events
again if they are caught in this cycle. In playing into Time Loop
conventions such as these. visual novels can gain the freedom to
create twists and turns with the knowledge that the consequences do
not need to be immediate. For route based titles the expanding
tendrils of each route and their endings are an easy to
understand representation of the possible outcomes of the loop. A
classic example of this type is YU-NO shows its differing routes as
multi coloured splinters off the opening line on a flowchart from
which the player is encouraged to think about how each relates to
the others. It is to this menu the game goes after each ending to
further push the cyclical nature of its Time Loop and nudge the
player towards the branches they have yet to explore. The fact that
in order to progress down certain routes key items from other paths
creates a feel of the protagonist utilising the loop for their own
benefit as more about what is happening become clear. On a higher
level there is also the collection of special stones
which are needed by the player to break out of the loop and push into
the second half of the game. All of this comes together to create a
tactile weight to unlocking more of the paths and an easy to observe
forward momentum.
 |
| Representations of Time Loops in visual novels are always interesting to look at |
When it comes to Time Loops within a more open and
less directly linear structure Type-Moon’s fandiscs offer a pair of
interesting examples. Fate/ Hollow Ataraxia splits itself into
individual and self-contained events which the player can pick from during each time period. Since this creates a variety of possible paths
through the loop it cannot be easily presented in a flowchart even if
the paths for progression are indeed linear. Instead it is the amount
of choices and how more are slowly unlocked with each new cycle which
sells its repetition while not actually reusing more content than it
absolutely has to in order create a connection between player and
protagonist. Kagetsu Tooya leans closer to the continuous perspective
approach like YU-NO but takes it to its logical extreme with so many
paths and off shoots that attempting to make a flowchart for it would lead to an difficult to understand mess of lines. It forms a labyrinth of routes
forwards where the player is going to constantly bump into endings or
new routes as they work to help the protagonist escape. There is an
implicit challenge in this structure where the player must explore
and understand the space they are operating within so they can find
the way out and so fosters an engagement not otherwise possible
without the existence of a Time Loop.
People Under Pressure
No
matter how interesting a Time Loop might be structurally, if there are
not characters to be pushed to their extremes then it will be a dry
experience. Visual novels address this potential issue through
pushing their already character centric nature and keeping their
focus squarely on the people caught up in the loop. Due to the way
the loop removes a lot of the immediate consequences from character
actions they can be pushed to extremes that might normally be damaging or life
changing but are here removed once the loop resets. This lets the
story probe deep into a character’s motivations without having to
worry about how this will effect anyone in the long term and allows
it an adaptability when it comes to how to handle and frame each new
clash of identities. Extremes like these still have to make sense
within the context of the world or risk the loop appearing incoherent
so this freedom with the characters is not a ticket to do whatever
wild things the developer wants. Even if the characters do not
remember their actions in the loop, the player will and so it is
their mindset the game has to form its believability around.
 |
| Characters are key to a good Time Loop |
Generally this character focus pushes them into the spotlight one at
a time as with our two examples of this use of the Time Loop, Cross
Channel and Little Busters. Route based Time Loops such as Little
Busters already have an inbuilt mechanism where the player expects
the visual novel to concentrate on the selected character and so does
not have to contrive a situation for this emphasis since the player
has already created it themselves. It also helps the player
understand each character’s place in the world and their role in
the greater plot in a controlled yet exciting manner. By contrast
Cross Channel is far more rigidly constructed with heroines each
getting their turn in a linear order and provides a lot of fine
control over the player’s expectations and anticipation. The main
advantage this approach brings is the way it integrates the otherwise
isolated character arcs into a smooth and natural feeling direct path
as opposed to the bitty feeling route system.
Dehumanisation And The Looper
Repeating
the same few days again and again is going to have an impact of the
mental state of the looper and change how they view the people around
them. When there are no lasting consequences why should you care
about your actions? If people are just going to reset as soon as a
new loop starts can they really be considered anything more than set
dressing? There is an inevitable nihilism that seeps into a looper's
world-view the longer they remain trapped and they start dehumanise
the individuals they once cared about then they do this to themselves. Since this is
a pretty dark subject many Time Loops in visual novels skirt around
the issue by have the protagonist only remember parts of the loop so
they get to keep being themselves. However, when it is address the
character development opportunities it offers are powerful and lead
to many memorable moments. This is generally handled in two ways,
witnessing the character struggle with the birth of these emotions or
showing someone who has succumbed to the nihilism pull themselves out
of it.
 |
| Rika is interesting since we see her from the outside for most of the story |
Perhaps the most iconic example of the first type is Okabe
Rintarou as he fights against a loop which seems set in stone. From
the intimate perspective afforded by the visual novel format we get
to see decline in Okabe’s mental state as he tries many different
things in order to save those he cares about only for the world to
just adapt to his actions and lead the same outcome regardless. It is
only through opening up to the people he has started to dehumanise that he can pull
himself back from the pit of despair and move towards resolving the
loop which is a satisfying arc to watch unfold. On the other side we
have Rika Furude who has long ago been consumed by the nihilism of
the loop. What makes this noticeably different to Okabe’s portrayal
is the way the player gets to see this repeatedly from the persective
of someone who is unknowingly trapped in the loop. This makes her
sudden personality switching, treatment of her friends like pawns and
loss of interest when she considers the current loop a failure appear
alien and creates a tension between her perspective and the rest of
the cast as they try to salvage what she knows to already be doomed.
Once the player finally does get to see the twisted inner workings of
her head it is as a means to show her pulling herself out of this pit
through the new hope she has found and ultimately resulting in her
finding a way to her desired future.
Conclusion
Visual
novels and Time Loops are a perfect match for each other and a
constant source of new and engaging stories. The genre gives an easy
justification for the standard route based structure as well as more
experimental and flexible paths through the game. It offers an
opportunity to push its characters to their limits with the knowledge
that the long term consequences do not have to be considered so the
extremes can be wild. The person aware of the loop offers a unique
means of showcasing how easy it is for humans to slip into nihilism
and the dehumanisation of people they once cared about when pushed beyond
their limits. Overall there are few more fertile grounds then the
Time Loop and if you are thinking about making one then considering
the various options available to visual novels can go a long way.
Sorcery Jokers Review – The Many Sides Of Magic
Genre - Urban Fantasy, Action, Thriller Play Time - 35 hours Developer - 3rdEye Steam VNDB
Urban Wonderland
In
a world reshaped by the sudden appearance of magic, two young men from
vastly different walks of life find themselves on interweaving paths
as they work to uncover the tangled web lurking just under the
surface. It is these dual protagonist which define much of what makes
Sorcery Jokers stand out amongst the many other urban fantasy visual
novels. There is a clever contrast between the lives they lead and
sides of the conspiracy they uncover and it lends itself to a well
rounded and textured tale of action and intrigue. Characters also
play off this contrast but create a connection between the two halves
as they wander back and forth across the boundaries. The visual and audio compliment this approach with
an artistic and auditory language for each protagonist and the in
game flowchart helps reinforce this trend. When it comes to properly
paying off all of this build up is where Sorcery Jokers can often stubble to
disappointing results. Yet even these messy conclusions have a
certain charm to them as the game pushes forwards. Do all the pieces
come together to create a title worthy of its genre? Let’s activate
our magic and find out.
Depths Of Conspiracy – Narrative and Themes
Despite
the existence of magic being known to all and on full display, this
is a story driven by hidden magically machinations and truths rather than
larger than life battles. It does still have this sense of spectacle
but those who are fighting are rarely the ones in charge of their own
fate as they move to try and free themselves for invisible hands.
Sorcery Jokers is more of a thriller than an action title and leans
into the constant feeling of having the rung pulled out from under
you while the characters try and find a way out of maze they have
been dragged deep within. Having two protagonists from vastly
different sides of this world assists in furthering this feeling of
uncertainty and danger through providing the player with contrasting
and conflicting view points on the same situations. This prevents the
tension from become stale or predictable since the shifting
perspectives can give the player new things to witness at regular
intervals and helps them not become bored with either of the two sets
of characters. When action is brought in it is often not over the top
and is instead an intimate and vicious magical melee which all
participants are walking a fine line between life and death. Framing
the battles like this prevents the characters from appearing as if
nothing can harm them with their powers as they offer little
protection from the attacks of their enemies. Larger scale action set
pieces only happen at key climatic points in the story and are a
dramatic leap up in spectacle in order to sell just how important
they are to everyone involved. They fit into this thriller tone
through the way they act as a frantic scramble for survival and
control over the fates of all those involved. Controlling the highs
and lows is what Sorcery Jokers thrives on and it comes together as a
wild roller-coaster of a ride.
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| The layers of action and intrigue run deep |
A
drawback to being so reliant on twists and turns is it can be
difficult to provide a suitable payoff for each one. There is only so
much time available to draw everything together and so some things
get left by the wayside regardless of how important they once were to
events or characters. This failure manifests as these plot points
being shoved to the side in an anticlimactic manner, resolved with a
deus machina or simply forgotten about. One of the most disappointing
examples of this trend is the relationship between the antagonist Ruu
and one of the protagonists Senri, they are shown to be two sides of
the same coin and constantly get in each others way and so it would
be expected they would have some kind of proper climax to this
dynamic. Instead Senri just manifests a deus machina to instantly win
the confrontation and neither side really learns or develops from
this conclusion to the point it could have just been removed without
any loss it the narrative. Something really has to have gone really
wrong in the writing department for such a formerly important
relationship to both characters to be cast aside. Weird choices like this plague the
game from start to finish as it is so excited to show off its new
toys to the player it forgets to resolve it old ones and just kicks
them into a ditch. The rule of cool is king here and in order to get
the most out of the title you have to be able to just roll with its
punches and focus on the moment to moment excitement.
Two Paths To The Same Destination – Characters
Presenting
two protagonists with such vastly different background, personalities
and world views immediately gives Sorcery Jokers a strong texture to
its narrative. On one side we have the naive and well off Mutsumi
Haruto who attends a school dedicated to teaching people to control
their magic and he is surrounded by children of CEO’s. Opposite him
sits our other protagonist Senri who lives in the underbelly of the
city and is wrapped up in all sorts of unsavoury dealings. This
contrast is put to good use with the game showing the various sides
of this world as well as the views on how its issues should be
resolved. It helps create the sense of a living city where everyone
moves with their own purpose often ignorant of the actions of those
around them and just trying to make the most out of what they have.
The two very different uses of magic also work to show the good and
bad it has brought since its arrival into the world and how it has
changed people’s perceptions of what is and is not possible. Each
protagonist has their own separate inciting incident which sets them
on the same path and how their journeys intertwine is a constant
source of amusement as they unknowing influence each other. One minor
flaw in this approach is that Senri is generally a more interesting
character than Haruto since Senri's thoughts are more morally gray and he
has the more complex companions due to rubbing shoulders with people
who want to use him. This can make the game feel lopsided towards
Senri with the feeling that he is the one who gets all the cool
moments and important plot points.
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| The idea of the superhero is one the game loves to play off and with |
Slipping
the game down the middle like this also splits the cast up and the
game organises them to take advantage of the divide. It assigns
its protagonists a pair of heroines who work to create a complex web
of emotions. One is a mirror for the protagonist and the other is a
contrasting personality who undermines his world view. Haruto is
given the sharp and pragmatic Atori Riku who clashes with his
idealistic nature and Rikudou Asahi who shares his heroic tendencies
but with a more directly outgoing nature. On the other hand Senri is
paired with the two faced Kousaki Fiona Annabel who reflects the
darker path he is set on while the innocent Noah could not be further
away from them and serves as someone to bring out the good in both of
them. Making the core cast so similar in composition on both sides
invites the player to compare them against one another and consider
the value of what drives each of them. The broader cast as reflects
this inclination in a way designed to flesh out the world rather than
directly challenge the protagonists. Their importance varies but they
have enough time to feel like they exist beyond the confines of the
story rather than being devices from narrative progression.
Strange New Girls – Visual, Audio and Technical
As
a title so focused on thrills and action, the visuals and audio play
a large role in effectively communicating what is going on and selling
the fast moving emotions of a scene. Conveying movement and power
through smart arrangement and framing in relation to the music and
text is the main trick Sorcery Jokers uses to achieve this effect.
With a change is music comes a change in mood and the dynamic motion
of the sprites and shifting CGs increases to match it while also
matching the story. Through the use of standard magical imagery, such
as magic circles, the game can rely on the player’s external
knowledge so it does not have to spend time explain what is on screen
and can instead dive straight into being exciting. A minor hiccup in
these visuals is the way it can sometimes feel a bit off and stiff
due to the limitations of the engine the developers were working
within and this is distracting at times. It is worth bring up the
excellent flowchart the game provides the player as it clearly shows
all the important information about what is happening when and to
whom so the constant protagonist jumping does not confuse the player.
This is especially essential in the first half of the game where the
protagonists do not always have scenes which occur at the same time
and the game gives you the choice of what scene you would like to experience next.
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| This is one of the most effective and intersting uses of flowcharts in visual novels |
Conclusion
There
is something distinctly memorable about Sorcery Jokers and the way it
crafts its urban fantasy tale which stems from how excited it seems
to present its story. Its choice to have two protagonists is full
taken advantage of through clever contrasts which extends into the
rest of the cast who are slip between the pair. Controlling the highs
and lows of its thrilling ride makes for a narrative where you feel
like something new is always happening. Well formulated visuals and
audio reinforce the action and drama of the story to make a visceral
roller-coaster. If only it would actually resolve its plot points
rather than moving on the next thing it is so excited to show you.
Despite this disposition Sorcery Jokers remains a strong and
enjoyable journey into a well realised world not so different from
our own.
Verdict –
The tapestry of multiple protagonists and interlocking paths
define a wild adventure through a world of magical conspiracy and
action which keeps you invested at every turn. It is a shame it can
sometimes forget to properly pay off all the twists it sets up.
Pros -
+
Keeps you on the edge of your seat with a thrilling ride of intrigue
and action.
+
The dual protagonist and casts makes for a varied and fresh narrative
as the characters’ stories interweave with each other.
+
A visual and auditory style which works to add pressure to the
moments of tension and over the top flare to the moments of action.
+
Has a convenient flowchart to help keep track of how the two
perspectives relate to one another and when certain events occur.
Cons -
-
Often does not pay off older plot points properly as it wants to push
you towards the new shiny thing rather than provide resolution to
what came before.
-
Senri is noticeably more interesting protagonist than Haruto and
also gets a lot more of the important plot points leading the game to
feeling unbalanced at times.
-
Some uses of the CGs and sprites in action scenes can feel a little
stiff at times.
