Sunday, September 28, 2025
The
chill of autumn has truly begun to set in and now the trees have
turned their customary brown it is time to look at the harvest of
visual novels from the past month. It has been a good one from lovers
of mystery stories with all kinds being released from magical girl to
murder to puzzle alongside a suite of other exciting genres and a
surprise port of a classic title. Let’s dive in and discover the
exciting games on offer.
Official Releases
Lock and Key: A Magical Girl Mystery
This
title is an interesting take on the magic girl genre in a variety of
ways from its married couple of magical girls to most of the cast
being in their late 20’s. Choices like these create a very
different style of magical girl story with people who have more worldly experience
than the children/ teens typical of the genre. Yet it is still
undeniably a love letter to the genre as it uses the same themes and
ideas but places them through the lens of its older cast. The story
follows the married pair of Sherri and Kealey Cohen as they are
pulled out of retirement after a string of murders demands their
skills to help uncover the perpetrator. It will lead them down a
winding path through the past and the future where they will have to
confront the web of lies surround the case. Not everything is clear
cut and it is up to the player to guide the pair towards an ending to
their tale. Another strong visual novel from Studio Élan who seem to
be on a role when it comes to thoughtful yuri games.
Illusion of Itehari
Nintendo Eshop VNDB Genre
– Otome, Steampunk, Politics Play Time – 45 hours
Set
the floating city of Itehari, this utopia seems to be a picture of
paradise for the young noble lady Hinagiku, and yet she still wonders
what beyond its boundaries. One day she meet a strange amnesiac man
named Yashiro and is dragged into a conflict which unearths secrets
about their paradise. There is a strong political thriller angle to
Itehari as Hinagiku finds herself having to navigate the structures
of power defining her world alongside the people she meets there and
it is never certain who is friend or foe. This game has a distinctive
visual identity which mixes Japanese styling with its steampunk
setting to create an interesting and immediately recognisable landscape. These elements combine to create a memorable ride which
fans of otome who are looking for their monthly fix.
SHUTEN ORDER
The
latest title from the weird mind of Nakazawa Takumi comes off the
release of HUNDRED LINE earlier this year and there appears to be no
slowing this man’s creativity. What makes SHUTEN ORDER stand out is
each section having its own distinct gameplay style associated with
it. This ranges from stealth action horror to dating sim with every
one of them taking their style to its absurd limits. It is drenched
in a constant scene of dark humour as the subjects being tackled are
serious in nature, but the entire package is presented through its
strong brightly coloured art and larger than life characters who make
light of what are some horrible affairs. The absurdity of this nation
run by a religious cult never leaves the player’s mind as it slowly
dawns on them, through the lies and dark jokes, exactly what is going
on in this world and why the cults leader was murdered. Overall
another fun and thrilling ride which is worth
your time if you are looking for something completely distinct.
Blood Lily Ghoststories
Now
for something much smaller in scale with this light and short yuri
horror anthology. Split into four parts each one covering a different
character and aspect of the plot as they build towards the truth.
Each one does a good job selling the cast and creating tension when
new reveals occur while still having their own identity. Its
stylistic use of silhouette sprites lends those scenes a detached
sense of place to them and helps to underline this as a horror title.
The short play time works in its favour since it does not have much
substance to its plot so keeping its length down hides its weaker
elements and intensifies its stronger moments. For anyone looking for
a lighter horror experience, this is perfect for you.
ROAD59 A Yakuza’s Last Stand
Looking
for a crime thriller then perhaps ROAD59 might be up your alley.
This drama packed yakuza story set in the bright neon glow of a
future Tokyo aims to hit all the right notes of the genre. As the
heir to a crime syndicate Sho Himuro’s life was never going to be a
simple affair no matter how much he might yearn for normality. He
finds himself entangled with the family's future as a conflict breaks
out over the mysterious Power of Orochi and a rival gang seeks to
overthrow them. Faced with danger on all side, he must set up into a
world of betrayal, desire and honour in order to protect those he
cares about. A solid sci-fi crime game with just enough unique flare
to keep you engaged until its finale.
Type Noise: Shonen Shojo
Six
people awake in Noise Scramble City and into a mental prison of their
own making from which they must escape. This place resembles a
twisted version of down-town Tokyo and is formed of the true selves
each has forgotten. Interpersonal drama from the tension of being
trapped without memories forms much of the initial narrative
driving force with a smattering of personal revelations adding fuel
to the fire. Type Noise makes good use of this tension by playing up
the cast’s personalities in a human and fragile way in order to get
the player to root for their success in the face of this confusion.
Supporting the story are a series of puzzle mechanics which shift as
the player engages with new characters and places to match the themes
and tone of these elements. At its core is a point and click style of
interaction where additional aspects of gameplay, such as a mock
fighting game and managing a live stream, are weaved in to spice up
the formula. If you are seeking another in the oddly large sub genre
of trapped people in extreme situations then Type Noise will meet
your needs.
Fan Releases
Tsui no Sora Original
Rather
than a simple fan translation of the original Tsui No Sora, this is a
full on port out of its ageing and difficult to run engine into
Ren’py making it more accessible on modern hardware. Despite the
change all of the identity of Tsui no Sora is preserved
including its low budget presentation and strong writing and offers a
new audience the chance to experience this cult hit work. You might
be asking why play this version when the shiny new remake is also
available? Simply put they are not identical experiences with the
remake making important changes and additions which fundamentally
distinguish it from the original. All three versions of this story
have their own unique selling points and the original is just the
first iteration on those ideas. The original is worth playing to see the base from which many of the developer’s titles would string and the
imagination it represents.
