Sunday, February 22, 2026
The
icy clutches of winter have begun the slow process of thawing and as
heat returns to our bodies now is the perfect time to look at what
visual novels have come out while we were shivering in the cold. This
month has been a shot in the arm when it comes to new releases with
some prominent titles come out and developers finally stepping into
the English language space. As a result there is quite a range of
games on offer from an alternative universe reimagining of a classic
otome to a strange mixture of violence and comedy. Let’s dive in
and see what you should be playing from the past month.
Official Releases
Wayblazer Dämmerung
This
title marks the first official English localisation of a Eushully game with their distinct brand of gameplay centric visual novels.
Wayblazer Dämmerung is a high fantasy tale about the struggles of a
young man and the kingdom around him, wrapped up in an isometric
dungeon crawler RPG. It plays to the strengths of each side with
extensive narrative sections which know when to stop and let the
mechanics be front and centre before swapping back for the next big plot beat. Supported by a colourful cast of playable characters are the
various outings the player will making into the dungeons and they
give a life to proceedings and promote an investment in the world. A must
play for fans of a good visual novels and JRPGS.
Wagamama High Spec OC
As
a fandisc for an original title which came out in English nine years ago,
OC has an uphill battle to get the player reinvested in these
heroines. Thankfully it not just a collection of after stories but
also includes some new routes for previously minor girls which helps
inject a feeling of new life into the experience rather than be a
trip down a faded memory lane. These new additions are the homeroom
teacher Yukari, the protagonist’s editor Chitose and the class
representative Karen. Each one brings their own new conflicts and
contributes to a sense of uncovering new sides to characters the
player though they knew. Wagamama High Spec was never a particularity
complex visual novel instead leaning into a comfortable feeling
as its main appeal and OC does nothing to shift this so may end up
feeling familiar to fans. However, this may be exactly what you want
and if so this is fandisc will deliver that in spades.
Hakuoki SSL ~Sweet School Life~
Nintendo Eshop VNDB Genre
– Alternative Universe, Spin Off, Slice of Life, Otome Play Time
– 20 hours
Did
you play Hakuoki and think all the stuff about the Shinsengumi, oni
and the fall of the shogunate was just getting in the way of the
romance? Well SSL ~Sweet School Life~ has you covered as it takes
the suitors and drops them off into an alternative universe school
setting for some traditional slice of life love stories. Yukimura
Chizuru is the only girl at a previously all boys school and as you
can imagine this leads to her being the centre of the men’s
attention. The game does a good job at taking the suitors’ core
personalities and motives and translating them into a modern day and lower stakes environment while keeping enough to make them instantly
recognisable. Considering all the inside jokes SSL scatters
throughout its play time, it assumes the player has completed at
least the original narrative and uses this basis to have a bit of fun
with the player’s expectations. In isolation it is still a solid
school otome, but just playing this one game on its own misses out of
much of what it has to offer the series.
Death Match Love Comedy!
Meshing
colourful hyper violence with an over the top romcom is certainly one
way to leave a lasting impression. The premise of having the
protagonist explode if a girl confesses their love to him should
speak to the kind of tone this visual novel establishes from the
start. He must fight off potential love interest and discover the
reason behind he new found tendency to detonate. This is a game with
a high amount of bad endings to sell the absurdity and danger of the
situation he finds himself in so be careful with your choices. If
that was not enough all sorts of strange supernatural elements from
angels to a weird pink cat creature will prevent him from being able
to smoothly escape his fate. Death March Love Comedy has a very
specific brand of humour, as you might have guessed by now, which it
not for everyone and if you do not find it funny then there is very
little else for you here. So if you did not chuckle at the premise
this may not be worth your time, but if it did then welcome to a wild
ride.
DRACU-RIOT!
After
being stuck in the seven circles of localisation hell, DRACU-RIOT’s
English release is finally seeing the light of day. This is one of
Yuzusoft’s earlier titles and marks an interest phase in their
development into the major studio they are today. It follows
Mutsura Yuuto through a series of unfortunate events where he is involved
in a kidnapping and ends up becoming a vampire. Now unable to leave
the artificial island of Aqua Eden, he must adapt to his new vampiric
lifestyle and in the process get to know the heroines who have found
their way into his life. The strong merging of urban fantasy and
romance form the core of the game’s appeal and sets it apart from
the studios other titles while still having the quality and
flavour they are know for. Overall this is a perfect title for those
who want their romance visual novels to have a little something
extra.
PARANORMASIGHT: The Mermaid's Curse
The
first PARANORMASIGHT game was apparently enough of a success that
SQUARE ENIX decided to green light another one. Set on the remote
island of Kameshima and featuring an entirely new cast, this tale of
horror focuses on secret Mermaids of Ise and how they play into the
fates of the people living on the island. This mystery is the
backbone of the game’s momentum as dangers and truths from the
distant past come up from the depths of the water. Just like its
predecessor this title is not revolutionising the genre and instead
represents a competent and well put together example of what fans are looking for. Since it is not connected to the previous entry
this makes for a good time for anyone seeking a suspenseful bit of horror.
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