Sunday, August 30, 2026
As
the blazing heat of summer finally gives way to the shade of autumn,
let us look back into the dazzling sun and see what visual novel came
out under its rays. It has been a month bustling with an assortment
of amazing titles from a big name remaster to innovative indies to
the standard tales of love and all offering high quality experiences.
Let’s dive in and see what new games are worth playing and which
ones will tickle your imagination.
Official Releases
STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT
RE:BOOT
sits in a strange place, it is the third major version of Steins;Gate
to be released and ends up being a weird expansion of the second
version, Elite, while attempt to mix in some aspect of the
original. The script for RE:BOOT is largely the same as Elite’s
which means it inherits many of its problems stemming from its
simplification of the original game. What RE:BOOT brings to the table
is an expansion to this scenario and an aesthetic which leans
more into standard modern anime styling with live 2D sprites. The extra scenario is a cute addition and fun enough in its own right but it is
not substantial enough to justify purchasing the title for it alone.
Couple this with the inferior base script and it makes it difficult
to recommend RE:BOOT when the original is still easily available and
cheaper. However, if you simply did not find the previous versions
appealing and this shift in aesthetic has brought it onto your radar
then you should definitely pick it up. At its core it is still
Steins;Gate and Steins;Gate is still good so if this is the version
for you then you are still in for one of the best visual novels
around.
OVER REQUIEMZ
Nintendo Eshop VNDB Genre
– Otome, Fantasy Play Time – 50 hours
Drawing
heavily from The Wizard of Oz, OVER REQUIEMZ heavily pushes its influence through the lens of otome and ends up with a cast of handsome
murderers and a protagonist sentenced to death upon setting foot in
this world. Obviously there is more going on than meets the eye with
the fantasy element being played up as the main pillar of the mystery and
drama. Placing the protagonist in such a dangerous position allows
the game to take the story into some entertainingly dark places as
she struggles against circumstances stacked against her. Accompanying
her on this journey are this game’s suitors and they make for a
wild group of clashing personalities which become increasingly
interesting when events start spiralling out of control and they get to
show off their darker sides signalled through all those red flags the
game puts around. Overall, this is an otome aiming for intense drama and
danger over being sweet and romantic resulting in a ride which will
keep you on the edge of your seat.
The World Well: Blood of Caro
Nestled
in a world of medieval towns, vampires and technology distinguishable
from magic are two girls, one a half breed of human and vampire and
the other from the distant future. This unlikely pairing set out on a
quest to stop an ambitious tyrant before he can establish his world
spanning empire. Blood of Caro is a story defined by its impeccable
world building and delightfully flawed protagonists through their continent wide journey. The main pair’s growing relationship might
be the single strongest part of the title with their initially poor
start leading to a slow and believable bond as they lick each other’s
wounds. A constant sense of fragility is preserved over the entire
game with the pair’s position always being dramatically weaker then
their opponents and it leads to a wonderful sense of excitement and
catharsis with even their more minor success. Those looking for an
emotional and thoughtful science fantasy story with a good dose of
tension will not be disappointed by Blood of Caro.
Koikata: How Our Love Grows
Now
for something far more comfy and familiar in the form of a bright and
colour romance visual novel focused around the merge of two schools
and the feelings surrounding this process. Starting from this source of chaos,
each heroine get their own space to confront it and the
protagonist’s role in this process leads into a natural sense of
intimacy for the romance to build on. A bright and colourful
aesthetic ensures a comfortable and light hearted atmosphere
throughout where the character design gives a wide variety of easily
identifiable people for the player to engage with. While Koikata does
not reinvent the wheel, there is no doubt it understands what its
audience wants and if you are part of this group then it will hit all
the right notes.
COCORO
Another
entry in the strangely popular sub-genre of cute robot girls in a
post apocalypse setting, COCORO follows a young boy named Hinata and
his encounter with a robot girl, the titular Cocoro, who dreams of
marriage. The game proudly boasts about being written by Asta Konno
of ATRI -My Dear Moments- fame and this is something the player will
feel throughout as it shares many of the same thematic and narrative
quirks. However, it takes them in its own direction leveraging its
setting to probe the character’s motives and internal conflicts in
a suitably heart wrenching manner. Those looking for a title which
packs a powerful emotional punch cannot go wrong with COCORO.
Sovereign Tower
After
being made the sovereign of a magical tower which only they were
capable of unlocking, the player is tasked with managing a round
table of excentric knights with each of them bringing their own brand
of chaos. There is a strong element of humour to proceedings where the antics
of the characters and their absurd outcomes will regularly get a laugh
at their expense. Judging these large egos while giving them the
tasks best suited for their skills is an engaging challenge and it
provides a sense of the player being this ruler who must solve the
problems of the land. This is a memorable merger of visual novel and
management simulator with vivid artwork to round out the package.
Posts
