Showing posts with label VN Hybrid. Show all posts
Card Battlers – Uncovering The Hybrid
Playing Your Last Card
As
one of the biggest trends within the indie video game space, it is
little surprise the Card Battler would end up being merged with visual
novels. These kind of titles use the card battles as a means of
represent the conflicts and interacts which act as the story’s
highlights. Through having the player directly engage with these key
moments the game can present an abstraction of them and push the player to
engage with the broader metaphors and themes of the narrative. In its
most basic form this means the cards and their interactions can be
representations of the character’s actions and emotions where the
player gets to act them out. Conflict can mean battles and here the
random assortment of cards drawn simulates the chaos of the situation
and underlines the tension created by the visual novel sections.
Since the cards provided to the player often represent the abilities
of the characters or the world around them, they can express the
cast’s identities through how their cards feel to play so offering
another avenue of reinforcing their personalities and the tone. How do these
different uses of Card Battlers intersect and interact with visual
novels? Let’s draw a new hand and find out what each has to offer
the other.
Emotional Symbols
Cards
hold symbolic power within human culture, such as with tarot cards,
especially since the imagery depicted on them is concentrated in a
small space and has a physical sense of presence to it. In a hybrid
they can function as a means of cleanly presenting abstract concepts to the player and chief among these are emotions or emotional
actions. These communicate the core ideas of the narrative through
play where the interactions between cards and the objective lets the player experience a simulation of dealing with those
emotions. As such it can snugly fit into the dramatic and intense
moments to do the heavy lifting and leave the space between for the
visual novel element to handle the build up and cool down. By doing
this the title can curate the pacing of the experience in a way
conducive to a character centric story aiming to put the player
firmly into the minds of the cast. The abstraction of a card system
helps form an environment where sensitive topics can be addressed
without having to confront them face on.
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| Colour and emotion are powerfully linked |
An interesting execution of
this kind of Card Battler can be found in I Was a Teenage Exocolonist
which uses its cards as a means of exploring being a teenager. All of
its cards are the simple actions and items of a teenager in this
sci-fi world and only a few hold any direction emotional symbolism
rather being mundane in nature. Instead they gain this association
with emotion through the narrative surrounding them to provide
context and enhance the challenges they are used to overcome. They often get
framed and reframed based on the how they end up being utilised
through the lens of a teenager’s wild roller-coaster of feelings
during this sensitive time in their lives. Since this is not a game
about big battles and world ending stakes, the emotions of its cast
have to do a lot of the heavy lifting so weaving them into the
mechanical side makes sense. It is even doubled down on through
the mood system being another angle of reflection for the narrative
which connects back into the Card Battler. Kumitantei: Old-School
Slaughter offers a slight more direct use of emotional cards through
its Danganronpa inspired killing game. Its use of cards is in the
argument sections of the story where the protagonist is attempting to
convince another character of something. This is already a situation
naturally high in emotion and the game doubles down on it through
each card’s colour and stylised imagery making clear the feelings
behind it. With each card played the intensity of the back and forth
comes across as the protagonist eventually pushes through the noise
to convert the other party into one willing to at least listen to the
truth.
Chaos Of Battle
Being
able to capture the messy and improvisational element of combat
through a Card Battler system is something a textual narrative like
visual novels cannot easily achieve. This is created through either
with the randomness of a card pool or the chaos of the interactions
between each card and the battle. Such titles also tend only use the Card Battler for combat and leave everything else to other systems in
order for it to provide a focused impact on the player. Having an
element of randomness through what cards the player will see each
turn works to simulate a reactive environment and encourages a looser
play style where they have to roll with the punches rather than
follow a neatly laid out plan. On the other hand if the interactions
caused by cards are pushed to the front then the chaos comes from the
need to balance them against what the enemy is doing. It forms a push
and pull between the two and the increasing difficulty the player
experiences trying to keep the two sides from overwhelming them
mirrors the pressures experienced by the cast. By doing this it
allows for a strong emotional resonance which the main visual novel
narrative can play off and so expand on the consequence to gives a
wholistic feeling to the entire work.
 |
| Controlling the battle is a constant challenge |
Battle Suit Aces is an example
of how interactions can do a lot of the heavy lifting to create this
chaos despite its relatively ordered card progression. In order to
capture the clash of mechas and monsters underpinning the narrative, there was an effort made to sell the power each possess through
strong visual effects accompanying a dynamic back and forth
between allies and enemies. This operates on two levels, the allied
units and their combos planned out by the player beforehand and then
the enemies messing these up with their own interactions and
synergies which must be worked around. Having to manage these
competing fronts creates a chaotic game state where each element has
to be considers yet all can easily spiral out of control if left
unattended. Since the visual novel presentation in Battle Suit Aces
is relatively static in nature, these battles are the only chance to
properly sell the conflicts and there is a careful bouncing back and
forth between them to keep them both engaging. There is no simpler
version of the chaos of the unknown than the Card Battler systems of
Princess Waltz. The player is dealt a random hand of numbered cards
and must play them to beat their opponents score but since their
opponent plays their cards face down the player has no idea about the total
they are trying to beat. Through these two unknowns the game can
simulate the chaos of the one vs one battles presented in the visual
novel sections while asking for logic and risk management skills to
be exercised. Just like the cast, the player must push beyond the
uncertainty with their unique skills and making reads off their
enemy’s actions.
Expressing Identity
What
cards are available and the actions they represent can give the
characters using them a sense of identity while also building a wider
feeling world carried through into the narrative. Since the player
will be spending a lot of time engaging with and executing the
strategies these cards facilitate, this is a space which organically
finds itself lodged into their mind. As such character and world
building can be weaved into them in a way which reflects the
narrative’s needs as the player's toolbox grows along with their
opposition. The resources available to the cast helps spell out the
kind of world they live in, how they view that world and what kind of
means they are willing to use to achieve victory. A character using
poison to slowly kill their enemy communicates a vastly different
kind of personality to one who uses shields to help keep themselves
and their allies alive. A world saturated by magic will have its
cards filled with spell slinging while one in a sci-fi setting might
instead offer laser guns, mechs and spaceships for the player to use.
Committing into this style of quiet and layered presentation frees
the visual novel element from the need to spend valuable time
explaining the broader strokes of the world and cast so it can focus
on the plot beats and pacing needed to keep the player engaged.
 |
| Clean, clear and violent |
The
majority of the previous examples of Card Battlers follow this
principle to one extent or another, even the basic Princess Waltz has
abilities to activate which serve this function, and all leverage
this added flavour to great effect. Library of Ruina showcases an interesting manifestation of this style since it is a game which leans
on its world a lot so makes for a contrasting method to the previous
titles shown here. Its unique art style coupled with the moves and
abilities represented by the cards establishes not only the context
of this world but also its tone. The cards available to each
character and the kind of fighting they engage in demonstrate details of
setting and culture in this dystopian world of steel and horror. A
broader tone is quickly established through the cards use of strong
colours and often violent imagery as they speak to the game’s
content and establish what the player can expect during their time
here. By having its mechanics create this baseline, Library of Ruina
can play on those ideas in its narrative and they provide something
to fall back onto during long periods of progression so the core through-line of the work can be maintained even in the story’s
absence.
Conclusion
The many avenues for presentation and the way it can seamlessly merge
into a visual novel narrative make card battlers a smooth second
element of a hybrid. They can represent the emotions of its themes
and characters while having the player engage with them in a very
direct fashion. Tone and identity form around how these cards
showcase the cast and world they inhabit in an understated manner. When
battles are fought the chaotic nature of their systems allow the
player to feel the back and forth of combat and never truly be in
control of the situation. By pairing a visual novel with a card
battler the narrative gains access to a new level of symbolism it can
weave in and out of as needed.
JRPGs – Uncovering The Hybrid
On A Grand Adventure
Visual
novels and JRPGs have an interesting history of interactions and there
has been a lot of overlap in the way they present their narrative
elements. When used together in the form of a hybrid they can play
off the mechanical traits of the JRPG to compliment to player’s
journey. Core to making this approach work is the way the story can
breathe life into the static numbers of battle while those same stats
add a sense of substance to the narrative. Helping this along is the
tendency of RPG combat to naturally be its own kind of storyteller
which creates organic moments or highlights key pre-existing ones.
However, at what point is a JRPG’s narrative no longer a hybrid
with a visual novel and where does it become its own distinct kind of
presentation? The line might appear clear, yet the more consideration
this point is given the harder it is to draw this distinction with
absolute certainty. Let’s start a new save file and discover how
this pair are forever intertwined.
Stats And Spirit
Numbers
define the systems of a JRPG both inside and outside of combat since
all activities within it aim to incrementally increase the player’s
stats and available abilities. At first glance this might seem like a
poor fit to be paired with the character and emotion driven nature of
visual novels. The key to their unity lies in how this contrast can
be made to fill out the lacking areas in each of them. It is easy to become detached from the experience in the
stat reliant construction of RPGs where the cast becomes nothing more
than a collection of spreadsheets to optimise. This obviously makes
it difficult to get the player attached to the characters and could
result in them losing interest if the mechanics are not strong enough
to hold the weight of the title on their own. In steps the visual
novel sections to cushion this issue through providing an all
consuming presentation of the cast in personal settings and climatic
moments so the player has something to grasp. No longer are the
characters walls of numbers but instead stand as believable people.
Evenicle provides a good example of this reinforcement through how it
plays up its cast at every turn. The various girls around which the
narrative rotates also form the core mechanical party members for
combat and since there is quite a bit of the JRPG side of the game a
risk appears of them becoming more stat stick then person. To
mitigate this the game leans heavily into interaction based visual
novel sections where the cast talk and engage in comedy skits in
order to keep their humanity front and centre of the player’s
attention. These are backed up by the more sizeable plot scenes which
are given emotional context through those smaller moments and the
intimacy which visual novels thrive on.
 |
| Battle Time! |
In the opposite
direction, a visual novel can something struggle with its own issues
with player engagement when it comes to the limited ways it has for
them to interact with the story. Here the JRPG elements give a solid
and easy to engage with set of tools to regulate the player’s
understanding of the story via a supplementary avenue. Let’s look
at the Rance games to see how this actually manifests in practice.
Here the RPG side is the core method of progression and as such the
pacing of the entire experience revolves around it. This frees the
visual novel sections from having to manage this aspect which means
they can instead focus on what is needed in that specific
scene. A greater sense of flow is provided to the transition in and
out of these moments while Rance’s antics can be suitably spread
out to ensure they remain humorous rather than wearing out their
welcome. Curating the way the player engages with the story and cast
in this manner is especially important for a comedy centric game
since the delivery and timing of joke are important to its impact.
Natural Storytellers
One
of the main strengths of this hybrid is both sides can be leveraged as
storytelling mechanisms of vastly different kinds. For visual
novels this is pretty self explanatory since their very nature is
narrative and they present stories in the way expected from the
standard linear structure. JRPGs on the other hand possess a far more
nebulous kind of narrative quality in the player driven stories which
form as a result of their interactions with the systems and the
memorable moments it produces. These are the close boss fights and
long stretches between save points where the mechanics of each
playable character get a chance to shine and their successes and
failures have an important role in shaping the way they are
perceived. Controlling such moments can be a powerful tool for
highlighting key narrative beats when the game really wants their
impact to be felt. Fate/Extra has a particularly stand out example of
this technique in the servant battles which act as the climax to each
chapter. Each is an intense bout of difficult combat coupled with the
small number of characters involved creating an environment conducive
to organic narratives surrounding the overcoming of this obstacle
passed through the lens of the story’s context. Impact is what this
set up and this is achieved by producing an intense scene capable of lasting in
the player’s memory where they own story intertwines with the
title’s own. Marrying the two sides of the game in such a manner
keeps the ups and downs of both in sync so they do not feel
disconnected from each other.
 |
| Extra lives up to the Fate wordiness |
When it comes to the narrative space
during extensive JRPG sections, they serve as an anchor for the
experience to form an emotional thread around when the visual novel
sections are not there to provide it. During such parts of Monster
Girl Quest Paradox the weight is carried by the various monster girls
the player can meet and recruit. Since they have a chance of randomly
asking to join you after a battle no two players will have the same
roster in quite the same order and it leads to each person
experiencing the game’s content in a slightly different order. Due to the
flexibility and options open for team building, the player gets
to shape a crew of their favourites distinct from anyone else and it
is their journey together through the challenging battles which the
player is likely to remember most. By offering the space for the
crafting of a personal story Paradox can allow its visual novel
sections to take a backseat when needed and let the JRPG adventure
play out without having to worry about a loss of investment from the
more mechanical focus.
Too Much Of A Good Thing
Take
any of the examples of this hybrid shown above and it is immediately
striking how close they come to just being straight JRPGs. So the
question must be asked, when does one end and the other begin? In
examining this dilemma through a comparison the exact unique form of
this hybrid can be defined. For this purpose the examples will be
Persona 5 and P3P as the representatives of the JRPG and Evenicle
once more for the hybrid. Despite Persona 5 possessing character
sprites and text boxes there is little doubt these elements do not
constitute a visual novel in any capacity. This is primary due to the
manner in which they frame the events occurring on screen through the
3D models providing much of the context and drama leaving the rest of
the presentation to tidy up the edges. Hence why the sprites of
Persona 5 are fairly static when compared to those of Evenicle which
has a variety of poses and greater expression in them since it has to
solely rely on them to carry the story. The effect on the overall
narrative is a focus on bigger moments and striking emotions in
Persona 5 where the 3D models allow for a greater high of physical
performance while Evenicle tends to zoom in on minor and personal
scenes with group dynamics and the construction of its story out of
smaller and more numerous building blocks.
 |
| P3P is such an odd title stuck between port and expansion |
As such P3P is an
interesting specimen due to it lacking the 3D models of its original
and instead having to rely more on static assets due to the
limitations of the PSP. This change did not result in a shift in how
the narrative conceives of itself and still continues on as if there
were fully emotive models playing in the background. Scenes do not
have the extra lines of text to compensate for the lack of other
avenues of expression and it is clear this game was occupies the same
JRPG design space as its sister titles within the mind of its
developers. On the other hand Evenicle contains a lot of the internal
and explanatory text expected from a visual novel adjacent title and
understands the space and tools it has to work with. Due to the
developer’s work within the visual novel sphere this understand of
narrative design is reflected in the way they conceive of its place
as a pillar of the final product.
Conclusion
Intertwined
through their joint understanding of the importance of narrative,
JRPGs and visual novels can play off their common strengths to create
a complete package of presentation. The stat based nature of JRPGs
can provide substance to the visual novel sections while they provide
a personal touch to its cold calculations. Leaning on 3D models and
limited narrative elements is at the core of a JRPG and a visual
novel element can reshape this into a more intimate style of story.
Mechanics can naturally lead to their own organic player driven
stories which offer a means of exaggerating key moments in the story
or filling the down time between narrative content. Overall the
pairing is difficult to effectively implement but does offer an
intricate set of tools for those who want to get more out of their
JRPG’s tale.
Touching Mechanics – Uncovering The Hybrid
Contact Of The Intimate Kind
There
are few interactions more powerful than the physical contact between two
people. It is the act of letting someone into your personal space and
trusting them to respect this bond. Such an important part of human
relationships would naturally draw the attention of developers and
they have attempted to systematise it through Touching Mechanics. Due
to the simple construction of this gameplay element, it was adopted
by a variety of visual novels as a means of expanding their emotional
presentation. For some titles it is just a small addition designed to
be a momentary distraction for the player. Others choose to invest in
a version of this mechanic which demands a degree of skill to achieve
the best results. Of course there is the question of why two people
would be touching each other and what underlying meaning it holds in
this fictional context. Let’s get touchy-feely and find out what
this merger brings to the table.
Simple Extra
In
its simplest form the Touching Mechanics can be a simple action of
interactivity. One with no reward beyond the act itself and
this type of touching can generally be accessed at any point the
characters are on screen due to its basic nature. Here what is on
offer to a developer is the means of adding a physicality to these
portraits or models on screen and help sell the illusion of their
existence. Rather than being flat objects they are lent a reactivity
to the player through an immediate reaction beyond just watching
their story play out. It is also the least invasive way to implement
these mechanics since it is an optional extra which can easily be
engaged with at the player’s discretion. This is important since its simple nature could get extremely repetitive if it was mandatory for progression and draw unwanted attention to the trick
they are utilising. This often results in this mechanic becoming such
a background element the player could be forgiven for forgetting it
even exists. Finding the delicate line between these its presence and
absence is key for getting the most out of the touching on offer.
 |
| Remember to pet your cats |
Nekopara is the a prime example of how significant framing is to this
mechanic’s success. In the top right hand corner of the screen when
the character sprites are visible, there is a hand icon which when
pressed allows the player to touch the on-screen cast and get various
reactions from them. The way Nekopara frames these interactions is
tied to the status of all characters with sprites as cat girls (or
cat girl adjacent in the case of Shigure). Petting is a part of how
an owner engages with their pet animal and cats are no exception to
this rule so it follows these cat girls would also be partial to
touching, especially given the owner/pet relationship established
in-universe. So when a player uses the game’s Touching Mechanics
they are partaking in a bit of role-play as the owner of these cat
girls which furthers the title’s aim of allowing them to self
insert into Kashou while providing a physical feeling to the cat
girls.
Touching The Right Spots
When
a game wants to utilise Touching Mechanics for a specific purpose,
rather than merely selling physicality, it tend to add complexity
to this system in order to direct the player to its desired
intent. This often restricts where the mechanics can be placed within
the title’s structure and as a result they tend to be segregated from
everything else in order to make sure they do not impede the overall
flow. Despite this change they are do not expand much on the basic
idea of touching since there are few places to go with the mechanic.
Instead the additions tend to be things like time limits and a need
to press specific places in sequence in order to progress. By having
the player fixate on these pressures the game can focus on the
significance this act has to the people involved and justify it
within the setting rather than being some abstract system which only
exists on the player’s end. Obviously this comes with the risk of
highlighting the ridiculous nature of this touching since now the
world has to acknowledge it in some fashion and it tends to be passed
off in a humorous manner to try to mitigate this friction.
 |
| Time to get rubbing |
One such
Touching Mechanic can be found in Mary Skelter where the player must
touch the character in specific places so they can be purge of the
corruption which ails them. This ties into the unique quality of
Jack’s blood and provides a direct connection between the gameplay
and this important narrative backbone. There is an undeniable
silliness to the whole procedure and the title recognises this by the
cast occasionally making tension breaking jokes about it to lighten
the mood. However, after the opening few hours when the mechanic is
introduced these jokes disappear as does any mention of the purging
since it has now served its narrative purpose and Mary Skelter wants
to move on to the new stage of its story. This does underline the
once and done way these systems are implemented within the narrative
and in later games this mechanic is slowly phased out entirely as
Jack stops being the main focus. One final point to note is a more
general one, this is the connection between the Touching Mechanics
and the era of touch screen consoles. The original release of Mary
Skelter was on the PSVita and used its touch screen for the purge
mechanic and many other games with similar touching mechanics came
out on the DS and 3DS during their heyday. Even games like Nekopara
which never received a version on either platform were still
influenced by the developments happening around its release. Since this era of handhelds came to an end there has been a noticeable drop
off in the number of game uses these mechanics despite the Switch and
Switch 2 having touch screens so one might assume the novelty has
worn off since touch screen mechanics in general have died off.
The Elephant In The Room
So
far this article has danced around a major motivator and component of
Touching Mechanics and this is the erotic element of physical
contact. Nekopara’s character’s give embarrassed reactions when
touched in certain places and Mary Skelter’s purging rubs away the
clothing to reveal the skin beneath. While many everyday acts of
touching are completely innocent, say a pat on the shoulder or back,
there is a line beyond which physical contact gains an intimate
quality only accessible to those we are attracted to and accept
crossing that line. For many titles the Touching Mechanics are a
means of introducing some fan service to add something
spicier to appeal to its audience’s sensibilities. This spice and
the desire to invest the player in the characters through the
touching are not in conflict with one another due to their focus on
intimacy of physical connection and the trust in implies. However, it
is no coincidence when moving into the realm of nukige the number of
titles including Touching Mechanics increases since it much easier to
lean into a simple erotic presentation due to the naughty nature of
such contact. This more explicit use of said mechanics is beyond the
scope of this work so the examples will look at the blending of tamer
games.
 |
| My aren't you cute when you blush |
SoniComi is a strange beast with its extensive use of fan
service through its story and various mechanics. This makes the
erotic element of its Touching Mechanics feel right at home alongside
the costume based photography and avoids its inherently silliness by
having everything be equally over the top. Each touching section
often involves contact with Sonico’s body, particularly her
comically large breasts, in less than appropriate ways, so the comedy
tone helps weaken the uncomfortable feelings which might arise from
this invasion of her personal space. It is also frames these acts as
consensual or retroactively consensual to try and sell the trust
Sonico has in her cameraman and help the player believe in the
connection between the pair. Not all Touching Mechanics have their
erotic component be quite this aggressive and those aimed at a
female audience tend use it as an undertone. Take the Tokimeki
Memorial Girl's Side games which include a far more reserved touching
mini-game than SomiComi with no overly fan service style elements.
Yet there is still a layer of eroticism to the way the men blush at
the player’s touch and its involvement in successfully passing
these sections. It is suitably understated to match the romance
centric nature of the title, but the touching and its implications
help solidify the special bond between the player character and the
suitors.
Conclusion
The
design space occupied by Touching Mechanics is an odd one but its
shared history with visual novels should make a hybrid between them
come as no surprise. In its simplest form the touching offers a basic
form of interactivity which allows for a sense of the physical
presence for the game’s characters. Underneath the mechanics lies an
inescapable element of eroticism from the intimacy of personal
contact and it is used as a kind of fan service. More complex systems
can be introduced into the act of touching in order to draw out
specific themes and ideas into a mechanical form the player can
quickly and easily engage with. While Touching Mechanics can
certainly nowhere near as popular as they once were, there is still
something to be said for their use in an appropriate context.
Roguelike/lite – Uncovering The Hybrid
Repetition Towards Perfection
Roguelikes/lites
and visual novels have never been styles of game associated with
one another for good reasons. Repetition is an extremely problematic
element for anything which leans into narrative since it undermines the
feeling of progress stories rely on yet it is core to the appeal of a
Roguelike. Of course this has not stopped developers from trying and
this has led to some interesting results as they attempt to reconcile
these two halves. A common narrative device used to try and justify
the repetition in the visual novel is the time loop where the player
character is trapped in some kind of repeating cycle which they have
to extract themselves from. When it comes to integrating these
elements into a compete package one method used is to segregate them
so they do not impact each other in any negative ways. Another way is
to firmly plant the visual novel within the Roguelike mechanics
either through narrative events or making whole story a Roguelike.
These three aspects are the defining pillars around which this hybrid
struggles to construct its identity. Let’s get ready to start all
over again and discover what this hybrid has to offer.
Groundhog Day
In
order to justify why the characters are constantly repeating the same
levels and fighting the same enemies many stories present it as them
being in a time loop and visual novels are no exception. The reasons
for its prevalence in Roguelikes stems from it being a popular trope which is
easy to understand while at the same time being open enough to not
restrict the kind of settings or characters it can have within it.
Utilising a widely known narrative framework frees the visual novel
aspects from having to extensively justify the existence of the
game’s mechanics since a loop naturally invokes the idea of
repetition. It also works to help make the reuse of some story beats
or lines of dialogue a means of creating the same emotional
experience of the cast being trapped even if many of them might
not be aware of their predicament. The loop as a means to further
this feeling is used by Gnosia to great effect when combined the physical confinement of the spaceship. Doubling down on the
restrictiveness of the setting might seem like a poor choice since it
limits the opportunities to add diversity to events, but here it
works in Gnosia’s favour as it ties its narrative closer to the
design space of its Roguelike mechanics. By removing all distractions
the game can focus on selling the life and death tensions its
investigation and social deduction elements thrive on and make each
new cycle have the same impact throughout its play time. The
randomness and unpredictability of a Roguelike is the core element
which allows this style of interaction to be possible with its ability to
shift the pieces around so they feel new again.
 |
| Oh no! Should have framed some. |
Time loops are not
limited to strictly sci-fi stories and any genre can comfortably fit
within its vague outline. This is one of the reasons it is so
prolific as a narrative device within Roguelikes and it has led to a wide pool of titles that might not have otherwise seen the mechanics
as compatible with them. One notable example of this is the game
Expelled! where its protagonist has become the prime suspect in an
attempted murder case and they have to figure out how to avoid
getting expelled by any means possible. This school setting and its
younger characters opens up a lot of possibilities for interesting
situations and more flexible morals given their desperation to avoid
an outcome which would ruin their lives. Teenagers tend not to be the
most stable people so the web of lies and questionable actions the
protagonist weaves over the course of her various loops do not feel out of place given all that is happening to
them. Assisting this narrative direction is the Roguelike mechanics
and the way they play on the slightly exaggerated nature of the game
with their social navigation and evidence manipulation that encourage
the player to experiment in what they can do before it blows up in
their faces. The aim always returns to uncovering the truth about who
is responsible for the attempted murder and curiosity guides the
player onwards through the title’s various cycles.
Mechanics First
In
order to not get in the way of the mechanics focused nature of
Roguelikes, the incorporation of visual novel elements often results
in a kind of segregation where neither side interferes with the
other. This is done in an attempt to not comprise of the qualities of
both parts of the game by giving them the space they need to exist in
their purest form. Such a divide is common in Roguelikes since those
who play them tend to value an uninterrupted gameplay experience
where story exists in its own dimension. As a result is an
immediately recognisable part of the genre such as in Duel Princess
which even at a glance quickly conveys its mechanical origin. This
deck builder Roguelike tells its narrative beats, often between the
various princesses, in between its larger sections of continious
gameplay and the two do not have any meaningful impact on each other.
Instead they are bound together through their common bright anime
styling and emphasis on the princesses and their personalities.
Having been disconnected they are free to focus on what each does
best with the deck building being given the ability to lean into the
castle defence and army management angles for fluid strategies
while the visual novel carries the reason and influence of the
player’s actions. It is not difficult to see why this division is
the main version of this hybrid since it offers the developer a means
of shaping the two halves individually to achieve their desired
effect.
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| The divide between this and the card mechanics could not be larger |
If the emphasis is flipped on its head with the visual novel
element being the driving force then the issues of this approach
become more pronounced as can be seen in Forsaker: Ding Ding &
Blade. Here the narrative is front and centre with the Roguelike
being the supporting pillar to provide a means for the player to act
out certain parts of the story. This imbalance highlights the jarring
contrast between the two halves of the game by creating long
stretches of visual novel which then suddenly stop to give way to a
free-form gameplay experience that is nothing like what the player
has been engaging with. It is clear Forsaker wanted to put it
story front and centre so this emphasis on narrative was an
inevitable outcome within this segregated approach and showcases how
delicate a balance is struck in those games who successfully manage
it. Should the positions of the two halves be inverted the problem is
not resolved and it merely shifts the visual novel elements being the
pace breakers to the flow of the gameplay which risks the player
being brought out of the experience provided in the Roguelike.
A Fine Line
Another
method for handling this hybrid is to more closely integrate its
writing into the flow of the Roguelike in a natural fashion. Creating
the space for this approach to work without it breaking the flow of
the other mechanics is not easy and for this reason tends to only be
used by titles able to commit to necessary reorganisation. If the
game can tread this fine line then it gains the ability to more
smoothly blend the two halves of itself together and avoid the
jarring feels possible in a sharply divided experience. A common
manifestation of this can be seen in titles like Umamusume where
small vignettes are used to humanise certain markers of mechanical
progress. This takes what would otherwise be a cold indication of
numbers going up and down and turns it into a moment of growth in a
girl’s emergent story and the consequences to the player’s
actions. The effectiveness of this approach at creating a bond and
telling an unstructured narrative can be see in Umamusume’s
popularity and the way it even made its player’s invested in the
real horses each girl embodies. Of course there is a major flaw here
and that is the way it rubs up against the repetition inherent in a
Roguelike. Reading the same thing over and over again can get boring leading to many players simply skipping through the scenes after a
few viewings which undermines their emotional impact over the long
term.
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| The small stories really sell the characters journey |
The ultimate end point of this merger between the two
halves is a game were the visual novel is the means by which the
Roguelike presents its mechanics. This style is extremely rare but
one notable example of it is Gnosia and its deduction sections. Here
the player has to interrogate the other characters to deduce who is
the gnosia while trying to deflect suspicion away from themselves.
All of this is presented within the framework of a visual novel
presentation and pulls from a large pool of responses to invite the
player to comb over every word and the way they were said to try and
gleam information. It is the core element around which the
tension of these situations is both shown and systematised and since who the
gnosia is differs on each run, it keeps the search from clues in the
text meaningful over the game’s play time. Being a linear Roguelike
with a conclusive narrative ending does help provide a place were the
player can stop playing and move on before the repetition starts to
undermine the appeal of its psychological thriller.
Conclusion
Given
the often uncomfortable relationship between visual novels and
Roguelikes it is surprising just how many attempts there have been to
make this hybrid work. To help this along there is an extensive use
of the time loop as a narrative device to justify the repeated visual
novel sections and why progression is tied to success in the
Roguelike. Attempting to blend the two halves together results in a
smoother overall experience at the risk of the narrative elements
losing their impact over time and becoming an irritation. On the
other extreme, segregating them can allow each the space they need to
fully express themselves at the cost of having to maintain a delicate
balance lest one start overwhelming the other. There is a lot of
potential in this hybrid waiting to be tapped into if the conflicts
between its elements can be resolved since there is a demand for a
strong narrative in Roguelikes as games like Hades have demonstrated.
Escape Game – Uncovering The Hybrid
Puzzling Your Way Out
Locking
people up and forcing them to solve various puzzles in order to
escape is such a strangely specific scenario that at first glance it
might seem to be one with a limited design space. However, the enduring
popularity of this subgenre of puzzle game and its ability to
reinvent itself have demonstrated the potential it offers developers.
Often found alongside the Escape Game is the visual novel as a means
of presenting its story since the pairing complement the strengths
and weaknesses of each other. There is a large element of spatial
awareness inherent to Escape Games due to the small confines they
occur in and the need to solve puzzles in this area to progress so
these spaces have a strong personality to them. It is also in these
places that a lot of people cramped in close proximity and they are
all in danger, so paranoia is abound which both sides of the hybrid
take full advantage of to push events and mechanics forwards.
Helping all this along is the slow boil nature of the threat faced by
the characters who are trapped as it is this escalation of narrative
and puzzle complexity which blends them together seamlessly. Lets
solve some convoluted puzzle rooms and find out how this hybrid keeps
the player under lock and key.
Spatial Awareness
Providing
a physicality to its locations through mechanical interactions is
the greatest strength of Escape Games. This is achieved by requiring the player to pay attention to the environmental layout and
the position of objects within it for clues about how to solve the
puzzles. Each space offers various nooks and crannies to investigate
and uncover new items, be they those needed for progression or
optional collectables. As a result the player will end up possessing
an internal map of the rooms in a way which allows them to form
attachments to them when they become associated with the fun
mysteries and the player’s achievements in overcoming them. This is
a beneficial quality in the context of its use of visual novel
elements since it is something the internal focused visual novels can
struggle with and vice versa. By placing the intimate visual novel
narrative within a framework focused on the spaces its characters
occupy, the Escape Game can offer a grounded sense of place to what
might otherwise be an over the top or character centric story. The
main advantage of this merger of external and internal spaces is the
way it can balance out the contrivances inherent in both sides of
this style of game. On the one side the need for the Escape Game to
have restricted spaces to make its gameplay digestible to the player
makes for somewhat absurd locations which the visual novel mitigates
through its protagonist’s fixation on escape and using it to provide the momentum to move from puzzle to another without delay. In order
to justify the situation required for an Escape Game to exist, the
visual novel element has to jump through hoops to construct its
narrative which is not ideal since it pulls it away from being
believable and it is here the physicality of the Escape Games helps
ground the story within objects and functions the player sees in
their everyday lives.
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| Each room will become familiar as it is deeply explored |
Perhaps the single most prominent and
influential titles using the Escape Game mechanics are the Zero
Escape games, so let’s look there for some examples of this
relationship in practice. 999 choses to begin with a relatively normal
setting of a large ship which offers an easy to understand reference
point for the spaces where gameplay will take place and makes them
easier to parse when looking at. This helps cushion the more out
there aspects of the story as they are placed in a location which
keeps them within a real world context so they never stray too far
from the believable. In the second entry, Virtues’ Last Reward, the
location is now a series of sci-fi rooms and corridors and these lack
any features the player will be familiar with so they have to lean more on
their physicality to sell themselves. Here the visual novel narrative
has to pick up some of the slack with the character’s personalities
and internal drama in order to add some relatability to the
experience. Of course it still has the same complex and over the top
story as 999 but the change in emphasis helps cover it up as the
burden of convincing the player of the settings legitimacy is more
evenly spread and this makes the issue less pronounced.
Hotbed Of Emotion
Being
confined is not a pleasant experience especially when forced to solve
puzzles with your life on the line. As such it is believable that
emotions would run high in this situation and cause people to act in an impulsive manner and lash out or grow suspicious of those around
them. This broader expectation of what is reasonable for the
characters to do in an Escape Game is perfect for the sort of
intimate stories visual novels thrive on. It allows for the thoughts
of its cast to be presented in a more direct manner where what makes
them tick is laid bare to not only the player but also those around
them. Leaning into these traits does run the risk of become a bit too
on the nose so this is where the pacing of the puzzles and mysteries
of the Escape Game is key since they offer a unique means of blending
in lighter character moments and banter in off hand comments or
instructive clues. Each one is a small window into the less serious
side of the cast which adds some much needed levity to take the edge
of the relentless drama and reminds the player that they are dealing
with normal people in an extraordinary situation. Managing the flow
between the highs and lows of emotion while making them varied is the
ultimate effect of this splitting of the narrative load. The two
sides have the room to do what they do best without having to overly
compromise their strengths.
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| When things go wrong people tend to not think clearly |
ABYSS OF THE SACRIFICE makes for a good
presentation of what this emphasis on emotion can result in. The
disaster which is occurring around the cast places them in direct
danger from the collapse of their underground home and the rapid
depletion of their remaining food and water so they are all
understandably stressed. This makes them lash out at the other girls
or slip up and says something revealing about themselves or the
mysteries of the setting. The tone of the overall game is pretty
gloomy as the cast struggles to find a way out while solving the
puzzles around them. Rather than directly adding levity in the form
of commentary, like Virtues Last Reward, the Escape Game mechanical
sections instead act as direct breaks for the player to cool down in
so the drama does not become overwhelming. There is an awareness of
how inherently absurd the whole situation is and the title is more
than willing to make jokes at its own expense to break this tension
in both gameplay and story through character quirks and out of place
items. However, these are used sparingly so as to not break the
overall tone so the dire nature of events still remains front and
centre.
Nowhere To Run
Restricting
where the characters and player can go and what they can interact with changes how they perceive events and mechanics. It is a form of
segregation which lends itself to an experience where a fine degree
of control can be exercised without it coming across as the game
being invasive about what the player can and cannot do. This
restraint is both a blessing and curse in terms of the type of
gameplay and stories it can offer. There is a reason many Escape
Games lean into elaborate narratives and it is due to the repetitive
nature of the situation weakening interest over the long term so a
slowly unveiling complex plot works wonders to counter that drain. On
the mechanical end there is the need to make each new puzzle area
have its own exclusive gimmick and visual style in order to provide a
feeling of progress and avoid the pitfall of familiarity. These
design limitations are responsible for much of the memorable favour
of Escape Games and their combination with visual novel elements
allows for the swapping of emphasis where characters and mechanics share in the player's feelings of uncovering a complex series of truths. A more
integrated method of narrative presentation would struggle to create
the necessary divide to avoid the sense of repetition since they
occupy the same spaces in a direct manner which can unflatteringly
highlight this issue.
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| Ships, why is it always a ship? |
This format is not exclusive to the long-form
titles like those of Zero Escape and it can be seen is
smaller examples like the 3DS exclusive Parascientific Escape series.
These games were short experience with playtimes between five and
nine hours so cannot afford to spend the same time on building up
plot elements as its longer cousins. Despite this limitation it still
captures much of the same style of elaborate narrative beats in miniature forms as it also gives an overview of its fantastical setting.
The fact the first game revolves around the protagonist being trapped
on a cruise ship makes the influence 999 has had on it clear and it
plays out like a more direct take on 999’s story. Its much smaller
cast results in its twists being more immediately obvious since there
is only so much misdirection it can do so instead the title
leans into the drama leading up the reveal to ensure engagement.
Escaping the ship is the context provided to the mechanics of puzzle
solving and so each new area offers a different part of the vessel to
help add new layers to it as the cast struggle against the obstacles
in their path. The overarching psychic powers of the protagonist
support the variety of the gimmicks since they are decidedly distinct
from the standard gameplay of the Escape Game.
Conclusion
The
scenarios baked into the identity of the Escape Game merge well with
the presentation and restrictions of visual novels to create a
complementary hybrid. By placing emphasis on the spaces the
characters occupy, the Escape Game can provide a sense of grounded
reality to a narrative while being given the emotional resonance it
lacks in return. The inherent restrictions on events and locations
necessitated by being confined to a location lead to the hybrid
compensating with elaborate stories and a conveyor belt of gimmicks
weaving in and out of each other to keep the player engaged. People
do not like the claustrophobic feeling of being trapped so feelings
naturally run high in an Escape Game and the internal focus of a
visual novel can present this tension in an intimate way. This is a
hybrid which makes very specific demands of its two parts, but should
this meet a developer’s needs then there is no better combination
to explore these ideas.
Shooters And Shmups – Uncovering The Hybrid
Aiming For The Moon
On
the surface Action Shooters and Shmups might seem to be the gameplay
styles which have the most patchy and inconsistent relationship with
narrative. Yet when it comes to visual novels they follow a series of relationships in order to allow them to function at their
best. While the flexibility of visual novels allows them to form
around the Shooter, the gameplay style itself is by its nature
extremely fixed and controlled meaning it cannot offer the same
ability to change in return. One of the ways this manifests is
through each part’s ability to act as an accessory to the other
where they can highlight key moments rather than being a primary
focus. A visual novel element can adapt to match the rigid nature of
the Shooter or push against it to meet the developer’s needs. There
is an important feeling of forward momentum to Shooters which can
sometimes be uneven in a pure version due to the necessity of downtime
but with the addition of visual novel sections this can be more
consistently maintained. Let’s fire out bullets and discover how
this hybrid comes together.
Accessorizing Core Identity
A
common way visual novels and Shooters merge is through one of them
acting as an accessory to the other. What is this often means is one
of them is reduced to a minor role where they appear briefly to create an impactful moment the other could not achieve on their own.
Their functionality in this situation comes from their ability to be
a flexible tool capable of appearing wherever it is needed. When the
visual novel sections are the minor element they work to give the
otherwise disconnected Shooter levels a sense of cohesive direction.
This is made easier due to their simple presentation lending them a
fast pace so they can communicate information and tone in the small
time frame given in a way a more elaborate narrative style would
struggle to do. Being lower cost to produce also plays a role in this
since committing a large amount of resources to something which
appears infrequently is not something many developer’s want to do
and this makes the visual novel an appealing option. On the opposite
extreme are the title where the Shooter occupies the position as the
minor element. In many ways it is similar to other gameplay styles in
that it offers a break from the visual novel and a chance to create a
vastly different mood within the game. However, what makes it
distinct from other examples of this is the way its action gameplay
is such a large departure from the static nature of visual novels it
creates a powerful and memorable way to provide a dynamic feeling. It can help
support the drama and pace of the story surrounding it through asking the player to act fast just like the characters are doing while not
overstaying its welcome. A fast paced gameplay style also allows it
to feel natural in the short and aggressive bursts needed to fulfil
its role without feeling too simplistic within its limitations.
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| Here come the butterflies |
Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly is one such visual novel
containing Shooter elements in an arcade style where butterflies move
towards the screen and the player must shoot them down. These are
placed in narrative moments when the cast is in danger and act as a
way to provide weight to scenes which can otherwise come across as
lacking impact. Actions scenes in Psychedelica lack a
proper sense of tension and stakes as it is clear the character drama
is the game’s main concern and so the Shooter gameplay has been
brought in to compensate for this weakness. Due to that focus on
characters and their interpersonal conflicts there are only few
Shooter sections in the entire game so they are basic in nature in
order to not interrupt the flow. The game does not want the player to
be challenged by the arcade shooting and it is difficult to fail them
since there is a generous amount of health, enemies move slowly and
you have infinite ammo. In terms of how the Shooter is presented
within the aesthetics and tone of the title, there has been a lot of
thought put into preventing it appearing too out of place on this
front. The characters all have guns in the story so it makes sense
for them to be able to engaging in shooting gameplay and choosing
butterflies as the enemies works within what has been established
about their role in the setting alongside creating a common imagery
for both side to use.
On Rails
When
talking about Shmups it is rare for visual novels or narrative in
general to come up in the conversation and yet when one wants to
present a story they always fall back on some kind of visual novel
element. This is due to the contrast between the on rails nature of
their mechanics and the appearance of the more open and free-form
nature presented by visual novels. Obviously visual novels can be
just a rigid as Shmups in terms of progression but their human focus
allows for a feeling of chaos to be injected into proceedings and
create the idea that anything is possible. The result of combining
these two is a mixture of complimentary drama and contrasting
flexibility. A Shmup level is inherently a roller-coaster ride of
particle effects, explosions and moment to moment decision making and
this works well as the dramatic core which a visual novel section can
build off for its heightened emotional moments which keeps pace with the gameplay. By deliberately
creating a friction between the structures of the two parts, the game
is able to highlight their individual distinguishing features and
draw the player’s attention to aspects of each as they are given
new life. Despite there being little in common in terms of mechanics, there is some crossover in terms of presentation which can be used to
make it clear what matters on both sides.
 |
| Quick solve the mystery! |
Let’s look at a somewhat
unconventional example in the form of Yurukill: The Calumniation
Games. This is an odd one since it converts parts of its Shooter
gameplay into a multiple choice deduction puzzle were the ship must
fly through the correct answer. Having such a large departure from
the expected gameplay of its genre is an attempt to draw the visual
novel half closer to it by placing elements commonly found there into
a Shooter context. Rather than reconciling the two halves, it instead
seeks to align them in what they represent in terms of narrative
direction with everything tying back into the interpersonal conflicts
of its cast. There is still a strong contrast between the visual
novel and Shooter sections even with their common ground and they
push up against each other to create a series of highs and lows
depending on where the game places them within its overall structure.
The over the top tone which remains constant through the cast’s
exploration of Yurukill Land helps these parts from a cohesive
feeling whole since there is an underlying expectation from the
player for things to not be straightforward and the inclusion of
contrasting mechanical elements certainly fits.
Constant Momentum
On
the opposite end to the use of two as contrasting elements are the
titles which push both into the role of perpetuation the game’s
momentum. Presenting the title through only one lens leads to a
degree of predictability as the player becomes comfortable with the
limits of what they can expect for it. For a game relying on its
action and drama as its core hooks this is not a desirable state
since they want to keep the high moments coming and that is difficult
when the tension has been drained out of the gameplay. The answer is
into lean into the Shooter’s nature as an experience with a lot of
forward momentum and combine with it with the personal tension of a
visual novel narrative to create an experience which bounces between
the two in order to never lose steam. This is not to say that these
games do not have any downtime but instead they emphasise their high
points through a back and forth along narrative and mechanical lines.
It does not completely remove the familiarity since if the title
wants complex gameplay or plot it needs to slowly build it up and so tries to space the swaps far enough apart that they can still hold some
impact but not so much that it undermines the player’s ability to
engage with the mechanics or narrative.
 |
| Mecha combat has quite an impact |
One set of titles which likes
to play this angle are the BALDR SKY games. Its mecha Shooter
gameplay is cleverly weaved into the narrative to keep it moving
forwards with a noticeable briskness during sections of escalating
conflict. This way its momentum does not get in the way of the
downtime and character interactions which shape the direction of the
plot. Sharing a common focus on the destructive battles of the mecha
contributes to a feeling of the player’s actions within the Shooter
sections having weight and smoothly leads into and out of the visual
novel’s presentation. Without these mecha piloting sections these
massive machines would lack a proper sense of place within the
narrative as the act of pushing through enemy resistance provides a
momentum and physicality to this hulking metal humanoid. BALDR SKY
does highlight how this use of the hybrid prefers titles with an easy
to communicate source of fighting which a Shooters can systemise in
order to create a coherent mechanical identity. Something too simple
or non combative would not suit the kind of gameplay favoured by
Shooters hence why BALDR SKY’s mecha are perfect for this purpose.
Conclusion
Heart
pumping Shooters and edge of the seat visual novels are a
surprisingly good match for each other despite their vastly different
natures. One can act in a minor role inside the other where they
offer a short break from the established identity of the work to
present an idea or tone which would not be easy to otherwise convey.
Their union can also bring out their respective strong presentation
of forward momentum while keeping the player from becoming too overly
familiar with either side. Above all the contrast between the two is
the most powerful tool they leverage to play on the rigidity and
flexibility of their respective content and communicate ideas and
themes on a more subtle level than could be achieved in isolation.
This hybrid is one all developers should keep in the back of their
mind when looking for a way to blend action and a strong narrative.
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