Showing posts with label Visual Novel. Show all posts
Best Visual Novel Releases – May 2025
As
we creepy slowly closer to summer, the temperature has been rising in
the world of visual novels with a suite of exciting releases. It has
been a month full of a little bit for everyone from those who want a
harem of catgirls to the complex relationships of yuri and yaoi to
various supernatural tales dripping in danger. Let’s dive in and
find out what visual novels from the past month you should be
playing.
Official Releases
NEKOPARA After
It
has been five years since the last entry in the NEKOPARA franchise
and this seemed to be a series which had reached its natural end.
Then along come After to inject life with a game focused around a
previously minor catgirl and the protagonist’s sister. Nothing
about this game is interested in breaking the formula established in
previous titles and it instead doubles down on the familiar
characters and setting as its main selling points. This is a victory
lap of sorts focused on the only remaining character without meaning
exploration, Kashou’s sister Shigure and her odd relationship
with her brother. Since the games have generally had a dual heroines,
the catgirl of Kashou’s grandmother has been brought in to act as a
foil to the antics of Shigure and their dynamic is main selling point
of After. If you are a fan of NEKOPARA then After is a must buy, but
it will not be converting anyone who never meshed with its brand of
humour and slice of life story.
7'scarlet
Originally
released on the PSVita back in 2018, this Nintendo Switch release
opens up the supernatural romance up to a new audience who get to
enjoy its imaginative brand of otome. The visual novel is focused
around the heroine’s search for her brother who has gone missing
after he visited Okunezato. With this as her only clue she sets out
with her childhood friend Kagutsuchi Hino to investigate this
mysterious town, but what she find is more dangerous than she could
have anticipated as the local ‘Legend of the Dead’ turns out to
be very real. This supernatural mystery forms the backbone of the
narrative as each new route reveals a piece of the puzzle alongside
getting to know the various suitors. It does a good job of balancing
the love and the danger to create an engaging tension between the
leads which helps spice up the typical otome romance. Overall
7'scarlet is a fun otome for those looking to add a little more
intrigue to their pursuit of the suitors.
The Town of Nie Iromusubi
Being
the fandisc to the original The Town Of Nie puts Iromusubi in an
interesting position due to that first game’s darker themes and
afterlife centric story. It chooses to tackle these elements by
leaning into them as it expands on both the good and bad endings from
the original in order to continue the rounded perspective on its
characters. There are also the customary extra stories
common in fandiscs, here they are all given to side characters so
their backstories can be explored in a way they could not be before.
As a whole Iromusubi shifts away from the direct sense of danger and
mystery into a title examining the few possibilities left from new
angles. While not quite offering the same experience as the original
it still manages to offer fans something substantial to chew on.
Perennial Dusk -Kinsenka-
Frontwing’s
newest title has an interesting set up with it following a group of
exorcists in training in a world where the living and the dead freely
mingle. Everything about this game is set up it makes its intent to
create a powerful and resonant emotional journey clear as well as
the fact it will not be an entirely happy one. This is a story about
the ability of the human spirit to endure hardships and how that
shapes people while they keep pushing forwards. However, this is a
Frontwing game so this is never going to be a wall to wall bleak
affair and instead leans into elements of action and slice of life to
break up any darker feelings and make time for the characters to just
be themselves. Being a focused and linear version of the developer’s
style makes Perennial Dusk an excellent place to dip your toes into
their portfolio and offers a compelling experience for existing fans.
Clover Reset
For
this month’s yuri game we have Cover Reset, a tale of young love
and heightened emotions. This is a title which firmly leans into its
teenage cast and school setting to present its romance through a
heart-warming coming of age story. It puts a lot of effort into
making its cast feel human and with relatable concerns which build upon
each other to create an excellent breeding ground for drama. All this
results in a very inward looking narrative where the inner journeys
of these characters are in many ways more important than their actual
actions. Cover Reset is a suitably emotional ride that will appeal to
fans of the genre and those looking for something with an
introspective nature.
2024 – A Year In Visual Novels
With
another year about to leave forever let us turn and look back at
all that has been achieved in the visual novel space. This has been a
year of strong titles from all corners of the world and showcasing
the wide variety of people who find themselves drawn to the medium.
Each new release offered something completely distinct and the range of
genres and themes was greater than ever before as more people came to
appreciate the strengths of visual novels. It has been a relatively
drama free year with the medium seeing a period of continuity with
last year and those trends have gained momentum. Let’s
take a swim through the sea of memories and see what highlights we
can find from this past year.
Selection Of The Best Visual Novel Releases
Fate/stay night REMASTERED Steam / Tsukihime Nintendo Eshop
For
Type Moon fans this has been a particularly good year with the
English language releases of both Fate/stay night and the Tsukihime
remake. These are two influential and popular titles have long relied
on fan translations to carry their influence outside of Japan, but
now everyone can come to appreciate the qualities that made them so
special. They certainly hold the position of the Japanese visual
novels with the widest appeal released this year which has been
helped by the Fate franchise pushing into other mediums and exposing
new audiences to this distinctive universe. Having such a strong
urban fantasy world means these games have stood the test of time and
offer a memorable experience even to new players. If you have not
played either of these visual novels then you owe it yourself to buy
them.
Homicipher Steam
Mixing
otome with horror and a good dose of linguistic puzzles is a
surprisingly strong formula. Leaning into a spooky atmosphere which
is somewhat tongue and cheek lends a strangely whimsical feeling to
the violent deaths the player is likely to experience as they try and
work out the mysterious language. Needing
to pay such close attention to the words and context of the events on
screen without relying on a complex narrative makes Homicipher stand
out among this years releases. It is a visual novel which manages to marry
an intensity into each moment as the player picks away at the wall of
information they must overcome to interact properly with the handsome
monsters. There are few games in the medium capable of holding this
balance of corny and thrilling quite like Homicipher and it is worth
playing just for that unique blend alone.
Tsui No Sora Remake Patch Download
Tsui
No Sora has had an odd history of releases. After its original
release it received a full reimagining in the form of Wonderful
Everyday which took its core ideas and expanded upon them in a longer
format. Then for the tenth anniversary of the release of Wonderful
Everyday, Tsui No Sora received a direct remake which added more
content to the original while being distinct from Wonderful Everyday.
It is this remake which received a fan translation patch this year to
finally make this piece of Tsui No Sora accessible in English. The
remake offers the perfect opportunity for those interested in the denpa genre to play a shorter title with a lot of what makes the
genre so great on full display.
Hookah Haze Steam / Taven Talk Steam
The
legacy of VA-11 Hall-A continues to live on through the drink and
smoke serving games which came out this year. Stepping into the
realms of hookah and a fantasy tavern, these titles followed in the
footsteps of others like Coffee Talk in aiming for a cosy vibe where
the stakes are low and the personal conversations are lent a light
feeling. These elements have become the hallmarks of the genre and as
these titles branch out from being about just beverages into general
service industry fantasies, they are likely to become even more
important. Each tale told through a character’s preferences of
drink offers a unique chance to explore themes and ideas of our
everyday lives through increasingly different settings.
Kanon Steam
Slowly
but surely Key’s entire back-catalogue is being released officially
in English. Kanon is the latest title in this line and received a
much needed lick of paint and full voice acting in order to breath
new life into this 1999 classic. It is an interesting snapshot of
Key’s earlier design principles and shows how much they have
changed over the twenty years since its release. Yet there in an
undeniable continuity between Kanon and Key’s present works through
narrative quirks and recurring themes which make Kanon a must play
for fans of the studio. For everyone else this tale of love and
tears is a charming experience to relax and immerse yourself into.
Let’s hope the rest of Key’s titles are given the same treatment
in future.
Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II Steam
As
a direct sequel to the first Spirit Hunter game, Death Mark, rather
than the second title in the series, NG, Death Mark II had to balance
the legacies of both while leaning decidedly more on the side of the
first. Coupled this messy lineage with a sizeable shift in the
gameplay and the results could have been disastrous, but instead the
title landed firmly on its feet to be one of the strongest horror
games of the year. With its inventive monsters and tense scenarios,
it continues the series’ tradition of keeping the player on their
toes through not adhering to an overly rigid framework for the
smaller stories which form the majority of its playtime. If you are a
someone who has played the previous titles or are just a fan of
horror in general then you should give Death Mark II a shot as it
will make a shiver go down your spine.
Interesting Visual Novels From Game Jams
NaNoRenO 2024
Monochrome Pixels
Dealing
with burnout and workplace harassment through the eyes of a Senior
Game Developer, Monochrome Pixels is a perfect example of how game
jams can explore ideas and emotions a more commercial or long form
title would struggle to cover. Our protagonist Diana provides a
perfect window into these themes as she struggles against her
terrible boss and contrasts wonderfully with the optimistic and
ignorant Enya. The two make for an engaging dynamic duo as the player
navigates Diana’s life with all its stresses.
you're just imagining it
Framing
itself as a chronic illness simulator, this visual novel tackles what
it a complex and emotive topic with a touch that never lets it become
too depressing. It follows a journey to find a diagnosis for whatever
condition is causing you to live in constant pain all the while
trying to push through the challenges of everyday life. For what is a
very simple game it offers a chance to empathise with others in a way
only this medium could achieve.
Blood City Limits
Setting
your visual novel up with a striking art style can do a lot to
support the story’s core identity and drawing people to play it in
the first place. Blood City Limits sets itself apart with its
disorganised lines and contrasting blocky colours which helps sell
the broken state of this apocalyptic world. As the characters explore
this decayed world the visuals form a key part of their story.
Yuri Game Jam 2024
The end of an obsession
It
would not be an end of year round up without a least one Ebi-hime
title and this time it is a twisted yuri tale. It focuses around a
yandere centric relationship with a good few twists and turns as our
protagonist has to navigate around problematic witch. Over the course
of this short game it has fun with the ideas surrounding the yandere
and this leads to a strong title that is concise in its
implementation.
Oto-hime
Twisted
love seems to have been a running theme for this years Yuri Game Jam
as Oto-hime firmly presents itself as a horror game. Utilising the
folktale of the titular oto-hime through its own lens, it creates a
yuri visual novel set in the depths of the ocean. It gives the player
just enough agency over events so the game can invest them in the
outcomes they have brought upon the protagonist as they stumble
through the alien place they find themselves trapped in.
Otome Jam 2024
Under The Thorns
A
mystery centric title where a newly hired maid Clara must uncover the
truth about her new employer and discover what he is really like
behind all the rumours about him. It captures the fantasy and romance
of the Victorian style nobility and time period without having to go
into too much detail. Mood is the most important feature for Under
The Thorns and it manages to maintain it consistently over its entire
play time.
Love Limit
If
you have had enough of all those serious visual novels and
their complex themes then the over the top comedy of Love Limit has
you covered. Mixing the act of romance with saving the world from an
alien invasion is a perfect recipe for silly antics and the game
fully embraces this absurdity to hilarious results. It also manages
to be genuinely touching at times to help give the jokes some much
needed substance behind them.
Things To Look Out For Next Year
The Shell Part III: Paradiso
After
the shocking end of the second game, the wait for the third game has
been painful with the original English release of the second title being
in 2015. At long last the finale of this dark mystery tale will be
available for fans around the world. The distinctive and broody
1950’s murder mystery series follows the private investigator
Tokisaka Reiji as he grapples with a variety of grisly murder cases
he finds himself personally wrapped up in. The Shell works hard to create a
thick atmosphere that envelops the player from the moment they start
until the dramatic climax in an all-consuming way. If this third
instalment can continue the high bar set for the series then this
will be the best mystery game of the year.
Angelic☆Chaos RE-BOOT!
It
is another Yuzusoft game. This statement will either make you jump
for joy or roll your eyes since at this point the studio has been
around long enough for people to have made up their mind on their visual novels.
Angelic Chaos takes a more openly supernatural approach to the slice
of life/ romance genre the studio is known for with angels and demons
being key players in the narrative. It even has the reincarnation
trope since the protagonist was the demon lord in his previous life so
it is lining up a lot of commonly used concepts in a neat row. However, if there is
one thing Yuzusoft is good at it is taking familiar ideas and
creating an extremely solid game which is specifically catered to
their audience. If you are in that audience then Angelic Chaos will
no doubt be one of the best visual novels of 2025.
Corpse Party II – Darkness Distortion
‘Wait
isn’t there already a Corpse Party 2?’ I hear you cry and, yes,
there is indeed one under the title of Dead Patient. Unfortunately,
Dead Patient seems to be a dead project and from its ashes a second
Corpse Party II has been born. Darkness Distortion is also set in a
hospital but rather than a modern currently in use one like in Dead
Patient, it is instead a long abandoned location where everything has
decayed from its former glory. When three friends trespass on the
hospital they find themselves at the mercy of Ayame’s curse and the
countless horrors within its walls. So far from what little we have
seen of the game it appears to be a remix of the original Corpse
Party in a new settings with a new cast. It looks to be a return to the
developer’s roots after the distinct changes of Blood Drive and
Dead Patient so it will be interesting to see how they handle this
familiar formula.
Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog
This
is a game wearing its influences clear to see through its mecha
designs and 90’s anime aesthetic. It is setting itself up as a sort
of old style Gundam narrative with a more personal spin on the
overarching plot where the crew of Gun-Dog are the central focus. There
is a demo available on Steam that covers the game’s opening scenes
and gives a taste of the overall construction of the gameplay
experience. From this demo it is much easier to recommend its mixture
of adventure game mechanics and stylish storytelling to those who
crave the unique feel of 90’s anime. Even those who might not fit
into the target demographic should still give it a shot just to
understand how visual design can do a lot of heavy lifting for a
game.
Dungeon Crawler – Uncovering The VN Hybrid
Into The Depths
Dungeon
diving into winding mazes filled with danger and treasure has been
a persistent fantasy and a genre of game seemly at odds with visual
novels due to its high emphasis on its own mechanics. Looking at
titles like Etrian Odyssey might lead to you to believe that this is
a genre which does not care about story. However, among them are a
subset striving to reach for a greater narrative complexity and these
choose visual novel sections as their means of do so. For them its a
method of presentation in line with its already regular and orderly
construction and can be dropped in and out of without it feeling too out
of place. They are uniquely positioned to capitalise on the space
between the themselves and the visual novel elements by offering
the story progression as an important form of momentum over the long
term. Let’s conquer another floor and find out how this hybrid
works in practice.
Regular And Orderly
If
there is one thing which defines the Dungeon Crawler it is the way
its structure adheres to a rigid framework. From start to finish,
everything has a regular and orderly place within the game and it
rarely moves outside of these boundaries and relies on these established
mechanics to push complexity forward while making the changes
understandable for the player. As such the limited presentational
elements available to visual novels feel right at home alongside this restrictiveness and slots in as another one
of the game’s systems. The way it can be used as a complete
narrative tool all to itself or be overlaid on top of the active game
world gives it the modular nature to respond to the Dungeon Crawler’s
need for story without having to grind everything to a halt. It is
also closer to the feeling of the gameplay than more extensive 3d
cutscenes since it reflects the orderly nature of the gameplay
experience rather than appearing entirely detached from what has come
before. Its relatively simple production makes it suitable for the
bitty but long narratives these kinds of games like to tell and it
provides the necessary flexibility to keep the focus squarely on the
Dungeon Crawler half of the game while still having a meaningful tale
to invest the player into.
 |
| Interest choice of words there little lady... |
The longer the game the more pronounced
this structural synergy becomes and Yumina the Ethereal presents a
good example of how it works over its eighty hour play time. As a
game with multi paths, one for each heroine, it intends to be
completed more than a single time and as such it needs to keep things
fresh yet consistent with what came before. It achieves this effect
through enhancing or escalating parts of its existing material rather
than offering any type of radically different experience. Yumia is a
title reliant on its over the top nature and escalation to keep
people engaged and as such it is key that its various elements
showcase this throughout. The visual novel sections are part of this
overall change as they carry the narrative of the selected heroine
forwards which sits snugly next to other alterations like changes in
difficulty and new enemy encounters. By ensuring a constant place
for the visual novel, it can present the story as an extension of the
other existing systems and something that compliments the tone and
direction of the game. It finds a degree of freedom in its orderly
nature and can use its limitations as a means to set player
expectations for the spread and pace of content.
The Space Between
Not
everything a game wants its needs to be spelt out in only either
mechanics or narrative, sometimes the gap between each can
be played with for an interesting effect. Due to the regular nature
of how the parts of a Dungeon Crawler interact and the somewhat abstract nature of their mechanics, there are a lot spaces where the
player is asked to imagine what must have happened. For example the grid based tiles, the game does not expect the player to actually
believe that the whole party is crammed onto one tile and move one space at a time and instead it is presented as a representation
of what is really happening in the world used for the sake of
gameplay. It is into gaps like these that some games have chosen to
place things implied but never spelt out in order to let them sit at
the back of the player’s mind to linger there until it is time to
bring them into the light.
 |
| Something is wrong here and it not what it at first appears |
Let us examine a hybrid which makes use of
the technique to see what the practical benefits of it has for all
parts of the title. Mary Skelter 2 is a game which revels in the
things which are present and absent and the gaps between them. In
particular it utilises its re-framing of the timeline from the
first game while omitting key elements and making the player question
exactly what has gone so wrong to result in this outcome. Here is a
place the gaps between the visual novel and the other game systems is
put to good use by subtly implying the importance of what is missing
in their interaction. The comparison between Jack in the original
game and this one is the strongest use of this implication since the
narrative presents events which lead up to this change and yet does
not directly expand on what that means for a long time. All the while
the battle systems showcases the far more violent and temperamental
nature of this new Jack and the unspoken gap between these two
presentations of the same person creates a tension that causes the
player to be more aware of it.
Progression As Momentum
Providing
a sense of forward movement within a game is a major way in which it retains the player’s attention for the long term. For Dungeon
Crawler’s this can be a difficult task due to their inherently
repetitive nature and the way their structure encourages multiple
dives into the same dungeon leading to these aspects blurring into
one another in a way which can lead to a loss of momentum. Enter the
visual novel sections, these give an important feeling of context and
progression to the work the player is putting into the dungeons. By
their nature as narratives they have an in built sense of forward
momentum as all stories are inherently moving towards a conclusion
and so anything attached to it gains the same effect through
proximity. Spacing these visual novel chunks over the long term and
making sure they are regular enough to be a constant presence but not
so frequent as to interrupt the follow of the game’s other systems
is key to ensuring the effectiveness of its impact. Here the modular
and regular nature of the Dungeon Crawler gives it a helping hand, it
is already constantly moving between its distinct and segregated
elements so the transition and presence of the visual novel does not
seem at odds with everything else and is instead just another of the
plethora of options it can dive into.
 |
| Narrative as momentum is an effective trick to keep player engagment |
Take Labyrinth of Refrain:
Coven of Dusk for example, this is a highly mechanics focused title
where the repetition of dungeon diving is core to its appeal and
there is a clear divide between the dungeons and the surface where
all the preparation happen. This is title which risks falling into a
loop where the player feels as if everything is the same so Coven of
Dusk brings in visual novel sections to alleviate this issue. In
order to keep them in line with the rest of the game they are mostly
confined to the surface sections where the plot relevant characters
stay while the puppets they control do all the dungeon exploring. Doing
this prevents the narrative from being too invasive into the game’s
core appeal while also having access to the sense of progression
offered by its inclusion. Coven of Dusk is not a story centric title
and yet the inclusion of this element helps the overall package
maintain its needed pacing.
Conclusion
Narrative
has always been an element which Dungeon Crawlers have struggled with
and so they often turn to visual novels for help. At first it might
seem that the two are incompatible due to the regular and orderly
nature of the Dungeon Crawler but this actually works well with the
limited presentation of visual novels so it can easily slot into this
existing framework. Momentum is a key factor in the importance of
visual novel sections to the experience since it add a feeling of
progression to what would otherwise risk being a repetitive
environment. The gaps created between the two halves due to their
regular nature work as a great place to interact with what is left
unsaid in the narrative or mechanics and imply ideas which come into
relevance later. This hybrid showcases how much visual novel elements
can contribute even in a style of game which is otherwise mechanics
heavy.
Top 10 Mystery Visual Novels
Deducing The Truth
Mysteries
have always been a constant part of fiction both as a minor addition
and the central driving force of the narrative. In the medium of
visual novels, the use of mysteries is particularly common by
comparison to other types of games due to how its traits align to
enhance the best qualities of a mystery. This list will cover various
kinds of mystery visual novels from murder mysteries to multiple
route mysteries, the only requirement is that the mystery must be
core to the identity of the game rather than a minor part of it. With that
out of the way, let’s begin the countdown to number one.
Top 10
10. The 25th Ward: The Silver Case -
Suda51
has always been known for the distinctive style of his games and The
25th Ward is no exception with its interweaving narratives within a bleak semi-futuristic world. Set five years after the first
game, it follows three separate protagonists with their own stories in
the 25th Ward and each expanding on the mystery which
permeates their distinctive experiences. The 25th Ward is a
visual novel which knows how to hold its cards close to its chest and
reveal just enough to help the player put the pieces of the mystery
together without making the truth too clear. Dystopias are a common
feature in many aspect of modern fiction but the 25th Ward
has a special kind of unsettling features with its reflection of our worst
qualities and they are merged with the mystery to slowly reveal
their true horror. The 25th Ward’s ability to juggle all
of these competing element with such grace and subtlety puts it above
many other mystery visual novels.
9. Kara no Shoujo -
VNDB Play
Time – 25 hours
The
bleak setting and tone continues with the ninth place on this list
except this time it is historical instead of futuristic. Kara no Shoujo is a
murder mystery set in 1950’s Japan and focuses on a series of
bizarre murders plaguing the area, where young women disappear, only
to turn up dead and maimed with their wombs torn out. As you can
imagine this is a visual novel which is relatively light on humour
but it understands how to use its darker moments sparingly so it does
not become unbearably depressing. Instead it uses these darker
elements to build the tension around the mystery to make sure
the player never becomes too comfortable and is always second guessing
themselves. An excellent example of what proper use of tone and
pacing can do to elevate a mystery visual novel.
8. I/O -
VNDB Play
Time – 40 Hours
If
there is a poster child of the multiple route and protagonist mystery
it is definitely I/O. This is the first game on this list to really
use the structure of visual novels as one of the core pillars of its
mystery. It uses its individual sections to contrast the perspectives
of seemingly very different protagonists while subtly dropping clues
as to how it all comes together and then asking you to return to this
section latter to gain a proper picture of how it all fits into the big
picture. On top of this, the clever way in which it uses time and
multiple perspectives adds a layer of intrigue which keeps the player
on the edge of their seat. A colourful sci-fi aesthetic and engaging
world building go a long way to complement and sell the story. The
only reason I/O is not higher on this list is that it can be very
hard to follow what is going on especially in the later sections when
the narrative really goes of the rails.
7. Collar X Malice -
Nintendo Eshop VNDB Play
Time – 50 Hours
The
number seven spot is occupied by the only otome on this list with
Collar X Malice. This game is a here because of its ability to
seamlessly blend the romantic trappings of otome with a well written
mystery. Collar X Malice’s emphasis on its characters and their
interpersonal struggles gives an intimate edge to the story. Coupled
with the protagonist having an explosive collar around her neck, the
story makes the player rooting for the cast to solve the case the core interest of the mystery rather
than just the intrigue of it. This is not to say that the
mystery is in any way weak as it continues the emphasis on characters with
each route focused around a different villain who holds a key to the
mystery while also acting a foil to the hero of the route. Successfully
mixing characters moments and keeping the pace of the mystery up can
be difficult, but Collar X Malice does an exceptional job with this
balancing act.
6. Chaos Head -
VNDB Play
Time – 25 Hours
It
is difficult to describe the brilliant madness that is Chaos Head.
This is in no small part due to the story being told from the
perspective of perhaps the most compelling unreliable protagonist in
visual novels. Trying to figure out what is real and what is
imaginary adds a great sense of suspense to the overarching mystery
of murder and paranoia by adding false pieces to the puzzle. This
works better than a simple red herring as the chaos of having an
unreliable narrator makes these false pieces seem like they might be
real and it is only through logical thinking can the truth be
reached. As you can imagine this type of stroy is a nightmare to write properly
which is why we see so few examples of the technique, but when done
well, as it is in Chaos Head, it is a sight to behold and a good
backbone for a mystery.
5. Ever 17: Out of Infinity -
Patch Download Play
Time – 40 hours
Ever
17 is easily the oldest visual novel on this list and it has enjoyed
continued popularity in no small part due to the quality of the
mystery which is the narrative’s driving force. What makes this
game stand out from the rest is its ability to play on and with
perceptions of time and place with its mystery. It achieves this
through a clever presentation of what are seemingly simple facts in
such a way that the player knows there is something more going on but
cannot quite put there finger on it while still having enough to
start to theorise. Ever 17’s ability to walk this fine line of
implicit and explicit truths is where is shines brightest and it keeps
the player engaged over the game's length. It also helps that it has one of
the greatest payoffs in a mystery visual novel to backup this
ability.
4. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair -
The
entire Danganronpa series could easily take up three positions on this list
by themselves since they are some of the most well put together and
totally insane mystery stories the medium has available. However,
since that would make for a boring list, Danganronpa 2: Goodbye
Despair was selected to the trilogy's representative. It encapsulates
the defining traits of the series an over the top narrative driven
by murder mysteries and trials which are simultaneously
hilarious and deeply touching. This unique blending of tones makes
Danaganronpa stand out from its peers and the second game is a
shining example of how to build upon a first game while not losing
what made it special. The loss of the magic in a sequel is a common
trait with mystery visual novels as the first game has already set
the expectations of the player and if the second game does not shake
things up it will become predictable, but at the same time it cannot
shake things up too much or it will lose what people liked about the
first one. Goodbye Despair brilliantly sidesteps this issue by
playing on the expectation of the player by both adhering and
subverting what the thought they knew. It is these qualities which
make Goodbye Despair deserve its number four spot.
3. Virtue's Last Reward -
If
Danganronpa is the wacky mystery game series then Zero Escape is its
serious twin and in particular the second game Virtue's Last Reward.
Having an enclosed space makes the mystery elements easier to keep
track of as the narrative progresses and this technique has been a
core part of mysteries for a long time with books like And Then There
Were None exemplifying its strengths. 999 used this technique with
some success but it is only with Virtue's Last Reward that we can see
how the medium of visual novels is well suited to the claustrophobic
feelings it invokes. Virtue's Last Reward revels in how
it can jump from paranoia to isolation so that the player is never
sure what is going to happen next and this allows the mystery to be
kept fresh through these changing emotions. Few other games can so
brilliantly manipulate the player with their mystery and for that
Virtue's Last Reward deserves its third place spot.
2. Higurashi When They Cry -
The
title of second place goes to a series which many of you are likely
very familiar with, Higurashi When They Cry. It earns its place here
through how it is able to marry horror and mystery over the course of
the entire game without either end of the partnership suffering as a
result. The problem with stretching a mystery out over a long
playtime is that the player can become accustomed to the patterns of
the mystery and either become able to predict them or simply become
bored of it. This is why most narratives mix in another element, be
it a murder or some actions scenes, to keep the player engaged and
this is what Higurahsi does exceptionally well. Neither half of
driving force of the narrative ever outlives its welcome as Higurashi
is careful about controlling it pacing and uses is moments of high
and low narrative tension to sell the overall story in a way which
neither half could do on its own. If you want to experience fear as
you desperately want to know what is really going on then Higurashi
is for you.
1. Wonderful Everyday ~Diskontinuierliches Dasein~ -
At
the top of the pile we have the phenomenal visual novel Wonderful
Everyday which brings together many of the traits which made the
previous games on this list brilliant while adding its own flair. It has multiple
protagonists, unreliable narrators, horror elements and many other
little touches which are often used along with the mystery and
cleverly blended into a whole which utilises the strength of each
part. What makes Wonderful Everyday work is how it uses its themes
and philosophical ideas as the backbone of both the personal
narrative and the mystery it is building before the player. This
commitment to a singular vision and identity which is nuanced enough
to allow for flexible storytelling but concrete enough that the
player never loses sight of the point the game is trying to make with
the mystery. It is this skillful understanding of how to use the
medium to enhance its mystery which earns Wonderful Everyday the top
stop on this list.
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