Before Slay the Princess, the team at Black Tabby Games released an episodic visual novel called Scarlet Hollow. Now their previous game is getting some new life with a major update ahead of Steam's Visual Novel Fest??.

Scarlet Hollow originally launched a couple of years before the gruesome twists and turns of Slay the Princess reared their heads. With Black Tabby Games turning back the hands of time to 2021, the chapters that are currently available will soon have something new to offer. In addition to UI improvements, the story has been expanded and new choices have been introduced for a relaunch that's being dubbed The Road Untraveled.

Those returning to Scarlet Hollow, North Carolina, or checking out the Early Access release f??or the first time will experience a script with over 70,000 additional words. That covers the four chapters live now and more artwork from Abby Howard. 

Reworking the past

Combining two character traits can shift the narrative in a variety of ways in Scarlet Hollow. The new choices that emerge in the updated version bring more experience from the writers along with them. Black Tabby co-founder Tony Howard-Arias commented on the fact that Episode 1 was the tea??m's very first gam??e, and how they have become better designers and writers in the years since its debut. As such, they wanted to "make its opening act more reflective of the extreme agency and deep character writing that defines the later episodes."

As for those final episodes, they're still on the way! Scarlet Hollow was planned as a seven-episode story, so it's just a matter of when. With the update paving the way for what's to come, hopefully players won't have to wait much longer for Episode 5. In the meantime, look for the relaunch of Scarlet Hollow to kick off on March 3. The fully? reworked first episode will be available as a free demo alongside the release, and progress can be carried over to the rest of the game. 

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Visual novels have found a bit of a home on the Nintendo Switch. The combination of portability and easy pick-up, put-down feel of the Switch goes really well with long, involved, engrossing visual novels. Hence I decided to put together this list of the be?st visual novels on the Nintendo Switch.

Ever since I got my Switch, I've read a good amount of VNs on it, whether in a hotel bed, on the couch, or on a plane. It helps that the genre has been drawing more attention, with mainstays like Ace Attorney or surprise hits like Paranormasight offering plenty of promise. There's also a lot to sift through �?another ??reason I threw this list together.

These are 20 fantastic visual novels to try, whether you're a newcomer to the genre, or just looking for something a little different. Of note: I'm trying to keep this list mostly to a traditional VN interpretation. (I brought up "what's a visual novel" in Slack and it started a mild conflict.) So if you're wondering where fantastic games like 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim are, there's a decent chance I excluded them, in the interest of keeping this list narrow and focused. (I do wholeheartedly endorse 13 Sentinels though.)

With that i??n mind, let's open up the Switch library and talk ab?out visual novels.

The House in Fata Morgana

Why not start the list off with a heavy hitter? The ??House in Fata? Morgana: Dreams of the Revenants Edition brings the 2012 classic to the Nintendo Switch with both the main stor??y and a bevy of extra content. After waking up in a strange?, eerie mansion, you relive the lives of various people with the assistance of an unnamed maid.

Events will intertwine across history, with?? lots of intrigue and suspense. If you like period dramas and/or ghost stories, this will probably be up your alley, as it's also frequen??tly hailed as one of the best visual novels to grace the Switch.

Danganronpa series

Okay, I'm twisting the rules a bit, mostly because many of these series are in collections like the Danganronpa Decadence physical version for Switch (each entry is available individually on the eShop). Each entry in the series centers on some sort of killing game, where the best and bright?est students are locked in a location and told they can only leave if they "graduate." A??s in, kill a fellow student and get away with it in the ensuing trial.

Your job is to find the culprit!

Alongside roaming the world and hanging out with characters for social links between murder investigations, there's also a bunch of trials with minigames to help you find the truth. It's a compelling, interesting series that pulls a few fantastic l??eft-field twists out.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy

The original run of Phoenix Wright games on the Nintendo DS opened me up to this genre in the first place. With the collection on Nintendo Switch, it's easy to play the trilogy of Ace Attorney entries that se??t the stage for many to follow?? after.

As defense lawyer Phoenix Wright, you have to defend your client from?? going to jail. Individual cases are good fun, but they also wind together throughout the whole trilogy in ways that make this a very, very fun read. Absolutely recommended for cautious first-timers looking for a visual novel for their Switch.

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles

If you're looking for something that feels more modern, then head back in time for the historical fiction take on Ace Attorney. The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles follows Ryunosuke Naruhodo, as he gets swept up in courtroom drama in the late 19th century. This particular version packs the two Great Ace Attorney games together into a duology that is, honestly, still some ?of my favorite storytelling on the Switch. It's a roller-coaster of ups and downs, with some great sleuthing and deducing, memorable characters, and incredible payoffs in the second game's trials. It's good for newcomers, but an absolute no-brainer if you liked the original Ace Attorney and want some more.

Steins;Gate Elite

Another classic and often-recommended visual novel, Steins;Gate is the story of an amateur scientist who accidentally discovers a method for time manipulation. Obviously, this leads to some complic?ations. Different branches and alterations get messy, and Rintaro Okabe has to try and figure out a way to fix everything.

The Elite version packs in animations from the also popular anime adaptation, which is good; I really like the art of Steins;Gate, but the last time I went back to it,? the early hours wore on a bit. With a little bit of polish and an ideal form factor, it's much easier to see wh??y this made such an impact.

Paranormasight

As one of my favorite visual novels on the Switch, Paranormasight is a haunting meta-narrative about several? people gathered in the Sumida Ward of Tokyo, Japan. They all have reasons for being there, mostly centered around the Rite of Resurrection; a promise that, if they indulge in some cursed entanglements, they can bring someone back to life.

Things don't go so neatly, however. While "horror VN" might lead you to think this is all about the scares (and there are some good ones, to be clear), this is really a good get for those who like the meta-narrative twists of games like NieR: Automata or Undertale. Square Enix's VN is a sleeper gem with some serious legacy behind it.

AI: The Somnium Files / Nirvana Initiative

The Zero Escape series has, sadly, still not made it over to the Nintendo Switch. We do have another series from writer Kotaro Uchikoshi, though: AI: The Somnium Files.

The Somnium Files follows Date, an investigator for a special crime unit that's able to brain-dive into people's memories to elicit information. The first is good, but the follow-up Nirvana Initiative is where I felt the series truly hit its stride.

Shifting the focus to two protagonists, the Nirvana Initiative has a lot of that twisting, winding narrative that makes a visual novel great, plus some genuinely intruiging puzzle room concepts. It's standalone, so you can play Nirvana without playing The Somn??ium Files, but both are certainly worth your time.

Raging Loop

This is a personal favorite of mine, and one I wish got a bit more chatter, so here we are. Raging Loop sees protagonist Haruaki Fusaishi stuck on the road, leading him to wander into a remote village in rural Ja??pan, Yasumizu.

Here he befriends some locals and gets ready to head back out on his way, when oh no, the mist rolls in, and now he's wrapped up in a yearly ritual ?of the feast, where a villager becomes the embodiment of a death god and kills another each night until they're found.

Yes, it's a game of Werewolf. But it's a surprisingly well-told ?story around this classic set-up. A few weird tone issues aside, this is definitely one to look into for some further reading.

VA-11 Hall-A

What more do you need to know about VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action than a title and screenshot could suggest? It's a visual novel-meet?s-bartender sim, with an instantly r??ecognizable look.

It's got a UI that would feel at home on the PC-98. It packs in heavy anime inspiration, alongside a plethora of g??oofs and gags. It's got some he?art, too. And an absolutely solid soundtrack, to boot. Do you want to serve drinks in a cyberpunk future to a bunch of anime girls?

This is the game you want to play. For more like it, check out the less alcohol-infused Coffee Talk.

The Silver Case 2425

While you might know Goichi Suda for his work on killer7 or No More Heroes, there was a point-and-click adventure that came before it all. The Silver Case 2425 is a collection of The Silver Case series, which combines all the disparate and ??strange elements you'd be looking for in a Suda game.?? You'll follow three perspectives to track down the truth behind a series of supposed suicides.

Like the other murder mysteries on here, there are plenty of twists and turns to uncover. But the reason to pick up The Silver Case is not just the story alone, but the vibes. It's got a style and aesthetic that keeps fresh as the story ??goes along, where I never really felt like I ??was just reading text, but also taking in an over-stimulus of visuals in the best way.

That's what makes it one of?? the top novels on the Switch.

Famicom Detective Club

This collection of two Famicom Detective Club games is a bit of a historical pick, if noth?ing else. Nintendo's remakes of the original Famicom mysteries are absolutely gorgeous, paying homage to a series that carved the path for many to follow.

It's a two-pack, with The Missing Heir following a rich family's tragedy and The Girl Who Stands Behind digging into the supernatural horror elements. ?Two distinctly different flavors, but it's a really neat way to see h?ow the medium has evolved, and even how old pieces of it still hold up today.

Necrobarista

Another personal favorite of mine, Necrobarista dumps you into the Terminal, a hipster coffee bar that also ????serves as a segue between life and death. For one night, the dead are allowed to hang out among the living here, getting some coffee and exploring the meaning of it all.

It's not just the emotional story that really caught me, but the way it's told. Route 59's approach takes as m?uch from film and anime as it does from visual novels, using text as a visual and framing the camera as conversations bounc??e around.

It's stylish, memora??ble, and might even make you tear up a bit. Definitely worthy of it's status as one of the Swi??????????????????????????tch's top visual novels.

Collar X Malice

For this Switch visual novel list, I knew I would need to include at least one otome game. For those who don't know, that's a genre that's generally focused on dating cute anime boys. I am, admittedly, not a knowledgeable connoisseur of these games, so I turned to the internet's experts for guidance, and one game kept popping up: Collar x Malice.

You play as a young police officer who, after an attack, has a venomous coll??ar attached to their neck. Your best chances, it seems, rest with five different hot cops who can help you figure out what's happening.

??????????????????????????I know this list has been a bit crime-and-mystery heavy, but I like the premise h??ere, and the art looks great too. This seems like an obvious get if you're into the boy-dating subgenre with a solid narrative hook.

CLANNAD

I was honestly a bit torn on this one, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention CLANNAD. It's arguably one of the most recognizable stories from developer Key, follow?ing third-year high school student Okazaki ??Tomoya, dealing with the direction his life has taken, and meeting a variety of anime girls along the way.

It's a love story, but with a lot of he??art, and everyone who's made it to the end usually has good things to say about it. I have not, as the writi?ng has always just worn on me.

You can't ignore CLANNAD's historical importance though, and I think if you want an easy-going, slice-of-life story with some gut-punches as it goes further in, CLANNAD and its side stories may be worth your time investment.

Witch on the Holy Night

Speaking of genre pillars, writer Kinoko Nasu's Fate, Tsukihime, and other related works are absolutely massive. These works, undoubtedly brilliant, have given rise to plenty of spin-offs and related games.

One of these, and one deserving of its place as a fantastic Switch visual novel, is Witch on the Holy Night. The well-received story that takes place within the broader Nasu-verse. I'm only?? a little ways in at the time of writing, but so far, it has everything you'd want from this particular subset; absolutely gorgeous visuals and lots of magical ??fighting.

Witch on the Holy Night is solid on art alone, but the writing also looks to put it as a solid recommendation fo?r anyone wanting a little more action in their Switch visua??l novels.

If Found

For the (literally) more Annapurna take on the genre, let's turn to If Found. This tale follows two stories. In one, astronaut-scientist Cassiopeia heads to Planet X, only to find a black hole that will soon destroy Earth. Back on Earth in the journal portion, we foll?ow Kasio, a transgender woman who's ?just finished her Master's degree and is headed back home to Achill Island, Ireland.

It's not an emotionally easy read, as it's got some real heart-rending moments and a tense final act, along with lots of family drama. But if you're down to explore that narrative territory, I think you'll find something quite special in the pages of If Found.

Gnosia

Okay, this is where I twist my rules a bit. Gnosia is, arguably, more of an RPG or management game than a "proper" visual novel. But after some internal discussion, we felt it passed the VN vibe check. And als??o, it's a particular favorite of mine.

Gnosia is, like Raging Loop, framed around a Werewolf-style social deduction game. But rather than a narrative framing? for a traditional VN-style story, it plays out in story segments, as you litera?lly fight debate battles each day to determine who is the intruding Gnosia on board the ship.

From gorgeous art to an underrated soundtrack, to some highly memorable characters that endear themselves to you through text and their indiv??idual debate quirks, this is one for folks who want a heavier helping of buttons to p??ush and game to play amid their visual novel reading.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus

Okay, I know at least a few people scrolled pretty far down this list wondering, "where's DDLC?" Yes, Doki Doki Literature Club is on here. Yes, ??it's worth reading. It's got some neat twists and feels like a good representation of what the medium can do with its framing devices.

It's also neat that this visual novel got put on Switch and other consoles, considering all the hijinks happening that, to me, felt best suited to PC. That said, there are caveats. I do think Doki Doki Literature Club relies heavily on its surprises, so don't read up too much on it, unless you feel you need a content warning; in that case, ple??ase do look for that online??.

I also wouldn't re??commend anyone play this as their first VN. That's just my personal recommendation, but I definitely think it's better to have some familiarity with the format going in.

We Know The Devil

Three teens named Neptune, Jupiter, and Venus are at summer camp, and they have one task left ahead of them??. They have to spend 12? hours in a cabin in the woods, waiting for the devil. Will they live or die? Well, that might just depend on what you do.

We Know The Devil is a short, interesting game that could probably fill just one evening, but leave you thinking about it for a while. It's also priced at $6.66. Very good. Sadly, Pillow Fight and Worst Girls Games' also excellent VN Heaven Will Be Mine is not on Switch, but do seek it out if you enjoy this? eerie night in the wo?ods.

Perfect Gold

Let's close the list of Nintendo Switch visual novels off with a selection from our own Zoey Handley. This romance VN is all about two people falling in love whi??le fig?uring themselves out, and while it's not heavily choice-driven, it does have multiple endings.

This story about two mages learning their crafts, while also sneaking out of detention to attend the loca?l Sunflower Festival, seems like a good time for those who want a little love in their? virtual life.

And that's where this list of the best visual novels you can find on the Switch. Ther??e are many more to choose from, and some I wish I could've included on this list??, so don't let your visual novel journey end here.

?Consider this your in??troduction, and the rest is up to you!

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A big day for visual novel aficionados is just around the corner. Tsukihime is finally getting an official Western release with its remake, Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon-, and today publis??her ??Aniplex shared the opening animation to set the tone.

Set to the song "Seimeisen" by ReoNA, the animation sets a pretty familiar tone if you've watched, read, or played some Type-Moon work. There's a main protagonist and some best friends, various characters preparing for a night of battl??e ahead, and then some flashy, climactic showdowns involving both magic and steel.

It does, admittedly, feel a bit like an anime opening more than a game opening. But considering this is setting the vibe for a visual novel, it makes sense to focus on animating som??e of the big conflicts and action-heavy moments, with (presumably) a few sly nods towards the more dramatic and memorable scenes in the VN.

A new moon

If you don't know Tsukihime by name alone, it's a pretty notable entry in the lineup of visual novels, especially for those who dig the works of Kinoku Nasu. The author wrote Tsukihime and released it in 2000, four years ahead of his next work Fate/stay night, which would go on to spawn the Fate universe and series, with ??dozens o?f spin-offs in its wake.

While the Fate series, and even broader Nasu-verse stories that incorporate Tsukihime characters like Melty Blood, have seen U.S. releases, this is the first official port of Tsukihime. This specific entry, -A piece of blue glass moon-, is set to adapt the "Near Side" storyline. A second entry, Tsukihime -The other side of red garden-, will tackle the Far ??Side storyline somewhere down the l??ine.

Tsukihime follows Shiki Tohno, who starts seeing "lines of death" after a childhood accident. This superpower alone seems like enough to carry a narrative, but soon, he starts unraveling even dar?ker mysteries lurking in his hometown. I've not read it yet and stayed fairly spoiler-free, but my understanding is that magic and possibly vampires get involved.

So it's a pretty big piece of visual novel history, finally getting an official release in the west. Those who want to experience the origin point of the Nasu-verse will probably be excited to dig into Tsukihime, as well as the Fate/stay night remaster also scheduled for release sometime this year. Really, it's just a good time to be reading some visual novels.

Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- arrives on June 27 for Switch and PlayStation 4.

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Divination, specifically tarot and oracle decks, has fascinated me most of my adult life. While I don't put much stock on the mystical abilities supposedly found in oracle decks, I've found the activity of drawing cards to spe??ak on certain aspects of my life comforting and, occasionally, a useful g??uide.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is a game that takes that concept and makes it the core gameplay loop. Almost the entire runtime takes place in protagonist Fortuna's home as friends come and go, but often not before getting a reading. Despite having immortal witches who alter reality, a shrimp-like behemoth aiding the protagonist, and gathering energy from around the universe for a new deck, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is surprisingly grounded during the actua??l process of card r?eading.

It's a surprising turn from developer Deconstructeam's previous titles, The Red Strings Club and Gods Will be Watching. Those were closer to sci-fi thrillers, and while Sisterhood is a?lso set in a world with sci-fi elements, they're only discussed; the focus remains squarely on the mystical elements.

It results in a title tha??t's as cozy as it is fascinating with how it delves into topics like determinism, mysticism, and what meaning life could have. The universe is as absurd as its endearing story, and it depicts its oracle readings earnestly. Readings might matter more in-game than in real life, but that doesn't stop it from capturing how it feels hanging out with friends and whipping out a deck for a reading.

Taking what you will from the cards

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood follows a divination witch named ??Fortuna who has spent 200 years under house arrest for foretelling her coven's doom. In this setting, witches are immortal women who travel throughout the universe, so naturally, Fortuna's sentencing leaves her drifting in space stuck inside her home.

With another 800 years left in her isolation and desperate for human contact, Fortuna makes a pact with a demon-like creature known as? a behemoth to loosen her sentence. The behemoth, named Abramar??, even lets her craft a divination deck that draws energy from around the universe.

Wild premise aside, the gameplay loop for most of The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood is surp?risingly mundane. Much of the runtime involves inviting friends over, talking to them about their issues, and giving them a divination reading. Topics range from checking in and relationship drama to h??ow becoming immortal affects your perspective on the mortal world.

My roommate and ??I do the same every? Thursday morning to gauge what the next week has in store for us. We often draw cards, touching upon specific areas in our lives, and use them as an aid for the near future.

It's a parallel be??tween life and games that happens rarely enough that it's special when it does. The impacts our car??ds have might be more substantial in a game all about readings when compared to real life, but the parallel is still there.

Even if some developments escalate the story's plot in the second half, The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood sells the idea of h??anging out with friends?? and doing tarot excellently.

Everything is a matter of perspective

Something fun about fortune telling is seeing how the reader interprets cards. Different decks carry varying connotations with each reader adding flavor to it. Some will ask you to put your energy into the deck and draw a set of cards, and others might focus on setting a mood with incense. Everyone also seemingly shuffles cards differently, with my preferred style resembling Fortuna's in The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood.

The ritual remains fundamentally the same: the reader and listener sit across from each other and ask the cards a question. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood always has these related to speci??fic topics, but it can be as general as asking how the next week will go. Whatever cards get drawn, the answer is meant to be less of a definitive fate, and more of a guideline for how future events turn out if you stick to the same cou?rse you're currently on.

That is the biggest difference between readings in real life and The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, because Fortuna's readings are what will happen in the future. Her cards are the truth, and not something?? suggesting a truth like I consider real-life decks to be.

Although Fortuna's cards draw from the universe's energy, it's not all that different from most others. A great example would be my preferred oracle deck, Ariana Osborne's The Daemon Tarot. Des?pite the name, it's not a tarot deck, but each card often has a specific enough reading that satisfying readings can be given with a single card.

Multi-card spreads also help sometimes, and it's the one thing I wish appeared more in TCWS. While the point of Fortuna's fortune-telling ability is getting an entire reading from one ?card, it would have been nice to see things like clarifying cards to add some extra flavor to readings. Conversations in the game often cover multiple topics, so I enjoyed getting the choice of where to put a card if multiple options presented themselves.

As this game revolves around building a?? fortune-telling deck and giving readings, there is a random element to it. Fortuna shuffles her cards, meaning any created card can be drawn, leaving some level of choice up to the game.

Letting the cards guide you

No matter how casual the conversation before was, there's always a building tension when shuffling cards. However literally you take cards, there's still a want for positive outcomes for yourself or if the reading's for a loved? one.

It's a contrasting sensation that comes with not knowing cards get drawn. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood nails this, because even if F??ortuna's deck is her creation, the odds are random if a positive card gets drawn. That's what sold me on its implementation of tarot in the first place because there'd be something lost if you just chose which card to use.

I never played a game where part of the appeal comes from surrendering some control to the game, trusting it to make the best decision possible for its charact?ers. It's nerve-wracking and tense, but exciting with the payoff coming from various meanings that can be derived from a chosen card.

If anything, the game is somewhat less tense than actual draws since Fortuna's deck is significantly smaller than many real-life counterparts. The Daemon Deck has 69 cards and the traditional tarot has 78 cards. A smaller deck works in TCWS' favor since its brisk runtime makes a large deck overwhelming.?? It'd also detract from its primary goal of being a narrative-driven game.

The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood isn't one-to-one with how I deliver divination readings, but it nails the emotional element behind them. That coziness contrasts with a slight tension and the casualness it's all done with. People take what they will from the cards laid out?, leading to surprisingly intimate moments when readings touch on a specific area in someone's life.

Divination has led to many fascinating and personal conversations, ranging from career options to romantic relationships to whether certain friendships are worth pursuing. The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood transferred that personal le?vel into a wonderful game, and I couldn't be happier f?or its existence.

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If you've played visual novels before, or maybe hang around the fighting game scene, or even just watch enough anime, chances are you've heard of the Fate series. Well, the root of it all is getting a new release in Fate/Stay Night Remastered, and it's co?ming to both PC (via Steam) and S??witch with English support this year.

Announced by Aniplex and Type-Moon (per Gematsu), Fate/Stay Night Remastered is an aptly named remastered edition of the Realta Nua version of the classic visual novel. It's set to launch "worldwide" in 2024, with language support for English, Japanese, and Simplifi?e??d Chinese.

Fate/Stay Night celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, originally launching in 2004. The visual novel follows Shirou Emiya, a teenage boy who gets caught up in the Holy Grail War. This battle royale sees mages summoning ancient heroes to fight alongside them, in search of the Grail and its wish-granting powers. Across three different routes, it spins ??a fairly winding and exciting yarn about those who seek the grail, w??hy they want it, and what they're willing to sacrifice or endure to get there.

Do you have enough weapons?

To call Fate/Stay Night a highly influential visual novel might be underselling it a bit. Not only did Kinoko Nasu's original work become big in its own right, it spawned an entire franchise in the Fate series, which includes the ever-popular Fate/Grand Order game. So, to say this is a big moment for visual novel fans is, again, probably underse?lling it.

Getting Fate/Stay Night onto modern, accessible platforms is really exciting. It will be the Realta Nua version; I haven't read that one, but my understanding is it's the same story with its adult (specifically, erotic/sexual) content removed to meet an Age 15+ rating. It's also voice acted, and has some new animations and CGs. The F/SN subreddit has a substantial breakdown on t??he differences, for ?those who want the details.

Really, if we're getting a touched-up version that also clears the hurdle for Nintendo's eShop, that sounds like a good thing all around. And it means that Type-Moon fans are eating especially well this year; Witch on the Holy Night made its way west not too long ago, and the Tsukihime remake is due out in June.

It's nice to see that, as the visual novel genre continues to expand and evolve over time, its history isn't getting left by the wayside. Doubly so that the Switch is getting included. While the Steam Deck makes for a good VN machine too, it's hard to deny that the Switch is an ideal VN machine.

Fate/Stay Night Remastered will arrive for PC and Switch sometime this year.

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Prepare your heart, because EastAsiaSoft is bringing two of the Hakuoki games to Switch as part of Hakuoki: Chronicles of Wind and Blossom. It will bundle together 2017’s Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds with 2018’s Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms.

Back in 2020, I was still poking away in the background of Destructoid, waiting to get my big break and find my place. During that time, I did a series of nine articles on my personal blog covering dating sims and romantic visual novels. I only stopped because I had exhausted my enthusiasm for the genre, but I still had a list of games to try out, and among them was the Hakuoki games.

The Hakuoki games actually date back to the PS2 in 2008 with Hakuoki: Shinsengumi Kitan. The pair of games in this compilation, Kyoto Winds and Edo Blossoms, are remakes of that game, splitting it in half and expanding it. As such, it’s optimal to have both games together as they’re a complete, singular na??rrative.

If you’re wondering what the hook is here, it’s that your character is out to date the members of the historical group, the Shinsengumi. If that sounds familiar, the Shinsengumi were the focus of the story of Like a Dragon: Ishin, with characters from the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series s??tanding in for the historical figures. The Shinsengumi was a real group that existed during Japan’s Bakumatsu period and into the Boshin War. Here, however, they appar??ently fight demons.

I never got around to the games, but they’re pretty well-respected otome romantic visual novels. If the fact that they’ve bee??n rema??de isn’t evidence enough, the series was spun off into an anime series, as well as a stage production, apparently.

The individual Hakuoki games are available on PC via Steam. Hakuoki: Chronicles of Wind and Blossom will arrive on Switch sometime in 2024. According to the press release, this is an “updated version�?that includes “revised text.�?A special physical versi??on will be available for preorder on play-asia.?com on January 11.

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The increasing use of AI in gaming draws ambivalent responses. While some appreciate it when used in the right context, others complain that it lacks the artistic flair that only humans can bring. Date Ariane’s creator, Ariane Barnes, has been warning of the poss?ible harms of AI in gaming all year, and it hasn’t stopped in December.

For the uninitiated, Date Ariane is a classic game? that launched in 2004 and has gone on to be highly influential in the realm of adult visual novels. It has a simple premise - go on a date with Ariane and ensure it ends on a sexual note. It’s still available, has received remasters, and the creator has rel??eased other visual novels in the same vein.

In a blog released this month, she describes 2023 as the year of the rise and fall of AI, claiming that “in less than a year, AI went from a promised new future to an industry with no real future, at least not as everyone envisioned it.�?AI images are still being used, but they face large hurdles such as Steam's crackdown on the tech, and increasing issues with co??pyright violations regarding how and where the technology sources its data.

One of the problems highlighted is the effect the rise of AI has had on the 3D art community. Date Ariane features 3D art, with the creator describing herself as “kind of a pro.�?However, she can’t ignore the ignore the advantages that AI brings. As she argues: “if your only g?oal is to generate “pretty pictures�? AI tools are faster cheaper easier and better than 3D.�?Because of this, she claims there has been a slowdown in the growth of the 3D art community.

Nevertheless, she believes that there are some aspects of 3D art that AI can’t replicate just yet. One of those aspects is consistency. In her own experiments, she us??es AI to depict Ariane “as consistent as possible, and the resulting images are anything but consistent.�?This is one of the reasons she argues that AI isn’t a threat to most artists just yet.

She concludes that modern AI just doesn’t cut it when it comes to visual novels and storytelling because “storytelling requires showing multiple different people interacting, meaning you have to AI create each person, then use and inpainting tools or good old photoshop to combine them separately.�?/p>

Consequentl??y, she sticks to 3D art ?when it comes to her visual novels. This doesn’t mean she finds no value in the technology, as she has used voice AI in her projects.

Should we fear the AI revolution?

Despite the power of AI, Date Ariane's creator isn’t convinced that the feared AI apocalypse is here - at least ??not yet. There are just too many downsides and limitations to the technology at present.

AI writing is one of the things she criticizes. With her experiments with ChatGPT, she finds that it has “good ideas to put in the scene, good examples that I never would have thought of, but the tone was all wrong.�?It also hasn’t ?perfected the art of fact-checking.

She also claims that AI fails to be “awesome.�?This argument is based on a definition of awesomeness by Nick Riggle which is inspired by Kantian philosophy. It boils down to “social openings and getting similar social openings in response.�?There’s no ulterior motive for these social o??penings and you can appreciate them with disin??terested pleasure.

AI can’t produce this kind of awesomeness, according to the visual novel creator. Though it can generate several images of Ariane, “in none of those images were there silly flourishes, writing on the dress, a surprise puppy stealing the show.�?This drives her to the conclusion that “by Kant’s definition, it is not ‘beautiful�? or by Riggle’s definition, it is not ‘awesome�?�?/p>

These are all interesting points raised, and there are many ways to apply them to Date Ariane. The tech could be seen as an impediment to human artistic flair, but it's? also equally easy to qu??estion whether there was ever any disinterested pleasure in a title solely about getting your date naked, AI or not.

The post Date Ariane creat???or has been exploring the good and bad of AI all year appeared first on Destructoid.

Developer Eyeguys and publisher Santa Ragione released the "treacherous visual novel" Mediterranea Inferno on PC in August 2023, and now it has a date for console?s. The latest announcement has the game hitting PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Swi??tch on March 5, 2024.

Mediterranea Inferno follows the act of Eyeguys' 2020 visual novel Milky Way Prince: The Vampire Star, which tackled similarly weighty themes??. You can see some of its idiosyncrasies o?n display in the console announcement and launch date trailer below.

The story of Mediterranea Inferno kicks o?ff as three young 20-something guys reconnect after a period of isolation that's all too familiar. This is a post-pandemic yarn that reflects collective tra??uma through the trio of Claudio, Andrea, and Mida, who are attempting to enjoy their Southern Italy retreat.

Along the way? you'll get to choose what they do each day, from visiting the local cemetery to relaxing by the pool, soaking in an endless summer that paves the way for insight into thei??r psyches and unlocks hidden fears, obsessions, and the reality of dashed ambitions. 

Coming to grips with inner demons is an inevitable side effect of rediscovery in Mediterranea Inferno, apparently. Creator Lorenzo Redaelli produced hundreds of illustrations for the game along with handling the writing and music, so much like Milky Way Prince, there's a very personal touch behind it all. We have a little ways to go before that March console launch approaches, but in the meantime Mediterranea Inferno is available via Steam and Epic Games Store. 

The post Mediterranea In?ferno visual novel sets? console debut for March 5, 2024 appeared first on Destructoid.

Slay the Princess is both easy to describe, and difficult to truly dig into. The best I can offer is a word-salad of genre titles and inspirations: horror meta-narrative visual novel with hand-drawn visuals and strong voice acting, something akin to The Stanley Parable meets Mundaun.

And it can get even more difficult to pin down as it goes on. Slay the Princess feels dreamlike, constantly shiftin??g but staying focused on the drama and tension between its characters. It is simple to get into, but Black Tabby's words will linger in your mind long after journey's end.

So let's start at the beginning.

Slay the Princess (PC)
Developer: Black Tabby Games
Publisher: Black Tabby Games
Released: October 23, 2023
MSRP: $17.99

Into the woods

You find yourself in a forest. After you wake, a disembodied voice dubbed The Narrator tells you there is a Princess. And you have to slay her, or the world will end. You must truly Slay the Princess.

While this may seem straightforward, you don't have to play along right away. A series of options lines up on the right-hand side. Do you ask questions? Do you argue with the Narrator? Do you despise the notion that violence must be enacted without reason? Or maybe you simply embrace the revolution. There are, after all, no right answers. Just answers.

Black Tabby Games may be choosing the text dialogues for you, but these responses were impressively elab??orate, ranging from basic questions to flippant contrarianism to deep interrogations of the philosophical issues surrounding, well, killing a Princess. Even in the opening moments, it's clear the player should engage with the text and react to it, in more ways than simply advancing a plot forward.

Eventually, you head towards the cabin, ??optionally pick up a knife set out for you, and? head down into the basement to greet a Princess in chains. And still, you're offered options. The Princess can talk and reason with you. Are you going to hear her out?

Slay the Princess revels in this tensi?on, put mostly simply by the Princess if you reach her cabin with a blade i?n tow: "At the end of the day, whatever the two of us have going on down here is about trust."

Trust is important as, it turns out, the Princess is no ordinary Princess. And she may be a bit more than you've bargained for. The title of this game makes the task s?eem easier than it really is.

What stays and goes

If you played the demo of Slay the Princess before, you know there's ??more going on than a simple encounter in the cabin. Situations repeat, yet you and the Princess retain knowledge. Alongside that, voices creep up in your mind, shifting from the pair of just the Narrator and enigmatic Voi??ce of the Hero to a big block party of Voices: the Broken, the Cold, the Smitten, the Hunted, and more.

Revealing this here doesn't feel too much like a spoiler, because there??'s even more narrative framework hanging overhead. The story has an intrinsic loop built into it, one that sees you returning and repeating, p??oking and prodding for changes.

It's a system that highlights the best parts of Slay the Princess: the reactivity. There i??s an impressive, even daunting number of permutations a single encounter can go through, and Black Tabby Games has ??done a great job of accounting for all of the little nuances.

Taking the blade down into the cabin's basement is an obvious one; first impressions are everything, and it'??s hard to convince someone you mean no harm when you showed up with a knife. But maybe it's not just actions. Words can have an effect, too.

The branching paths are rewarding, not just for sheer scope, but how they make each p?laythrough feel tailored. Your run may have similar encounters, but they might change or even produce entirely different Princesses based on small differences in the actions?? you take. Each gets a handy name, like the Razor or the Thorn, to help drive their imagery home.

These Princesses can take on all kinds of shape and dispositions towards the player, creating the horror of the story. Betraying the Princess might be easy to do in one loop, but how do you think she'll react if she remember??s ?that in the next? And if you try to show mercy, would a Princess you've previously stabbed and fought truly believe it? So many decisions layer on top of each other, all creating new ways of experiencing the same basic forest-cabin-basement setup until it's altogether changed.

As loops layer over each other, it can get hard at times to track where you're at. Thankfully, Slay the Princess is a fairly short experience. I clocked in at about 4-ish hours for my first run, and there's nothing in the way of filler. It's easy to go back and check permutations as well, and yo?u really should. I was constantly surprised by how the developer put in so many choices, yet thought through how each would pan out, especially in concert with previous decisions.

Drawing conclusions

Alongside the story, a massive draw for Slay the Princess is its art. Black Tabby Games uses a hand-drawn style, similar to their work on Scarlet Hollow, and it's incredibly effective in Slay the Princess. What might seem simple at first can evolve and warp, and the art adapts well to different spaces a?nd c??oncepts. When the world starts not just shifting, but changing in its basic physical structure and even entering into the realm of surrealism, the art matches its pace well.

A few well-placed animations and other surprises keep the tension high, too. I don't know that I'd say this is an outright jump-scare game, but there were moments where I was peering at the text and dialogue through gaps between my fingers??. Some of the most impressive horror happens when things get capital-W Weird, and it's laid out incredibly well by Black Tabby's art.

Voice performances also help drive the terror home. Slay the Princess has just two actors to its credits: the Princess, portrayed by Nichole Goodnight, and the Voices, b??y Jonathan Sims. Each gets to really show their range, as differen??t evolutions and permutations change their presentation. Scared, terrifying, broken, domineering, and everything in between comes through in just their voices.

There were a few times ??where technical hitches cropped up. Borders on art would lift out from the bottom of the screen, and some voice lines sounded like mics had been swapped out. They're hitches I can mostly excuse though, as they never really pulled me out of the moment.

I will follow you into the dark

It's tough to talk about what happens in Slay the Princess without describing the actual mechanics getting you there, or the way it builds to an incredible showdown that beautifully ties in your choices in ways that feel thoughtful and meaningful. So I'll have to, as Slay the Princess sometimes does, speak in the abstract.

Slay the Princess is, to me, about finality. It's about the looming idea that everything we do is, to some degree, impermanent. Not just death, but our creations, the things we make. The words I'm writing here are as permanent as the servers they're stored in, and the eyes reading them. A??nd we fight, desperately, to maintain some level of legacy that outlasts the unstoppable advancing of time. The life, the love, and the legacies all will, eventually, fade.

But it's the ways in which those experiences form and shape us moving forward that's beautiful. Carrying pieces of your past with you, whether they were helpful or difficult, pretty or ugly, shapes the You that moves forward. It makes th?ose moments permanent, and can ?even give them new meaning, as we better understand ourselves and those around us.

They say every door closing opens another. It's certainly true in Slay the Princess, where every gory, somber, bitter end just leads into the next. But they do, eventually, arrive at something new, and something we have the oppo?rtunity to shape for ourselves if we allow it.

Slay the Princess is a horror meta-narrative visual novel about the choices we make, and how they change us and those around us. It's about? the interpersonal relationships that can wound us, make us versions of ourselves we never imagined, yet teach us. It is a damn good story, and one worth experiencing.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Slay the Princess appeared first on Destructoid.

Meta-horror visual novel Slay the Princess is locking in a date, just in time for the spookiest season. Black Tabby Games will unleash Slay the Princess on October 20,? 2023 for PC, Mac, and Linux via Steam.

Black Tabby Games has already made itself known in the horror space through Scarlet Hollow, and Slay the Princess looks to be pretty terrifying in its own way. The general idea is that you wake up in some woods, driven by the disembodied voice of the Narrator (Jonathan Sims from The Magnus Archives) to slay the princess.? Doing so, he says, will ??save the world.

But what do you choose to do when you reach her cabin? Do you pick up the knife and bring it down? Do you try to talk things out with the princess, voiced by Nichole Goodnight, or simply do what ??you're told? And what if you've been here before?

Without saying too much, the narrative starts to twist and shift in ways you can already see in the newest release date trailer:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=IY07Vh7MEbg

More than a princess

The draw of Slay the Princess, as we've seen in demos here, is how its narrative threads weave and intersect to reflect decisions. Slay the Princess is, essentially, about trust. And depending on what you've already done, the princess may warp to reflec??t your actions, as you?? also try to comprehend just what is going on in this place.

Some really sharp writing and incredible art work, complemented by the fully voice-acted lineup, really makes Slay the Princess shine. Its focus on creating an exact vibe and idea earned it a spot on our list of favorite games from PAX East 2023.

Suffice to say, I'm looking forward to this one, and October is the perfect month for it. Black Tabby also confirms Slay the Princess is coming to Steam Deck, so the terror can go on-the-go, too. Make your choices and live with them as Slay the Princess arrives on October 20.

The post Slay the Princess brings the world’s end on October 20 appeared first on Destructoid.

We've only just h?ad a Steam event and now another one is on the way. Get ready for the Steam Visual Novel Fest, a celebration of games that put a lot of emphasis on story and narrative.

In a recent video uploaded to the Steam YouTube channel (with a few details over on the Steam website itself), there's a brief run down on what the fest will feature. For a whole week starting August 7, you'll be treated to a host of visual novel-style games, w?hich includes discounts and demos.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHlRY8V-Kig

Immerse yourself in stories

Some of the games that will be part of the event include the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney trilogy, for those of you who like a courtroom drama type of story. There's also Telltale's Walking Dead series, spe??cifically the Definitive edition, which contains all four seasons.

Other titles included in the Steam Visual Novel Fest include The Pillars of Earth, the adaptation of Ken Follett's epic story set in 12th century England, as well as SFB Games' Tangle Tower, Toge Productions' Coffee Talk, and more.

Steam is well known for putting on plenty of festivals and events to keep us out of pocket throughout the year. Recently, we had the Stealth Fest which, as you can imagine, wa??s a celebration of all things stealthy and clandest??ine.

Combined with all the sales that happen, it's a wonder any of us have any money left. While there are alternatives when it comes to PC digital storefronts, Steam is the OG, having dominated the market for 20 years. Honestly, with events like this, it's not really surprising that it continues ??to reign supreme.

The post Steam’s Visual Novel Fest will feature The Walking Dead, Phoenix Wright, and more appeared first on Destructoid.

Identity Crisis

My introduction to Tron was actually through Monolith Production’s 2003 FPS, Tron 2.0. It was a great game and an unfortunate way to dive in. I later watched Tron and was disappointed that Tron 2.0’s nuanced and deep interpretation of the inner world of computers wasn’t informed by th?e storytelling from the 1982 film.

That’s not to say Tron isn’t worthwhile. It’s an imaginative setting that feels like an archaic interpretation of what computers would eventually be. Tron: Identity is an unassuming approach to that universe. It’s a visual novel and decidedly a small project made out of love for the property. Playing it, you can almost sense the excitement Bithell Games had for developing the title, and that goes a long way in making Tron: Identity a worthwhile title.

[caption id="attachment_373120" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Tron: Identity (PC [reviewed], Switch)
Developer: Bithell Games
Publisher: Bithell Games
Release: April 11, 2023
MSRP: $14.99

Taking place in an initially undefined part of the Tron timeline, Tron: Identity puts you i??n the role of Query, a Disciple of Tron who works without allegiance. Essentially, a private eye. At a place called “The Repository,�?someone has blown open a vault and, it’s assumed, made off with something important. No one is quite sure what, and no one really kno??ws why. That’s for you to find out.

Familiarity with the Tron mythos isn’t firmly required, but you’ll be diving in at the deep end without it. The Grid has been left on its own for so long, that the idea of a User has fallen to legend. Some people ?still believe firmly in these godly figures, while others believe only in programs. You’ll be hit with references of ENCOM, Flynn, and TRON, but the programs you meet along ??the way are new characters and they don’t have any definitive knowledge of what’s going on. However, the impact of the game’s revelations won’t be as significant without knowledge of what’s happened in the world previously.

//youtu.be/nRKJ9ElRc8s

User error

Tron: Identity is firmly a visual novel with a light puzzle-solving mini-game. Essentially, some memories got rattled loose from some ??of the programs you meet, and you “defrag�?their identity discs to get these memories back??. It’s reasonably fun.

There’s an endless mode where you just play the mini-game, but I’m not sure it’s that cool. It’s definitely a lot better than playing another version of the light cycles again. For that matter, if you’re ??only here for the story, you can skip the defrag routine entirely and just proceed with the text.

The main meat of the game is the investigation. You have some sway over how things play out, but since a first-run playthrough is maybe 2-3 hours long, there isn’t a lot of opportunity for decision making. The decisions you do end up making are pretty impactful, though Tron: Identity likes to declare exactly where those effects are being felt. That said, they’re not obvious black-and-white moral choices. They’re the type of choices that there isn’t a right answer for, and you’ll likely end up pissing someone off.

[caption id="attachment_373118" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Neon noir

The narrative itself is very nuanced and satisfying. Even as someone who isn’t fully immersed in the Tron universe, it gave me a bunch of stuff to chew on and figure out after the game ended. It can sometimes be overly vague, and not being fully indoctrinated, I can’t help but feel I’ve probably missed some things. While this wasn’t a huge problem, there were ti?mes when I felt like I was making a decision without all the needed facts. Like Query knew more than I did.

There’s also the possibility that if you found Tron to be a bit hokey, this isn’t going to change your mind. I feel that the world presented does a great job of framing our own, but at the same time, I don’t know why it’s raining in a mainframe. I felt like I needed to suspend disbelief pretty hard everytime a program started showing emotions, but since this isn’t our world, and neither is it trying to be an accurate representation of a com?puter world, it gets to make the rules.

[caption id="attachment_373119" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Light reading

I really appreciate that Tron: Identity is as short as it is. It makes great use of its runtime, and playing through it again feels like a reasonable ?prospect. It tells a complete story but leaves things wide open to continue. In many ways, I lo??ve that the focus is entirely on the interior of The Grid and leaves out any human interference. It's a terrific approach.

Its focus is rather admirable. There’s no voice acting, the graphics are rather basic, but everything comes together wonderfully to get the job done. Fans of visual novels have been eating great recently, and Tron: Identity is another great morsel to dig your teeth into. Even if it’s not the most transcendental experience, it’s hard not to be char?med by the amount of love that’s been p?ut into it.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Tron: Identity appeared first on Destructoid.

Ashiarai yashiki

Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo seems to have snuck up on all of us. When my editor passed it over to me and asked if I’d be interested, I had trouble figuring out what it was supposed to be from the press materials, trailer, and even store pages that had sprung up. Square Enix is one of the few monolithic publishers that doesn’t shy away from mid-budget releases, but Paranormasight seems like such a small project that it’s surprising to se?e it outside of the indie s??phere.

It's a visual novel. The staff on Paranormasight aren’t huge; not in the AAA industry, and not in terms of Square Enix veterans, at least. Most notably, the writer, Takanari Ishiyama, worked on the Tantei Kibukawa Ryōsuke Jikentan series, which remains Japan-only.

Whatever led to Paranormasight being greenlit, we need it to happen more often. The world could use more visual novels as stylish and captivating as Paranormasight.

[caption id="attachment_368159" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo (PC, Switch [Reviewed])
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Released: March 8, 2023
MSRP: $19.99

The story kicks off by sending you on a killing spree. As Shogo Okiie, you find yourself in possession of a “curse stone.�?The Feast of Shadows has kicked off, and anyone with a c??urse stone that collects enough “soul dregs�?by killing others will be granted the ??rite of resurrection. The entire prologue of the game has you piloting Shogo as he treks around the Sumida borough of Tokyo, killing people with his curse.

But that’s just one possible outcome used to teach you what Paranormasight is all about. After this prologue, you’re introduced to the storyboa??rd, where you navigate the tales of multiple protagonists as they experience the Feast of Shadows. There’s grieving mother Harue Shigima, hard-working detective Tetsuo Tsutsumi, angsty teenager Yakko Sakazaki, and one other that I won’t ruin for you. Along with them, they’re often partnered with awesome supporting characters who sometimes steal the show.

You don’t so much control the actions of the protagonists but rather just influence their actions. You’re essentially a spirit that exists beyond the fourth wall, so as you learn information from another character’s path, you can impart it elsewhere to influence what’s happening. In a way, you’re investigating these timelines for information that can be used to uncover a way to mitigate the damage ??of the curses.

[embed]//?www.youtube.com/watch?v=sDuDbiie2r0[/embed]

Delinquent birds

Despite the fact that Paranormasight is a visual novel with few bells? and whistles, it manages to be stylish without them. Even full voiceover is eschewed, being text-only. However, it incorporates full panoramic backgrounds for you to scan around, and a camera system that makes used of it.

Rather than just having a pair of talking characters bordering the screen, the camera will pan across?? them, adding drama to every scene. The characters themselves may be largely static 2D images, but the added movement and angles make everything greatly more stimulating visually. It also makes use of chromatic aberration and distorted lenses to bring its 1980s setting to life. These are all rather small flourishes that have a big effect on how well it grabs your attention.

[caption id="attachment_368163" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Paranormal Affair

Another appealing aspect about Paranormasight’s approach is how rooted it is in Sumida City. Backed by the Sumida City Tourism Board, it does a great job of transporting you to this place. As the title implies, it delves into the Seven Mysteries of Honjo, a collection of legends both munda?ne and macabre. The Seven Mysteries have a big impact on Japanese storytelling in general, and ??having them reinterpreted here provides interesting insight into their culture.

The whole narrative takes parts of history and entangles them in such a way that it’s almost difficult to extract fact from fiction. At a few moments in the game, I picked up my phone to research some of the things in the game t??o see if I could gain greater insight. All of this is compiled in an index that you can view at any time, giving you access to a wealth of knowledge, both real and fictional.

The focus is largely on the story. There are investigative bits, and a few places where Paranormasight essentially quizzes you on what you’ve learned, but the majority of your time will b??e spent reading dialogue and? watching the story unfold.

[caption id="attachment_368166" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Paranormarama

There were a lot of points when starting the game where I was feeling skeptical. First impressions weren’t the greatest, but they didn’t last long. When Paranormasight kicked ?into gear, I had trouble tearing myself away. It was constantly surprising, kept me think??ing, and has some pretty great characters to boot.

If I have one nagging complaint, it'??s that I'm not a fan of the mouse-pointer interface on the Switch version.

Paranormasight makes me feel like the visual novel genre has been held back by largely adhering to a formula first created 40 years ago. It makes its evolutionary steps seem effortless, simple, and long overdue. But more importantly, it tells an excellent story that defies expectations. So, as long as you’re up for some reading and a bit of thinking, Paranormasight is one you shouldn’t miss.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: P??a??ranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo appeared first on Destructoid.

She's going to be yours, forever, and ever, and ever

Wonderful news for lovers everywhere: Good Smile Co has opened pre-orders on a brand new addition to its Pop-Up Parade pop culture figure range, sculpted after the achingly adorable Monika, the heart-rending star of visual novel Doki Doki Literature Club.

Standing a little over seven inches in height, Monika is dressed in her iconic school uniform and two-tone shoes, posed in a welcoming, coy manner and carrying t??he pen with which she will write you many a sw??????????????????????????eet nothing. A welcome addition to any desktop, Monika's loving gaze will inspire you while you work, watch T.V., make calls, read, cook, eat, dress, and sleep... Especially when you sleep.

Talk about security! Moni??ka will watch o??ver you, now and always. Forever.

Good Smile Co.'s Pop-Up Parade brand is a range of static, affordable figures, provided without art?iculation or accessories, but offering a cheaper alternative to the more prestige Figma range. I happen to own a couple of Pop-Up Parade figures myself �?such as rice queen Sakuna �?and they are nicely sculpted, subtly colored, and make for a fine addition to your work desk and/or windowsill without breaking the bank.

Doki Doki Literature Club's Monika is available to pre-order now from the Good Smile Co. website and other merch retailers, priced at ¥4,800, (roughly $35 USD), not including any shipping c??harges. Monika i??s expected to show up at your door in August 2023. I hope that you'll be very happy together.

You better be.

The post Doki Doki Literature Club’s Monika gets her own Pop-Up Parade figure appeared first on Destructoid.

Probe the rich

Purveyor of (often romantic) visual novels, Winter Wolves, has launched a Kickstarter for their latest concoction, Save the World. They are se??eking �?000 for the project, and�?oh, they already met it. Good for them.

Save the World appears to be a yuri visual novel. The Kickstarter doesn’t exp??licitly say that, but all I see are women, and the two mentioned romantic options are both lesbian. It involves one such woman being abducted by aliens. Their leader, Xen, ex??plains that they aren’t invaders, but rather they travel about saving worlds and asks for the protagonist, Ekiya’s, advice on what’s ailing Earth. Her response is about the unbalanced distribution of wealth, and the aliens follow through by simply eliminating a lot of rich people.

Boobs and eating the rich. I am captivated.

[embed]//youtu.be/jz4oi9nFJVc[/embed]

I find the narrative crux of Save the World to be quite interesting. It has you consider if, given the opportunity, you would use an alien race's technological force to address?? the world’s problems. How far would you go? Would it even be worth it? Maybe the world’s problems are humanity’s alone to fix, or perhaps a drastic �?possibly violent �?course correction is the only way to save it.

Meanwhile, you also have the option to romance two?? of the characters. Because there’s no better way to unwind from a moral quandary than with a little grind and bump. Stretch goals include more CG scenes and extra outfits, some of which are sexy or completel?y explicit (another kind of sexy).

I’ve enjoyed a fair few of Winter Wolves�?previous visual novels, but with this sort of thing, it mostly comes down to the ?writer and art?ist.

Save the World’s Kickstarter is going on right now and will continue through to March 23, 2023. The development is expected to take one year, with Save the Earth becoming available on PC in March 2024.

The post Winter Wolves launche?s Kickstarter for new visual novel Save the World appeared first on Destructoid.

Sacrilege, you say?

When it was released in 2021, Perfect Gold was something of a surprise to me. It was a yuri visual novel that I connected with, even though I’ve never exactly had any relatable experiences. Perfect Gold was earnest, honest, and sweet. It was a st??ory of pe?ople who shared a romance, not about a romance between two people.

So, I kept the developer, Yangyang Mobile, earmarked to watch out for. I believe they were, at the time, already working on Saint Maker, and I didn’t know what to respect. As it turns out, we have a different genre, different themes, and a different writer, but the same earnestness tucked away inside.

I’ll take it.

[caption id="attachment_365249" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Saint Maker (PC, Switch)
Developer: Yangyang Mobile
Publisher: Yangyang Mobile
Released: February 22nd, 2023
MSRP: $13.99

If you’re an awful person like me, you’re probably asking how much lesbian we’re in for this time around. The answer is some, but it’s not a central theme to Saint Maker. This isn’t romance, it’s horror.

In particular, it’s horror based around the Christian faith. Saint Maker follows Holly Beltran as she goes to spend her summer at a recollection for girls. When she gets there, she finds an unbalanced and hostile nun, and a rebellious teen who makes her disdain for the whole deal rather clear. What starts off as uncomfortable turns horrifying as the two girls start seeing supernatur??al v??isions and begin to learn of Saint Idelora’s convent.

Saint Maker is a relatively linear visual nove??l. There are some choices to make, but sometimes the game will make it obvious that you didn’t actually have a choice. It seems that some of the selecti?ons will result in additional or different scenes. The developer advertises a “secret�?ending scene depending on your choices, and I’m not sure I got that. Maybe? It’s a complete story without it, anyway.

[embed]//youtu.be/pcLijhOfBbI[/embed]

Oh no, she’s hot

If there’s one thing to be thankful for, it’s that Saint Maker doesn’t waste a lot of time. The game takes 4-6 hours to get through and is advertised at 60,000 words. Outside of some flashbacks, it takes place entirely within the convent. It? introduces the characters, hints?? at their deeper issues, then starts them off on their development.

While Saint Maker is focused on themes of religious trauma, it has more to say about the people involved than it does on Christianity as a whole. People are hell. They may use r??eligion to seek answers, give themselves directions, and bury their insecurities, but it’s not necessarily faith that’s ??provided as the problem. At least not explicitly. There’s a supernatural element to it that relates more to the challenges the characters face than it does to Christianity itself. It feels more like the story is focused on the seemingly endless cycle of abuse, and while religion plays into it in this case, it’s the people that are the problem.

But is it scary? That’s going to depend on your sensitivities, but I��d say no. Of course, I’m fortunate enough to feel that religious trauma is not one of the emotional weights I carry with me, so your own experiences may change things. There is certainly one scene that I found shocking, there is some grotesque imagery, and it definitely made me feel reasonably uncomfortable at times, but I never found it ??particularly scary.

Not any? more than people normally do in actuality, I mean. Other humans keep me in a perpetual state of horror.

[caption id="attachment_365247" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Hell is other people

Part of the problem is that I found the story beats to be a bit too predictable. This is primarily a problem with the all-encompassing narrative. The character arcs themselves are more compelling and handled better, which seems to be the primary focus, but the p??lot itself ?just unravels in some rather expected ways.

I’m also not a tremendous fan of the art. It’s not?? necessarily the characters or backgrounds that are a problem; it’s the fact that so much is left up to the sound design and animation. Any physical violence is done just by shaking the screen, and this can leave things unclear ??as to what is happening. It’s not so ambiguous that I wasn’t able to put things together in my mind, but the visuals don’t do their share of the storytelling.

The voice-acting is fine. I wouldn’t go much further than that. I was afraid that it would be filled with a lot of horrified screaming, but the actresses managed to convey the terror without it being agitating. Likewise, the main character’s voice is filled with the right amount of uncertainty, sorrow, and quavering nervousness. My only issue is that it som??etimes doesn’t sound quite natural, but it gets the job done.

[caption id="attachment_365251" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot by Destructoid[/caption]

Golden idol

Saint Maker isn’t a new Perfect Gold for me. The two visual novels are different enough that they’re only barely comparable, but I just found it doesn’t demonstrate the same level of skill. Regardless of how the two titles stack up, I still very much enjoyed Saint Maker. Mo??st of that admiration comes from how intricately st?acked its themes and characters are. It has a lot to say, and it says it well.

I’ll be continuing to keep my eye on Yangyang Mobile. I don’t have any specific expectations for what I want to see f??rom them. I’m mostly just interested in where they go next.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Saint Maker appeared first on Destructoid.

Monika is so happy with you

Publisher Serenity Forge has announced that visual novel adventure Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! has sold over one million copies since its initial?? launch on PC and consoles in the su??mmer of 2021.

Doki Doki Literature Club puts players in the role of a new student, begrudgingly roped into joining their new school's poetry club, where they meet fellow teenage scribes Sayori, Natsuki, Yuri, and the club's president, Monika. The expanded Plus! edition features the origin?al game in its entirety, freshly polished with remastered visuals, as well as a glut of new features and additional side stories, providi??ng the ultimate romantic experience for both new and returning fans.

//twitter.com/TeamSalvato/stat??us/1628??168687680393216?s=20

"These past five years, seeing my writing reach so many people has helped to shape who I am," said original creator Dan Salvato of the sales. "I feel so connected to every Doki Doki Literature Club! fan I have the privilege of meeting. In my gratitude to all our supporters, I’m committed to using our funding from Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! to support mental health nonprofits, as well as to make new boun??dary-breaking games that can create connection and meaning for ??even more people."

Initially launched as a Steam indie release back in 2017, positive word of mouth would see the original Doki Doki Literature Club? hit an amazing 13 million downloads. The now iconic release would receive high praise from critics and players for its intriguing nature, evolving story, memorable cha??racters, and meta qualities, all of which facilitate an experience quite unlike that which might have been originally expected.

The post Do??ki Doki Literature Club Plus! has captured over on?e million hearts appeared first on Destructoid.

All my friends are heathens

Saint Maker, the new visual novel from Yangyang Mobile, is set to drop on PC and Switch on February 22, 2023. The press release tells me that this date is significant because it’s Ash Wednesday, but as a Canadian, that just tells me that February 21st is Pancake Tuesday.

I probably lost a fair few of you at the word “Mobile,�?but it’s necessary to highlight this game for a very important reason: Yangyang Mobile is the developer that brought us Perfect Gold, a game that came out in 2021 that I still haven’t shut up about.

[embed]//youtu.be/pcLijhOfBbI[/embed]

However, while Perfect Gold was a beautiful yuri love story, Saint Maker has its sights set on horrifying you rather than warming your heart. It tells the story of Holly Beltran, who is attending a recollection at Saint Idelora’s convent when she starts witnessing strange hauntings. Saint Maker revolves around religious horror with a psychological twist. While there are interactive choices to be made, Yangyang Mobile has pegged the game at around 60,000 words and estimates it will take 4-6 hours ?to complete. Great information!

While I would have been perfectly content if Yangyang Mobile wanted to keep feeding me yuri romance, I’m down for a little variety. This isn't their first foray into the horror genre, as they previously released The Letter in 2017.

Saint Maker will be available on PC and Switch on February 22nd. It will be available for $13.99, but you can enjoy a 20% discount during its l??aunch week.

The post Visual novel Saint Maker launches February 22nd appeared first on Destructoid.

Okay, brain. Don’t accidentally write “First Blood.�?/h2>

Vampires are pretty hot, but relationship options with them are limited. You know, because they’re fictional, which always gets in the way of good romance. However, First Bite is a visual novel that knows what we want: dates with vampires. This February 14th, we’re getting even more of that in First Bite: Bad Blood because if there’s one thing better than vampire dating, it’s more vampir?e dating. But there’s more than just one thing that’s be??tter. Consider werewolf dating. Also, consider minotaur dating.

First Bite: Bad Blood picks up where the base game left off, serving as a sequel that again follows Noe, a fre?shly-chomped vampire who is adjusting to being a cold-blooded dead person. But? I’m going to have to quote the developer directly on this one, because I’m not sure I can really put it better myself: “things aren’t quite as simple as you hoped when you’re being eased into vampire life by a murder-himbo obsessed with Eurodance, a narcissist with an online shopping addiction, and a wild card with a penchant for BDSM.�?Sounds magma-hot.

[caption id="attachment_361381" align="alignnone" width="640"] Image via First Bite Games[/caption]

This time around, just to make things spicier, you’re going up against the most arousing force in the universe: bureaucracy. A missed email is all it takes to put your destiny in question, as the vampire council is a bit miffed about being snubbed. Wow, I can hardly contain the lust boiling atop that overwhelmingly erotic plot summary.

Sarcasm aside, First Bite is an LGBTQ+ friendly visual novel with a?? dark comedy approach. I’ve been going through a bit of a dry spell when it comes to my digital romances, so ??I might just have to sink my teeth into this one.

First Bite is available right now on Steam and itch.io, its DLC, First Bite: Bad Blood will hit Steam on February 14, 2023, and can be pre-purchased on itch.io for $4.99.

The post Romantic visual novel First Bite getting Valentine’s Day DLC appeared first on Destructoid.

]]> //jbsgame.com/romantic-visual-novel-first-bite-bad-blood-getting-valentines-day-dlc/feed/ 0 361376 //jbsgame.com/witch-on-the-holy-night-type-moon-launch-switch-ps4/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=witch-on-the-holy-night-type-moon-launch-switch-ps4 //jbsgame.com/witch-on-the-holy-night-type-moon-launch-switch-ps4/#respond Wed, 07 Dec 2022 20:00:22 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=353169

Another Nasu story is now widely available

One of Type-Moon's visual novels gets its wider release today. Witch on the Holy Night is now digitally available on Nintendo Switch and PlayStatio??n 4.

This is an update of the original 2012 PC release, which was only released in Japan. This new version is available worldwide today, with remastered visuals and an??imated graphic elements too.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVmyDtQ9Pr0

The story of Witch on the Holy Night follows Soujyuro Sizuki, a young student who finds himself wrapped up in the lives of two witches. Set in the late 1980s, it still looks to have a lot of the ??magic and deep lore you'd be looking for in a Type-Moon story.

You can find the new version of Witch on the Holy Night on the Nintendo eShop here, or on the PlayStation Store here. Both platfor??ms ?also have a demo version available.

Fate/Holy Night

For fans of the Type-Moon universe, bringing Witch on the Holy Night isn't only about making this specific story more widely available. As evidenced by the reactions to Holy Night's launch on social media, fans also hope this co??uld encourage Type-Moon to bring more stories over to western audiences.

If you're unfamiliar with Kinoko Nasu, he's the author behind a lot of popular visual novels that have since become major properties, including Tsukihime and Fate/stay night. The latter has ballooned out into a major force thanks to Fate/Grand Order, and the former is the setting for the increasingly popular Melty Blood fighting games.

While the series has grown its fan base in the west, we still haven't seen some major pieces of the Nasu-verse officialy debut here. The original Fate/stay night isn't readily available on North American storefronts. And the recently released Tsukihime remake seems up in the air for western audiences. The hope is that if Witch on the Holy Night does well, more from this univ?erse may make its way ??over.

Either way, a Type-Moon visual novel is out today, and that's pretty neat in its own right. Witch on the Holy Night is out now on Switch and PS4.

The post Type-Moon’s Witch on the Holy Night is out now on Switch and PlayStation appeared first on Destructoid.

]]> //jbsgame.com/witch-on-the-holy-night-type-moon-launch-switch-ps4/feed/ 0 353169 //jbsgame.com/aviary-attorney-anabela-twitch-stream/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=aviary-attorney-anabela-twitch-stream //jbsgame.com/aviary-attorney-anabela-twitch-stream/#respond Sat, 17 Sep 2022 01:00:39 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=343542

Any objections?

Hello hello! Tonight we're taking the role of a defense lawyer who must investigate crimes and defend our clients in court. Self-described as "potentially the hottest bird lawyering game to come out of 1840s France," Aviary Attorney is clearly a very Ace Attorney-flavored game, which we all know as iconic and tons of?????????????????????????? fun. There are three possible endings, all "drastically different," casting a new light on the main characters as they discover what ju??stice means.

After our first stream last Friday, I can confirm Aviary Attorney is very witty and comical.

I like that the ?case??s have details that matter, lines where you may need to remember some very early clues, and a (sometimes frustrating) time limit to find them; so it's a fun challenge to remember everything and put the clues to use. The characters are full of personality with unique dialogue and I'm really enjoying it.

---

Drop by Destructoid’s Twitch channel at 9:00 p.m. Eastern to hang out.

The post We’re streaming Aviary Attorney tonight appeared first on Destructoid.

]]> //jbsgame.com/aviary-attorney-anabela-twitch-stream/feed/ 0 343542 //jbsgame.com/slay-the-princess-horror-adventure-visual-novel-2023-reveal/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=slay-the-princess-horror-adventure-visual-novel-2023-reveal //jbsgame.com/slay-the-princess-horror-adventure-visual-novel-2023-reveal/#respond Mon, 25 Jul 2022 21:30:48 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=336345

Appearances can be deceiving

You are on a quest to a cabin. And inside the cabin, there is a princess. But as the name implies, Slay the Princess is not necessarily about a valiant rescue.

Rather, you're going to have to do some slaying.

Developer Black Tabby Games announced its next project, Slay the Princess, today.? And it is a good pitch. You're on your way to a cabin in the woods to kill a princess. Do this, and? you'll save the world. Fail, and you doom it. But she's a princess, right? How bad could she really be?

Well, watch the trailer below and draw your own conclusions.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=RByDoYQpFa8

The story plays on trust, choice, and of course, lots of horror. Because despite any immediate takes on the matter, this princess is a lot more than just that. As the Steam page notes, you will probably die a lot on your quest. Also, don't try? to romance her, or talk to her, or hear her out. But also, who's to say this narrator is trustworthy either?

Not quite a knight in shining armor

Slay the Princess is a really cool concept, and from a pretty interesting team too. Black Tabby Games had some word-of-mouth going about a previous horror adventure, Scarlet Hollow. It's clear the team ??has some chops when it comes to writing interesting horror narratives.

Plus, from the trailer alone, the art style looks fantastic. And the voice work from Jonathan Sims and Nichole Goodnight adds a ton, too. It reminds me a bit of fellow pencil-sketch horror game Mundaun, mixed with a visual novel-style presentation. With som??e branching paths, possible loops, and probably some secrets to uncover, Black Tabby Games has my attention.

Slay the Princess is aiming for a 2023 launch. Those who can't wait can get early access to a two-hour demo through Black Tabby's Patreon here.

The post Slay the Princess is a horror game about a very scary princess coming ne??xt year appeared first on Destructoid.

]]> //jbsgame.com/slay-the-princess-horror-adventure-visual-novel-2023-reveal/feed/ 0 336345 //jbsgame.com/aksys-games-anime-expo-2022/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=aksys-games-anime-expo-2022 //jbsgame.com/aksys-games-anime-expo-2022/#respond Sun, 03 Jul 2022 13:00:23 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=333120

The cup runneth over for visual novel and otome fans

There may have been way too many people tryi??ng to get into this year's Anime Expo in Los Angeles this year, but I can sympathize with them. After all, two straight years of online-only events has a lot of us jonesing to get back out there and be around those who share our interest in Japanese entertainment. Not only is the expo the place to see all the upcoming toys you'll be buying and shows you'll be watching, but it's also a great source of game announcements. Case in point: Aksys Games?? and its Anime Expo reveals.

The specialty publisher announced seven games it's localizing in the west in 2023. Most of the games will release excl?usively f??or Nintendo Switch, but a few will also make appearances on other hardware.

Inescapable

Of the games announced, the one I'm most interested in is Inescapable from Dreamloop Games. This social survival game casts players as a contestant on a reality television show where 11 strangers are dropped on an island with absolutely no rules. Anybody who makes it to the end of the show? ?walks away with $500,000. The game is said to explore the depths of human desire and what pushes people to lust after clout, wealth, and their desires.

In other words, it's Westworld!

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZIuIlh0dlc

That one is going? on my radar, but the six other games are worth keeping an eye on as well if you've enjoyed  Aksys's?? past output. Those titles include:

Shuuen no Virche ~ErroR: Salvation

The English title is pending on this one, but ErroR: Salvation covers a country possessed by the god of death where people are cursed to die by the age of 23. A young woman named Ceres, who has a knack for hastening the deaths of those she meets, puts a pause on her plans to commit suicide when she meets a stranger named the "Watchman of Death." ErroR: Salvation will relea??se next year exclusively for Nin?tendo Switch.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWB9vwJc7jg

Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II

The sequel to 2018's Death Mark: Death Mark will release next year for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Steam. The trailer is one of those "age-restricted" YouTube videos, so click here to give it a watch. Coincidentally, Spirit Hunter: Death Mark and its sequel, Spirit Hunter: NG, are both on sale right now in the eShop.

Norn9: Var Commons & Norn9: Last Era

Norn9: Var Commons was originally released back in 2014 for the PlayStation Vita. Aksys Games localized the game for western audiences the next year, and in 2023, it's porting the game to Switch along with its fan disc sequel, Norn9: Last Era, which is being localized for the very first time. Norn9 features the adventures of a young prodigy named Sorata Suzuhara who is thrust back in time to 1919 aboard the ship known as Norn9. The first game covers Sorata's interactions with 11 others as they explore the secrets in Norn. Last Era features a continuation of their adventures in three parts. Both Norn9: Var Commons and Norn9: Last Era will release exclusively for Switch.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZL3UuGuyBxA

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=too4eCkDdzM

Radiant Tale

In Radiant Tale, players will take control of Tifalia, an innkeeper who's given the chance of a lifetime when a strange group calling themselves CIRCUS ask her to be their new producer. I going to assume that amusing antics and passionate romance await Tifalia on her journey. Radiant Tale will release ?next year exclusiv??ely for Nintendo Switch.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT64DCcCmbc

Pups & Purrs Pet Shop

Last but not least is Pups & Purrs Pet Shop, which is easily the cutest game of the bunch. As you might expect, this game will give players control over their own pet shop where they can work and play with adorab??le animals. Look for it next year on Nintendo Switch.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T1lA3UPpig

The post Aksys Game??s goes all-out at Anime Expo with 7?? new game announcements appeared first on Destructoid.

]]> //jbsgame.com/aksys-games-anime-expo-2022/feed/ 0 333120 //jbsgame.com/freezer-pops-isnt-quite-the-flirty-fun-id-hoped-it-would-be/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=freezer-pops-isnt-quite-the-flirty-fun-id-hoped-it-would-be //jbsgame.com/freezer-pops-isnt-quite-the-flirty-fun-id-hoped-it-would-be/#respond Mon, 27 Jun 2022 20:00:52 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=331894

Details, details, details

As we round the corner o??n this final week of June, I have to admit that, once again, I really ?haven’t been all that prideful during Pride. This has become something of an unbreakable trend for me. Over the past few years, it’s been difficult to get in the mood for the month living way out in the sticks as I do, not to mention COVID throwing a wrench into everybody’s plans.

With the world just pretending we’re not in a pandemic anymore, it could have been different this year. I’ve been feeling a lot better about myself over the past few months and, despite the fact the county I live in had to have a three-hour Board of Supervisors meeting to even recognize June as Pride Month, my town was actually going to host a Pride event at our local rodeo grounds with drag queens and everything. Finally, I would ha??ve a chance to embrace the culture I’ve been away from for so long.

Unfortunately, the odds were not in my favor. A canceled flight, something that was all too common this month, forced me to move my travel plans up a bit to the very day of that Pride celebration. No drag queen bingo for this gay. Instead, it was off to Michigan for a week before heading back home to blistering sunshine and near triple-digit temperatures. With all of my local options expired and larger events too far to drive to, I’d have to settle for something a little more low-key this Pride, like seducing a couple of muscle daddies in Freezer Pops.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpo5qcyJVX0

From Brazilian-based developer Male Doll, Freezer Pops is a bara visual novel featuring a muscle twink named Alexandre who, following a string of back luck, is forced to find a way to drum up some extra cash to make rent. Enter freezer pops, those delicious, sugar-laden ice treats you can usually buy in bulk for a few bucks at your local grocery store. In Al?exandre’s world, however, you can earn a couple o??f bucks a piece hawking these treats to tourists at the beach.

It’s admittedly a thin setup for what this game is really about: smashing some hunks. On his first day out trying to sell these snacks, Alexandre crosses paths with two potential beaus: the impossibly muscul?ar Fernando, and Anderson, the older guy with the perfect dad bod. Over a couple of chap??ters, you’ll get the chance to get to know these guys a bit better while also trying to make ends meet in the surprisingly cutthroat world of freezer pops sales.

Feeling hot, hot, hot

To be clear, I do not have the most expansive h??istory of playing bara visual novels. This is mostly because I hate gaming on my PC, which is the platform most games like this usually call home. I’m just too much of a console/handheld player to change my ways now. Hopefully, ??that little issue will be solved when I get a Steam Deck next year. But for now, I’ll have to settle for whatever crumbs we get over on consoles.

It’s funny, given some of the games I’ve reviewed on Switch, that I’d still be shocked Nintendo would even allow a gay game like this on its flagship console. I guess part of my brain is still comfortably back in the early �?0s when Nintendo of America wouldn’t even allow crosses to appear in any game published on its hardware. So when I read about Freezer Pops making the jump from Steam to Switch?, I jumped at the opportunity to expand my horizons a ??bit.

Coming into this game, I really only had one point of reference to compare it to. Several years ago, hooked by the promise of some explicit images, I bought Coming Out On Top for my old Mac Mini. That game, with its tight script?, sexy artwork, and branching narrative paths, has become the bell cow by which I measure all other gay visual novels. Now, I know that Nintendo would never allow the type of imagery available in that game on any of its hardware, but I’m happy to say Male Doll gets pretty sensational with its not-too-graphic artwork.

As Alexandre pursues his business and romantic goals, he’ll have a couple of opportunities to get some saucy one-on-one time with the guys. Sometimes it’s? real, sometimes it’s all in h??is head. The artists at Male Doll did a pretty exquisite job with these scenes. Sure, some of the art throughout the game looks incomplete or features strange depictions of everyday items �?is that supposed to be a car? �?but it looks good where it counts.

Too much yadda-yadda-yadda

The only problem with Freezer Pops is there isn’t enough art. For too much of the game, you’ll be staring at the same still image for several minutes as the story plays out. That’s fine when you’re looking at Alexandre and Fernando going at it, not so much when you’re left staring endlessly at Anderson’s door. While this is a visual novel, it feels as though the developers wrote it as if it were a text-based game. Maybe I’m out of the loop on how visual novels are created these days, but Freezer Pops is wildly over-written. Alexandre narrates every thought that pops into his head like somebody desperately needing attention logging into Twitter for the first time. Every little action, from picking up a remote control to washing a dish, i?s spelled out with unnecessary detail.

It's also uneven in its tone and execution. A b plot featuring a rival freezer pops seller feels out of the place with the rest of the story, interrupting this pretty light narrative with s?ome unnecessary darkness. Alexandre himself has a few moments of frustration where he lashes out with a sailor's mouth that, again, doesn't quit??e fit in with the rest of the experience.

Maybe it’s more eloquent in Portuguese, which is the only other language option available, but the translation to English is pretty rough and robotic. I do?n’t want to say that the entire script was run through Google Translate without any additional tweaking, but it’s hard not to think, reading the words “He got out of the mattress,�?that the developers didn’t just rely on some piece of software to get the job done.

As awkward as most of the script’s translation is, the one place where the need to over-describe ??everything becomes a strong point for the game is with its sex scenes. Because Male Doll can’t show anything too explicit, it relies on the written word to conjure up image?s of what’s happening. Going into the first explicit scene I encounter, a dream sequence between Alexandre and Anderson, I worried the writing would be as unexceptional as the rest of the game. To my surprise, it was so detailed in describing their actions that it was kind of hard not to get a little hot under the collar.

Back in my late 20s, rather than look at images on the web, I would go down to the local Barnes & Noble and pick up anthologies of gay erotica. The writing in those books was far more explicit than anything I could imagine at that time, but with those well-written and edited stories, I could picture in my mind everything that was happening. Going through Freezer Pops�?first sexy scene and each one after, memories of those old books rushed back into my head because of how succinctly written the actions of Alexandre and his hot guys were. Most, if not all, of the stories from those a?nthologies, were written na?tively in English, and here is something I assume was originally written in Portuguese that sounded exactly like those books.

And in my best Carrie Bradshaw voice, I couldn’t help but wonder, is sex the universal language? Did L. L. Zamenhof waste the best years of his life trying to convince people to speak Esperanto when he should have been teaching the world Esexeranto? And also, does it feel a little dirty to read the word “cum??�?on my Nintendo Switch?

I don’t know the answer to those questions, but I do know that Freezer Pops is a decidedly okay game. It’s pretty short, with only a few sections that require pl??ayer input and very few branching paths to the story. The music also repeats ad nauseam, and some sound effects can come out of nowhere to give players a jump scare. And while I can commend the game for addressing issues like unexpected kink and disappointing sexual encounters that prevent the story from becoming too vanilla, I do wish the developers at Male Doll would have created more artwo??rk to keep the whole experience a bit more lively and a bit more fresh. Or at least hired an editor or translator to give the script the polish it needs.

All of that said, I’m glad eastasiasoft gave this game a chance by porting it to Switch. I can only hope that going forward, LGBTQ+ playe??rs will get to see more bara visual novels available on the Nintendo eShop.

_{[This impressions piece is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Freezer Pops isn’t quite the flirty fun I’d hoped it would be appeared first on Destructoid.

]]> //jbsgame.com/freezer-pops-isnt-quite-the-flirty-fun-id-hoped-it-would-be/feed/ 0 331894 //jbsgame.com/novect-project-m-reveal-house-in-fata-morgana-developer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=novect-project-m-reveal-house-in-fata-morgana-developer //jbsgame.com/novect-project-m-reveal-house-in-fata-morgana-developer/#respond Fri, 13 May 2022 16:00:29 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=321826

Stage and solve the mystery

Novect has garnered a following over the years, thanks to the word-of-mouth campaign around its excellent visual novel The House in Fata Morgana. Today, Nov?ect announced its next game, ?project "M"; a murder mystery where the player is both killer and detective.

Proj??ect "M" will follow a serial murder case through two different lenses. The detective side pursues the truth in an adventure game setup, moving around areas and asking questions of different characters. But in the murder section, the play??er actually takes on the role of killer and stages various "perfect crimes," like setting up a locked room murder.

The protagonist, working for a corpse disposal company, ends up exploring various parts of downtown Tokyo like Asakusa and Yoshiwara. It's going to be a fairly dark story, it?? seems.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-MKBosBHn4

In an interview with The Mako Reactor, Novect's Hanada Keika says the team would like to simultaneously launch in English and Japanese. But he also emphasizes tha??t a publisher will be necessary to help cover that.

Making a killing

There are a few games that have explored playing as both detective and killer. Fahrenheit: Indigo Prophecy's opening scene ha??s the player rushing to leave as little evidence as possible, then analyze it and chase their ow??n trail.

It's a novel idea, coming from a very interesting studio. The House in Fata Morgana has quickly become a very well-known visual novel, thanks in part to both word of mouth and a Switch port making it pretty accessible. It's a time-bending, perspective-alte?ring thriller that really tugs at? the heartstrings. All the more reason to think Novect could absolutely write a good murder mystery.

With Novect and a good portion of the team behind Fata Morgana on this, I'm interested to see what Project M becomes once it gains an official name, release ??date, and more.

The post The House in Fata Morgana dev announces new murder myst??ery project M appeared first on Destructoid.

]]> //jbsgame.com/novect-project-m-reveal-house-in-fata-morgana-developer/feed/ 0 321826 //jbsgame.com/paradise-killer-playstation-xbox-port-new-update-dlc-expansion/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=paradise-killer-playstation-xbox-port-new-update-dlc-expansion //jbsgame.com/paradise-killer-playstation-xbox-port-new-update-dlc-expansion/#respond Fri, 04 Mar 2022 18:00:52 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=311000

The return of Sexy Skeletons

Grab your sunblock and your stabproof vest, as the lurid, dangerous, and neon-infused world of Paradise Killer is getting set to make a comeback �?As revealed today by publisher Fellow Traveler, the murder mystery adventure title is not only set to receive a slew of? new content but will also be getting sun-kissed ports on PlayS?tation and Xbox.

Originally released on PC and Nintendo Switch back in 2020, Paradise Killer blends puzzles, vis??ual novel, and adventure elements as fashionista investigator Lady Love Dies is sent to a disgustingly opulent resort on the trail of a murderer. This is perhaps the simplest explanation of what is an incredibly bizarre tale, packed full of twists and turns, and starring a cast? of the oddest, most eccentric and/or sexiest characters in gaming history.

//youtu.be/oWMwYPecV7M

The PlayStation and Xbox ports of Paradise Killer will be enhanced for modern platforms, boosted by faster load times, dazzling 4K visuals, and running at 60 FPS, bringing the hyperglobal colors of Paradise Island to life like never before. The PS5 and Xbox Series edition will also include support for ray-tracing and will make use of the hardwares' Haptic Feedback, Smart Delivery, and lightbar functions. Don't sweat it, PS4 and Xbox One peeps, as Paradise Killer will run just fine for you too.

In addition to the new ports, brand new content is also en route to the original PC and Nintendo Switch editions. Arriving on March 16, the update will add new characters, quests, rewards, and collectible items, along with some smooth new tunes to massage your ears as you investigate the resort and interrogate its weird clientele. The update? wil?l also contain a fresh round of fixes and performance tweaks, and will also add a list of much-requested achievements to the Steam/PC edition.

Last, but by no means least, March 16 will also see the arrival of an enhanced soundtrack, packed out with retakes and remixes of Paradise Killer's slick score. Titled About That... Paradise Killer's B-Sides, the 12-track digital album will feature instrumentals, vocal remixes, and alternative versions of the original release's OST, freshly p?roduced by talented composer Barry "Epoch" Topping.

Paradise Killer (and the bonus content update) will launch March 16 on PlayStation, PC, and Nintendo Switch??. The Xbox e??dition is "coming soon". We'll be sure to give you a heads-up when a date is announced.

The post Paradise Killer to receive Pla?yStation/Xbox ports an?d new content update appeared first on Destructoid.

]]> //jbsgame.com/paradise-killer-playstation-xbox-port-new-update-dlc-expansion/feed/ 0 311000 //jbsgame.com/ghostwire-tokyo-has-a-free-prequel-visual-novel/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ghostwire-tokyo-has-a-free-prequel-visual-novel //jbsgame.com/ghostwire-tokyo-has-a-free-prequel-visual-novel/#respond Tue, 01 Mar 2022 22:15:36 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=310574

PlayStation owners can start their paranormal investigation today

The story of Ghostwire: Tokyo is kicking off a little sooner than expected, with a free visual novel. Ghostwire: Tokyo - Prelude is ??a prequel to the main gam?e, and it's out now on PlayStation consoles.

Set before the events of Tango Gameworks' paranormal adventure, Prelude is a detective story following KK, w?ho's on the trail of a mysterious phenomenon. After a friend goes missing, KK and company start to discover some supernatural happenings.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KsujKdcFTE

Different playthroughs will let you spend time with different people, seeing how KK gets along with them and learning more about the world. It all builds up the massive threat of Ghostwire: Tokyo proper, where KK will team up with Akito.

Ghostwire: Tokyo - Prelude is out now on PlayStation 4 and PS5, and will come to PC on March 8. Both of these are out a few weeks ahead of Ghostwire: Tokyo's launch on March 25, for PlayStation 5 and PC.

We got a hands-off look at the new supernatural mystery from Tango in February. It's got a bit of an open-world se??t-up, with stealth tactics and off-the-trail areas to explore mixed with magical combat. And of course, plenty of scary ghosts.

Set in a version of Tokyo where people are disappearing and monsters are roaming the streets, it seems like both horror and action. There's still a lot of mystery surrounding this game though, and how everything slots together into the final launch. Maybe Prelude can help fill in some gaps before March 25.

The post Ghostwire: Tokyo gets a free prequel visual novel appeared first on Destructoid.

]]> //jbsgame.com/ghostwire-tokyo-has-a-free-prequel-visual-novel/feed/ 0 310574 //jbsgame.com/reviews/review-dialtown-phone-dating-sim/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=review-dialtown-phone-dating-sim //jbsgame.com/reviews/review-dialtown-phone-dating-sim/#respond Sun, 20 Feb 2022 09:30:35 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?post_type=eg_reviews&p=308652 The post Review: Dialtown: Phone Dating Sim appeared first on Destructoid.

]]> //jbsgame.com/reviews/review-dialtown-phone-dating-sim/feed/ 0 308652 //jbsgame.com/reviews/review-sucker-for-love-first-date-pc/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=review-sucker-for-love-first-date-pc //jbsgame.com/reviews/review-sucker-for-love-first-date-pc/#respond Fri, 21 Jan 2022 00:00:57 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?post_type=eg_reviews&p=304977

Love me madly

My life has been one long journey to find new things to put my mouth on. Food, vampires, werewolves, serial killers, Switch cartridges, Renaissance Era artworks: there are few things I haven’t touched with my lips. However, having spent weeks of reflection and research, I have come across one thing I haven’t smooched: Eldritch, world-ending gods. This changes today with Sucker for Love.

As Destructoid’s foremost expert on dating sims by the authority of “because I said so,�?it has fallen to me to try and seduce the unknowable gods of Lovecraftian lore. Thankfully, I’ve prepared for this day. You may recall from long ago that I developed a special system for judging the quality of this branch of visual novel. Now it's time to whip it out again. Join me in calling forth the five metrics that make up the crucible for dating sims. Prospects, Enjoyability, Novelty, Intensity, and Sexiness??: these forces combine to mak?e the mythical P.E.N.I.S. rating system.

N??ow let’s slap it against some unknowable horrors.

Sucker for Love: First Date (PC)
Developer: Akabaka
Publisher: Dread XP
Released: January 20, 2022
MSRP: $9.99

Prospects

As mentioned, Sucker for Love is your opportunity to lay those lips on some Lovecraftian?? lovelies. From the outset, there is Ln’eta, who is essentially a gender-swapped Cthulhu. Before being introduced to the other interests, you must brave her affections and ride out the end of reality with the lingering sensation of her lips. Lips? Whatever.

Then there is Estir??, the gender-swapped Hastur, who gets my thighs rubbing together every time she says “Yhtil�?(hnngg). She’s the King in Yellow?, the Unspeakable One, She Who is Not to be Named, but you can just call her your majesty.

It’s up to you to choose which of these unknowable terrors from beyond the cosmos you want to pucker up for but be? careful. The Elder Gods will not abide by you dipping your tonsils in someone else’s pie.

There is a third horror to sa??te your thirst for world-ending romance, but I won’t? spoil it.

10/10

Enjoyability

There’s a lot of flavors of Dating Sim. Some of them are essentially just visual novels where you make choices that affect the outcome, others hand you an agenda and make you manage your schedule so you’re worthy enough for love. Sucker for Love is neither ??of those, and it isn’t like anything else in the genre, either.

Sucker for Love is, boile??d down, a series of rituals you must complete as you grow closer to your Lovecraftian lover and gradually unravel the fabric of reality. This isn’t difficult; you make sure the stage is set, then chant the words that will draw you towards ??your doom. If you do everything correctly, you’re guaranteed to land your nightmarish smooch, but there’s more to the game than that. There are multiple endings to each of the three chapters, and to ensure you get them all, you need to screw the rituals up in just the right way.

Considering my most endearing quality is ?my pervasive incompetence, this is perfect for me.

10/10

Novelty

In the great sea of dating sims, one themed around the H.P. Lovecraft mythos is honestly not that unique. However, the clever w??ritin?g, narrative tone, and its eccentric gameplay make it stand way, way out among its peers.

The only place Sucker for Love really loses points is in its approach to dating. The chapters, on their own, aren’t very long, so you don’t get to s??pend much time with your future master. It’s also just a progression of rituals, so you’re not exactly learning about a world-destroying deities passion for Ikebana. It doesn’t really end up feeling like you’re getting to know a selection of possible partners. It’s more that you’re prodding the margins of reality to find the places it will tear. Eventually, you’ll probably wind up on your knees for each of the impossible horrors, which I find somewhat disappointing for a dating sim.

I prefer to be loyal to my chosen destructor.

5/10

Intensity

Normally, this heading would be used to tell you exactly how many kinks the developer was able to cram into their narrative and whether or not you should make that investment into a vinyl bedcover if you haven’t already. However, the protagonist of Sucker for Love is really just out for smooching. I’m not sure why?? you’d kill your ambition at first base, but maybe he’s bashful around the prospect of unending torment and madness. I’d say it��s almost wholesome, but then you rip a mask that is affixed to your face to keep your precarious love triangle going.

The game actually starts with a content warning about self-harm and suicide, but really, what video game based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft doesn’t end in suicide. Sucker for Love has one of the most? upbeat approaches to violence I have ever witnessed. The mere fact that the protagonist is willing to doom humanity to lock lips with a dreamer from the corpse city of Rl’yeh, just tickles me to the core. The fact that part of romance inv??olves coping with the rending of reality is a bit on the nose, however.

So, you may still need that vinyl bedcover, but i??t’s to prevent all the g?ore from staining your sheets.

7/10

Sexiness

Now for the question everyone has been asking, “do we get to see an eldritch? tit.�?No. I’m sorry. The world ends ??without a flash of unknowable nipple.

The whole thing is actually really PG. There are few jokes that even make reference to an?ything lewd. All those tentacles and nowhere to put them.

1/10

If we take a look at the always hyper-accurate P.E.N.I.S., it appears that Sucker for Love has the right equipment, but fails to perform. Really, it’s a matter of expectations. If you go into Sucker for Love with the expectation t??hat it will end horizontally, then you’re out of luck. However, if you just want to have a good time and see where things go, that’s awfully boring but you’re more likely to enjoy yourself.

One thing that I didn’t enjoy was the thrashing mass of glitches I had to go through to land my lips on target. While there were plenty of minor annoyances, the worst showed its tentacled face during the climactic last chapter. If you follow one ritual, it crashes the game. You have to complete a lot of rituals in sequence at the end, and while they’re mostly random, this one just kept coming up, and it crashed every time. Maybe there’s a possibility to get through all the events without this one being pulled, but in all my attempts it didn’t happ??en, so I was just stuck, unable to actually complete the game.

I have faith that such a glaring issue will be fixed eventually, but I waited for its d?ay one patch, and it didn’t fix the issue, so there it is. Bit of a mood killer. (Update: This bug has been patched, tested, and confirmed fixed. The final??e is worth it.)

If we take our eyes off what the P.E.N.I.S. is suggesting for a minute, Sucker for Love is a wholly enjoyable experience. The writing is hilarious and clever; especially a treat for anyone who has a Necronomicon on their shelf. Its approach to the genre is completely irreverent, and it pulls it off so well it’s flattering. It’s certainly not the longest visual novel you? will find, but it’s worth forfeiting your sanity to summon. Just beware of the bugs that crawl beneath its skin.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Sucker for Love: First Date appeared first on Destructoid.

]]> //jbsgame.com/reviews/review-sucker-for-love-first-date-pc/feed/ 0 304977 //jbsgame.com/momotype-visual-novel-cute-way-to-loosen-your-grip-on-reality/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=momotype-visual-novel-cute-way-to-loosen-your-grip-on-reality //jbsgame.com/momotype-visual-novel-cute-way-to-loosen-your-grip-on-reality/#respond Wed, 05 Jan 2022 21:30:52 +0000 //jbsgame.com/?p=302904

Parent. Momo still wants to play

I’ve started this new year in a fog of depression. A common problem, I reassure myself, but it doesn’t make it any easier to get out of bed. So, to help me keep putting my one foot in front of the other, here’s Momotype, a cute virtual pet made physical as a way of�?No, Momotype, don’t take your anger out on me! Get back! Get Back! Momotype, noooo!

Momotype is a visual novel from Rimatoad that almost needs to be seen to be believed. Essentially, a bundle of joy gets delivered to your doorstep in the form of a real-life virtual pet. The worldwide birthrate is in the toilet and our corporate masters are working to prevent the end of the economic world (and therefore all of the world) by�?teaching us empathy? Something’s obviously off about Momotype from the beginning, but you aren’t given much agency on?? whether or ?not you refuse to take care of it.

It’s a demanding little bugger. It wants your love. It wants your love so damned much. But more than? that, it wants to kn??ow its purpose. It wants to be human. It wants everything that most of us do, but with only a seven-day lifespan.

The whole thing goes fr??om cute to existentially traumatizing rather quickly.

Momotype is available for free on Steam, so the only price is your time. The cost there is about a half-hour to see the first ending, but the story advances after every playthrough to a total of three end??ings.

My advice is to check it out. The story is a lot weirder than it sounds, and by weird, I mean intriguing. It’s the sort of narrative that makes sense while also not making much sense. So, by the time you’re finished, you’re just kind of staggered, and it feels like you’re walking out into the sunlight following an afternoon matinee. You’re just like, “Wow, this is reality, and whatever that was wasn’t.�?/p>

Right?

The post Momotype is a cute way to loosen your grip o??n reality appeared first on Destructoid.

]]> //jbsgame.com/momotype-visual-novel-cute-way-to-loosen-your-grip-on-reality/feed/ 0 302904