Visual Novels

[ZRofel]

I played through most of Our World Is Ended recently. Does that count?

Guys... this game is filthy. And not in, like, an amusing way. It genuinely made me uncomfortable at various points. And, again, not in, like, a challenging or thought provoking way. In a, "maybe the cops should poke their heads in on the developers" kind of way. All anyone (including characters who are definitely underage) talk about the entire game is sex, and any time the plot (which actually is sort of interesting) starts to take center stage, it's immediately pushed aside so someone can fantasize about breasts, sexually harass a coworker, have an extremely inappropriate conversation with a child, or attempt to talk other characters into having an orgy. I'm kind of stunned that Nintendo let this get released on the Switch.

At first I thought maybe it was originally a porno game that simply had the sex scenes cut out so it could be released on home consoles, but as far as I can tell the Switch version is a localization of the original release. I'll admit, I don't play a lot of visual novels, but most of them aren't like this, right?

[ElkinFencer10]

Finally finished Muv Luv Extra. Two main routes and one common route ending. It definitely got better for me at the 3/4 mark. In fact I quite liked the endings and am geared up for Unlimited.

I suspect it will take me another full year to get through Unlimited.

I really can’t fathom how you get so much game time. You are amazing.

Dude, you gotta make the time to get through it faster than that. You've still got Alternative, Photonflowers, and Photonmelodies when you get done with it!

Speaking of, I just finished Photonflowers tonight. My review is in the Games Beaten thread if anyone's interested. That shit got me right in the heart. I need MORE MUV-LUV. I know I've got Photonmelodies which I'm starting tonight, and I've found English dubs of the Total Eclipse and Schwarzesmarken anime, but I need ALL OF IT.

[BoneSnapDeez]

@ZRofel
Yeah I watched some video footage of Our World Is Ended and found it really off-putting. Plus, I think the art and character designs are rather ugly. Certainly one I'll pass on. You have a Switch? Get Raging Loop.

@ElkinFencer10
How optimistic are you about Muv-Luv Integrate actually being released in 2021? Praying it happens.

So, I have yet to play a VN this year. I have Ever 17 and If My Heart Had Wings on deck, plus a few more old Fami hour-long VNs. Really lucked out on Ever 17; it typically goes for around $200 on eBay and I managed to get it for $40. It's one of those vintage multi-disc games: four CD-ROMs! You love to see it.

[ElkinFencer10]

@ZRofel
Yeah I watched some video footage of Our World Is Ended and found it really off-putting. Plus, I think the art and character designs are rather ugly. Certainly one I'll pass on. You have a Switch? Get Raging Loop.

@ElkinFencer10
How optimistic are you about Muv-Luv Integrate actually being released in 2021? Praying it happens.

So, I have yet to play a VN this year. I have Ever 17 and If My Heart Had Wings on deck, plus a few more old Fami hour-long VNs. Really lucked out on Ever 17; it typically goes for around $200 on eBay and I managed to get it for $40. It's one of those vintage multi-disc games: four CD-ROMs! You love to see it.

I'm hopeful but not optimistic.

What version of If My Heart Had Wings do you have? If you got eastasiasoft's release, you're good to go. A friend of mine, Joshua French, oversaw that re-translation. If you have on Steam...god help you. I reviewed that version, and the translation is a fucking train wreck.

[BoneSnapDeez]

VNs have waaaaaay too many versions each. Behold:
https://vndb.org/v9093

In any event, I have the MoeNovel physical version.

[ZRofel]

@ZRofel
Yeah I watched some video footage of Our World Is Ended and found it really off-putting. Plus, I think the art and character designs are rather ugly. Certainly one I'll pass on. You have a Switch? Get Raging Loop.

I actually didn't mind the art and character designs. Despite the fact that all of the male characters spend the whole game leering at all of the female ones, most of them were proportioned and dressed fairly normally, shockingly enough. And now that it's over, I will say that the pervy stuff does recede a bit in the later segments, and I did come to like a few of the characters, although I'm fully willing to accept that might be some kind of weird, Stockholm syndrome, since all of the others were just so, so off-putting. The exasperated little demon boy who spends his entire time in the presence of the main cast just wanting to leave was a particular favorite, probably because it was a feeling I could relate to.

Thankfully, I already have Raging Loop. In fact, when I decided I felt like playing a visual novel, it actually came down to choosing between Our World Is Ended and Raging Loop. Why I selected this nonsense over time traveling werewolves is a decision I honestly cannot even begin to explain.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Steins;Gate Elite is probably the best VN on the Switch, but it's also a remake and I believe the original (PC, Vita) is superior.

And yeah, Raging Loop is boss. Kinda goes off the rails towards the end, and the bonus content isn't especially worthwhile, but it's still a great game. And it's nice to have a protagonist who isn't a random 18-yr-old kid with a harem.

[ZRofel]

Steins;Gate Elite is probably the best VN on the Switch, but it's also a remake and I believe the original (PC, Vita) is superior.

And yeah, Raging Loop is boss. Kinda goes off the rails towards the end, and the bonus content isn't especially worthwhile, but it's still a great game. And it's nice to have a protagonist who isn't a random 18-yr-old kid with a harem.

I actually have the original Steins;Gate for the Vita. I had tried playing it several years ago, but I just found the beginning unbelievably slow. Now, almost every review I have read said the beginning is very, very slow, and that it's worth it just to tough it out. But, man, it is hours and hours of essentially nothing happening. Just people sitting around in a room grousing at each other and microwaving bananas. I keep telling myself I need to take another whack at it. Maybe you can persuade me

I somehow wound up with a whole pile of visual novels for the Vita (Death Mark, Bad Apple Wars, some of the Code: Realize games, etc., etc.), if there are any real standouts you can recommend. Also, does stuff like VA-11 HALL-A, 999, and Danganronpa count, or are those more adventure games?

[BoneSnapDeez]

Oh man I love the beginning of Steins;Gate so much. The "slowness" doesn't bother me, as I find the science, characters, and setting so interesting. And those "chilling in the lab" segments are so cute and charming. It does pick up speed at it goes and the true ending is excellent. The game's structure is nicely done, there aren't "branches" as much as there are premature endings if you fail to achieve a true ending "flag" during a given chapter.

Most websites dedicated to VNs (like VNDB.org) most certainly use a broad definition of the genre and include route-based games, kinetic VNs, menu-driven adventure VNs, and "hybrids" (VN/RPGs or whatever). So yeah everything you listed would be included, and I'm in general agreement.

I'm still somewhat knew to VNs and am working my way through the "big name" games myself. Death Mark certainly looks intriguing.

VNDB has this list of "best" VNs as voted by users. A good guide to follow if you're trying to hit up the modern classics (I'm also partial to old Fami stuff)...
https://vndb.org/v/all?f=02112gen113gja ... 1&s=rating

[ZRofel]

Oh man I love the beginning of Steins;Gate so much. The "slowness" doesn't bother me, as I find the science, characters, and setting so interesting. And those "chilling in the lab" segments are so cute and charming. It does pick up speed at it goes and the true ending is excellent. The game's structure is nicely done, there aren't "branches" as much as there are premature endings if you fail to achieve a true ending "flag" during a given chapter.

Most websites dedicated to VNs (like VNDB.org) most certainly use a broad definition of the genre and include route-based games, kinetic VNs, menu-driven adventure VNs, and "hybrids" (VN/RPGs or whatever). So yeah everything you listed would be included, and I'm in general agreement.

I'm still somewhat knew to VNs and am working my way through the "big name" games myself. Death Mark certainly looks intriguing.

VNDB has this list of "best" VNs as voted by users. A good guide to follow if you're trying to hit up the modern classics (I'm also partial to old Fami stuff)...
https://vndb.org/v/all?f=02112gen113gja ... 1&s=rating

I don't usually mind slower paced games (some of my favorite parts of Deady Premonition are where I'm just driving around town, listening to York talk to himself), but I felt like Steins;Gate took it to a different level. I've heard that it's really difficult to get the "true" ending without a walkthrough, which I think I found a little disheartening as well. I like feeling like I at least have a reasonable chance of sorting things out if I pay attention to the story and the characters. But I have promised myself that I'd give it another go at some point. I know it's considered something of a high water mark for the genre.

I think my favorites tend to be ones that spice things up a bit, either with some action/adventure bits like Snatcher or Policenauts, or that have some kind of narrative puzzle solving, like Danganronpa or Ace Attorney.