Topic: Visual Novels

I’m new to this genre so I’m a bit disappointed that there isn’t an active thread I can lurk in to hear about some great titles to investigate, especially as they can be niche and under the radar.

Lots of VNs are coming to Switch now. Is there much interest amongst our community?

Well, as a genre, I've been getting into plenty of them recently, @JoeDiddley .... Which are coming to Switch soon? Or any in particular you want to talk about?

@BruceCM the trouble is I don’t know much, I wanna be schooled!

Persona was my gateway. I’ve only played Danganronpa (1&2) and AI The Somnium Files. I’ve just started Zero Escape 999.

Steins Gate is in transit via her majesty’s post and the Ace Attorney Trilogy is in my backlog.

So I only know the obvious ones really, and they’re probably even considered hybrids by those who know more than me.

What would you recommend?

Heh, I'm hardly an expert yet, @JoeDiddley .... You've played AI : Somnium Files & Stein's gate, which are the ones I've heard most about. I'd recommend the Ace Attorney Trilogy but you already have that, too Yuno's on Switch, as well, isn't she? & Root Letter? Got those in the recent Steam sale, not started them yet. Heard a lot about Death Mark & Raging Loop but not got those yet, either
Read Only Memories is quite good, though! Code Realize is supposed to be good but I'll get that when it's on sale in Steam Not sure what else might count, feel free to google

@BruceCM thanks, I haven’t heard of Read Only Memories, Death Mark, Raging Loop or Code Realise so I’ll be sure to look them up.

Cool! I'm just not sure most of the ones I've been playing are on Switch, so I can't really recommend many, particularly, @JoeDiddley .... There's a few dating sim/ vns that I don't fancy, as well Depending what you like about them, you may like the 'interactive movies', too? There's quite a few of those on Switch now

@JoeDiddley @BruceCM

Death Mark and Spirit Hunter NG are more like adventure games rather than visual novels. You need to use specific items, at specific locations, at specific moments in order to progress the story. Where as experiences like Steins;Gate and Raging Loop are just massive walls of text with branching paths that vary depending on your dialogue choices.

You may have spoiled yourself on the genre if you began with the Danganronpa trilogy or the Zero Escape trilogy, I'd argue they're some of the best.

I myself just began The Grisaia Trilogy. A story about a private school attended by people who are mentally or emotionally broken in some way. You play the lone male student who attends class with five women. They're your typical moe-type characters.

Oh, OK, @Magician .... There's some crossover/ combination of genres, I guess

Another Visual Novel that I have seen people really like (and got some critical acclaim iirc?) is The House in Fata Morgana. I need to play it, but I know my sister plays through the whole game and see all the routes haha.

Will play it soon though, maybe after XCDE... not sure yet

Work is busy (squeezing in 6 interviews in 3 days on top of the usual stuff) so I’m only just getting back to this...

@darkfenrir that game does ring a bell, if you try it I’d like to hear your impressions.

@BruceCM @Magician being new to VNs I haven’t got my head around all the sub genres yet, so I’m kind of using it as a catch all term like RPG. I’ll learn I’m wrong when I understand more!

Games like Danganronpa, Zero Escape, Ace Attorney and even Walking Dead are all so different from anything else I’ve played and they’re all likely different sub genres but there is something that unites them with the narrative being king.

I follow Spike Chunsoft and they are promoting a release of Robotics; Notes later this year. Does anyone know much about that? Seems to be linked to Steins Gate (which has just arrived in the post for me).

It's the 3rd main game, after Chaos;Head & Stein's;Gate, @JoeDiddley.... Won't the physical version be a double pack of that & Dash?

@JoeDiddley I will! I'm just so indecisive to pick it up when I know i'll drop everything for Xenoblade. Have so many stuff I need to play on Steam since a friend allowed library sharing.

If you are impatient for my impression, I'm pretty sure Fata Morgana has gotten a lot of review and not only on steam review though since the game is pretty old (around 4 years) by now Just be careful to not stumble across... a recent drama that happened because the translator explained why they localize a certain sentence into another.

@darkfenrir ok thanks. I’m also planning my gaming schedule around Xenoblade. Not long to go now 😊

I quite like that more and more VNs are getting localized, or at least an official English option for a Japanese release. I've got a few in my backlog at this point.

But Steins;Gate Elite spoiled me. Being a childhood dream come true - an anime that you can actively control.

anyone played the house in Fata Morgana and can tell me how good they thought it was(spoiler free), would really help if that somehow knows like 5 to 10 other visual novels for a little comparison.
For example how it fares against Higurashi, Steins Gate or so on...
Just feeling a little overhyped by it with its score and all, is it really that great compared to the other classics?

@JoeDiddley Here's a list of the best in visual novels. I got into them back in the Summer and now I have a vast ocean of knowledge about them. Check out reviews on YouTube for them to see which ones you'd enjoy

If My Heart Had Wings
Clannad
Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!
World End Syndrome
Tokyo School Life
Steins;Gate - My Darling's Embrace
Christmas Tina
Maitetsu: Pure Station
Little Busters! Converted Edition
Planetarian
Sakura Succubus (series)
Robotics;Notes Double Pack
Island
The Fox Awaits Me
Nurse Love Obsession
My Girlfriend is a Mermaid?!
The Grisaia Trilogy
Sakura Nova
Miracle Snack Shop
Nekopara (series)
Our World is Ended
Food Girls
Root Letter: Last Answer
YU-NO: A Girl Chants Love at the Bound of this World

@JustMonika thanks. Robotic; Notes is nearing the top of my backlog. What have you enjoyed most these last few months?

@JoeDiddley

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! (Greatest of all time)
Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue (Amazing)
Maitetsu: Pure Station (Still playing)
If My Heart Had Wings (my favorite!)
Tokyo School Life (Very cute)
Nekopara: Volume 1
Nekopara: Volume 4

@JustMonika

I bought Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! - can’t wait to play it!!!!!!

I’m really busy with Blue Reflection, 2nd Light right now.

@JustMonika I will definitely add Doki Doki Literature Club alongside the House Of Fata Morgana to the wish list.

I’m excited that the Danganronpa trilogy is almost out. I’ve played the first 2 on Vita but I’ll be playing the 3rd game on my Switch.