Topic: Nightshade (2016)

One of those Japan / Southeast Asia only physical releases I picked up a while back. Another otome game, published by D3 Publisher. This isn't my first experience with an otome game. Usually with these visual novels the writing either makes or breaks your experience. And since I'm fond of shinobi-themed experiences (Ninja Scroll, Samurai Champloo, etc) I thought I'd give this a whirl.

Only an hour in and I've enjoyed it so far.

You play Enju, a kuniochi sent on a mission to find a thief.

Well, I finished my first playthrough. It took fewer than ten hours. I ended up favoring Hanzo Hattori. Turns out Enju and Hanzo had a mutual appreciation for each other, but ultimately couldn't acknowledge their love for each other. As a result, both committed seppuku without confessing their love. Sheesh, how about those ancient Eastern traditions of respect and honor, eh?

In the end, I enjoyed my time. Which is more than I can say for a pair of visual novels I played previous to Nightshade. XBLAZE Code Embryo on PS Vita, which is a side story to the BlazBlue universe, which is a convoluted mess to begin with. Along with Our World Is Ended, which had a few interesting characters, but focused the final ten plus hours of text walls toward the two most cringeworthy characters in the story.

Up next? I think it's time to shift genres. A platformer perhaps.