Visual novels. Are they games, or are they slideshows?
Well, let's get one thing straight, because this is a soapbox: I personally don't particularly care. I enjoy an evening curled up with a good book, and likewise, I enjoy an evening curled up with a good visual novel on auto-play, occasionally unfurling my hand from the mountain of blankets and biscuit crumbs to make a choice.
I think visual novels are fantastic, especially because so many of them play with convention in a way that books could never do. They often don't offer much in the way of interaction, although many of them will give the player dialogue choices, but I'm not about to discount an entire genre of excellent games because I don't get to press buttons enough.
I've been playing The House In Fata Morgana for the past few weeks — a visual novel that came out in April, and is widely regarded as one of the best — and the way it tells its story not only through the words on the screen, but through its framing, its interface, and even through its menu is a wonderfully surprising twist on the genre. Visual novels set up the expectation that you're about to do a lot of reading, but that's not to say that they don't have something up their sleeve all the same.
Doki Doki Literature Club, which I've also been playing, is similar, in that it subverts the players' expectations through various unusual narrative devices. It's easy to dismiss these games as trashy, girly, or somehow less 'worthy' because they're anime, or because they're "just reading" — but that's like avoiding action movies because "it's just guns, innit" and then you never get to witness the sheer brilliance of films like The Fifth Element and Mad Max.
Anyway, I don't want to waste time defending visual novels against the criticism they always get, because frankly, if someone wants to avoid the entire genre because of some preconceived notions about how boring reading is, then they're just missing out. And that's fine. More visual novels for me. Yum yum.
But just one look at the slate for 2021, and it's clear that a host of third-parties — and Nintendo itself — is investing in a very particular type of game. Between The House In Fata Morgana, Famicom Detective Club, The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, the Doki Doki Literature Club port, and the Danganronpa Decadence collection, one trend emerges: titles with lots of Ds in them the growing popularity of visual novels and narrative adventure games on the Switch.
Some of these games were super popular on the PC, and made it to Switch thanks to their proven success elsewhere. Doki Doki Literature Club has over 150,000 reviews on Steam, the majority of which are "overwhelmingly positive"; The House In Fata Morgana was, for at least a month or two, the highest rated game of all time on Metacritic (it's now tied for fourth place). Others, like Danganronpa and The Great Ace Attorney, have been requested either on Switch, or in English, for a long time. And then there's Famicom Detective Club, a 30-something-year-old game that no one expected.
But many of the recently-announced or released visual novels were not made for Switch. A fair few of them are ports or translations of older games, like Gnosia, which is a PS Vita port, and Root Film is a new game, but also a sequel to a 2016 PS Vita game. There are still many more games in the visual novel-adjacent genres that aren't yet coming to Switch, despite requests from their fanbases, like older entries in the Professor Layton, the Zero Escape series, and Persona 5.
You may have noticed a little bit of a running theme if you're a fan of visual novels: Discounting the PC, where you can play pretty much every game ever made, the console that was best-known for serving this particular section of the game-playing public was the PS Vita, which excelled in showcasing the kinds of strange, interesting games that we're beginning to see on Switch. Sadly, the Vita floundered much faster than its closest rival, the 3DS, and although we have yet to see a true successor for the kinds of games the Vita offered, Switch has arguably taken over its role in the last few years with an ever-growing library of niche titles.
I first played Danganronpa on the PS Vita, so I'm thrilled to see it coming to Switch, even though I already own the games on PC. There's something about a visual novel that goes extremely well with a handheld console — probably because we often want to play VNs in a similar way to how we read books: on trains, in the bath, in bed.
It's not really surprising that Nintendo are getting in on it, as the only mainstream (semi-)handheld console left, and as a company in the position to bring more Japanese-made games over to the West, but it does beg the question: what's next for visual novels on consoles?
So far, it feels like we're catching up. Visual novels and narrative adventure games always feel like the underdog, fighting for recognition and legitimacy in a packed market. The ones that rise to the top — like Danganronpa and Doki Doki Literature Club — gain cult followings until they reach a critical mass. The Switch is getting tons of ports and remakes of these super-popular games because those are the ones that will sell the best, and they allow Nintendo to fill up their bookshelves with the crème de la crème to attract more VN fans to the platform.
We might be playing catch up, but it also feels promising. We're getting some of the biggest hitters in terms of visual novels on the Switch, like a football team made up of, er... Pelé? And... Messi? Why did I choose a football analogy? I don't know. Anyway, once we've indoctrinated everyone who owns a Nintendo Switch with games like Ace Attorney and Danganronpa, then we'll be able to force them to play the more niche ones, like Clannad and AI: The Somnium Files. Nyahaha! It's all part of an evil plan to rule the world with visual novels!!
Whether you love them or not, you can't deny: this summer is the summer of visual novels. You can either join us in the sun, or you'll just have to join us when we inevitably force every single video game in the world to be a VN.
- Further reading: Best Visual Novels For Nintendo Switch
Comments 63
The last few years have had a pretty steady stream of very good visual novels releasing on Switch. I play one basically every second game I play almost and never seem to run out which is great.
I'm just finishing up the final route (Secret Ending) on the first proper visual novel (if you're not counting Professor Layton) game I've played.
That game is Angels with Scaly Wings, and honestly it's one of the single best pieces of media I've ever had the pleasure of consuming. All of the characters are extremely believable (ignoring the fact they're all dragons LOL) with hopes, dreams, flaws, weaknesses. The story is superb and all the characters intertwine in excellent ways. The art is fantastic and the game has made me cry several times. (Also Anna and Adine are best dragon waifus don't @ me.)
If this is the sort of thing I can expect from a good VN then sign me up for more!!!
Have someone still remember this upcoming visual novel game on Switch ?
This is definitely caught my attention as I knew who is that furry character designer as I have interest with his six pack furry drawings.
I'm down for the occasional visual novel so long as they throw in some puzzle solving or something fairly frequently to break up the monotony of reading. I enjoyed both the Parascientific games on 3DS and the Famicom Detective Club games recently.
Played an hour of doki doki literature club and I'm unimpressed so far when comparing it to more recent visual novels such as world end syndrome.
Mainly its just still images and no voice acting (Japanese) at all. And the picking words for the poem was a bit of a guessing game.
Next visual novels for me will be "our world is ended" and "punch line"
999 didn't release in Europe originally (I think), but I bought the American one back then that works on a Pal DS. Very fun game, still need to play the 2 sequels though.
Already own Fata Morgana and Clannad for the Switch but haven't played either yet.
Am planning on buying Doki Doki, Great Ace Attorney and Danganronpa trilogy somewhere in the coming year. Still waiting for a physical of Famicom Detective though.
I know it's not a really a visual novel, but the visual novel adventure-like sections (and the accompanying voice acting) in Fire Emblem Echoes Shadows of Valentia was truly an amazing experience for me.
Still feel like I only play one subset of visual novels which isn't the idea.
Was a great read, thank you~
Currently playing Doki Doki and like @UltimateOtaku91 not too amazed by it. I’m sure I have to give it more time cause I just played a bit of it over the weekend. But I actually played quite a few visual novel games this year. Root Film, the Famicom Detective games and the soon to be Great Ace Attorney.
@UltimateOtaku91 @shonenjump86 It's one where it's probably best to reserve judgement till the end.
As a visual novel fan this year has been and continues to be amazing!
I'll never understand the appeal, I boot up my console to hit buttons or swing my arms. I skip most Playstation games because they are too story heavy and I just want to get to the action. I feel like if I was someone who wanted to sit there and not interact, I'd probably watch some TV or a movie. I can't stand books in real life, but I suppose that's the crowd these are for. Which is fine, not everything needs to be marketed towards me.
@Nintendo_Thumb I can't read books without losing focus and most TV shows and movies don't really interest me much but I love visual novels. They're like the perfect mid-way point between both that just hits the right spot for me if I want to get really invested in good characters and plots.
Yeah, I never really consider VNs video games. There's often little to nothing interactive about them. Doesn't mean they can't be amazing, I've seen DDLC and I love the story, but I don't love it as a video game and don't feel that I miss much just by watching someone play them on Youtube. Maybe I'll cave in and buy DDLC later on, but it's not at the top of my wishlist RN.
@UltimateOtaku91 @shonenjump86 Yeah, the early game isn't much to write home about. DDLC is amazing because of a plot twist in the story (you'll know when you've gotten there, trust me).
@UltimateOtaku91 I have to say I initially felt the same but honestly stuck with it, I just completed my first run through last night and there’s definately at least another run for me to understand more - honestly, it’s worth your time and really sucks you in once it gets going. My best advice, don’t get tempted read anything online to see if it’s worth continuing
Currently focusing on Super Smash, but will probably get around to replay Our world is ended. Really funny game.
Tokyo school life is also a very cute VN, albeit a bit short.
Really looking forward to The great ace attorney.
Would like to see Switch get a remake of the all ages version of Kana imouto PSP got, and a English translation.
@shonenjump86 as above, stick with it, took me maybe 2 to 3 hours to get into it, but well worth it
I've been going through some rehabilitation as a result of several concussions, and it has made it hard for me to play fast action games. Thus, I turned to visual novels and I'm glad I did. I've now discovered a rabbit hole of games that I really quite enjoy.
@Bolt_Strike @BenAV @ozwally, yeah I’m definitely gonna stick with it. I figured it may take a bit to get used to with the pace. I’m sure it will be worth it. I appreciate it.
Until I bought a Switch I had never played, or was even remotely interested in Visual Novels... now I love 'em! Personal recommendations of recent ones I have experienced would be Sea Bed and Tokyo School Life, with the former novel being a personal fave, a beautifully realised and elegantly touching story about friendship and love.
@shonenjump86 great, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed! Let us know what you think once you get through it
The visual novel/adventure game support for the console is starting to really explode, and I love it. Danganronpa is LONG overdue. I also think we'll be seeing The Nonary Games collection before too long, especially after that tease in the trailer for the new AI: The Somnium Files game.
Switch is the perfect tech for visual novels, and I'm really happy we're starting to consistently see more notable ones that aren't otome games.
I used to play Hotel Dusk and Another Code on DS. There was a good Another Code game on Wii too. Those games had 3d graphics and environments to explore, puzzles as well. I enjoyed them. I think part of it was that the DS was like a little book, and I think Hotel Dusk played sideways, so you could hold it like a book. It seemed like a high tech book, and fitted the underpowered DS. I got a zero escape game on 3ds but could never get into it, and it was priced like a real game, not a PowerPoint. I really don't like bare bones 'click to see more text' on a proper games console. Some of these "games" feel like a never ending intro that you would normally skip. I also think some of these are made by devs who can't code or model environments or characters. There should be a platform for this kind of thing, like a kindle, but for me, I'm not keen on "playing" these "games" on switch.
Have that another code on wii played an hour or so, I think every month for the past ten years I have said I will go back and not play any game til that’s done, but I never do! One day! Xxx
More and more of these sound really interesting, I should give them a try soon. AI: Somnium Files was really good, so I'm looking forward to the successor. A Switch port of Zero Time Dilemma would be nice too!
@Dragonslacker1 Another Code on Wii had some nice puzzles and a good plot, some good animation too. It is also a sequel to the DS game I played so I enjoyed the continuity. I don't like reading off a TV for a long time though. If you have the game, it is worth finishing. I enjoyed it, and im not a big fan of text adventures.
Even as a heavy reader I prefer my text-heavy console games to be more adventure game than VN (e.g. the original Ace Attorney titles, Hotel Dusk, etc.) but having just played through Doki Doki Literature Club two nights ago (for free on Mac) and thoroughly enjoyed it I can see myself looking into these sorts of "more VN, less game" titles for Switch as well, just coming at them with a different mindset.
I can't help but cringe at the popularity of Danganronpa. I honestly don't understand any of the appeal of it. It looks like a crazy teen version of the Phoenix Wright series, which in my mind is a million times better.
Oh well, to each their own I guess.
@Moistnado will get there one day, I remember a review at the the time said in one of the puzzles there was an innovative use of the home button which intrigues me. Got the ds game as well but again only a few hours in. I think I completed virtues last reward which was v good and has a few different endings. That mite be the only one I’ve seen thru til the end. Happy gaming x
World End Syndrome was excellent. Just finished it up a few weeks ago.
Thing is, if I wanted to eat a book, I’d buy an ice cream cake book. If I wanted to hard boil a poem, I’d buy an egg. And if I wanted to play a visual novel, I’d play a visual novel. Which I sometimes do.
That’s the thing, you see.
My interest in visual novels is increasing as they seem to be getting more exposure and I am subsequently getting exposed to them. I haven't tried any yet though.
I guess if you put these games on a spectrum with increasing levels of player interaction you could have a graphic novel on one end and a point and click puzzle game on the other.
Can't wait for Neo TWEWY, a heavily voiced little VN with a whole action JRPG in between 😛
TWEWY definitely had more direct VN roots, but even those bits could be more dynamic than you might expect... which was an important lesson: full VNs can and do still look cooler than I'd taken for granted! I do still tend to prefer other gameplay on the side, but there's a lot I've overlooked.
Neo TWEWY's another stepped removed though, more pushing the TWEWY style even further, and it’s absolutely sick. The comic frames get sketched out and wiped from the screen (quick enough to just be cool instead of a distraction), there's so many more unique reaction shots (even if the main characters get literally no more, I think they're already as expressive as you could possibly need), anyway, I'm so hyped!
I don’t really see the point in the whole ‘is it a game or not’ thing. There was a point where Zork was one of the few games around. If Zork’s a game then these are.
@nessisonett I bet you think the definition of "game" is somewhat subjective and not particularly important to one's enjoyment of the medium, don't you, you miscreant
I'm all for this. VN's have been an under appreciated genre for a long time.
Normally not for me, I usually fall asleep, but I liked DDLC. I will probably try Danganronpa as well.
The reason I stay away from visual novels is the same as why I stay away from endless runners or smartphone ports. I like to see full games that use the hardware of my Switch. I have a phone and a tablet, and I think some of those not so interactive, visual novels or super simple games are better suited to these more passive consumption devices. This article actually inspired me to browse the play store for visual novels on Android. I found Oxenfree on Android, I enjoyed that on switch. It was interactive enough to warrant the need for a controller.
But Kate, reading is for nerds. I can still feel those toilet swirlies on my face!
I just beat Clannad and Little Busters in the Spring. I'm doing Steins;Gate Elite now with Robotics;Notes on deck. VNs are really good to play while you're rocking a baby to sleep since you can "play" them with one hand.
@TheBigK I'm so sorry to tell you this, but... video games are ALL for nerds. What's more, going to a video game website to learn about video games is even nerdier. You're a nerd.
Good news is that swirlies are 2-for-1 today! Yaaaaay!
7 I have had the pleasure of playing and 3 either on my backlog or awaiting purchase. Much quality gaming to be had there with some severely interesting narrative.
It's probably worth mentioning that while there are a few 'visual novels' on Switch that are just little books with no interactivity to them beyond advancing dialogue boxes ("kinetic novels"), most VNs on Switch are either adventure game hybrids or else include enough interactivity to be considered proper video games by even the most conservative of definitions.
With that said, attempts at gatekeeping the medium by trying to decide what is or isn't a video game is pointless. Video games are programs where you manipulate images on an electronic display, designed for the purpose of entertaining an audience. They run the gamut of interactivity from games where you only click a button to advance dialogue to games with no dialogue that constitute nothing BUT controlling a character, and both game design extremes are perfectly valid.
@Ralizah Well said! I didn't want to get into the sometimes messy, often limiting definitions in this piece; after all, I'm trying to welcome people in, not scare them away 😅
@KateGray Yeah. Genres are inherently messy, anyway, in every medium, and the best games/books/films/etc. often make a point of mixing elements across genres in order to innovate.
If you can use a term and people basically know the sort of game you're referring to, then I think the language you've employed has done its job. People can deep dive into the nature of how genres subdivide, of course, but trying to sort this out would either, as you mentioned, scare them away, or else provoke disagreement and conflict because the arbitrary boxes they've decided to put certain games in differ from yours.
You're doing the Goddess' work bringing so much focus to narrative adventures on the system. Keep it up!
@Ralizah thank you!!
It makes me very happy to see a write-up on visual novels. Having played Doki Doki Literature Club when it was originally released sparked my interest in more of them.
I've played a few on PC, DDLC and the Higurashi chapters (still working on Chapter 6, so no spoilers please). I also played Parascientific Escape on 3DS, which was not only a visual novel, but an escape game with puzzles. Also played the second game, and I have the third sitting on my 3DS. Tokyo School Life on Switch, loved each girl's route.
The stories these games had were great IMO, and I love this genre. Thanks for the article Kate!
Not sure if it's available on Switch but I played Stein's Gate on the ps vita and it BLEW MY MIND. Wasn't really fussed about visual novels until then but it really opened my eyes to this genre of game. If any of these have a story half as good as that one then count me in.
Always very happy to see VNs highlighted on Switch - too much time is usually delegated to simply debating whether they qualify as games to begin with.
Personally, I'm still waiting (in vain) for a Tsukihime Remake localization announcement. Only then will the Switch VN catalogue be a little closer to complete.
@Nintendo_Alski STEINS;GATE Elite, an upgraded version of the game with animation work designed to make it look indistinguishable from the anime adaptation, is on the Switch. Unfortunately, that means the lovely painterly illustrations from the original VN are unavailable.
Although the original version of the sequel, STEINS;GATE 0, is available on the Switch. And the genuinely odd STEINS;GATE: My Darling's Embrace, a romantic comedy spinoff of the original game.
@Ralizah Thats why you play S;G on Vita. Tehe.
@Aurumonado Yeah the best part is that you can throw away the joycons and play with something more lightweight.
It's a difficult genre for me to get into, as I do like to do things when I'm in the mood to game. That being said, I often love reading lots of text in my RPGs - Persona, Fire Emblem, the like - but they break up the dialogue with things to do. Quite looking forward to Ace Attorney Chronicles, and I loved Danganronpa 1 and 2 on the Vita (haven't gotten to V3).
But I've found it difficult to get into pure VNs. Tried Fata Morgana, CLANNAD, Muv-luv....I bounced off all of them. I've heard Raging Loop is good. It's still a genre I would still like to try more of.
I've played through Tokyo School Life & Famicom Detective Club: the Missing Heir and liked them well enough, though I can't say they've made me a fan of the genre as a whole.
Certainly have nothing against them, but I will admit it's a little disappointing browsing the Japanese eShop and seeing a bunch of seemingly niche titles I've never heard of before, only for 9/10 of them to be budget VNs, like they're the only thing small budget/indie Japanese devs seem interested in making.
I’ve never ‘played’ a visual novel, but as my button-pushing, joy-con nudging skills slowly desert me, I figure I should check ‘em out.
I already read excessively, and write novels in my spare time, so where should a self-proclaimed book nerd start in this VN genre? Any recommendations greatly appreciated…
This article cracked me up several times xD
@Ralizah thanks for the tips I'll check them out! 😀
The Nintendo Switch has been my visual novel machine for a long time - or maybe you missed AI Somnium Files, Cinders, Coffee Talk, Gothic Murder, Va-ll hall-a, Vampire the Masquerade, and WILL: A Wonderful World? You also seem to have discounted the entire Otome/Dating Sim genre - Akash: Path of the Five, Arcade Spirits, Best Friend Forever, Cafe Enchante, Code Realize (x3 games), Collar x Malice (x2), Dream Daddy, multiple Voltage ports, Monster Prom, Nightshade, Piofiore, World End Syndrome, and Steam Prison. So I think you might be the last person to figure this out, sorry! XD The Switch is the spiritual successor to the Vita.
I don't understand why VN's stick so much to still images. I am thinking of creating a thing which is basically a giant cut-scene such as in BotW, with little interactive elements.
I wonder why that's hardly been done.
I'm 40.
Visual novel is currently my favorite game genre because I've been doing all the others since I was 9.
Those others don't excite me anymore. They've been done to death.
But I still have time for books and good stories.
I really liked DDLC and wished it was a VN about literature, poetry and how to improve ourselves.
I wish developers started to make games for a more mature audience.
The average gamer is above 30.
Jumping, killing and stuff like that grows old after a time.
@KateGray Other than that 999 thing (which I loved, by the way), I haven't played any of those games, but your recent reviews and/or diaries have been telling me that maybe I should. As I get older and bitter-er, I find myself enjoying games that focus on story over action, so visual novels keep seeming more and more attractive. But I do have to ask... is it really such a good idea playing these games in the bath??
@construx I'm also 40, and I also everything you said.
Also, I realized that my favorite game on Switch is Subsurface Circular / Quarantine Circular (I rate them as a single game because DON'T MAKE ME CHOOSE JUST ONE, DAMN YOU). Having not played any of the big names in the genre, I might not be entirely certain on the definition of "visual novel", but I suppose those games probably count, right?
@construx I agree. I should just start with my idea because I am positive there is an audience.
@kurtasbestos exactly! Just give me a nice story and let me relax; I don't always want to be fast-buttoning my way through a game.
Right now, I don't have a bath, so don't worry — I just play them in the shower instead.
For me a visual novel needs to be more than just tons of reading and the odd multiple choice every once in a while (that has no impact on anything except a few lines of text).
In Fire Emblem I have to read much dialogue as well but the great storyline is mixed with great stategy. Phoenix Wright is the same: much dialogue but mixed with exciting detective work. One part of the game adds to the other part of the game and vice versa.
So, a game with tons of character dialogue and story has to have at least a tiny bit of game. Even if it's just a match three game or a puzzler to add a bit of variety could be enough, but most of them are just cheap girly/teenie fantasy anime stories with zero gameplay and zero difficulty.
The Switch has plenty of visual novels + demos on the eShop, from publishers such as Digimerce, Opera House, D3Publisher, and more, and they all feel the same: Extremely basic (could run on a 1970's computer with lesser graphics) and with horrid characters and stupid plots most of the time. Even walking simulators and fmv games are dimensions beyond gameplay-wise. I give em all a 2/10 because there's still worse stuff like everything made by Pix Arts and Sabec that is just copypasted assets and glitch-loaded trash.
Anyway, thanks for highlighting some better ones.
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