Steam] PC Visual Novel Games for the Fall Reading Season!

How are you doing, Akiba Research Institute readers? This is Nero Hyakkabe, a writer who buys too many games. Do you like novel games?　I am a regular contributor to Akiba Research Institute's " Tsumigebu! I actually played a horror adventure novel game called "Yoru, Tousu" (Night Lights), but I forgot that I was playing the game for work and found myself grinning, getting excited, and being horrified by the game. This time, in conjunction with the "fall reading season," we would like to introduce visual novel games that allow you to experience reading a book through a game.

Click here for a list of previous features.



1. "Adabana Naitan," a fantastic Japanese-style novel adventure based on a "folktale


  • Adabanai Tan " (Liar-soft)
  • To be released on June 18, 2020
  • Price: 1,870 yen (as of September 26, 2020)
  • Copyright: (C) 2020 Liar-soft

There are many games, both old and new, based on "folktales," which everyone has heard of at least once. Momotaro Dentetsu," which is also the subject of a new release this year, was originally a derivative work of an RPG based on an old tale called "Momotaro Densetsu" (The Legend of Momotaro).

 

The "Kachibana Iitan" is also a visual novel game based on such a Japanese folktale.



The main characters in "TSUKAHANA IITAN" are Shirohime, a girl with amnesia who wears a pure white kimono, and Kurofude, a mysterious boy who wields a brush as if it were a sword. The story takes place in the world of "Adabana-kyo," a world in the book "E-zoshi," a collection of folktales. In this world, strange creatures called "shimi" have been devouring the picture scrolls, distorting the storylines of the well-known folktales. Princess Shirahime and the Black Brush are tasked with using their ability to catch the "paper fish" and turn them into ink to create characters to travel around the ruined world of folktales and restore them. However, because of her amnesia, Shirohime does not remember who she is, what her relationship was with the black brush, or why she is in charge of restoring the picture scrolls. Shirohime's lost memories are a major mystery that drives the story and draws the player into the world of "Kotsubana Hidetan.



The main feature of this story is that it is based on an old tale that everyone is familiar with.


For example, in the story of "Hanasaka Gramps," which the two first visit, "Shiro," the dog that barks "dig here, dig there" in Honest Grandpa's field, and the part where Shiro is "killed" by his neighbor, Well-being Grandpa, have been devoured by "paper fishes" and lost. The part of the story where Shiro is "killed" by the "dog Shiro" who barks "dig, dig, dig! The distortion of the tale is further accelerated by the appearance of a monster called the "flower vandal," who ruins the tale. I felt that this "anomalies in a well-known folktale" setting succeeded in providing players with the thrill and interest of not being able to predict what will happen next.



In addition, the main character, Shirohime, who faces these "distortions in the story," worries, thinks, decides, and makes choices, is also very appealing.


The author immersed herself in the world of "TSUCHIHANA IITAN," overlaying the faint memories of the first time she heard a folk tale for the first time in her life on the thoughts of the innocent Shirohime. Combined with her beautiful yet fragile visuals, which seem to disappear when touched, Shirohime becomes an existence that players cannot take their eyes off.



The story and characters are not the only attractions of "Tsuchika Iitan.
The first thing that catches the player's eye is the beautiful graphics. The Japanese-style illustrations, drawn with a light and delicate touch, are a perfect match for the world of "E-Soshi" and immerse the player deeply in the game.


Another feature of the game is the beautiful style of the text. The detailed descriptions of feelings and metaphors even have a somewhat literary flavor. At first glance, the text may seem difficult to read because of the many difficult words and kanji, but as you advance through the game and become familiar with the world, you will find that the story flows smoothly and naturally into your head, giving you a sense of comfort. In addition, the background music has a clear and pleasant sound that enlivens the story. A music appreciation mode is also available, so you can listen to your favorite songs.
Graphics, text, BGM, and all the elements that make up the game are well balanced and combine to create the high quality world of "TSUKAHANA IOTAN".



When you hear that the game is based on an old tale, you may have the impression that the story is childish. However, "TSUKAHANA IITAN" is a high quality world. However, "Kotsubana Hidan" reinterprets such folktales in depth, and sublimates them into a story that adults can enjoy with great relish.
For those who want to experience a high-quality story that will move their hearts and minds, please play "Kotsubana Iitan" and explore the world of folktales with the White Princess and the Black Brush.



Click here to download "Adabanai Tan" on Steam.

2. " Necrobarista," a story spun in a coffee shop between this world and the next


  • Necrobarista " (Route 59)
  • Released on July 22, 2020
  • Price: 1,980 yen (as of September 26, 2020)
  • Copyright: (C) 2020 Route 59.

Do you like coffee? I am quite a drinker, and it has become a daily routine for me to guzzle iced coffee while working. Coffee refreshes my tired head and relaxes my mind, and coffee is a key item in the work "Necrobarista," which I will introduce hereafter.



The story takes place in a coffee shop called "The Terminal," tucked away in a back alley in Melbourne. It is the only place where the dead and the living can coexist, the place between this world and the next where the dead spend their last 24 hours.


The story centers on Maddie, a female necromancer and barista who works at the "Terminal," and is followed by a cast of unique characters including Kishan, a young dead man who visits the "Terminal," Chae, a former terminal manager and Maddie's mentor, and Ashley, a girl genius with a caffeine addiction.


The story progresses in a quiet and static manner in a fantastical world with a unique atmosphere.



This title is in the orthodox visual novel game style, in which the player clicks to read the text. However, it is not a typical looking game with a standing picture of a character and a window displaying the text, such as .......


The main feature of this "Necrobarista" game is that all of the characters and scenery are drawn in 3D.



Clicking on the screen causes the 3D characters to move, the dialogue to appear, and the camera angle to change. It is a novel game, but every scene feels like a cut from a movie or a frame from a comic book, providing a unique playing experience. It is difficult to convey this innovative conversational drama through images alone, so we encourage you to try it out for yourself.



In addition to the main scenario, "Necrobarista" also includes sub-scenarios that delve deeper into the world and characters. The system allows players to unlock sub-scenarios by using keywords collected in the main scenario, but this is an unusual exploration element that allows players to freely roam around the coffee shop "Terminal" from a first-person perspective. Being able to walk around the "terminal," where Maddie and her friends weaved their story in the main scenario, from my own perspective was like visiting the location of a movie or TV drama, which made me feel a little meek.



In addition to the cinematic presentation of the scenario using 3D models, this title is truly stylishly crafted down to the smallest details, such as the in-game interface. The soft design that matches the unique worldview of the story, "a coffee shop in between life and death," does not detract from the game, but rather functions as a device to make the game even more exciting.


To be honest, I have never seen such a cool save and load screen before. ......



Death and coffee, two seemingly irreconcilable elements, are blended together in the quiet world of "Necrobarista," creating an experience that can only be experienced here. If you are interested in playing a slightly different novel game, please visit the "Terminal" coffee shop and experience the story of Maddie and her friends firsthand.

Click here for "Necrobarista" Steam

3. Manipulate the text of the letters to change people's destinies! Puzzle-like novel game " WILL: A Wonderful World / WILL: Miyoshi Sekai



Have you ever asked God for something?
There is a saying, "When you are in trouble, ask for help from God." Perhaps it is a sign of the instability of human existence that we turn to some supernatural power when we are in desperate need of help. WILL: A Wonderful World" is a novel game in which such a god is the main character.



The protagonist of this work is a girl named Yuan who has amnesia. When she wakes up in a strange room, she is told by Ishi, a talking dog-like god, that she is the god responsible for changing the destiny of those who seek her help.

Thus, Ewan reads the letters sent by humans with their wishes and leads them to happiness. ...... is the story of this work. The scenario is characterized by lively conversations between the characters, which, despite the rather strange setting, has the power to make the reader read the story without any difficulty.



The main game part of this work is "Letters from Humans". The player, as a god, is supposed to guide them in the right direction. However, the player's objective is to guide them in the right direction.


This work employs a unique system of "changing the story by replacing a part of the text of a letter," and this is what makes this work most appealing. For example, if the sentence "After the lights went out at the tennis court, I went to the alley" is changed to "I went from the tennis court to the alley and then the lights went out," the place where the lights went out becomes "the alley" instead of "the tennis court," and the ending of the story is changed accordingly. This changes the ending of the story.

The text of the letter is divided into several blocks, and the blocks that can be replaced are only a part of the blocks, so replacing them is not extremely complicated, but it is necessary to think carefully about where to replace them successfully. This makes the game feel like a puzzle, even though it is a novel game.



Furthermore, there are situations in which you are required to read not only one but several letters at the same time and replace sentences in each letter. This increases the amount of thinking required and makes the puzzles more complex. However, the exhilaration of solving the puzzles is greater than that of solving them, and the storyline is also more complex, as the two senders of the letters become interrelated, making it difficult to take your eyes off the puzzles.



The humans who are the senders of the letters are all unique in their own way. A cheerful high school girl who loves tennis and chocolate milk, a beautiful boy who is a computer geek who is unaccustomed to love, a painter who has lost hope and is about to commit suicide, and many more. The game is a fun game to play, and you will not be able to stop playing it.



Aside from the game system and storyline, I would like to mention the high quality of the localization. Although "WILL: A Wonderful World" was developed by a Chinese studio, the overall Japanese translation of the scenario and interface is very carefully done. The game is based on a word-based game where you have to replace sentences in a letter, so the game may lose a lot of its fun depending on the translation. However, I felt that the fact that the game can be played without any sense of discomfort in translation, to the extent that it seems as if it was originally written in Japanese, is a tremendous achievement.



This work can be recommended not only to those who like novel games, but also to puzzle game lovers. Please try to become a god and guide people's destiny.

WILL: A Wonderful World" is available on Steam here.

Enjoy a relaxing storytelling experience in a game in the long autumn nights!

So, I have introduced three recommended games.

I am a novelist and have published several books, but playing visual novel games this time made me rediscover how interesting "stories" are and motivated me to write some new stories of my own. The real appeal of visual novel games is that even people who do not usually read novels can enjoy the experience of storytelling through games. I encourage everyone to play the games that interest you and enjoy a leisurely "reading autumn.

Author：Nero Hyakkabe
Freelance writer who buys too many games. I currently have more than 300 games in my stack. Also a novelist. Author of "Goaken Unrated Edition" (Kodansha) and "My Mother's Lie" (in "Malicious Kwaidan") (Takeshobo).

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