Lampa
Rattata
Thanks, I'll add them, on first glance they seem good! When I was making the list I was going off similar recommendations on DekuDeals for VNs I played, and I didn't want to add too many dating sims and the such.
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StarTopic Visual Novels |ST| Let’s-a-read!
- Thread starter Irene
- Start date
God damn, that's a lot of good offers. Any recommendations? Anything on a similar level to Danganronpa, Ace Attorney or AI Somnium Files in terms of plot twists and story?
I'm currently playing Gnosia and it's not bad so far.
Lampa
Rattata
From what I have played
- Worldend Syndrome
- Root Letter: Last Answer
- Raging Loop
- Robotics;Notes
Ramune
they call me carpet
- Pronouns
- he/they
Higurashi Hou, and Umineko Question and Answer arcs are all on sale on Steam right now. Do I do it? I take it chapter 1 isn't included in Hou because it's available free, so I may check that out.
I know people rave about these but the art style really concerns me lol. It looks like there's two styles in the screenshots on Steam, and I'm hoping the super deformed crudely drawn ones are like...the old version or make sense in context.
I know people rave about these but the art style really concerns me lol. It looks like there's two styles in the screenshots on Steam, and I'm hoping the super deformed crudely drawn ones are like...the old version or make sense in context.
I just finished my first VN ever. Doki doki literature club and damn what a crazy story... It really broke my heart.
Now I kinda want more on switch.
Im right now thinking about either Ace Attorney Trilogy or Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition.
What are your guys opinion on those? What would maybe be important for me is also that they are not to long or have chapters. What I mean is it would be good if it's possible to pause these games for a week and still continue without forgetting everything.
Now I kinda want more on switch.
Im right now thinking about either Ace Attorney Trilogy or Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Anniversary Edition.
What are your guys opinion on those? What would maybe be important for me is also that they are not to long or have chapters. What I mean is it would be good if it's possible to pause these games for a week and still continue without forgetting everything.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
They’re both fine options. Ace Attorney is more grounded (investigation and court rooms, although with colorful characters and unrealistic legal rules) and Danganronpa is more out there (mind control, death games, talking bears). Both sets of games are chapter based. Awful DR mini games aside, I’d also say AA is more game-like and DR is more just following the story.
I’d recommend them both. It’s really a question of which you want to play first.
OP
OP
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I've always wanted to try out Danganronpa ever since I got into VN's, but haven't got around to. What I will say, though, is that if you like:
1. A variety of characters that are all over the place, from the broody and moody, to the goofy and exaggerated, to the mysterious and alluring, to the earnest and endearing.
2. Investigative gameplay where you go to places and look around for intriguing clues that you present to people to find out more about the situation.
3. Lawyer practices and have an interest in the proceedings of it.
4. A narrative that simultaneously has small self-contained stories but also span a wide narrative arc over an entire trilogy.
5. Sick plot twists.
Then I can't stress enough that Ace Attorney is an absolute must-play. The stories are often fairly simple when it come to pure plot beats and progress, so you could put it down for a week without "forgetting" much. You can still pick up and go "oh, this is the TV show case, and x is the victim, y is the suspect and z is the real killer" and sort of keep tabs on the plot, which also helps because each case is so memorable. It does have chapters though.
This post convinced me. Thank you
I just bought it from the eshop on sale.
Lampa
Rattata
The thing with Danganronpa is that it has a lot action elements, than traditional VNs. In most VNs, the only control is skip text, or choose an answer, so it's difficult to recommend for me based on other games played.
That being said, when compared to AA, I would chose and recommend Ace Attorney over it any day. Danganronpa 1 has serious pacing issues for me, and AA is just a lot more fun.
That being said, when compared to AA, I would chose and recommend Ace Attorney over it any day. Danganronpa 1 has serious pacing issues for me, and AA is just a lot more fun.
Pineapple Pizza
Bob-omb
It's on sale at 50% off and is unlikely to go any lower as Capcom as quite consistent k find with their sales. I have it on 3DS but I'm thinking of double dipping.
I’d recommend Ace Attorney over Danganronpa as an entry visual novel even though I like Danganronpa 2 over each of the Ace Attorney games.
There’s a great chance if you like Ace Attorney’s gameplay you’ll like Danganronpa and vice versa. Danganronpa has high anime energy which could be a turn off for some.
There’s a great chance if you like Ace Attorney’s gameplay you’ll like Danganronpa and vice versa. Danganronpa has high anime energy which could be a turn off for some.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
This post convinced me. Thank you
Steins gate 0 is currently on sale for £10 and I'm really tempted but from what I know it's sort of a prequel/sequel to the original Steins gate game. Now the thing is, I haven't played the first game but I watched the anime many years ago, almost 10 years lol. I vaguely remember some of the details and major plot points.
I would buy the original game but... what's putting me off is that the game uses the anime cutscenes/art as opposed to the VN art style which I honestly find much more appealing.
What to do lol.
I would buy the original game but... what's putting me off is that the game uses the anime cutscenes/art as opposed to the VN art style which I honestly find much more appealing.
What to do lol.
Appelsider
OvO/ ✨
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Ofcourse this is all my personal opinion but, Buried Stars for me was my biggest let down for a VN.
Not saying it's bad, because dang the art is gorgeous and the theme sounded fun enough.
But it was mediocre at best for me. I'll need to look up my twitter post about it because I really went on a tiny rant when I finished it.
Basically I felt like the story could have been less than half its actual length and it really felt like a filler most of the time.
It was a game I kept my eye on for so long, and I immediately bought it the second it went on sale. But yeah lowkey regret buying it for the price it was on sale at that moment. XD
I guess its one of those games I had to high expectations of, and it failed to deliver.
Found my twt post:
Not saying it's bad, because dang the art is gorgeous and the theme sounded fun enough.
But it was mediocre at best for me. I'll need to look up my twitter post about it because I really went on a tiny rant when I finished it.
Basically I felt like the story could have been less than half its actual length and it really felt like a filler most of the time.
It was a game I kept my eye on for so long, and I immediately bought it the second it went on sale. But yeah lowkey regret buying it for the price it was on sale at that moment. XD
I guess its one of those games I had to high expectations of, and it failed to deliver.
Found my twt post:
Omg lmao
I'm dying, the way Jonas won a game against Shigemichi and goes on to say that back then my ass would've been beaten but since his awakening as a Gnosia, he is unstoppable. Everyone just looks at him as he exposed himself like an idiot and BAM, goes to cold sleep lmao
edamame
Koopa
I've only played the first one back on Vita, but I kind of felt that Danganronpa was the Sonic to Ace Attorney's Mario - it shares a similar framework but is flashier, has a bit more "attitude" and forges its own path. I really liked it and recently bought Decadence in order to play the rest. That said, the Ace Attorney series just hits the right combo of comedy and drama (and admittedly nostalgia, as I've been playing them since the DS days) for me that I'll probably always prefer it. I'm in the middle of Great Ace Attorney Chronicles right now and loving it.
(And yes, I know that neither series are technically visual novels. Though I feel for better or worse, the western definition of the genre has grown to include Japanese adventure games under its umbrella.)
(And yes, I know that neither series are technically visual novels. Though I feel for better or worse, the western definition of the genre has grown to include Japanese adventure games under its umbrella.)
Ahmed
Koopa
I'm kinda cheating here since it's not on Switch, but I recently started Ace Attorney Investigations 2 with a fanpatch on my 3DS. I've already beaten AAI1 when it first came out and recently again, because it's AA!
I'm now on the second case, end part 2. I've cornered the killer now, at least if there is no plot twist turning things upside down at the last minute.
So far the first 2 cases are pretty meaty compared to the first game, there is a lot going on here. I also like how the cases in the Investigations games are all connected. It makes the mystery that much stronger, and some characters get to shine more.
Also kudos to the fan translators. I would never figure out this is a fan translation, it's very well done. Of course I don't know the original script, but still. They've done everything. Localising the names, background text, evidence text etc. Even the voice clips for the new characters, though you can tell these are obvious not from the game originally.
I still am of the opinion that I don't like the localising (which I usually call Americanizing/westernising) of the games. I was searching up some of the names of the new characters in Japanese and some of the story around them, and they're so much more impactful when you get those connections and they add to the charm of the characters. Something which is mostly lost when localising. Though I get that it's hard or even impossible to translate those to another language. The Japanese language is very powerful with its wordplay possibilities and puns.
Either way, I'm enjoying my time with this. Now to finish the case before I go to sleep.
I'm now on the second case, end part 2. I've cornered the killer now, at least if there is no plot twist turning things upside down at the last minute.
So far the first 2 cases are pretty meaty compared to the first game, there is a lot going on here. I also like how the cases in the Investigations games are all connected. It makes the mystery that much stronger, and some characters get to shine more.
Also kudos to the fan translators. I would never figure out this is a fan translation, it's very well done. Of course I don't know the original script, but still. They've done everything. Localising the names, background text, evidence text etc. Even the voice clips for the new characters, though you can tell these are obvious not from the game originally.
I still am of the opinion that I don't like the localising (which I usually call Americanizing/westernising) of the games. I was searching up some of the names of the new characters in Japanese and some of the story around them, and they're so much more impactful when you get those connections and they add to the charm of the characters. Something which is mostly lost when localising. Though I get that it's hard or even impossible to translate those to another language. The Japanese language is very powerful with its wordplay possibilities and puns.
Either way, I'm enjoying my time with this. Now to finish the case before I go to sleep.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
I think most everyone would agree that it wa a bad decision with the progression from the original trilogy, but it’s all locked in as long as the series continues to use Phoenix and company. At the time when the original trilogy was being localized over fifteen years ago, prior to all the sequels and spin offs, the changes were justifiable IMO to make the game more palatable to an English-speaking audience.
The name changes are a great way to convey the puns we just wouldn’t get otherwise (they seemingly never stop to explain them even though the game expects you to readily recognize them) so I love those. Otherwise I don’t really mind the setting change mainly because it goes mostly unaddressed in mainline games past the first trilogy. It’s funny to still think about though when it’s like ah yeah there’s totally a village of spirit mediums and another all about Yokai north of LA lol.
Also I’ll always be happy they did it, because the Ace Attorney games definitely expanded the visual novel market in North America and they are still a great gateway for newcomers to understanding why they are great even though it’s more of an adventure game.
Also I’ll always be happy they did it, because the Ace Attorney games definitely expanded the visual novel market in North America and they are still a great gateway for newcomers to understanding why they are great even though it’s more of an adventure game.
Ahmed
Koopa
I think they could've just retconned it if they wanted to turn away from those localisations.
I don't necessarily agree that the changes are more palatable for English speakers, at least from my perspective. It's made for Americans and other English native speakers.
I'm not English, it's not my native language, I don't live in an English speaking country. To me, those localisations barely do anything for me to make them more accessible. The big majority of media I consume is the same way, catered towards that demographic, which I don't fall under, and honestly it annoys me when I get yet another "we're in America!" thing which wasn't supposed to be that way. I would've liked it way more if it was localised as still being a Japanese setting, which is why I'm happy they kept the Great Ace Attorney closer to the original.
Even though I've said all that, I can at least understand many of the changes they've made, like the names and some of the script/lines. Translating everything 1-1 to another language is close to impossible, especially for a pun-happy series like Ace Attorney.
I don't agree that it's a good way to convey the puns, because they're mostly changed with the translating. There is something lost there since puns can't really be translated. And I think the Japanese puns in the games are in general that much more powerful/fun than the English ones.
As a non-English person, I don't get many references anyway, so it's not even catered to non English natives. Which is why I think it's annoying they've changed the setting towards an American one.
One example of a really fun name in Japanese I recently encountered in AAI2, without going into spoilers for the game:
There is a prosecutor called Sebastian Debeste in the fantranslation. Which is a pretty good conversion to English if you know what the Japanese name was. Except, there is a lot of charm lost despite this.
In Japanese he's called Ichiyanagi Yumihiko, doesn't say anything to us who don't speak Japanese. But it describes the character very well. This character is obsessed with being a top class prosecutor (he is "the best" in after all). I'll quote the wiki to explain it well.
In Japanese, he uses the phrase 'ichiryuu' a lot, which is part of the pun and wordplay, since it is a way to read his name. He says stuff like only accepting first class explanations, and that his arguments are first class. Some other characters call him Ichiryuu instead of Ichiyanagi.
The expression of "ichiya naki yumi hiku" the is probably the most genius, since the character is stupid, slow to understand stuff and an airhead. They combined these stuff so well in his name and it describes his personality perfectly. While in English, all you have is an obvious "the best" in his name.
Another small example I've read years ago is Larry Butz. I don't think his name is any interesting here. They have an expression about "the Butz", which is referencing a butt. The expression fits the character of course.
But it becomes interesting when you know the Japanese name. He's called Yahari Masashi. Here's the wiki again explaining how good it is.
It's such a good pun and has such amazing wordplay potential.
Of course, all this can't be translated directly. So you can't fault the translators for any of this. Still, I like their attempt at making non-Japanese names.
This turned out to be a waaaay longer post than planned lol. But I love talking about this series, it's so great. Gonna start case 3 today, case 2 was pretty good and the new characters so far are amazing (including Debeste which I mentioned earlier).
That’s totally fair with the non-US factor which I didn’t consider. I’m from America obviously from the post I made so that change, though awkward isn’t doubly awkward for me. If you live near LA like I do, not only does the court system obviously not match up, the backgrounds get increasingly silly in comparison which is what I was getting at if I wasn’t clear so I do get some level of double awkwardness myself lol. I too also really appreciated the Great Ace Attorney for using the actual settings of Japan and England, since it gets rid of that.
Yeah I was hinting at the Kanji and word puns with my post that you delved deeper into. I’ve definitely heard the stuff about Larry vs Yahari which is cool, but how would you possibly convey all of that in one English name when we just don’t have the versatility of Kanji (there are no meanings in our alphabet symbols like the specific strokes/radicals/etc in Kanji) and we also have different words that can play off each other becomes the issue. That’s where I appreciate the pun names even though they are different since you get a similar experience of being able to decipher there is a pun in play even though it isn’t the experience someone who knows Japanese would get. Some of my favorites we got in The Great Ace Attorney was Raiten Menimemo (written many memo) since he was a journalist and the father and son military duo Yesa and Nosa (Yes Sir and No Sir). I feel Capcom did an admirable job actually trying to capture what you are interested in in one of the short episodes in the TGAA Chronicles Collection.
I don’t know if you ever watched/read the Monogatari series, but it has mountains of Kanji talk and often revelations to be found in exploring it. Both the official anime subs and novels do their best to capture that experience, either with extensive translator notes or new puns that are fun in English, but our English language is only so flexible.
I love the craft of localization is where I’m going with this. Always going to be pros and cons to every decision and it’s often fascinating to explore.
Ahmed
Koopa
Oh yeah, i totally forgot about the legal system in the games. I can see how that would seem way off to the American audience (or any non-Japanese audience really). But those are the limitations I guess, with localising a game that includes many elements of a foreign country.
I half expected them to have TGAA taking place in the US and have a Japanese village to explain the Japanese cast haha.
I understand the issue with the kanji, I think the localisation we got is the best they could do with it. Unless they'd go with something like character bios in-game, in which the names are explained. But that would make the games less accessible. So yeah, I agree with you that they've made it accessible for the North American audience.
I haven't played TGAA yet, but I'm planning to soon. From your words it seems they've changed those names as well? I wonder what they've done with the British characters besides Sholmes. I don't know how the names were in Japanese, but I'd assume they're unchanged if they were English to start with.
I remember reading some of the British names were changed too like the two robbers, the pickpocket character, and the head of law. There was a lot of thought put into it, I was happy with how it turned out.
Finally completed and got the true ending in Gnosia. Took a while and almost got burnt out from repeating so many loops to get those final events. The ending was very satisfying and Setsu is without a doubt my most favorite character in the game.
The story was decent but what really carried was all the characters background story. Some really weird, funny and sad. And that sick burn Gina did at the ending lol.
No regrets buying this game. Very unique VN. Also, I'm really impressed with how little people were involved in developing and localising this game, a really small team.
The story was decent but what really carried was all the characters background story. Some really weird, funny and sad. And that sick burn Gina did at the ending lol.
No regrets buying this game. Very unique VN. Also, I'm really impressed with how little people were involved in developing and localising this game, a really small team.
Still thinking about Gnosia lol. Definitely enjoyed my time.
I guess my next game is to continue my replay of Danganronpa 2 since I have a soft spot for it and then...I don't have anymore VN games to play.
Although I have been thinking to play Your Turn To Die. Apparently it's really good and it's free and can be played on your phone. The only thing that is stopping is that it's not finished. I believe it's on the final part B something like that?
I guess my next game is to continue my replay of Danganronpa 2 since I have a soft spot for it and then...I don't have anymore VN games to play.
Although I have been thinking to play Your Turn To Die. Apparently it's really good and it's free and can be played on your phone. The only thing that is stopping is that it's not finished. I believe it's on the final part B something like that?
Jawmuncher
Rattata
I need to pick up Gnosia forgot to grab it during the last sale. Was kinda hoping a physical would pop up but that doesn't seem to be the case.
I believe there is a physical copy but I think it's in Japanese only? And expensive lol.
Apparently from what I have seen in terms of reviews from other/random people, it isn't exactly a strong/great game. Even on Hot UK Deals a website I use frequently, Root Letter was on offer and the comments were saying it's not that great. It seems to be consistent.
- Pronouns
- he / him
Does anyone have recommended shorter vns (< 5 hours, maybe even < 10 hours)? Sometimes i just want something to read that i can finish in a sitting or a day. I played butterfly soup last year and it was super refreshing to have it done in one go (and it helps that the story is great too).
Apenheul
Rattata
I loved Root Letter, in fact I just finished Root Film yesterday. I'll try to explain why I loved Root Letter but it's very much a ymmv type of thing.
What appealed to me is that the setting (the city of Matsue) is actually the main character. In fact the game was created to promote Matsue for (Japanese) tourists, so the locations in the game have a strong sense of culture. It reminded me of some of my travels and longer stays in Japan for my work over the past two decades; It's a game that makes me go "ah this place reminds me of that time in Japan when I...".
The mystery and characters just play second fiddle in this game which is why I think reviews are so mixed. Now, if you've never been to Japan I probably wouldn't recommend this game to you, it's very "grounded" even though the Last Answer endings feel like they belong to another genre some times.
edamame
Koopa
I also liked Root Letter, though it does feel like a B-tier visual novel. I think what sinks it for a lot of people is that every chapter follows the same basic structure to the point where it can feel repetitive or formulaic. It doesn't have much in the way of shocking twists and turns. Also despite the way it's advertised Root Letter is not really a murder mystery so much as it is a "my high school years defined my life" j drama with a mystery as a backdrop.
As stated earlier it's strongest attribute is the setting of Matsue. You can tell that was the primary focus of the developers. It does a good job in establishing a strong sense of place and you do feel pretty familiar with the town by the time it ends.
I don't disagree with the criticisms it gets but there was just some odd, quirky charm about Root Letter that worked for me despite its flaws. I'm definitely in the minority though.
As stated earlier it's strongest attribute is the setting of Matsue. You can tell that was the primary focus of the developers. It does a good job in establishing a strong sense of place and you do feel pretty familiar with the town by the time it ends.
I don't disagree with the criticisms it gets but there was just some odd, quirky charm about Root Letter that worked for me despite its flaws. I'm definitely in the minority though.
Lampa
Rattata
Thirded Root Letter recommendation. I played the original version, and while it kind of goes off the rails sometimes, it's was a very solid VN. Matsue was definitely the best part of it, but I also enjoyed the characters, it is kind of a high school drama, but not entirely.
Well, Root Letter is below 10 hours.
OP
OP
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Eliza was absolutely incredible, loved it. It's about a company that has invented a robot therapist. It's very gripping, and thought-provoking.
Pineapple Pizza
Bob-omb
I didn't appreciate how NL only used screenshots with live actors instead of showcasing both anime and live action styles. IIRC the review did not even mention that you can freely flip between both styles. I have bought it but not played it yet.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
The funny thing is that this could've been about either Ace Attorney or Danganronpa and it would've fit just as well. Well except for #3 I guess, but Ace Attorney is only a slightly more accurate representation of court proceeding than Danganronpa lol
Jawmuncher
Rattata
I know it's late but is it not like Stein's Gate? Was playing that on Xbox recently and it was either one of the face buttons or R1/RB/R
I have it on my backlog and plan to get to it at some point (Like most of my VN purchases lol)
Lampa
Rattata
Yeah, turns out, it was on triggers, or rather ZL/ZR, and it doesn't work in some scenes. After like 20 hours or so, the game wanted me to use phonedroid and explained how to activate it.
Very hyped for this. My most anticipated game for the first half of the year.
- Pronouns
- He
Finally getting to The Great Ace Attorney 2.
I'll just say I hope that the twist that you play as Susato sticks throughout the whole game
I'll just say I hope that the twist that you play as Susato sticks throughout the whole game
- Pronouns
- he / him
I've got such a list too. Yours has some stuff I don't (Ace Attorney always felt a bit too interactive to be considered a straight visual novel and I'm a bit stubborn), but I've also got a lot of obscure/non-localized stuff from following the "Other users also liked" section at Deku Deals.I am compiling myself a list of VNs on Switch on Deku Deals to make it easier to find VNs on sale among all the clutter. It's probably still missing some lesser known titles though.
Playing through Robotics;Notes Elite right now, not sure if I like it just yet. Still very early on, but it's not compelling me enough.
Ones I've spent decent time with on Switch:
*WorldEnd Syndrome: Like this one a lot, and it now gets pretty cheap pretty frequently. More fun than most to replay as trying for new routes, as you have many choices of where to go each day during the main month the story takes place, and it keeps track of where you've been and who you met there on previous playthroughs so you an either intentionally meet them or try someplace new. I later played 7Scarlet on PC, which is from many of the same staff and has a lot of the same concepts, but WorldEnd feels like a fuller take on them.
*Our World Has Ended: Some embarrassingly pervy humor, but if you can get beyond that the main story is pretty interesting. Looked online at the requirements to get different endings, though, and it seemed like a lot more hassle than it was worth--like, having to pick Exactly The Right Thing All The Time, so I didn't bother.
*Robotics;Notes: Didn't like as much as Steins;Gate, but it's believably the same ~world and style. The main character isn't so likeable, but in what seems unusual for a VN it will frequently switch perspectives to one of the other characters for a short while. Nice to see some polygonal people for a change. Structurally the weird thing about this one is that rather than different routes branching off to alternate endings, they're basically parts of the overall linear story. Just best to use a guide to know what specific things you'll have to do next time after running into one apparent ending/credits sequence.
*YU-NO: The Girl who had a VN with a really long title: Even more unlikable protagonist, but the mechanism of returning to the beginning (or one of a few other limited spots) being intentional time travel and viewing the branches on a map is pretty interesting. Then the story takes a huge twist and becomes completely linear, like it's two things smashed together?
Lampa
Rattata
Nice list, I'll go through it add add some to mine, I'm hesitant to add too many dating sims, personally.
As for Worldend Syndrome, I also enjoyed it, but I felt it was borderline a "look up a guide" type of game. A lot of decisions to do in order to get the route you want.
I'm still playing Robotics;Notes Elite, but personally don't like it much anymore. The cast is hit or miss, and the phase system might as well not exist, I'm on my third route, and first two routes were pretty much the same as if they were just linear progression after phase 5. They take place after one another and in different times, so I feel the things that happen would happen anyway, and I have no choice in the matter, just have to trigger the correct route. Maybe it changes later? Not sure, S;G route system was perfect.
