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I’ve never played a visual novel — is 13 Sentinels the best starting point?
- Thread starter ngower
- Start date
I think it would be a good starting point. Full voice acting helps.
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Trilogy is basically on everything and would be a great starting point too. A lot of people get into visual novels because of Phoenix Wright.
Phoenix Wright Ace Attorney Trilogy is basically on everything and would be a great starting point too. A lot of people get into visual novels because of Phoenix Wright.
Sure?
It's a great VN if you want to call it that - the story is Phenomenal, but there are also these RTS segments to split up the gameplay as well that are also pretty fine. I just feel like calling 13 sentinels just a VN as doing it something of a disservice, but it's a fantastic game that should be played.
Otherwise if you just want VN's, Ace Attorney Trilogy and Nonary Games.
It's a great VN if you want to call it that - the story is Phenomenal, but there are also these RTS segments to split up the gameplay as well that are also pretty fine. I just feel like calling 13 sentinels just a VN as doing it something of a disservice, but it's a fantastic game that should be played.
Otherwise if you just want VN's, Ace Attorney Trilogy and Nonary Games.
Depends what story genres you like.
Yeah, 428 I would easily recommend over 13 Sentinals.
Yeah, 428 I would easily recommend over 13 Sentinals.
it's a solid choice since it has a few "traditional" gaming bits to ease you in (even if I think the walking around is more detrimental to the experience than anything)
Ace Attorney, 999, and arguably even Layton are probably the best to get into "traditional" visual novels since their gameplay mechanics are more directly tied into the narrative
Ace Attorney, 999, and arguably even Layton are probably the best to get into "traditional" visual novels since their gameplay mechanics are more directly tied into the narrative
It is and it isn't.
It's great but a lot of that is playing on tropes of the convention and other media. You're not losing anything by not seeing that but it may make going back to other VNs harder as it's a very modern take on the genre. The DS is your best friend for VNs. There's classics like Phoenix Wright and Hotel Dusk, as well as not as polished but fun and well meaning stuff like Lux-Pain. (One of the weirdest translations as there's not too much VA but what is there was done by a different localization team and is generally, uh, better.)
It's great but a lot of that is playing on tropes of the convention and other media. You're not losing anything by not seeing that but it may make going back to other VNs harder as it's a very modern take on the genre. The DS is your best friend for VNs. There's classics like Phoenix Wright and Hotel Dusk, as well as not as polished but fun and well meaning stuff like Lux-Pain. (One of the weirdest translations as there's not too much VA but what is there was done by a different localization team and is generally, uh, better.)
I think Steins;Gate is the perfect entry point, but I bet 13 Sentinels will get you off on the right foot.
i think visual novel is misbranding what the games actually are: adventure games with VN elements/influences. actual VNs are primarily text and art with little to no gameplay i.e. house of fata morgana, muv luv, steins gate, umineko, etc.
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It's my GOTY and while I love the characters, Iori and Hiijiyama we're SO awful at times. The damn cat treats. Actually. Anything involving
the real cat
Depends on what you mean by "starting point". As mentioned, it's part RTS. If you want to explore the VN as a genre, you're better off starting with gateway titles. There's Key VNs (Little Busters or Clannad), Phoenix Wright, Katawa Shoujo and Steins;Gate among others.
I didn't know that, that's cool, just pointing out that it might be different than the OP expects.
Definitely start with Ace Attorney Trilogy. It's what got me into visual novels due to its great written mysteries and charming cast of characters. It's also essentially three full DS games for $20, which is a steal IMO.
Nonary Games and Danganronpa are also great. And for an indie, and a more relaxed experience, I also reccomend VA-11 HALL-A.
Nonary Games and Danganronpa are also great. And for an indie, and a more relaxed experience, I also reccomend VA-11 HALL-A.
If you like Killer7, or experimental, abstract and often horror adjacent stories, I'd recommend The Silver Case. I'd say it's my favorite VN, though I've only played a handful so far.
13 Sentinals is good if you dig sci-fi stuff though.
13 Sentinals is good if you dig sci-fi stuff though.
The former is kinetic and sound novels like F/SN and the PC versions of Higurashi(which are more like actual novels, with a lot of text laid out on the screen). But stuff like Steins;Gate and 13 sentinels are definitely ADV games even if they have sub categories like ギャルゲー and stuff. On digital game stores these will be under アドベンチャー. (Heck you can even go on the japanese wiki pages for them, they'll say ADV or アドベンチャー under ジャンル)
Edit: On the nico nico encyclopaedia entry for NVL games, the first line is literally
文章を読むことが中心目的のアドベンチャーゲームのこと。
Which translates roughly to an adventure game which focuses on reading. So even NVL games are considered adventure games.
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It's not really a visual novel though. More of a dialogue heavy point and click story adventure type game with some mech battles.
I wouldn't go in expecting it to be a starting point for VNs. Because it's radically different than other VNs, right down to how it's presented. Something like Ace Attorney is probably better as a starting point, to give you a better idea of what VNs are like.
That's not to say you can't start with 13 Sentinels though. Just don't expect other VNs to be anything like it whatsoever.
That's not to say you can't start with 13 Sentinels though. Just don't expect other VNs to be anything like it whatsoever.
It is more of a point and click game with less puzzles and more talking. And some RTS battles here and there.
Still, give it a try. It is a damn good game.
Still, give it a try. It is a damn good game.
If you want to play a self contained story that has no sequels then yes. There is also AI The Somnium Files for this.
If you're looking to play ones with sequels then Ace Attorney, Zero Escape (third game is meh), and Danganronpa are good.
Some people here are trying to make too much of a distinction between visual novels and adventure games. 13 Sentinels is interactive in that you move characters around (in small rooms from point A to B while examining some things), and you have a combat and upgrade system which these other games don't have, but for the most part the core of the game is to read/listen to text. That's where the "novel" portion comes to play. If you're fine with a game like this then any of these are fine choices.
If you're looking to play ones with sequels then Ace Attorney, Zero Escape (third game is meh), and Danganronpa are good.
Some people here are trying to make too much of a distinction between visual novels and adventure games. 13 Sentinels is interactive in that you move characters around (in small rooms from point A to B while examining some things), and you have a combat and upgrade system which these other games don't have, but for the most part the core of the game is to read/listen to text. That's where the "novel" portion comes to play. If you're fine with a game like this then any of these are fine choices.
OP
OP
Thanks for the nod to it being on sale at Best Buy. I have some rewards there so paid $5.30 out of pocket: I have some reservations about the game for sure but at $5 I'm not really sure I can go wrong.
EDIT: also, for the pedantry about nomenclature, it is regarded as a VN or at least a hyphenated VN/a game with VN trappings. Drive by "but it's not" posts aren't really doing anything to the convo here.
EDIT: also, for the pedantry about nomenclature, it is regarded as a VN or at least a hyphenated VN/a game with VN trappings. Drive by "but it's not" posts aren't really doing anything to the convo here.
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Oh damn, wasn't aware it had voice acting. Do you know if it's possible to mute it? I hate VA in text heavy games.
The best is probably just finding one you are really interested but it's an awesome game, definitely check it out.
I'm not really into them but recently played and loved 428 Shibuya Scramble. It was like a live action Japanese choose your adventure book where you can just go back to your last choice and choose a different outcome.
Loved that.
Loved that.
Get the Ace Attorney Trilogy if you want the best "First Visual Novel" ever.
It's also better than 13 Sentinels.
It's also better than 13 Sentinels.
I haven't played 13 Sentinels yet but I'll echo that 999 or Ace Attorney is a great place to start. I'm less likely to recommend Danganronpa, I'm not sure how to articulate my frustrations with the series but I always came out of each game feeling some level of disappointment with both the story and the trial gameplay. It requires a tolerance for anime nonesense more so than some of the other VN's recommended here.
Man for real, maxed out Demolition Blade is so satisfying to use lmao
I also agree that the Ace Attorney and Zero Escape games would be better starting points. While I definitely enjoyed 13 Sentinels, the Destruction mode widely differs from most gameplay options in visual novels. Ace Attorney and the Zero Escape games do have puzzles and such which are more commonplace in the genre versus the RTS/tower defense in Sentinels. I do enjoy the Dangaronpa and Steins;Gates games as well but I must echo the point that they rely on anime-esque tropes more than AA and ZE do. And I would argue more than Sentinels does as well.
