Steins;Gate is an all-timer if you haven't already played it/seen the anime.
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Switch is becoming a great VNs machine
- Thread starter hussien-11
- Start date
I'm also looking for some suggestions on which one to start first. Below are the ones I own. Not sure if I've ever done a straight VN, I typically prefer some sort of puzzle/gameplay element involved. Big fan of Zero Escape, Ace Attorney, and Point and Click games.
AI: The Somnium Files
Death Mark
2064: Read Only Memories INTEGRAL
Alternate Jake Hunter: DAEDALUS The Awakening of Golden Jazz
Raging Loop
Subsurface Circular
AI: The Somnium Files
Death Mark
2064: Read Only Memories INTEGRAL
Alternate Jake Hunter: DAEDALUS The Awakening of Golden Jazz
Raging Loop
Subsurface Circular
Just want to recommend Gnosia again! It was a blast to play and the ending was so worth it. Poured over 20 hours into it! Game could be creepy, and even have some lighthearted moments, and really great moments. 100% recommend.
I have been trying to take my time with House of Fata Morgana but it is an all-timer for me so far (at the Witch's Tale right now. Has some niggling bits that annoy me (mostly a cheesecake-iness to some of the illustrations, though even that is comparatively restrained) but the writing has been surprisingly solid and the music is out of this world. Between this, the Famicom Detective games, the Silver Case, and of course The Great Ace Attorney I am absolutely feasting and I love it.
You're a fan of Zero Escape and it's the most gameplay heavy, so Somnium
I'm not too big into VNs but my fiancé is obsessed. I just picked up a physical copy of The House in Fata Morgana for her, and honesty, I'm kind of interested in playing it myself.
I thought Coffee Talk was fantastic. I picked it up randomly after getting it with GWG. A slow Sunday morning well spent.
I thought Coffee Talk was fantastic. I picked it up randomly after getting it with GWG. A slow Sunday morning well spent.
So I don't know anything about this series, but looking it up it sounds like the one on Switch is a remake that adds in a bunch of anime cutscenes? I kind of got the impression it involved a lot of watching essentially full episodes of anime. I would prefer to play something that is almost entirely just reading. But maybe I am off base here.
It doesnt have any game play outside of story choices, but if you really like the story in Zero Escape and Ace Attorney you'll probably like Raging Loop. It has a lot of similarities to the two though it's a lot less polished compared to most ZE and AA titles so not as good (though still really good). The protagonist in Raging Loop is amazing though, which more than makes up for its rough aspects imo.
Any thoughts on World End Economica? Seems right in my wheelhouse as apparently its stock trading/finance stuff is pretty accurate, but curious about the overall quality of the story, characters, etc.
OP
OP
Added Clannad Side Stories! another May release.
Fortunately, there are a lot of quality VNs on the system right now so it depends on which type of story you would like to read:
Something filled with human and touching drama? Little Busters is a great choice! comedy, drama, tragedy, really good. but you should be familiar with anime/slice of life to enjoy it, otherwise look for something else.
Mystery? Raging Loop is fantastic, with a lot of focus on Japanese culture and mythology.
Science Fiction? Steins;Gate is top tier. probably my favorite time-travel story!
The House in Fata Morgana is another solid choice: great gothic art style, atmospheric music, and a very dark/tragic storyline.
There are many other solid choices but for a first novel I would pick up one of the best of its kind if possible, which will show you the true potential in the format of VNs and how powerful the storytelling for some works can really be.
Seems like you would prefer a mystery game/story, then i strongly recommend Raging Loop. Raging Loop is terrific, on par with the games you mentioned with even stronger and more in depth narrative. no gameplay though!
AI: The Somnium Files was a disappointment to me because the writing style was too simple. nothing wrong with that but it wasn't what I'm looking for from an Uchikoshi game. others enjoyed it more than me though, you may too.
DS had a lot of fantastic ADV games though, but not traditional VNs:
Ace Attorney series
Layton series
999
Trace Memory
Hotel Dusk
Last Window
Ghost Trick
... Those were really exceptional games
All of them.
Fortunately, there are a lot of quality VNs on the system right now so it depends on which type of story you would like to read:
Something filled with human and touching drama? Little Busters is a great choice! comedy, drama, tragedy, really good. but you should be familiar with anime/slice of life to enjoy it, otherwise look for something else.
Mystery? Raging Loop is fantastic, with a lot of focus on Japanese culture and mythology.
Science Fiction? Steins;Gate is top tier. probably my favorite time-travel story!
The House in Fata Morgana is another solid choice: great gothic art style, atmospheric music, and a very dark/tragic storyline.
There are many other solid choices but for a first novel I would pick up one of the best of its kind if possible, which will show you the true potential in the format of VNs and how powerful the storytelling for some works can really be.
Seems like you would prefer a mystery game/story, then i strongly recommend Raging Loop. Raging Loop is terrific, on par with the games you mentioned with even stronger and more in depth narrative. no gameplay though!
AI: The Somnium Files was a disappointment to me because the writing style was too simple. nothing wrong with that but it wasn't what I'm looking for from an Uchikoshi game. others enjoyed it more than me though, you may too.
DS had a lot of fantastic ADV games though, but not traditional VNs:
Ace Attorney series
Layton series
999
Trace Memory
Hotel Dusk
Last Window
Ghost Trick
... Those were really exceptional games
All of them.
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OP
OP
World End Phenomenon ? nothing announced about it yet but it won't be strange for a VN to release after years of its announcement. lets wait and see.
I'm curious about this one too.
Appreciate your input purseowner Hexa hussien-11
I think I'm going with AI first and then Raging Loop. Was sort of leaning towards those already. Thanks for the push!
I think I'm going with AI first and then Raging Loop. Was sort of leaning towards those already. Thanks for the push!
Oh, didn't realise it had a name already. Hope we get more info this summer, first game was pretty decent (though the mid section was eh), definitely down the sequel.
How many of these do let you advance the text and/or select options via the touchscreen?
Because it was one of the reasons I love playing them on DS/3DS and touchscreen support on the swtich has been horrible overall...
I know Autoskip exists but it's not the same for me: In games like Root Letter it skips way too fast for the MC for example since he doesn't have a voice, so it becomes jarring if the speed isn't perfect. Doing gentle taps on the screen is way easier on my hands on games where you have to do so many repetitve inputs.
Because it was one of the reasons I love playing them on DS/3DS and touchscreen support on the swtich has been horrible overall...
I know Autoskip exists but it's not the same for me: In games like Root Letter it skips way too fast for the MC for example since he doesn't have a voice, so it becomes jarring if the speed isn't perfect. Doing gentle taps on the screen is way easier on my hands on games where you have to do so many repetitve inputs.
I just played through Fata Morgana and it has pretty good touch support. The auto skip feature is also customizable in terms of speed so that was quite helpful too.
I just beat Fata Morgana and I have to say I was so impressed with how well told the story was - I don't think there were any plot holes.. I can't wait for Famicom Detective Club and Ace Attorney!!
OP
OP
I listed this info for every game i managed to try and/or was specified in the game's eshop page.
Prototype games all support touch for example, as well as AA games.
It usually goes like this:
ADV style games are the ones that do support English voices more often.
Traditional vns are usually only done in Japanese. They don't sell that much and no way they can cover va costs.
Playing House in Fata Morgana right now, as I've been waiting and have heard good things but never could get it started on PC for some reason. I played Raging Loop before it and it... kinda sucked. I liked the beginning and the premise but they made some godawful decisions and the protagonist is just a shitty person.
What should I try next if my favorite VN (or VN-esque) games are Zero Escape and 13 Sentinels? I hear Yu-No is supposed to be one of the old masterpieces but I've also heard it's kinda dated and convoluted.
I should mention I've done Steins;Gate and thought it was alright. I played the Ace Attorney games as a kid, might be fun to revisit those.
What should I try next if my favorite VN (or VN-esque) games are Zero Escape and 13 Sentinels? I hear Yu-No is supposed to be one of the old masterpieces but I've also heard it's kinda dated and convoluted.
I should mention I've done Steins;Gate and thought it was alright. I played the Ace Attorney games as a kid, might be fun to revisit those.
I saw it later as I reviewed the post carefully, so thanks for your work! I'm a bit bitter toward this sort of stuff due to hand pains.
It also made it clear to me how getting novels in anything other than english is an anomaly, as much as I hate to admit it, but it's better than having to learn japanese.
I hope we get Higurashi on the west at some point. I'm a big fan of both that and Clannad's animes, so those VNs are pretty high on my radar. For now I'm looking forward to WEC and FDC, though :)
OP
OP
Root Double, its very similar to Zero Escape (escape a room type of game) and it was produced under Takumi Nakazawa, Nakazawa and Uchikoshi created the Infinity series together and after that Uchikoshi created his own series (Zero Escape) which was heavily influenced by the Infinity series.
Root Double's tension and sense of dager are exceptional, but i should warn you that the game has like 2 storylines going at the same time, the other one is much more relaxed and completely a different experience so you may not like that. sci-fi stuff is heavier than Zero Escape too.
You are welcome, yeah I wish more of them supported touch screen.
I imagine Higurashi's vn is probably far superior to the anime. i wish we get both Higurashi and Umineko. in general i love Uchikoshi's work and writing style.
Speaking of Clannad, i also wish that we get Rewrite and Summer Pockets at some point.
Edit: R07 not Uchikoshi, sorry.
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I only compared that episode about
Reina believing in aliens
And I didn't know there was SO much Clannad side-content... Looking at Key's work I also noticed an Angel Beats VN and now I really want to try it out as well, haha.
Would you say it's good enough to buy again on the Switch if you already got it on Steam? I got it after backing the Kickstarter ages ago, but dropped it after the opening (for reasons I can't remember, and not related to the game). It's like 35$ on the eShop, which is way more than I thought it would be.
OP
OP
It depends on you really and if you want to spend again on the game. price is fair i think as it as a long game (~50h). I don't think that it is an exceptional game overall, it is a very good novel with some exceptional parts and some slow parts. also like all Nakazawa games, every route focuses on different themes, and it experiments with the medium of VNs and how to make a structure that can't work anywhere else.
That death mark sounds interesting, which of these have a little bit of gameplay interaction like Phoenix Wright?
Currently have Valhalla, Steins Gate and Ace Attorney trilogy on my list, can I get a top 5 to start with that will blow a beginner's mind? :)
OP
OP
Death Mark/NG
AI The Somnium Files
Gnosia
Root Letter/Root Film
World's End Club (next month)
Clannad/Little Busters
(for emotional effect)
Raging Loop
(very well thought out work with rich lore)
Root Double
(for its tension, thrills, sci-fi and good twists)
The House in Fata Morgana
(for its artistic direction and very dark story)
The Grisaia Trilogy
(for excellent characters and entertaining slice of life if you are an anime fan)
Thanks for the recommendation. Is it any good? And please tell me it's not one of those pervert games. I just googled the game and got taken to Amazon. Cover art has what looks like school girls in very short skirts.
It might depend on your definition of easy. Do you want something with more gameplay to keep you from getting bored, or something closer to a pure VN where you just read?
If you want something with gameplay, the Ace Attorney Trilogy is probably going to be your best bet. I think a lot of us started with these games (I know I did!), and they're considered classics for a reason. The trilogy is full of great mysteries, lovable characters and some excellent humor. You'll laugh, cry and feel like a legal badass throughout the whole thing. These are my personal favorite games of all time, so I'd highly recommend you give it a shot if it seems like something you'd like.
If you want to just read and make the occasional choice, I'd recommend The House in Fata Morgana or Raging Loop. Fata Morgana is a really heavy, emotionally raw story, so you need to be in the right headspace for it, but it's very worth it- it's one of those stories that's never going to leave me. It's effectively free of the less savory anime trappings so prolific in the genre. It's also mature and progressive in a way few other games are, so I thought it was an extremely refreshing experience. Raging Loop is more of a thriller/mystery sort of deal, and is generally a good time. If you've ever played social deduction games like Mafia or Werewolf, the concept is based around that. It has very strong world building, such that it really feels like you're in a small village with very unique customs, so I found it very easy to lose myself in the story. It was a real page turner, and never stopped finding ways to surprise me.
Thanks for the recommendations. I'm sure I have Ace Attorney on the original DS. May give it a try before trying the others.
I miss Danganronpa on Switch, I still don't understand why they are not porting the games into the system.
And did they adapt Zero Escape games into Switch as well or is this series missing as well?
I guess there are more possibilities of having Monokuma in Smash than any Danganronpa game, we may even get Ultra Despair Girls before any mainline game.
And did they adapt Zero Escape games into Switch as well or is this series missing as well?
I guess there are more possibilities of having Monokuma in Smash than any Danganronpa game, we may even get Ultra Despair Girls before any mainline game.
I noticed that there's a short list of otome games in the OP, I just wanted to say that if you like thriller / mystery VNs that "Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth" is well worth playing regardless of whether you consider yourself the target audience for otome games. I've also played Café Enchanté which was quite enjoyable but that's more of a fantasy / mystery type of story.
To build off of this, Collar x Malice also contains thriller elements.
I also think Code:Realize is a standout when it comes to otome. It's a fun fantasy steampunk romp that has a nice variety of styles in its different routes ranging from heist adventures to edgy crime drama. Only one route out of the five didn't land for me, and it had some egregious Aksys otome QC issues, (at least in the original Vita release that I played, I don't know about Switch) but I really enjoyed it.
I know there's been a bit of otome discussion in the thread in general, but it's a bit offputting that every galge game and all of its spinoffs gets a proper writeup in the OP while otome games are relegated to just a bullet list. Not every VN on the platform needs a writeup but I think there are at least a couple of standouts when it comes to otome that deserve a proper mention. OP is a nice post otherwise which is why the discrepancy stands out so much.
I know there's been a bit of otome discussion in the thread in general, but it's a bit offputting that every galge game and all of its spinoffs gets a proper writeup in the OP while otome games are relegated to just a bullet list. Not every VN on the platform needs a writeup but I think there are at least a couple of standouts when it comes to otome that deserve a proper mention. OP is a nice post otherwise which is why the discrepancy stands out so much.
ya'll Raging Loop is so dang good.
it's hard to really describe what i loved about it so much, but really it got me right from the start. right away it has this like claustrophobic vague 'something is seriously wrong'' feeling atmosphere you get in games like Zero Escape or Omori
the mist, the neverending mist everywhere that seems to color everything. even when nothing is happening something feels off. like you're never ever safe
the way the game handles its core mystery made me genuinely feel like i was going insane at points. that first loop in particular, man just a complete mindfuck from start to finish. everything feels terrifying, every person feels incomprehensible and like they could snap on a whim, the entire village is just...'wrong'. it's all wrong.
the main character is just endlessly fascinating. you go through like a dozen separate phases of "okay i think this is an decent dude" "what the fuck did he just say" "no it's probably fine he seems normal" "wait what, how could he say that so casually, what's wrong with him?".
his paranoia that ranges from reasonable to utterly insane, and i think there's one line in particular im guessing many remember
that just broke me outright
it's hard to really describe what i loved about it so much, but really it got me right from the start. right away it has this like claustrophobic vague 'something is seriously wrong'' feeling atmosphere you get in games like Zero Escape or Omori
the mist, the neverending mist everywhere that seems to color everything. even when nothing is happening something feels off. like you're never ever safe
the way the game handles its core mystery made me genuinely feel like i was going insane at points. that first loop in particular, man just a complete mindfuck from start to finish. everything feels terrifying, every person feels incomprehensible and like they could snap on a whim, the entire village is just...'wrong'. it's all wrong.
the main character is just endlessly fascinating. you go through like a dozen separate phases of "okay i think this is an decent dude" "what the fuck did he just say" "no it's probably fine he seems normal" "wait what, how could he say that so casually, what's wrong with him?".
his paranoia that ranges from reasonable to utterly insane, and i think there's one line in particular im guessing many remember
where he just casually talks about cutting off people's limbs, logically and calmly, like it's the most normal suggestion he could've given
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Code Realize was good, I just really like that kind of setting/aesthetic. I don't know what other otome games are on switch but I do want to play Bustafellows.
Aokana is really fun as long as you're playing the all-ages version (which the switch one is.)
Aokana is really fun as long as you're playing the all-ages version (which the switch one is.)