Tag Archives: Visual Novel

While it’s sad to see a disappointing game cause a developer to fold, it’s exceptionally tragic to witness a studio shut down after a string of successes. Not long ago, Tokyo-based Imageepoch was riding a ...

If the otome emerges as a successful sub-genre in Western media, at least some credit must be given to Aksys Games. From a trio of releases in the Hakuoki series across the PSP, PlayStation, and ...

Not long from now, the last PS Vita will roll off of the production line, signifying the inevitable end for Sony’s handheld. Undoubtedly, the device will leave a contentious legacy. Many will lament Ken Levine’s ...

With early rhythm games, representation was obvious. Dance Dance Revolution duped players into boogying atop a set of neon-lit panels, mimicking the energetic gyrations found in dance clubs. Similarly, GuitarFreaks, DrumMania, and Keyboardmania simulated musical ...

In Japan, the visual novel has a rich, thirty-year history, with the medium’s success stimulating an assortment of sub-genres. But beyond the possible exception of the 1994 Sega CD release of Hideo Kojima’s Snatcher, VNs ...

A hero’s journey to the underworld is ubiquitous in narrative tradition. As far back as the third century B.C., the Argonautica detailed Orpheus’ decent to rescue Eurydice, returning his beloved wife to the world of ...

In 2010, NIS America published Z.H.P. Unlosing Ranger VS Darkdeath Evilman, a game that was every bit as eclectic as it name suggested. With Rogue-like mechanics and a storyline teeming with references to classic tokusatsu, ...

One of the ironies of dating sims is that they rarely simulate the complexities of courtship. Routinely, players study the specifics of a potential partner’s personality, before they make decisions based on an anticipated outcome. ...

The potential to become blindsided by Tears to Tiara II: Heir of the Overlord is remarkably high. Outside of otaku circles, the title isn’t likely to trigger recognition, with six characters in Aquapazza: Aquaplus Dream ...

Although Japanese role-playing games are habitually criticized for having derivative battle mechanics, verbose dialog, and trope-filled plots, the genre flaunts one prodigious advantage; no other type of game routinely offers such a rich depiction of ...