What's your favorite visual novel?
July 15, 2016 9:03 PM Subscribe
I love computer RPGs, especially Bioware, but I don't really love combat -- so maybe what I want is one of these "visual novels" I have heard about. Can you recommend any that can stand up to Bioware -- that kind of excellent writing, and beautiful graphics (!important)?
Gone Home comes to mind. Not Bioware level graphics but the story and atmosphere more than make up for that, IMO.
posted by Zephyrial at 10:52 PM on July 15, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Zephyrial at 10:52 PM on July 15, 2016 [2 favorites]
Also: The Beginner's Guide. Check out the trailer (no spoilers) on YouTube to get a sense of it'd appeal to you.
posted by Zephyrial at 10:53 PM on July 15, 2016
posted by Zephyrial at 10:53 PM on July 15, 2016
Most visual novels aren't going to have quite that level of graphics, or else they're going to have a very different type of graphics, like non-moving (or only slightly-moving) illustrations. Nice to look at, but in a different way.
If you like puzzles in your story (not excruciatingly difficult ones) I can strongly recommend the Phoenix Wright series of games (especially the first three) and "Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors." I hate combat and love stories, and both of these are extremely satisfying and enjoyable for me.
posted by gloriouslyincandescent at 10:59 PM on July 15, 2016 [3 favorites]
If you like puzzles in your story (not excruciatingly difficult ones) I can strongly recommend the Phoenix Wright series of games (especially the first three) and "Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors." I hate combat and love stories, and both of these are extremely satisfying and enjoyable for me.
posted by gloriouslyincandescent at 10:59 PM on July 15, 2016 [3 favorites]
Katawa Shoujo is fan-produced and available for free. The title more-or-less means "crippled girls" in Japanese, but despite that it was written in English by western fans.
The player avatar is a high school boy whose heart is damaged, and he's been enrolled in a high school for people with profound handicaps. Among them he meets and gets to know several girls. Emi's legs are amputated below the knee. Hanako's face is burned. Lilly is blind. Rin has no arms. Shizune is a deaf-mute. Misha translates for Shizune.
It has gotten all kinds of positive reviews.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:38 PM on July 15, 2016 [2 favorites]
The player avatar is a high school boy whose heart is damaged, and he's been enrolled in a high school for people with profound handicaps. Among them he meets and gets to know several girls. Emi's legs are amputated below the knee. Hanako's face is burned. Lilly is blind. Rin has no arms. Shizune is a deaf-mute. Misha translates for Shizune.
It has gotten all kinds of positive reviews.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 11:38 PM on July 15, 2016 [2 favorites]
Read Only Memories
I've heard good things about VA-11 HALL-A
posted by naju at 11:40 PM on July 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
I've heard good things about VA-11 HALL-A
posted by naju at 11:40 PM on July 15, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I'm not sure if Dear Esther is up to your standards visually, but it's tremendously engaging, and the story, as it emerges, is absolutely haunting. I keep meaning to replay it, but you know I just worry I'll lose the lingering sort of sense of how moved I was if I do. I think this trailer conveys what it's like pretty well, so if you hate it, you'll probably hate the game too.
posted by glitter at 2:42 AM on July 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by glitter at 2:42 AM on July 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
Seconding Katawa Shoujo. The interesting thing about Katawa Shoujo is that it's one of those games where the game mechanics actually link up with the narrative, something I'd never considered possible before seeing this. A complicated person has a complex branching path tree that never makes any sense, while a dominant type won't let you pick anything while they make all the choices, etc.
One thing to consider in visual novels vs traditional western RPGs is that western RPGs tend to be about picking "your" path to the conclusion and making it yours - you may play it once or twice and it's considered finished, while I feel visual novels are about experiencing the entirety of the story, every single branch providing context for the others, and you're not finished until you're done with all of them. Like some kind of quantum superposition. Every character was written by a different author, and from reviews it seems that each player seems to identify with a certain character only, most people report only really "getting" the game once they stumbled across their character.
I think the writing is quite deep. The authors took the opportunity to explore the idea that the physical damage is only superficial, and each person is also emotionally wounded in a subtle but different way underneath. Physical limitations can be dealt with more easily than emotional scars - Emi has no legs, but she's the best runner with her prosthesis. The complex relationships that form between people feel so resonant, somehow, but saying more would be a spoiler. There's a lot to think about after playing through this.
posted by xdvesper at 3:10 AM on July 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
One thing to consider in visual novels vs traditional western RPGs is that western RPGs tend to be about picking "your" path to the conclusion and making it yours - you may play it once or twice and it's considered finished, while I feel visual novels are about experiencing the entirety of the story, every single branch providing context for the others, and you're not finished until you're done with all of them. Like some kind of quantum superposition. Every character was written by a different author, and from reviews it seems that each player seems to identify with a certain character only, most people report only really "getting" the game once they stumbled across their character.
I think the writing is quite deep. The authors took the opportunity to explore the idea that the physical damage is only superficial, and each person is also emotionally wounded in a subtle but different way underneath. Physical limitations can be dealt with more easily than emotional scars - Emi has no legs, but she's the best runner with her prosthesis. The complex relationships that form between people feel so resonant, somehow, but saying more would be a spoiler. There's a lot to think about after playing through this.
posted by xdvesper at 3:10 AM on July 16, 2016 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Life is Strange is exactly what you're looking for; no combat, just conversations and decisions. A teenager discovers she can reverse time by a few minutes. Great story, great graphics, great soudtrack.
Until Dawn is another similar game that might work for you, a sort of horror B-movie scenario, with a fair amount of replayability.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 3:48 AM on July 16, 2016 [4 favorites]
Until Dawn is another similar game that might work for you, a sort of horror B-movie scenario, with a fair amount of replayability.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 3:48 AM on July 16, 2016 [4 favorites]
Sorry, I loused up the link somehow. Katawa Shoujo
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:12 AM on July 16, 2016
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 9:12 AM on July 16, 2016
There were a lot of good recommendations for VNs in this previous Ask, though the question had a different aim.
For VNs with especially interesting graphics, I'd suggest Cinders and Solstice from MoaCube, and Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (that one might have too many puzzle/adventure game elements to be strictly a visual novel, but it's beautiful. Nintendo DS or at least DS emulation only.)
Some other DS titles might be of interest: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (adventure/puzzle/mystery, there's also an iOS port available) and The World Ends with You (unlike any of the above, it is an RPG and may not be quite what you're looking for. I can't speak to the availability or playability of the Android/iOS ports, but the original's excellent.) The Phoenix Wright/Ace Attorney games have a lot of visual novel elements, but the first three in particular have kinda meh graphics (there was only so much they could cram onto Game Boy Advance cartridges). Still good, but I've heard the iOS ports are to be avoided.
Black Closet from Hanako has two sets of graphics to choose from, though it's not all visual novel either. (Also they've got several other really good VNs or games with VN elements.)
If you don't want sprites or motionless-or-nearly-motionless visuals (and this is very difficult to find in visual novels), the latest Zero Escape game, Zero Time Dilemma, has 3D graphics. But you should really play Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and Virtue's Last Reward before you play that one, and their graphics are more traditional.
It's a good time to be looking for visual novels in English -- there have been a lot of localizations of Japanese games released recently. Check the "visual novel" tag on Steam. They vary widely, but there's some good stuff there. I intend to play through Root Double and Clannad soon.
Oh, and Hustle Cat looks completely awesome, plus it's got character customization options that most VNs don't (one of the great things about BioWare games).
Christine Love has some excellent games, especially Analogue: A Hate Story and its sequel, Hate Plus.
And yes, definitely play Steins;Gate.
posted by asperity at 10:45 AM on July 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
For VNs with especially interesting graphics, I'd suggest Cinders and Solstice from MoaCube, and Hotel Dusk: Room 215 (that one might have too many puzzle/adventure game elements to be strictly a visual novel, but it's beautiful. Nintendo DS or at least DS emulation only.)
Some other DS titles might be of interest: Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective (adventure/puzzle/mystery, there's also an iOS port available) and The World Ends with You (unlike any of the above, it is an RPG and may not be quite what you're looking for. I can't speak to the availability or playability of the Android/iOS ports, but the original's excellent.) The Phoenix Wright/Ace Attorney games have a lot of visual novel elements, but the first three in particular have kinda meh graphics (there was only so much they could cram onto Game Boy Advance cartridges). Still good, but I've heard the iOS ports are to be avoided.
Black Closet from Hanako has two sets of graphics to choose from, though it's not all visual novel either. (Also they've got several other really good VNs or games with VN elements.)
If you don't want sprites or motionless-or-nearly-motionless visuals (and this is very difficult to find in visual novels), the latest Zero Escape game, Zero Time Dilemma, has 3D graphics. But you should really play Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors and Virtue's Last Reward before you play that one, and their graphics are more traditional.
It's a good time to be looking for visual novels in English -- there have been a lot of localizations of Japanese games released recently. Check the "visual novel" tag on Steam. They vary widely, but there's some good stuff there. I intend to play through Root Double and Clannad soon.
Oh, and Hustle Cat looks completely awesome, plus it's got character customization options that most VNs don't (one of the great things about BioWare games).
Christine Love has some excellent games, especially Analogue: A Hate Story and its sequel, Hate Plus.
And yes, definitely play Steins;Gate.
posted by asperity at 10:45 AM on July 16, 2016 [3 favorites]
Seconding Life is Strange. Fantastic series. A similar series is The Walking Dead series by Telltale Games. Mostly decisions and interactions, light on actual combat. Great story, lots of really tough split-second decisions.
posted by xedrik at 9:08 AM on July 17, 2016
posted by xedrik at 9:08 AM on July 17, 2016
SOMA ( http://somagame.com/ ) if you're into sci-fi, especially underwater horror a-la HP Lovecraft, The Abyss, or even a little bit of Event Horizon. No combat, but you do have to avoid creatures at points.
posted by SeanMac at 4:56 PM on July 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by SeanMac at 4:56 PM on July 17, 2016 [1 favorite]
9 Persons 9 Hours 9 Doors: The Novel on iOS (on the DS it includes puzzles). I also highly recommend SOMA.
posted by blackzinfandel at 5:44 PM on July 17, 2016
posted by blackzinfandel at 5:44 PM on July 17, 2016
Best answer: If you're after good graphics that honestly rules out a lot of 'pure' visual novels where the focus is on the bulk of texts, animation as an afterthought. SO my favourite VN is Danganronpa - absolutely insane murder mystery (ish) but I doubt that's what you're after.
Firewatch is incredibly beautiful and immersive. While it's mostly audio, it's like a novel in that it's a self contained narrative well-told. Kentucky Route Zero is the most beautiful game I've played - with writing to match. You mention Bioware - have you tried Pillars of Eternity? Fallout 4 etc?
posted by litleozy at 3:22 PM on July 20, 2016 [2 favorites]
Firewatch is incredibly beautiful and immersive. While it's mostly audio, it's like a novel in that it's a self contained narrative well-told. Kentucky Route Zero is the most beautiful game I've played - with writing to match. You mention Bioware - have you tried Pillars of Eternity? Fallout 4 etc?
posted by litleozy at 3:22 PM on July 20, 2016 [2 favorites]
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posted by BrandonW at 9:07 PM on July 15, 2016 [2 favorites]