Given that Murder by Numbers is from the same designer as the pigeon dating visual novel, Hatoful Boyfriend, I was immediately drawn to this new title. You see, I’m a big fan of Hatoful Boyfriend, and I’m sure those who played it can relate since it’s much more than just a dating-sim. This time, however, the genre has shifted to detective adventure, which I won’t complain about. Now all that’s left is to slip on my detective cap and get to slothing. Murder by Numbers takes place in Los Angeles in 1996. The protagonist, Honor Mizrahi, is an actress…
Author: Lynn Caramella
Lynn Caramella
an enthusiastic writer, who spends her free-time with rather uninteresting and boring things, while absolutely being in love with cute and girly stuff.
While people might look past point-and-click adventures, I find myself wanting to do anything I can to share the genre with everyone. I guess that’s why I decided to take on this preview for the Ars Goetia-developed The Blind Prophet. Through its straightforward and approachable gameplay, the opening of the game has me invested in wanting to see the conclusion of this gory adventure. https://youtu.be/-spK-S7YD2M The Blind Prophet opens with apostle Bartholomeus coming across a girl who is about to get sexually assaulted. After a swift pursuit, he ends up catching the person for questioning. You see, Bartholomeus has a…
Although I consider myself a sucker for visual novels, I don’t mind when developers try new things with the genre. With this in mind, I found myself drawn to The Emerald Tablet, which is a crafting based RPG visual novel hybrid that borrows elements from the popular Atelier series. Although the game focuses heavily on its story elements and characters, the mix of RPG systems included in the game makes it a bit more accessible to newcomers of the genre. Luckily for me, there’s an added dose of comedic themes that left me eager to spend more time with these…
Winter Polaris is a visual novel by the well-known developers stage-nana who developed Narcissu and Ame no Marginal -Rain Marginal-. While the developer’s past successes should be recognized, I was eager to read through their most recent game, Winter Polaris. In retrospect, it’s difficult for me to put my experience with Winter Polaris into words. Despite seeming zany at first, the game deals with severe and touching topics with added themes of fantasy. Scenarios in the game stay true to its fantasy foundation but had a way of making me think of what it means to actually live. https://youtu.be/I9PwDDBIAX4 Winter…
I’m sure that most anime fans had heard about the Tokyo Ghoul series before, which received an anime based on its manga. I found an appreciation for the series and characters, which is why I was interested when I heard about the video game adaptation, Tokyo Ghoul:re Call to Exist. Interestingly, witnessing the development of Ken Kaneki as he copes with suddenly becoming a half-ghoul is a great arc to follow for this story. The themes of this game revolve around the idea of “eat or be eaten,” which is not an easy decision if you want to stay sane…
I made it clear in my review of The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart that it was a visual novel worth your time. Now, The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart 2 released in the west, and I looked forward to joining this charming cast of characters once again. To my surprise, The Princess, the Stray Cat, and Matters of the Heart 2 is a bit different than its predecessor. Still, it retains its high-quality rom-com storytelling fueled with slice-of-life elements. That said, it’s not required to play the first game beforehand since…
I practically grew up with the Zoo Tycoon games, so it was apparent I had to give Planet Zoo a try once I heard about it. Here is a game that allows players to create and manage a zoo, by the same developers who worked on Zoo Tycoon. Thankfully, the developers have continued to fine-tune skills along with their craft of creating cute animals to take care of. Even though Planet Zoo doesn’t offer an actual narrative, the sim management systems discovered in the game were enough for me to spend hours creating my dream zoo. https://youtu.be/etlKe4lha-M There are different…
Blacksad: Under the Skin immediately caught my attention with its noir, crime, and animal theme. You see, the game uses anthropomorphic animals to fill up its cast, and even though they are adorable, the suspense oozes through its unique presentation. There’s a significant focus on the investigation and story elements, where players will assume the role of a detective. Blacksad: Under the Skin doesn’t require any knowledge of a previous series, but it does a fantastic job of setting up an appealing comic book world. https://youtu.be/Q3tDHe1Xx88 Blacksad: Under the Skin takes place in the 1950s and follows John Blacksad, a…
Getting released in Japan back in 2015, Taisho x Alice, developed by Primula, was one of the better-known Otome visual novels in the west as the first episode received an English localization in May 2017 by E2 Gaming. Sadly, this release would be lacking in multiple areas, with the menus of the game missing translation. Thankful, Pencil announced that Taisho x Alice Episode 1 will launch on Steam on November 29, 2019, and the game will be receiving a completely new English and Chinese localization on top of that. Taisho x Alice follows a girl who lost her memories and…
With a title like Curse of Anabelle, it’s tough to not immediately think of a certain horror film series. Thankfully, the game doesn’t borrow anything from that series and instead sets up its own atmosphere and narrative. In a genre filled with jump scares and gory scenery to give players their horror fix, Curse of Anabelle uses real-world legends and puzzle-solving to get out of this nightmare alive. https://youtu.be/LAwOErie6iM Curse of Anabelle revolves around Nathan, whose girlfriend’s sister, Anabelle, mysteriously died on the Ramsey Mansion grounds in Boulder, Colorado. Emily, his girlfriend, begins to have vivid dreams of her little…
Noisy Pixel continues the Novella for Spirit Hunter: NG. This is a 5 chapter story posted initially to Famitsu for the Japanese release of the game. In case you missed it, read the prologue chapter first, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2. Each day we will share a new chapter for readers to learn more about this haunting spirit, which is the first spirit to be investigated in the game. It should be noted that there might be some spoilers ahead, so please read with that in mind. The calm before the storm ~Two months before~ Author: Ayumu Hosaka Having retrieved her mail,…
Noisy Pixel continues the Novella for Spirit Hunter: NG. This is a 5 chapter story posted initially to Famitsu for the Japanese release of the game. In case you missed it, read the prologue chapter first, and Chapter 1. Each day we will share a new chapter for readers to learn more about this haunting spirit, which is the first spirit to be investigated in the game. It should be noted that there might be some spoilers ahead, so please read with that in mind. A plan develops ~Fourth month of pregnancy~ Author: Hitomi Amamiya It is now two months since…
Noisy Pixel is continuing the Novella for Spirit Hunter: NG. This is a 5 chapter story originally posted to Famitsu for the Japanese release of the game. In case you missed it, read the prologue chapter first. Each day we will share a new chapter for readers to learn more about this haunting spirit, who is the first to be investigated in the game. It should be noted that there might be some spoilers ahead so please read with that in mind. Embryo ~Second month of pregnancy~ Author: Hitomi Amamiya “—You’re six weeks in. What would you like to do?”…
With the recent release of the horror adventure Spirit Hunter: NG, Aksys Games has allowed us to share the localized novella of the Urashima Woman. Each day we will share a new chapter for readers to learn more about this haunting spirit, who is the first to be investigated in the game. It should be noted that there might be some spoilers ahead so please read with that in mind. Urashima Woman: Birth [Prologue] Author: Hitomi Amamiya On the walkway near Urashima Lake at Jingu Park, a young mother slowly pushes a baby stroller. “Your teacher at preschool was so…
I enjoy it when a series manages to improve over each entry. However, I find this to be something that doesn’t happen too often, especially when I think so highly of a particular title. Well, after playing Corpse Party 2: Dead Patient, I can say any string of so-so sequels is over. After the new PC and Switch release of Blood Drive, Dead Patient follows up with a unique story that takes place after the previous events. One positive aspect here is that, as the title might imply, Corpse Party 2: Dead Patient is a standalone story and is playable…
After my ride with the Corpse Party series, I didn’t want it to be over so soon. Corpse Party: Blood Drive initially released on PS Vita in July 2014, but this would be my first time getting around to playing it. Luckily for me, the developers managed to fix known issues found in the PS Vita version for this release, which means Corpse Party fans who wants a second playthrough might see a few differences. That said, it’s necessary to play the other games in this series beforehand to be able to understand its story. I want to mention that…
When I first saw How to Raise a Wolf Girl as an upcoming visual novel, the premise immediately had me curious. I mean, a story about a heroine who was lost for several years without any interaction with humans was something I would like to see play out. A bonus in this story would be to see some character growth in the character as she opens up to humans and learns to trust. How to Raise a Wolf Girl ends up trying to tell a compelling story through a slice-of-life narrative, and it does pay off in some areas. https://youtu.be/L4D066eaC-s How to…
During my time with the Experience developed horror adventure, Death Mark, I commended the game for its immersive atmosphere and overall story. So, it was easy for me to be excited after hearing that the second entry in this series would release in the west as Spirit Hunter: NG. The developer has already proved they know how to immerse the player in a nightmare. However, NG presents a cast who are close before the hauntings, meaning there’s more on the line for the protagonist. When creating a horror adventure, it’s crucial to improve on elements and features to keep the player on their…
I’m always glad when I manage to discover a dating sim that isn’t only for fan service but instead manages to balance scenes of romance within its dialogue. Developer Silky’s Plus has managed to find that balance in their newest visual to come west, Nanairo Reincarnation. The biggest surprise for me was the idea that the girls surrounding the protagonist seemed to want his blood a little more than him. That said, this game has some unexpected twists that might make it worth your time, although it’s impossible to pass on the fan service in this eroge. Nanairo Reincarnation is…
I still recall when I first discovered Cat Quest, it came off like a not-so-serious adventure game but little did I know, it soon became one of my favorite action RPG titles. So when Cat Quest II was announced, I couldn’t wait to finally get to play it. Luckily for me, this second quest wasn’t lacking in any way and only built on the established features of the first title. However, one difference here is that this adventure expands past the cat-centric story and gives players the chance to play as a dog. Effectively making this, a grand co-op adventure. https://youtu.be/KiGccn5n944…