narratively-driven

I can’t quite imagine living in a small rural setting. They always look kind of devoid of life and I tend to miss my home comforts. The Prince of Landis, developed by one-man team Lorestrome, is an adventure game with a small slice of that life. Landis feels like one […]

The Prince of Landis – PS5 Review

November 20, 2021 in PS5 / Reviews tagged Adventure game / aliens / bullying / narratively-driven / oregon / Pixel art / small town life / the prince of landis by Mike

As I play for visual novels, I’m becoming well-versed in the genre tropes and what authors tend to favour. I think I’m through the fish out of water stage and well into these being about mystery and murder. Gosatsu Visual Novels have arrived with a Playstation 5 version of their […]

Shinrai: Broken Beyond Despair – PS5 Review

November 12, 2021 in PS5 / Reviews tagged detective / gosatsu visual novels / investigation / japanese / Murder mystery / narratively-driven / shinrai broken beyond despair / teenagers by Mike

I think losing my memory might be the one part of getting older that would terrify me. Reminiscence in the Night comes from Team Soletude and plays on those fears. What follows is a very brief narrative that maybe doesn’t quite hit the right notes about losing grip of the […]

Reminiscence in the Night – PS5 Review

November 9, 2021 in PS5 / Reviews tagged amnesia / dementia / loneliness / narratively-driven / nightmare / point and click / reminiscence in the night / team soletude by Mike

It’s the season for spooky tales and what better way to close out October than with a visual novel with some heavy supernatural leanings? Hermitage: Strange Case Files is a detective story that puts a heavy emphasis on the bizarre goings on. I feel the genre needs no excuses to […]

Hermitage: Strange Case Files – PS4 Review

October 30, 2021 in PS4 / Reviews tagged arrowiz / hermitage strange case files / japan / lovecraft / monsters / mystery / narratively-driven / supernatural / visual novel by Mike

NASA will probably tell you golf and space go hand in hand. Ever since they hoofed balls on the Moon, there’s been a fascination with sport where the gravity simply isn’t there. Golf video games tend to play a lot more with reality and Golf Club: Wasteland is opting for […]

Golf Club: Wasteland – PS5 Review

September 4, 2021 in PS5 / Reviews tagged apocalypse / golf club wasteland / mars colonist / narratively-driven / radio talk show / ruins / space / sport by Mike

Call it a hunch but I think I prefer visual novels that adapt a source that is somewhat well-known. Having reviewed Cinders in the past, I enjoyed that take on the Cinderella story. It also felt like a breath of fresh air from a genre more pre-occupied with telling the […]

A Little Lily Princess – PS4 Review

June 3, 2021 in PS4 / Reviews tagged a little lily princess / boarding school / dating simulator / hanako games / narratively-driven / victorian / visual novel by Mike

I don’t know what I expect from visual novels any more. I keep wondering if I’m ever going to be given one that’s got more intrigue and a story that will actually grip me. I came into this genre well aware of the stereotypes and Angels with Scaly Wings hammers […]

Angels with Scaly Wings – PS4 Review

May 9, 2021 in PS4 / Reviews tagged angels with scaly wings / crime / dating simulator / dragons / narratively-driven / radical phi / romance / sci fi / visual novel by Mike

I’m back once again playing visual novel roulette and the latest bullet for me is C14 Dating by Winter Wolves. My previous knowledge of the dating simulator genre is fleeting but the slimmed down stat tracking and emphasis on friendship does make this more palatable to me. Set amid the […]

C-14 Dating – PS4 Review

April 11, 2021 in PS4 / Reviews tagged archaeology / belgium / c14 dating / dating simulator / geology / narratively-driven / picross / puzzles / visual novel / winter wolves by Mike

As my last review involved dreaming, I might as well keep this existential train rolling. Coming from FFT Games, Into A Dream is a narratively-driven puzzle-platformer about a man’s depression. With some obvious cues from games like Limbo, this game manages to keep the gameplay fairly light whilst delivering some […]

Into a Dream – PS4 Review

March 16, 2021 in PS4 / Reviews tagged depression / fft games / into a dream / narratively-driven / platforming / puzzles by Mike

Can I level with you guys? I don’t think I like the way visual novels play out. I don’t like the stereotypes they conform to, the fact they seem so reluctant to play a straight story. How to Take Off Your Mask Remastered is another one of those. Developed by […]

How to Take Off Your Mask Remastered – PS4 Review

February 20, 2021 in PS4 / Reviews tagged anime / cat girls / creepy japanese / how to take off your mask remastered / narratively-driven / ratalaika / romance / roseverta / visual novel by Mike

It’s another day in the visual novel dungeon and this time Vera Blanc: Ghost in the Castle is my quarry. Ian reviewed Winter Wolves’ last effort Full Moon back in November, to be honest, not much has changed. Our titular heroine is back in the mood for some paranormal investigating. […]

Vera Blanc: Ghost in the Castle – PS4 Review

February 3, 2021 in PS4 / Reviews tagged hangman / narratively-driven / paranormal detective / ratalaika / spot the difference / vera blanc ghost of the castle / visual novel / winter wolves by Mike

As maligned as the visual novel genre is, I keep wondering if I’m going to come across one with a genuinely good story. They do exist but I find the majority I encounter land in the same trappings that stifle my enjoyment of a good read. The latest to cross […]

Autumn’s Journey – PS4 Review

December 15, 2020 in PS4 / Reviews tagged apple cider / autumn's journey / dodgy parenting / dragons / friendship / narratively-driven / romance / visual novel by Mike