With an interesting setting well-supported by its neon-themed colors, fleshed out characters, and meaningful dialogue, I am very happy with the time I’ve spent reading The Restless Sheep & The Lone Wolf. Although abrasive as a read because of the nature of its content, those who are brave enough to take the plunge into the heart of Kabukicho’s underworld will surely be rewarded with a satisfying rollercoaster of a story.
Terrifying in its implications on death, DEAD DAYS is an interesting look into our relationship with our mortality. With interesting characters, relatable themes, and heartfelt struggles, it's a great read for those who might want a change of pace from their usual romance or action-filled visual novel story. The only thing holding it back is its focus on its own freak arousal.
If you’re craving a little bit more of that girls’ love story spiced with a unique blend of Esperanto, consider getting Distant Memoraĵo! Simple yet relatable, it presents the difficulties of communication through the use of an unfamiliar language, common misunderstandings, and a cast of cute girls. Comfortably heartfelt, it’s definitely a read that you’ll remember for its unique charms!
The Expression Amrilato is a visual novel that attempts to illustrate the difficulty of overcoming barriers to mutual understanding. By incorporating Esperanto, a constructed language, as its main vehicle for story progression, it subjects its readers through the same hardships its protagonist Rin goes through as she struggles to express herself in a world that does not understand her words. With the plethora of study material available within the game, it doubles as an amazing way to jumpstart your own journey to learn Esperanto.
If you’re looking for a good indie title that’ll give you a unique adventure, I’d definitely recommend MAMIYA – A Shared Illusion of the World’s End. Even with all its flaws, I believe the experience itself is still worth a try with all the work Kokoroten put into both its scenario and art. It’s a title full of passionate storytelling, and it translates well into the ambition you can feel while reading it.
Sona-Nyl of the Violet Shadows ~What Beautiful Memories~ is a masterclass on character-driven stories. While the premise of the plot is rather simplistic, it turns a simple journey into an adventure laden with self-discovery and healing. Incredibly vague at times, the sheer amount of effort it puts into its imagery and literary devices form a reading experience that’s as dense as paperback novels yet retaining the colorfully vibrant world that visual novels are able to represent through additional creative assets.
With beautiful artwork, great sound direction, and a cast of voice actors that give life to the nightmare, I’m happy that I gave Nie no Hakoniwa a try despite my unfamiliarity with the genre. While definitely not for the faint of heart, if you’re brave enough to make that jump and try it out, I assure you that there’s an interesting story waiting for you when you open the box.
The Song of Saya is an interesting play on the boy-meets-girl romance story. Grotesquely interesting, it pulls you in with its absurdly vivid artwork and throws you for a loop through its subtle psychological horror. Instead of overtly scary tactics, The Song of Saya instills psychological fear through its narrative and character actions, never fully materializing its horrific aspects, and leaving it to the reader to fully visualize the rest of its scenes. This is not without its drawbacks, however, as its singular focus on the situation detracts from creating a fictional setting that is both immersive and fleshed out. However, with the exceptional use of its characters and the struggle itself, it raises stakes high enough to warrant your full attention. Overall, the Song of Saya is an incredible experience, with or without the adult content. I recommend it to anyone with the courage to try it out for themselves