Chaos;Head Noah
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Chaos;Head Noah Media
Critic Reviews for Chaos;Head Noah
Chaos;Head Noah isn't the best game in the Science Adventure series, but it is a great point for players to jump in if they're new to the genre. Visual novel veterans will find plenty to enjoy here as well, with a story that goes to some dark and unsettling places. The plot makes no attempt at making sense and there are times when we wanted to strangle Takumi for being such a weirdo, but it remains engaging and fun throughout. This is an easy one to recommend, either on its own or as part of the bundle with its sequel.
The Chaos; series has remained one of the most iconic visual novel series for years, and with good reason - despite some dated visuals and slow pacing, both titles offer jaw-dropping stories full of winding twists and incredibly well developed characters. The pacing hiccups, length and obtuse ending requirements won't be for everyone, but if you're trying to explore the history of visual novels and want to play the biggest ones, you owe it to yourself to add this double pack to the list.
Overall the Chaos;Head NoAH / Chaos;Child Double Pack is a mixed bag of a bundle. While both games have a great narrative, aesthetic, and soundtrack, the Nintendo Switch versions are unfortunately ridden with odd issues and executions. It's also worth noting that this version of Chaos;Head NoAH also cut some content from the original for censorship reasons. That said, if you'd like to play a genuinely interesting set of visual novels and don't care about the issues highlighted, there is still some enjoyment to be had with this port. Otherwise, I advise playing them on a different platform.
If you're OK with putting up with -chan lingo and otaku of the highest order, then it might be worth sitting down with Chaos;Head Noah for a weekend - or even if you want to see what led to the Steins;Gate series. As for me, I'm going to head to the sequel and hope the main character is a little less irritating. (Or maybe J. Michael Tatum can make him not sound like a complete twit, I don't know.)
The team behind Chaos;Head Noah, did a fine job doing what they set out to do, but confusing choices surrounding their game's interactivity and accessibility features aren't enough to save its gorgeous animation or strong plot and characters.
You come to a visual novel for the narrative, of course, and Chaos;Head Noah does some exceptional things with its storytelling. Throwing such an unlikable protagonist at players seems like an outright risk in 2022, given that YA authors have somehow dominated the literature discourse to demand we must always sympathise with a heroic protagonist at all times else the story is problematic. Being willing to depict some pretty extreme scenarios that are designed to make the player uncomfortable is, equally, a risk in a world that has decided that all entertainment should be uplifting and positive. Chaos;Head is probably more transgressive now, in 2022, than it would have been back in 2008, and that only makes it more potent, and essential, as a work of art.
With a nontraditional protagonist, quite intriguing mysteries, shenanigans and a meticulously considered cadence of events, CHAOS;HEAD NOAH delivers an intriguing story that's impossible to put down before the credits. While the content of this work remains excellent almost 15 years after the original release, this release is hampered by a series of problems inherent to the work of conversion and localization, such as the impossibility of completing the true ending of the game and the censorship of moments in the story, important for understanding its mysteries.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
The Chaos;Head Noah / Chaos;Child Double Pack provides many hours of thrilling stories and unnerving twists. Although the English release of Chaos;Head Noah is not ideal, it's worth experiencing for fans of visual novels such as Steins;Gate. Chaos;Child is another great entry for the Switch and a worthy sequel with investigation elements. The games would greatly benefit from patches and fixes.
