Visual Novels

[Boiled Pizza]

Oh boy, a VN thread.

I've played more VNs than I can count over the years. Currently I'm working my way through 428 Shibuya Scramble. It's really appealing to me because it's all shot live action, it gives the medium a nice twist. The writing is pretty funny too and it has good pacing. I've also picked up the YU-NO remake, but it's not nearly as good as the original. Discussion about the artwork and soundtrack aside, the controls are clunky (using a gamepad you have to drag a huge ass cursor around the screen and using a keyboard will disable the mouse) and just in the prologue I've spotted multiple lines that weren't translated properly and made no sense.

Once I'm done with those I'm planning to go through The House In Fata Morgana, Steins;Gate and Doukyuusei.

I managed to get even my brainrotted zoomer tiktok friend to sit down and actually engage in Fata Morgana, which is rather impressive for a VN to manage. Steins;Gate is weird, because the Steins;Gate 0 VN is such a jumbled mess that I actually just watched the anime right after finishing it to get some sort of structured story.

I recommend reading the original VN, then watching the anime episodes in chronological order (with S;G 0 shoved right in after episode 22 of S;G) for the complete story.

 

[Ora et Labora]

I managed to get even my brainrotted zoomer tiktok friend to sit down and actually engage in Fata Morgana, which is rather impressive for a VN to manage. Steins;Gate is weird, because the Steins;Gate 0 VN is such a jumbled mess that I actually just watched the anime right after finishing it to get some sort of structured story.

I recommend reading the original VN, then watching the anime episodes in chronological order (with S;G 0 shoved right in after episode 22 of S;G) for the complete story.

I think one of the downsides of a lot of VN series is that there are so many entries it becomes daunting to get into. Obvious examples are Fate or Higurashi, but Steins;Gate also suffers from it with the entire SciAdv thing. I've heard that most entries are only loosely connected, but it still makes it more cumbersome than it could be to pick up and come to grips with the overarching narrative.

I much prefer when VNs are one-and-done or have very few sequels/spin-offs, like Fata Morgana or YU-NO.

 

[Sneed's Feed n Seed]

HARDCORE SCISSORING

Um, yes?

 

[ToroidalBoat]

Uhhhhh... are all of them like this?

Not all of them, but a lot do have sex scenes

Back in the '00s, there's Hourglass of Summer, which was originally a PS2 vidya, and then released on DVD (it uses the tech of DVD menus to work).

No sex scenes, and it's a story with time travel (not throughout history, just throughout one guy's life in one summer).

Although from what I heard, there was a later PC version released in JP with R18 stuff added.

 

[Boiled Pizza]

I think one of the downsides of a lot of VN series is that there are so many entries it becomes daunting to get into. Obvious examples are Fate or Higurashi, but Steins;Gate also suffers from it with the entire SciAdv thing. I've heard that most entries are only loosely connected, but it still makes it more cumbersome than it could be to pick up and come to grips with the overarching narrative.

I much prefer when VNs are one-and-done or have very few sequels/spin-offs, like Fata Morgana or YU-NO.

Steins;Gate works fine on its own, in my opinion. I've only played Chaos;Head outside of S;G, and while it started off good, it kinda lost the plot further in. I think it's more fair to say that they're all just in the same universe, but they aren't really part of a "shared story". Isn't the Fate stuff more or less the same? I know there are characters that appear in multiple games, but I've only played FSN and Mahoyo (where the fuck are the remaining 2 parts of Mahoyo?)

The Fata Morgana extra stuff is just that; extra stuff.

 

[ShitLurker]

Chaos;Child isn't good? I heard a lot of people raving about that one. Besides that the only other one I was interested in was Robotics;Notes Dash because it got Daru

I only played chaos;head and was not enticed enough to read the follow up. Robotics;notes I consider boring ugly shit. My grand conclusion is that Steins;Gate was lightning in a bottle and the rest of the science adventure stuff is nowhere near as good.

 

[Billy the Adult]

Steins;Gate works fine on its own, in my opinion. I've only played Chaos;Head outside of S;G, and while it started off good, it kinda lost the plot further in. I think it's more fair to say that they're all just in the same universe, but they aren't really part of a "shared story". Isn't the Fate stuff more or less the same? I know there are characters that appear in multiple games, but I've only played FSN and Mahoyo (where the fuck are the remaining 2 parts of Mahoyo?)

The Fata Morgana extra stuff is just that; extra stuff.

Yea, Steins;Gate works as a solo experience and the others are just if you need more. But Sci;Adv as a whole has a poor reputation considering Steins;Gate is the only one to be considered great. The Chaos; games I've heard are decent, but Robotics;Notes and Anonymous;Code's reputations are in the trash.

For Fate/, the series is mostly just the same world, but there is plenty even in the F/SN continuity. Consider that there's 3 versions of F/SN (plain, Unlimited Blade Works, and Heaven's Feel), a sequel (Fate/Hollow Ataraxia), and a prequel (Fate/Zero, though it is a novel/anime, not a VN).

 

[Sebben Crudele II]

I was wondering if there was a thread about these.
I wanna get into some. I'm reading a lot lately after managing to bring back my attention span (fuck smartphones), and this seemed like a logical next step.
I would rather they had a toggle to turn of the pornography, or were all ages. I got bored of higurashi and ended up reading the manga. The story drawns on for too long on dumb shit I didn't care about. The manga was okay, it was very jarring to the artist change every arc, though.
I tried to play Sayonara Wo Oshiete (father of denpa novels or something like that?) and my god, it sucked. Repulsive intro scene, characters are boring, same thing happens over and over again no matter the route.

I wanna try Saya again, but last time I didn't last more than an hour or so. It kind of got to me. Being sick at the time of playing it definitely didn't help.

 

[Enne]

I finally got through (most of) the Science Adventure games, overall I very much enjoyed the series. I really enjoyed chaos;head and chaos;child, chaos;head had kino schizophrenic gang stalking and the atmosphere was really really good and chaos;child just had a really good story along with the visuals being probably the best they've done by far. For the rest of the series my order of enjoyment from most to least is probably occultic;nine (not a visual novel but whatever) > anonymous;code > robotics;notes > steins;gate 0 > steins;gate (2nd replay) > robotics;notes dash, but this is also from the perspective of someone who likes all the schizo conspiracy theory shit and was mostly playing it for those reasons.

Somewhat related to this but does anyone have any recommendations for any visual novels with a supernatural/mystery theme in a modern day sort of setting? I'm not really familiar with anything but I really enjoyed stuff like that in the chaos games and I would like to see more.

 

[GenociderSyo]

Somewhat related to this but does anyone have any recommendations for any visual novels with a supernatural/mystery theme in a modern day sort of setting?

Have you played Death Mark? It's japanese folklore visual novel like game. Has about 3 games in its series now.

 

[Billy the Adult]

I finally got through (most of) the Science Adventure games, overall I very much enjoyed the series. I really enjoyed chaos;head and chaos;child, chaos;head had kino schizophrenic gang stalking and the atmosphere was really really good and chaos;child just had a really good story along with the visuals being probably the best they've done by far. For the rest of the series my order of enjoyment from most to least is probably occultic;nine (not a visual novel but whatever) > anonymous;code > robotics;notes > steins;gate 0 > steins;gate (2nd replay) > robotics;notes dash, but this is also from the perspective of someone who likes all the schizo conspiracy theory shit and was mostly playing it for those reasons.

Somewhat related to this but does anyone have any recommendations for any visual novels with a supernatural/mystery theme in a modern day sort of setting? I'm not really familiar with anything but I really enjoyed stuff like that in the chaos games and I would like to see more.

I'll second Spirit Hunter, probably my favorite VN series. I will say I believe the first game is getting a remake next year, though who knows if it'll get delayed or even translated. The first 3 have, but the series doesn't seem to sell that much.

For other recommendations:

• Paranormasight has two games. Haven't tried the second, but the first is mostly a paranormal mystery. It is structured a bit like Zero Escape from what I'm aware, with parallel shifting viewpoints.
• Urban Myth Dissolution Center is kinda like that, except the gimmick is that its never actually supernatural. Pretty fun but the ending feels a bit stupid to me.
• Not really a VN but Darkside Detective fits if you enjoy point and clicks.

All of them are paranormal though, so if you are looking more for conspiracy type stories they may disappoint. I'd really only call Spirit Hunter horror though.

 

[Enne]

Have you played Death Mark? It's japanese folklore visual novel like game. Has about 3 games in its series now.

This one looks pretty good, I'll pick it up on sale though since the price seems a little steep.

I'll second Spirit Hunter, probably my favorite VN series. I will say I believe the first game is getting a remake next year, though who knows if it'll get delayed or even translated. The first 3 have, but the series doesn't seem to sell that much.

For other recommendations:

• Paranormasight has two games. Haven't tried the second, but the first is mostly a paranormal mystery. It is structured a bit like Zero Escape from what I'm aware, with parallel shifting viewpoints.
• Urban Myth Dissolution Center is kinda like that, except the gimmick is that its never actually supernatural. Pretty fun but the ending feels a bit stupid to me.
• Not really a VN but Darkside Detective fits if you enjoy point and clicks.

All of them are paranormal though, so if you are looking more for conspiracy type stories they may disappoint. I'd really only call Spirit Hunter horror though.

Paranormasight looks good, so I think I'll give that one a go soon, the other two I'll potentially check out if I start running out of other stuff to play since I'm not sure they'll work for me. I'm mostly just looking for a certain type of atmosphere, the conspiracy stuff is cool but as long as the atmosphere is good and the story/characters are at least decent I think I'd enjoy it.

Thanks for the recommendations though frens.

 

[mirai gadget 8]

Somewhat related to this but does anyone have any recommendations for any visual novels with a supernatural/mystery theme in a modern day sort of setting? I'm not really familiar with anything but I really enjoyed stuff like that in the chaos games and I would like to see more.

Raging loop might be a good fit. It takes place in a rural village, but in a modern year. The main chracter is from the city, and spends a fair amount of time trying to deboonk the supernatural events with facts and logic.

Also, if you want to search for schizo type vns, look into the term 'denpa'. Its the japanese word for radio wave, but its used in anime spaces to refer to works like chaos head, usually schizo stories about paranoia, delusions, bizarre scifi ideas, unreliable narrarators, etc.

 

[wtfNeedSignUp]

Also, if you want to search for schizo type vns, look into the term 'denpa'. Its the japanese word for radio wave, but its used in anime spaces to refer to works like chaos head, usually schizo stories about paranoia, delusions, bizarre scifi ideas, unreliable narrarators, etc.

I think the source of denpa is the same as the western tinfoil hat "government radio waves mind control the population", but instead of referring to conspiracy theorists in particular it means generally crazy people.

 

[Sebben Crudele II]

I think the source of denpa is the same as the western tinfoil hat "government radio waves mind control the population", but instead of referring to conspiracy theorists in particular it means generally crazy people.

Spoiler: Copypasted from Aesthetics wiki of all places

The term "denpa," which translates to "electromagnetic waves" (also known as radio waves or RF waves) in Japanese, has a colloquial usage that originates from the concept that people's consciousness can be affected or distorted by electromagnetic radiation. This usage gained traction in the 1990s, stemming from the 1981 Fukagawa Street killings, a notable murder case where the perpetrator, Kawamata Gunji, claimed that electromagnetic waves had driven him to commit the acts.

During his subsequent trial, Kawamata claimed that radio waves had influenced his actions, compelling him to commit the murders. This defense, asserting that "poisonous radio waves" (dokudenpa) manipulated him, an alleged phenomenon known as electronic harassment, drew significant attention within Japanese society and contributed to the term "denpa" being used to describe individuals perceived as operating on a different "wavelength" than mainstream society, often preferring solitude and their own constructed fantasies over conforming to perceived social norms.

Their electronic harassment is our gangstalking.

Anyway, Sayonara Wo Oshiete was among the first vns to be called denpa because it starts normal and then becomes crazy. Like I said upthread, that vn is shit by the way, don't bother.

The other one is Tsui No Sora but I don't know anything about that one.

 

[Sebben Crudele II]

Double posting because I can't edit.

I'm fucking retarded. Tsui No Sora (End Sky) is the original Subahibi. It came first, then got "reimagined" as Subahibi, and also got a modern version of itself.



People made a RenPy port of the game in English and Japanese so it can be played in modern systems. I'm 1/3 into the game and it's pretty bonkers. OST is quite interesting and unique.

Say hi to the original Ayana:



ETA: I'm on the second view and the rape scenes were so unnecessary. I always get reminded of why I prefer to play on computer instead of my phone (despite the comfort) when I realize the superfluous guro scene is approaching and rememeber how difficult it is to skip shit fast in the stupid renpy pocket app.

 

[MAAAD]

ETA: I'm on the second view and the rape scenes were so unnecessary. I always get reminded of why I prefer to play on computer instead of my phone (despite the comfort) when I realize the superfluous guro scene is approaching and rememeber how difficult it is to skip shit fast in the stupid renpy pocket app.

I wouldn't get caught with ANYTHING even slightly anime-related in public, let alone a fucking rape hentai VN. Am I to understand you read this on public transport during your ride back from work? Bro...

---

I am currently in the process of reading Chaos;Head Noah and holy shit, this is some great schizo kino. The MC is a pathetic and reprehensible moron that deserves all the bullying he thinks he's getting, but I can't really complain since I think that was the whole point. Also Nanami and Rimi are both BEST GIRLS EVAR and I'm definetly playing through their routes after I finish my first playthrough.

Spoiler: screenies (spoilers probs)

didn't read further yet

I'd say C;H is a highly recommended read. Dunno about the rest of the Sci;Adv games since they were ranked pretty low in this thread, but I'm totally reading Chaos;Child once I'm done with this game.

 

[Sebben Crudele II]

I wouldn't get caught with ANYTHING even slightly anime-related in public, let alone a fucking rape hentai VN. Am I to understand you read this on public transport during your ride back from work? Bro...

No? Who would read any kind of VN in public? In public I'm making sure my shit doesn't get snatched by some groid on the train?

I have the game on my phone so I don't have to sit at the computer and can read on the couch.

Also it's not a "rape hentai vn", it's Tsui No Sora, the proto Subahibi. People go crazy and join a cult, and they happen to do crazy cult-shit to the heroine, which I already said was unnecesary to show and I quickly skipped.

I skipped all the sex scenes in Saya No Uta too. I don't care that it's part of the horror aspect. Ew.

If I had more time I would grab this renpy version and remove the cgs and shorten the scene to like three lines and upload that somewhere as an option for people who want the insane story but don't want to suffer through pornography.

I am currently in the process of reading Chaos;Head Noah and holy shit, this is some great schizo kino

Did you manage to get the "I'm gonna turn you 2d" delusion? Man.

 

[MAAAD]

I have the game on my phone so I don't have to sit at the computer and can read on the couch.

I get it, I was just fucking with you. Though I gotta say, it'd be ideal if it were a laptop or a tablet instead since the tiny text on the phone can strain the eyes fast (and also you can barely make out highly detailed pictures, like CGs, for example). I tried reading actual e-books from my phone and my eyes would always get uncomfortable like an hour into reading.

If I had more time I would grab this renpy version and remove the cgs and shorten the scene to like three lines and upload that somewhere as an option for people who want the insane story but don't want to suffer through pornography.

I thought H-scenes were optional in those kinds of VNs? There's no setting to turn them off?

Did you manage to get the "I'm gonna turn you 2d" delusion? Man.

Not sure which one you're referring to, but probably not. I chose not to imagine anything in 90% of delusion choices because I'm just playing myself and do what I think I'd do IRL in such-and-such situation. I think I only chose delusions when they were substitutes for actual choices (remembering where you'd seen Yua's Gero Froggies, I IRL remembered seeing them at internet cafe so it was the choice I went with) or when I thought they'd help achieve a goal or further the plot (trying to make DI-sword a reality with your imagination). Like I said I'm still only on chapter 5 and from what I know from the spoiler-less guide there are at least 10 chapters so I probably didn't even get to that one.
TBH I'm taking a break from the VN right now until like December because I learned a Russian fan localization for the game that was years in the making is finally coming out around that time and I got kinda tired of having to constantly get distracted from immersing myself into the story by alt-tabbing to learn a meaning of a new barely-used, abstruse adjective (ESL moment). Still excited to finish it once the localization comes out though.

 

[Sebben Crudele II]

I thought H-scenes were optional in those kinds of VNs? There's no setting to turn them off?

Depends on the genre and how anchuent they are.
This thing is from 1999, all the porting that was done was making sure it runs.
But the other two "first denpas" include one (sayooshi) that literally starts with a guro scene. A brutal one too. That one was shit and I gave up quickly because hero was some spineless gross retarded teacher fucking his own students. I just spoilered myself about it online because the twist was interesting, but that's all.

Gotta remember porn was expected of vns back then, even Kanon came out with porn scenes first, then the next year they released it without it. Same with Air. Of course in there the sex was consensual, but I still don't want to see it.

Not sure which one you're referring to, but probably not. I chose not to imagine anything in 90% of delusion choices because I'm just playing myself and do what I think I'd do IRL in such-and-such situation.

You're kind of missing out on the most unhinged part of the game. Make sure to look at some at some point.