Harmonia

Harmonia

Harmonia is a short kinetic novel featuring an emotions-capable robot, or Phiroid, waking up in a decayed factory with no memory. Players view the story through the eyes of this robot named Rei, as he is taken in Shiona, a kindhearted woman living in a small town. Rei attempts to be helpful to the townspeople while learning about emotions, which he feels he lacks. The story is set against a post-apocalyptic backdrop, and as is usual for a title by Key, it has its fair share of drama and heartbreak. Unfortunately, the pacing is a bit off, and despite the short runtime, some players will guess what some of the story twists are before the end. Nevertheless, the game is certainly worth a playthrough for fans of the genre and is also a good entry point for newcomers.

Gameplay: The story and characters are intriguing, but the pacing is a bit off.

Graphics: The backgrounds and sprites are good, but even with the limited number of characters, the men look a lot more bland and generic compared to the women.

Sound: Harmonia features plenty of great background tracks as well as Japanese voice acting for three of the four central characters

planetarian ~the reverie of a little planet~

planetarian ~the reverie of a little planet~

Planetarian is set 30 years after a devastating war pretty much ended the world and follows the story of an unnamed man entering the ruins of a dangerous city looking for things to scavenge. Instead of supplies, he finds a friendly robot waiting with unwavering optimism for customers to return to the planetarium where she works. The story is rather bleak, but like other titles by Key, it is very moving and quite memorable.

Gameplay: Planetarium is a kinetic novel so there are no choices or branching paths, but although short and linear the story is very good.

Graphics: The visuals show their age with static backgrounds and limited sprites, but the overall art style is still good.

Sound: The game features full voice acting for both its primary characters and is accompanied by a melancholic soundtrack that is quite haunting

Legends of Talia: Arcadia

Legends of Talia: Arcadia

Legends of Talia: Arcadia is a short kinetic novel that sees a legendary female knight trying to deal with some demons from her past. The game features a thought-provoking storyline and Arcadia is an interesting protagonist, but the whole experience is over in less than two hours depending on your reading speed. This leaves very little room to flesh things out, so it feels like a lot of potential the game had was wasted. Nevertheless, the story is interesting while it lasts and the game is affordably priced for what it offers.

Gameplay: This is a kinetic novel, so the only interaction required is sitting back and reading the story.

Graphics: The visuals look good, but the fan-service-heavy character designs are at odds with the much darker storyline.

Sound: The game features no voice acting or sound effects, but the soundtrack is decent

Jiangshi x Daoshi

Jiangshi x Daoshi

Jiangshi x Daoshi is a very unique kinetic novel featuring some of the most animated and over the top scenes we’ve seen in the genre. The quirky style of the game and Chinese folklore elements can be a little overwhelming at first, but it’s hard not to get sucked in by the characters and story. The first two episodes are completely free, so there’s no reason to miss out on the game and the third episode is worth the price of admission as well if you are hooked.

Gameplay: A kinetic novel, so there are no choices, but the story is very unique.

Graphics: The over the top animated style of the game is something to behold.

Sound: Decent voice acting as well as a very varied soundtrack

I Walk Among Zombies Vol. 1

I Walk Among Zombies Vol. 1

I Walk Among Zombies Vol. 1 is a zombie-themed visual novel with a bit of a twist. Instead of having to fight for his survival against the undead, the protagonist discovers that through some twist of fate they are completely ignoring him. This allows him to indulge in immoral activities, not just with his zombie neighbor, but also another survivor he finds. Overall, the game has a decent story and plenty of uncensored sex scenes, but it is also rather short and ends in a cliffhanger.

Gameplay: The story is engrossing, but the frequent non-consensual sex scenes can feel a bit overdone.

Graphics: Great looking CGs as well as backgrounds.

Sound: The voice acting and soundtrack is decent, but not spectacular

Highway Blossoms

Highway Blossoms

Join Amber as she goes from driving slowly towards a music festival while coming to terms with the death of her grandfather, to joining up with a ditzy treasure hunter named Marina. Highway Blossoms is a great yuri kinetic novel with a refreshing setting, awesome characters and a very compelling story. It’s a little on the short side, but should definitely not be missed by fans of the genre.

Gameplay: No choices to make, but the story is superb.

Graphics: Plenty of backgrounds and great character designs.

Sound: Excellent voice acting and a pretty great soundtrack too

NEKOPARA Vol. 3

NEKOPARA Vol. 3

The NEKOPARA series has consistently delivered entertaining kinetic novels with great visuals and audio, so it is no surprise that volume three does the same. This time the story shifts to Maple and Cinnamon, the only catgirls left at La Soleil who have not yet had their chance to shine. While the story spends a lot of time with these two the other catgirls also make regular appearances, so no matter which ones are your favorite, you’ll get to experience more of their cuteness. Like volume one and two, this game is available in censored and uncensored versions, with the former costing less and the latter including explicit h-scenes. Whichever version you choose, you’ll find a story that is packed with adorable catgirls, plenty of humorous situations and some of the best visuals in the genre.

Gameplay: NEKOPARA Vol. 3 is still a kinetic novel with no choices to make, but the story is entertaining all the way through.

Graphics: More stunning artwork by Sayori and more animations courtesy of the E-mote system.

Sound: The soundtrack sounds a little too familiar at times, but still has plenty of great tracks and some stellar Japanese voice acting

A Kiss for the Petals – Remembering How We Met

A Kiss for the Petals – Remembering How We Met

Remembering How We Met is the latest entry in the A Kiss For The Petals franchise and gives English players a chance to see what all the fuss is about. It is an all-ages title, so rather tame compared to other entries in the series, but this also broadens its appeal. Players looking for a sweet and romantic yuri title should definitely not miss out on this one.

Gameplay: There are no choices as this is a kinetic novel.

Graphics: Restricted to a 4:3 ratio, but still looks very good.

Audio. Japanese voice acting along with some lovely background music

NEKOPARA Vol. 0

NEKOPARA Vol. 0

Since Nekopara Vol. 0 is a fandisc, it is much shorter than Vol. 1. Instead of a big story or any startling revelations it also just focusses on a single day in the lives of the catgirls of the Minaduki household. The writing is entertaining, and the visuals top notch, but anyone not already swayed by the charms of Nekopara Vol. 1 will probably wonder what the fuss is all about.

Gameplay: Still a kinetic visual novel, but now with the option to pet the girls.

Graphics: Another great demonstration of the E-mote system in action.

Sound: Once again the quality of the voice acting is very good

Love at First Sight

Love at First Sight

Despite its unique one-eyed love interest, Love At First Sight is not quite as out of the ordinary as you might think. The high school romance story is pretty straightforward, while the visuals are equal parts creepy and cute. Unfortunately, the game is rather short and only features a single route with no choices, but it is still worth checking out if you are a fan of the genre.

Gameplay: Short, but quite sweet.

Graphics: An interesting mixture of creepy and cute.

Sound: Decent tunes, but there are only a few tracks and no voice acting