PC Game Reviews
Pyrite Heart is an Otome visual novel that looks great, but the story is very short and lacking in depth. The heroine is also a spoiled rich princess, which might not be that appealing for players who are not fans of tsundere characters. It’s not a bad game, but there are far better titles in the genre.
Gameplay: Short and the story is not that interesting.
Graphics: The artwork is very good.
Sound: No voice acting, but the music is decent
PC Game Reviews
Creature Romances: Kokonoe Kokoro is a typical slice of life visual novel, with one exception, the love interest is a grotesque humanoid grasshopper. Unfortunately, the game simply ignores this fact, so the story progresses just like a typical, bland high school romance. The game can also be completed in less than an hour and features one choice that leads to one good or two bad endings. Overall, this game can be skipped as it has very little to offer.
Gameplay: Short, simple, and extremely bland despite the monstrous characters.
Graphics: The CGs are rather disturbing, but that’s probably the point.
Sound: The music is unremarkable, but the game does feature full Japanese voice acting
PC Game Reviews
Time Tenshi is a short and simple visual novel featuring time travel. Unfortunately, the whole time-traveling aspect of the game is simply a convenient excuse for the ecchi effects it has on the women make use of the technology. This would have been fine for a nukige title, but for all its fetish content Time Tenshi is a very tame game with no sex or nudity. Unfortunately, this middle of the road approach means it is unlikely to really appeal to anyone especially with so many other options available.
Gameplay: Very short and only features one meaningful choice right at the end.
Graphics: The visuals have a very low budget look to them.
Sound: No voice acting and the music isn’t very memorable or catchy
PC Game Reviews
Sweet Galaxy Adventure! is a visual novel with an interesting premise and beautiful character designs, but it is let down by a poor translation and story that goes nowhere. The game can also be completed in less than an hour and plays like an adult title with all the adult content removed. All of this makes it hard to recommend Sweet Galaxy Adventure! to anyone except the most ardent fans of the genre.
Gameplay: Short and ultimately pointless.
Graphics: The character sprites and CGs look rather good.
Sound: The music is bland the game lacks any type of voice acting
PC Game Reviews
Koropokkur in Love ~A Little Fairy’s Tale~ is a serviceable kinetic novel featuring a fairy with dreams of becoming human, but the story is just a little too generic for our liking. The game has its moments, but there is nothing here that hasn’t already been done much better before. It is enjoyable enough while it lasts, but unlikely to be something players will give much thought after completing it.
Gameplay: The story is cute but short and generic.
Graphics: Fans of Hinoue Itaru will love the art style, but others might find it dated.
Sound: No voice acting, but the music is decent enough
PC Game Reviews
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
PC Game Reviews
9-Nine: Episode 3 continues to build on the events of the previous two games and once again features a combination of action, drama, comedy, and romance. Haruka Kosaka is the love interest for this episode and her story is every bit as intriguing as the previous heroines. Episode 3 also features some of the most dramatic and startling revelations so far in the series and should keep fans hooked right to the end.
Gameplay: Episode 3 is very much a kinetic novel, but still interesting.
Graphics: The art style and animations are still top-notch.
Sound: Features a great soundtrack and great voice acting
PC Game Reviews
Forgotten Trace: Thanatos in Nostalgia is a visual novel with an interesting premise, but some parts feel padded out unnecessarily. It is also the first part of what was supposed to be a three-part series, but there is no sign of the other two parts yet. This makes it hard to recommend the game as there is no guarantee the story will ever be completed. It’s a pity as Forgotten Trace does have some nice elements and the art style is good, despite the low resolution.
Gameplay: The story is interesting, but ends on a cliffhanger and can be a slog to read at times.
Graphics: The resolution is fixed at 1024×768, but the art style is decent.
Sound: Japanese voice acting and decent background music
PC Game Reviews
Chuusotsu! 1st Graduation: Time After Time is a kinetic novel that features three girls who end up living under the same roof while trying to regain their place in society. It is set in a future where aptitude tests determine your career for life and those who fail end up as worthless outcasts called chuusotsu. The game features bright, colorful visuals but the story can veer into unexpectedly dark directions. It is certainly an intriguing tale and hopefully, future installments will reveal more of the world and characters introduced here.
Gameplay: This is a kinetic novel, so there is no interaction beyond reading the story.
Graphics: The backgrounds are detailed and the character sprites look very nice.
Sound: Both the voice acting and background music is decent
News
Some exciting news for visual novel fans as JAST USA has revealed the JAST Store release of the visual novel, You and Me and Her: A Love Story, on May 5th, 2020. This will be followed by a Steam release later this month on the 25th. Also, collectors can get their hands on a limited edition physical release of the game. This NSFW collector’s edition includes both the game on DVD as well as a digital download code. However, the highlight of the physical release is the acrylic prints. These feature characters from the game, but buyers will have to mirror the fate of the protagonist in the game and pick between either Miyuki or Aoi when making their purchase as only one print is included
