News
Anyone who only watches Steam for new releases might have missed out on the launch of Planet Stronghold: Colonial Defense by Winter Wolves. This title marks their first foray into the sci-fi visual novel / collectible card game hybrid market and is set before the events of the original Planet Stronghold game. The game was released on January 25th, 2016 on the official website and is available for Windows, MAC and Linux
Previews
Good news for fans of original and unique visual novels as Lupiesoft are back and this time they have Space Elves! For their latest title Lupiesoft turned their attention to the stars and created The Stargazers, a game inspired by 50s and 80s science fiction, pulp fiction and good old mecha anime. Unlike their previous titles this one is set to be a self-contained story and will follow the adventures of the Stargazers Squadron, a group of three pilots who are stationed in deep space
PC Game Reviews
At first glance CLANNAD appears to be a typical slice of life visual novel featuring the adventures of high school delinquent Tomoya Okazaki. However, its engrossing storylines and fascinating characters make it a title that is hard to put down. Completing the multiple storyline branches takes a long, long time, but the excellent writing and emotional impact makes it worthwhile. The game is a must have title for fans of the genre, but thanks to its compelling storylines will definitely appeal to other players as well.
Gameplay: CLANNAD features multiple routes that lead to different storylines based on your choices.
Graphics: The art style takes a while to get used to, but the overall quality is very good.
Sound: The game features a stellar selection of tracks and very good Japanese voice acting
PC Game Reviews
Sakura Santa doesn’t bring anything new to the table in terms of story or gameplay, but it is a lighthearted and enjoyable title. Like all Sakura titles it is a little short and lacking in depth for our tastes, but the art is great and features no shortage of fanservice. Players looking for something different from Winged Cloud will be disappointed, but everyone who enjoys the Sakura titles will like this festive themed one.
Gameplay: A typical Sakura title, so fans will know exactly what to expect.
Graphics: Only a few girls and handful of locations, but everything looks great.
Sound: No voice acting and the music is rather unremarkable
PC Game Reviews
The story of G-senjou no Maou – The Devil on G-String is definitely the best part, but despite its age the game doesn’t disappoint when it comes to visuals and audio either. The adult scenes did not make the cut, but even without them the game is still one of the best in the genre. Players who enjoy intelligent and well written stories with plenty of twists and turns should not miss out on G-senjou no Maou – The Devil on G-String.
Gameplay: This is a very long visual novel with wildly different routes and plenty of great characters.
Graphics: It is a pity that the CGs had to be cropped for widescreen, but the game still looks great despite its age.
Sound: The voice overs cost extra, but are worth the high price and the soundtrack is equally brilliant
PC Game Reviews
Highschool Romance is a lighthearted slice of life visual novel with a rather small cast and very short story. Despite not taking very long to complete and not really covering any new ground it does manage to be quite entertaining. There is some fanservice, but overall the game is quite tame considering the subject matter.
Gameplay: The game is short and the story not exactly original, but it is interesting and well written.
Graphics: The unique visual style takes a while to get used to, but does fit the game.
Sound: No speech, but a few of the audio tracks are rather good
News
The good news for fans of visual novels just keeps on coming with Sekai Project today unveiling the release date of CLANNAD. This much anticipated title had a very successful Kickstarter campaign just over 10 months ago that brought in $541,161 from 5,819 backers. Fans can mark Monday, November 23 on their calendars as this is the day that CLANNAD will be released on Steam for Windows-based PCs
News
MangaGamer announced today that they will be accepting pre-orders on their site for the upcoming Gahkthun of the Golden Lightning. This visual novel was developed by Liarsoft and the official release date has been set for December 23rd. One of the protagonists of its story is none other than Nikola Tesla, but the 20th century in which this game is set is one that is very different from our own
PC Game Reviews
Sound of Drop offers a captivating, horror-themed experience that is worlds away from the typical romance visual novels on Steam. Although it contains some blood and gore, most of the really gruesome scenes are left to the imagination instead of depicted visually. The multitude of endings adds to the replay value, and there are even some great new additions compared to the original Japanese version of the game.
Gameplay: The story is absorbing and features plenty of choices.
Graphics: The game features excellent character designs and beautiful backgrounds.
Sound: While the game lacks speech, the music and sound effects are great
Kickstarter Watch
Visual novel fans should already be very familiar with the Narcissu titles, a series that wasn’t afraid to explore themes about terminal illness and the relationship between the living and dying. If not, Narcissu 1st & 2nd is available as a free download from Steam and comes highly recommended. However, Sekai Project have decided to team up with Stage-nana, the original creators, and do a full remake of the Narcissu anthology. Fans have been waiting years for the rest of the Narcissu series to be translated and, if the Kickstarter campaign is successful, this will finally happen
