Sonicomi PC Game Reviews

Sonicomi

Step into the shoes of a gravure photographer and help the adorable model Sonico to kick-start her career. Sonicomi is more than just a typical visual novel as it also places a camera in your hands and requires you to take photos of Sonico according to the briefs of clients. Thanks to 18 different endings, interesting characters and a multitude of clothing options for the shoots the game has more than enough replay value to keep players busy for ages.

Gameplay: An interesting mix of visual novel and 3D photography scenes.

Graphics: Sonico is the only 3D model in the game, but she looks great and has plenty of charm.

Sound: Good music and sound effects along with two different voice actress options for Sonico

Selenon Rising PC Game Reviews

Selenon Rising

Selenon Rising is a great visual novel with an interesting story and great setting. The psychic abilities of the main character also makes for an interesting gameplay mechanic as it adds a bit more depth to interrogating suspects. It is an episodic release, so time will tell if it can remain as engaging throughout, but so far so good.

Gameplay: Searching crime scenes and interrogating suspects make it a bit more interactive than your typical visual novel.

Graphics: Decent visuals, but the cut-scenes could have been better.

Sound: No voice acting, but superb music

Beat Blades Haruka PC Game Reviews

Beat Blades Haruka

Nukige titles are not really known for their story or gameplay, but Beat Blades Haruka definitely bucks this trend. As implausible as it is the story is actually quite neat and training the girls to fight in battle is very addictive. Of course, seeing as it is a nukige title there is an enormous amount of H-content as well and fans will be happy to hear that it is all completely uncensored. It is not a game for the easily offended or sensitive, but fans of the genre should definitely add it to their collection.

Gameplay: The stat raising and battles make it a lot more engrossing than a typical nukige title.

Graphics: Excellent character designs and a ton of CGs.

Sound: Good voice acting and lots of music

Magical Eyes – Red is for Anguish Coming To Steam News

Magical Eyes – Red is for Anguish Coming To Steam

The catalog of visual novels on Steam continues to grow and the latest entry is the upcoming Magical Eyes – Red is for Anguish. It is a mystery themed visual novel from POMERA Studios and will be hitting Steam on March 30 thanks to independent game publisher, Fruitbat Factory

MangaGamer White Day Sale Until March 17th News

MangaGamer White Day Sale Until March 17th

Everyone is familiar with Valentine’s Day, but did you know that Japan also has a “White Day” which takes place exactly one month later? It is the day on which men who received chocolates from women on Valentine’s Day get to return the favor. This is because it is tradition in Japan for the women to give chocolate to men on Valentine’s Day

XBlaze Code: Embryo PC Game Reviews

XBlaze Code: Embryo

XBlaze: Code Embryo is set in the same universe as the BlazBlue fighting titles, but no prior knowledge is required to enjoy the story. The game features an intriguing storyline and multiple endings, but reading news articles to influence the path you take is a little confusing at first. Once you figure out the system, it is a lot of fun though, and the stylish visuals as well as great soundtrack make it easy to recommend.

Gameplay: A typical visual novel with a rather unusual system for choosing your path to the multiple endings.

Graphics: Not a lot of animation, but very detailed and colorful.

Sound: Plenty of music tracks and some great Japanese voice acting as well

NEKOPARA Vol. 2 PC Game Reviews

NEKOPARA Vol. 2

NEKOPARA Vol. 2 once again demonstrates why this series has such a loyal and fanatical following. The artwork by Sayori is as beautiful as always and the animations for the characters continue to impress. The story is still quite lighthearted, but focusses on slightly more serious issues compared to Vol. 1. The Steam version is once again censored, but comes with a lower price point, while the uncensored version cost a bit more, but features plenty of animated H-scenes.

Gameplay: It is a kinetic novel, so there are no branching routes or choices to be made.

Graphics: Stunning artwork and great animations.

Sound: The voice acting is very good and so is the music although most of the tracks will be familiar

Kindred Spirits on the Roof PC Game Reviews

Kindred Spirits on the Roof

Enoki Sachi and Nagatani Megumi are two ghosts who want to consummate their relationship, but to do so they want to observe other female couples to figure out what exactly it entails. Since Toomi Yuna is the only person at the Girl’s Academy who can see the two restless spirits it becomes her task to turn the school into a “yuritopia.” While the story might not sound like it leaves room for a lot of depth the game is surprisingly entertaining and treats the subject matter with more care and respect than most other titles. There’s plenty of funny moments too and a great cast of characters who you end up really caring for.

Gameplay: It is a kinetic novel, so you cannot really influence the story, but there is a lot of content.

Graphics: It’s a pity the resolution is so low, but the art style is quite beautiful.

Sound: Voice acting is restricted to important scenes only, but the quality is good and the soundtrack is great

Gahkthun of the Golden Lightning PC Game Reviews

Gahkthun of the Golden Lightning

With its Steampunk setting, great characters and intriguing storyline it is easy to get sucked into this visual novel. However, it is not perfect as the pacing slows down considerably in later chapters and too many superfluous characters with little impact on the story keep getting introduced. Stick with it though and you’ll find a great visual novel with characters that are truly memorable.

Gameplay: Some chapters drag their feet, but the overall story is quite captivating.

Graphics: Great visuals, but the relatively low resolution is disappointing.

Sound: Full Japanese voice acting, great sound effects and very nice music, but some tracks repeat too often

Highschool Possession PC Game Reviews

Highschool Possession

Highschool Possession tells the tale of a student named Hikaru, who one day finds his conscience mysteriously alternating between the bodies of two girls in his school. It is an interesting premise, but due to the short length of the game not a lot of time is spent on fleshing it out more. While the art and audio is decent enough the story could definitely have benefited from a bit more work.

Gameplay: The basic story is quite interesting, but due to its short length a lot of things feels glossed over.

Graphics: Nice artwork, but not many different backgrounds

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