Video by Matt S. Cupid Parasite is a brilliant, distinctive, interesting and hugely entertaining visual novel. It also has one of the most unique art styles that we’ve seen in the genre. In this video, we discuss that incredible art style, where it comes from, and why the game might…
Read More“Frivolity” and “humour” are not usually things that you associate with Otomate’s otome visual novels. Whether it’s classics like Hakuouki and Amnesia, or more modern games like Piofiore: Fated Memories and Olympia Soiree, with Otomate, you expect some pretty powerful romances with some very dark edges (especially if you wind…
Read MoreVideo by Matt S. Olympia Soirée is the latest visual novel from Otomate to be released on consoles in the west. And it is an incredible, beautiful game. What’s amazing is that after years (and over 100 releases), Otomate remains one of the very finest purveyors of visual novels. Just…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. One of the benefits of publishing a review a little later after release is that you can check against some of the other reviews to see how your own take on the various themes and ideas expressed by the game were taken by others. Having checked…
Read MoreReview by Lindsay M.I can’t tell you the last time I sat down and played a straight-up, old-school visual novel. I’ve gotten used to visual novels with branching narratives, or that include point-and-click components. The Mysteries of Ranko Togawa: Murder on the Marine Express promises to be that classic experience.…
Read MoreReview by Lindsay M.I originally made a typo in the title of this review: “Boyfriend Fungeon.” And honestly, it’s so much fun that could be the name of the game and I wouldn’t even think twice. The premise of Boyfriend Dungeon, an action-adventure RPG, is quite simple: date your weapons…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. My favourite Dungeons & Dragons setting has always been Ravenloft, where heroes get trapped within pockets of gothic nightmares, and need to figure out the mystery behind the “domain” in order to escape it. Crimson Spires is like that. Just with romance. Dark, sexy, dangerous romance.…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. The Ace Attorney series has always been one that you can look at two ways; you can chuckle at its eccentricities and either enjoy it or dismiss it as an example of “weird Japan” (you’d be wrong either way), or you can look at these as…
Read MoreReview by Matt S. Bustafellows is right up there with the best crime fiction works I’ve ever read. Not just in terms of visual novels, or broader video games. I’m talking across all media. Bustafellows is every bit the page-turner of a Conan Doyle or Christie novel. It’s as interesting…
Read MoreInterview by Matt S. Heart of the Woods landed on Nintendo Switch earlier this year, after developing a powerful following for its previous release on PC. As we wrote in our glowing review on DDNet: “Heart of the Woods is a beautiful and romantic visual novel, with a wonderfully winding…
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