Idea Factory International has announced a release window for its upcoming otome visual novel, Homura: The Crimson Warriors. Digital and physical versions of the game will be released in North America during March 2026. Digitally, the game will be released in Europe during the same month; however, its physical version won’t launch until April 2026.…
Kara no Shoujo (translated as The Shell) is a detective/mystery series of three very adult visual novels that have a reputation for being of immeasurably high quality. The first was originally released in English by MangaGamer back in 2011, and since then it and its sequel has quietly bubbled along…
Read MoreAt first glance, it’s difficult to understand Ghostpia’s appeal. You place static screenshots, out of context, next to the breathtaking art of Otomate’s visual novels, the vivid energy of something like Danganronpa, or even independent efforts like Sweetest Monster or Corpse Factory, and it’s really hard to see why PQube…
Read MoreGame development crunch is bad. There’s literally no upside to it. Games get rushed, released with issues, and the staff suffers. So I take very little issue with games being delayed, despite being super impatient. I’d rather the people behind it stay healthy while creating the best product possible. So…
Read MoreBad endings are an interesting example of convergent evolution in the history of the game narrative. It appears across various genres as an early example of player choice. In games such as Double Dragon or Dragon Quest for the NES, the player is provided with the end-game choice to join…
Read MoreI loved the original Coffee Talk. It was warm, despite being set in one of the more rainy places in North America. The characters felt real (mostly), the atmosphere was chill, and the music perfectly complimented the entire experience. So I was of two minds when Coffee Talk Episode 2:…
Read MoreSquint your eyes and Process of Elimination could be a Danganronpa spinoff. At least, in the way it works as a visual novel (and that is the bulk of the game). While both titles have very different art styles, the concepts are remarkably similar. And, like Danganronpa, this game is…
Read MoreNorn9: Var Commons is not a new visual novel by any means. It was originally a PSP title, and then localised into English for the first time for the PlayStation Vita version. Now it has landed on Switch to give players that missed it previously to catch up. They should…
Read MoreVisual novel ghostpia Season One is described much like other visual novels: it’s a movie you can read. The genre gets a lot of heat from “gamers” for being boring and having no action, but I quite love them. There’s something cozy about visual novels, even the most horrific ones.…
Read MoreCoffee Talk was a downright treasure. In fact, I’d argue it got better with each playthrough. I gave it four of five stars in my review (published in January 2020… before the world went to hell in a handcart). I’m not a do-stuff-outside-my-house kind of person – thanks, agoraphobia –…
Read MoreIt’s a rare treat when a major publisher like Square Enix produces a visual novel like Paranormasight. I can imagine how it happened, though: A small team within the publisher had a cracking idea for a spooky story and, after seeing just how great the concept really was, Square Enix…
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