Visual Novels

[ElkinFencer10]

Anyone else a fan of visual novels? I got hooked on them during one of those super weeaboo Humble Bundles, and I've developed a great love for them. I downloaded the Petit Series one that's up on the US 3DS eShop, and I'm really enjoying it so far (albeit I've only spent about ten or twenty minutes reading during my planning period).

What are yall's opinions on them? They're not really games in the traditional sense, but I really enjoy them nonetheless.

[Metal Jesus]

I have a few of them on the Vita...and I find them tedious... Clicking X every 10 seconds while progressing through boring dialog... gets old very quickly. Honestly, I'd rather just read a book.

Maybe I'm not playing the right ones

[laurenhiya21]

I really like visual novels (I was actually debating on making a topic but I kept on forgetting )

I started out mostly reading simple eroge, but when I stumbled onto Umineko I realized there can be SO much more to a VN than just trying to get a girl to date with you. I think I might still enjoy that sort of VN (not sure since I haven't read one in a while) but I really love a good story and/or characters so I think I tend to prefer ones with a little more depth Not that I've read a ton of them so far, but I definitely plan on reading more.

[BoneSnapDeez]

I've only played a few. I actually own one that's on a DVD - you play it by navigating the DVD menus.

Any recommendations? There are a million on Steam. Some look okay, some look terrible. Others look like they're basically just jiggly boobie games.

[Ack]

I've only played a few. I actually own one that's on a DVD - you play it by navigating the DVD menus.

Any recommendations? There are a million on Steam. Some look okay, some look terrible. Others look like they're basically just jiggly boobie games.

You should import Silent Hill: Play Novel for the Game Boy Advance or check out a translated ROM for it if you are unsure of the kanji for "sexy nurse zombie." It's basically the first Silent Hill as a visual novel.

[Exhuminator]

Random thought blurbs...

A lot of PC based visual novels have an option which progress through the dialogue boxes automatically. Removing the one actual interactive aspect of the "game" entirely. In that regard I don't consider a huge swath of visual novels to actually be games at all. Which is fine, I mean, if what you want is a big story with pretty pictures.

There are some visual novels that allow you to alter the story line, basically choose your own adventure type stuff. I think that's kinda cool.

Then there are visual novels that mix in actual gameplay between all the dialogue, such as strategic fights or real time combat. Now that's definitely a game.

I have collected a lot of PC visual novels of various types like I described above. I haven't played much of them because I don't know. I like the concept, but the time sink required isn't something I'm willing to doll out right now for so little actual gameplay. I guess I'm hoarding them for a rainy day, or retirement. Many of the most popular visual novels are absolutely massive and can take dozens of hours to read through entirely.

So if you're someone who really enjoys complex stories, especially stories padded with hours of excruciatingly detailed minutiae, visual novels have a lot to offer.

Also if you're a pervert like me there's a lot of really crazy eroge type ones that cater to all kinds of weird niche tastes. Not that I would know anything about that, or have tons of those archived on harddrives sleeping in a dark and cold closet. I especially think that the visual novel + ecchi + dungeon crawl genre is neato mosquito. I mean, in theory.

There've been VNs released on various handhelds over the years, some even officially translated. For example I've seen a lot of VNs released on Vita stateside, but I don't think the $40 price is worth what they actually are.

[BoneSnapDeez]

You should import Silent Hill: Play Novel for the Game Boy Advance or check out a translated ROM for it if you are unsure of the kanji for "sexy nurse zombie." It's basically the first Silent Hill as a visual novel.

Bro that's the first kanji I ever learned.

I didn't know this existed though - thanks!

Speaking of random old crap, I just remembered that Square had their own visual novel on the Famicom Disk System. Gonna check that one out when I have a chance.

[laurenhiya21]

Any recommendations? There are a million on Steam. Some look okay, some look terrible. Others look like they're basically just jiggly boobie games.

Other than Higurashi, I really liked eden*. It doesn't have any choices but I thought the story was really well done.

I haven't played any other good Steam VNs (mostly a few meh ones tbh) but Clannad recently came out and that's considered to be a classic. I would of bought it and played it already but I'm waiting for my physical copy to come in :/

[BoneSnapDeez]

Yeah Clannad looks intriguing. But from what I recall it's still full-price ($50?) on Steam...

[ElkinFencer10]

I'll need to wait until I get home and take a look at my Steam library to give some of my recommendations, but I definitely recommend Petit Harvest Series: Harvest December. I downloaded it on my 3DS last night, but I'm not sure what other platforms it's on if any. I think I mentioned that one in my OP, now that I think about it.