Karifean's Top 10 Visual Novels

[Karifean]

So now that I finally feel like I've read the absolute must-reads of the visual novel genre, I decided I might as well list my current Top 10 Visual Novels. I know there aren't many users around here that actually read visual novels, but if you have an open mind towards the genre or are looking for some recommendations, you might find something to your liking here.

It should come as no surprise that I adore visual novels. They often have some of the best soundtracks of all time, and story-wise they blow games out of the water. But visual novels are not only my favorite video game genre, but also my favorite storytelling medium in general. There's so much you can do with the perks of visual novels that you just can't really replicate in books or TV. I'll go further into details about why I love the medium so much as we go, because there are some very good examples of novels whose storytelling would really suffer if ported to another medium.

A few ground rules for this list. First off, I cannot read anything beyond basic Japanese so any visual novels without a translation patch are out by default. And of course, while I have read a good number of visual novels, there are far more I haven't read. Especially VNs that actually got a localization and a considerable western fanbase - I can tell you upfront that Danganronpa, 999 and Ghost Trick won't be on this list, as I just haven't had the chance to read them yet.

And with that, I hope you enjoy this list. I'll be posting #10 momentarily, then go on to post ...If you really don't want to wait you can just look me up on VNDB, which basically spoils the entire list. Your call.



#10: Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/162228-Karifean-s-Top-10-Visual-Novels?p=3523751&viewfull=1#post3523751)
#9: Rewrite (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/162228-Karifean-s-Top-10-Visual-Novels?p=3523881&viewfull=1#post3523881)
#8: Ever17 - The Out of Infinity (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/162228-Karifean-s-Top-10-Visual-Novels?p=3524009#post3524009)
#7: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/162228-Karifean-s-Top-10-Visual-Novels?p=3524208&viewfull=1#post3524208)
#6: Steins;Gate (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/162228-Karifean-s-Top-10-Visual-Novels?p=3524351&viewfull=1#post3524351)
#5: Muv-Luv (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/162228-Karifean-s-Top-10-Visual-Novels?p=3524405&viewfull=1#post3524405)
#4: G-senjou no Maou (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/162228-Karifean-s-Top-10-Visual-Novels?p=3524546&viewfull=1#post3524546)
CLANNAD (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/162228-Karifean-s-Top-10-Visual-Novels?p=3524624#post3524624)
Little Busters! (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/162228-Karifean-s-Top-10-Visual-Novels?p=3524682&viewfull=1#post3524682)
Umineko no Naku Koro ni (http://home.eyesonff.com/showthread.php/162228-Karifean-s-Top-10-Visual-Novels?p=3524792&viewfull=1#post3524792)

[Shauna]

Cool. :D

[Pumpkin]

Exciting!

[Freya]

Ooo I'm excited!

[Karifean]

http://i.imgur.com/xF7VmvC.png

#10
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (Series)
Developer: Capcom
Availability: Fully Localized (iOS, Nintendo DS/3DS/Wii)
Adult Content: None
Length: Moderate (~25 hours per game)

The only time a lawyer can cry is when it's all over.

Starting off the list with what's most likely the most well-known visual novel series outside of Japan, we have Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, or Gyakuten Saiban (Turnabout Trial) in Japanese. I shouldn't even have to introduce it, but for people who have never heard of it before, you play as a defense attorney by the name of Phoenix Wright, and over the course of the series you take on many court cases trying hard to clear your clients' names. There's actual gameplay involved as you investigate areas, find clues and present your case in court sessions.



http://i.imgur.com/pI7bgHt.png

One of the series' main strong points lies in its lovable characters. Between Mia, Maya, Detective Gumshoe, Miles Edgeworth, the Judge, Larry Butz, Wendy Oldbag, Pearl and later on Apollo Justice, Trucy Wright, Kay Faraday and Athena Cykes, Ace Attorney's characters never disappoint. Phoenix makes for a great protagonist and his interactions with Maya make the first three games so much fun. Later games feature different protagonists but the script stays consistently good. And while the pacing suffers at times especially in each of the games' second and third cases, it always picks back up.



http://i.imgur.com/m4H9tGa.png

Easily my two favorite games in the series are the original first game and Trials and Tribulations, both for having a surprisingly engaging story with a great cast of characters and very memorable antagonists. I like them pretty much equally so even if you say putting an entire series on one spot is a cop-out, those two games would still share the #10 spot regardless. Although really, all the games in the series are worth reading. I haven't read Ace Attorney Investigations 2: Prosecutor's Path yet, but I definitely will, and I'm sure it won't disappoint either.

Finally, I have to mention the soundtrack. It's good. Like, very good. The Objection themes, the Pursuit themes, the Reminiscence themes, the "Won the Lawsuit!" themes... they're solid in just about all games. Tracks I find particularly notable are Objection 2001 (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/_I34nshlOPk), Objection 2013 (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/Yy7NVfkEsvQ), Pursuit Cornered (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/wq1jknZp0ic), Won the Lawsuit! Another Victory (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/z-QNmlbzrbM), Reminiscence DL-6 (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/JJZ9-LjgSzY), Swimming Anyone? (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/OMQKGMS_Df4) and Announce the Truth 2013 (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/RuuWozX8P5o).

An absolute classic series of visual novels that no fan of the genre should pass up on.



http://i.imgur.com/p5WUh5b.png

[Shauna]

T&T tops the first one very slightly for me. It was just so intense.

[Freya]

I've only played the first like two i think. I need to play more of them really. The games were so good.

[Karifean]

IMO Rise from the Ashes is the single best case in the series, just topping Bridge to the Turnabout and Turnabout Goodbyes, but the overarching story in Trials and Tribulations was certainly good enough to make up for that.

[Shauna]

I like Rise from the Ashes, but it's too detached from the rest of the series and the plot lines of AA1-3. Understandable since it was introduced after the whole thing was pretty much done.

Also agreed on the soundtrack. That ending theme to T&T brings too many feels. Too many.

[Freya]

What's next! What's next!

[Karifean]

http://i.imgur.com/lQydTis.png
#9
Rewrite
Developer: Key
Availability: Japan Only
Adult Content: None
Length: Long (~50 Hours)

Could it possibly be rewritten, that fate of her's?

When it comes to visual novels about people wielding mystical powers in a highschool drama setting, most people would probably immediatly think of Fate/Stay Night. Understandable with how much of a classic it is, but alas it's not on this list, because to me Rewrite is way better.

Rewrite is set in a town called Kazamatsuri, a town full of greenery. The novel's first ~10 hours or so are pretty lighthearted highschool days with lots of comedy and getting to know and love all the characters. There's a little device called Mappie that allows you to explore and interact with the city, which was really neat.



http://i.imgur.com/SS39eKG.png

But things aren't quite as peaceful as they seem at first. Kotarou, the protagonist, has a strange power which allows him to rewrite his own body, and occasionally he finds himself in seemingly endless corridors. As things get more and more out of hand, one day a mystery arises and in trying to solve it Kotarou ends up destroying his peaceful days all too soon.



http://i.imgur.com/sqpJmxS.png

Now why do I like this game so much? Well for one, Kotarou is one of my absolute favorite main characters. His personality, morals and priorities are greatly shaped and affected by the events of whatever story path you're going through at the moment. Sometimes he stays true to an ideal of 'killing is bad', other times he is very much willling to take lives to make ends meet. And given all he goes through, this feels very natural.



http://i.imgur.com/Nbw2Hv7.png

The story of Rewrite is great, even if the writing process was allegedly a bit of a mess. The routes tend to have a very distinct feeling, one time you're reading something straight out of a shonen series, another time it's very dark with loads of people dying left and right.



http://i.imgur.com/4ATXOoJ.png

The one story path that really stands out to me is Lucia Konohana's. It was outsourced to Ryukishi07, and it's by FAR the best of the routes, no contest. It's emotionally involving like no other and it also has easily the best romance. I'd argue it's a route worth reading all on its own even if the rest of Rewrite doesn't interest you that much. But well, the other story paths are still great, and Terra - the final arc - does a wonderful job concluding everything.



http://i.imgur.com/VDwTRmw.png

Both in terms of graphics and soundtrack, Rewrite is amazing. It has some of the most beautiful backgrounds and sceneries in any VN, and the CGs do not disappoint either. The soundtrack is beautiful. Journey (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/022QnfVPHJs), Bellis Perennis (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/8c4G5EGileg) and Deep Forest (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/J5cgX1Pxx-U) do a great job setting the tone from the very beginning, and some of the ending songs like You Who Never Lies (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/zkt6e-rYus8) and Scene Shifts There (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/4TTzGc6rCa0) are just damn good.

Having never got an anime adaptation unlike other Key visual novels, Rewrite is not that well-known compared to its bigger brothers. But it's certainly worth reading, especially if you like Key's other titles.



http://i.imgur.com/AqnYcdb.png

[Shauna]

What do you mean he can rewrite his own body? I am struggling to wrap my simple mind around what this actually entails. xD

[Karifean]

What do you mean he can rewrite his own body? I am struggling to wrap my simple mind around what this actually entails. xD

Literally what it sounds like. He can change parts of his body into something else if he wants to. He uses it several times just to toughen up his body, or to have eyes that can see well in the dark, but sometimes it's not that simple. At one point, for instance, he changes his entire biological composition to be able to survive a poison that would otherwise be deadly for humans. The only downside to the changes is that they're permanent and naturally the power has its price.

[Shauna]

Ah, alright. That makes sense. Maybe. (??????)

[Freya]

Ooo that one seems interesting. I've been a little hesitant on some VNs if they aren't Otome since you'er making choices, it's harder for me to do so from the opposite gender but I may give that one a chance.

[Karifean]

http://i.imgur.com/QLPcToO.png
#8
Ever17 - The Out of Infinity
Developer: KID
Availability: Localized, but out of print
Adult Content: None
Length: Long (~40 Hours)

When you close your eyes, I disappear.

Ever17 is one of those visual novels that gets a ton of praise for its storyline. It's written by the same guy who made 999 and the two supposedly share a number of similarities with each other.



siOCjEydLUU
Such a great opening movie.

Ever17 takes place in the underwater theme park LeMU. Through what seems to be chance, six unrelated people end up in the park when an alarm strikes and the first underground floor of the park gets flooded. All visitors besides those six were successfully evacuated, but the six people in question are stuck. To make things worse, if they aren't rescued within approximately seven days, LeMU is going to implode, killing them all.



http://i.imgur.com/rMfujnH.png

The atmosphere surrounding the incident is pretty intimidating. It keeps you wondering whether the accident really was an accident or actually plotted, especially the more you get into all the characters' backstories... and who knows if they're really the only ones in LeMU?

One of the things I love about Ever17 is the fact that it has two POV characters. In the early parts of the story it constantly switches between the two, until a particular choice soon enough determines which will be your POV for the rest of the playthrough. The routes you can access are naturally different for both POV characters, and you need to complete all four to unlock the final, true route.



http://i.imgur.com/CijNMnt.png

My personal favorites of the first four routes were Tsugumi's and Sara's, but the final route easily blows all others out of the water (no pun intended). It's where everything is resolved and it all ends up making way more sense than I'd ever expected it to. It makes extraordinary good use of the visual novel medium's unique form of presentation and I couldn't imagine Ever17 ever being adapted to an anime or anything like that.



http://i.imgur.com/0q4pZko.png

The only problem with Ever17 is that it's damn hard to get a hold of. It did get an official localization many years back, but it's out of print and if you want a copy now you're looking at quite ridiculous prices. But if you do manage to find a way to read it, Ever17 is definitely worth your time.



http://i.imgur.com/PFD5FrI.png

[Freya]

That one has an interesting concept. What platform is it on?

[Karifean]

That one has an interesting concept. What platform is it on?

PC. In fact, all the VNs on this list besides Ace Attorney have a PC release.


Ooo that one seems interesting. I've been a little hesitant on some VNs if they aren't Otome since you'er making choices, it's harder for me to do so from the opposite gender but I may give that one a chance.

I can see that, it felt a little weird for me to play an otome game at first but it ended up being just fine. If nothing else galge have a very skewed male/female character ratio so the chances of finding likeable female characters are pretty high ^^

[Karifean]

http://i.imgur.com/wE1kk0q.png
#7
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Developer: 07th Expansion
Availability: Localized by MangaGamer (Episodical Steam release, starting May 15th)
Adult Content: None
Length: Very Long (~80 Hours)

To whoever may read this: Please find out the truth. That's my only wish.


This one may be a bit more well-known, given that it has a fairly successful and quite good anime adaptation.

The main character of Higurashi is an adolescent by the name of Keiichi Maebara. Due to various circumstances he and his family move to the rural town of Hinamizawa. He quickly gets along with the locals, especially Mion and Rena, two girls around his age. However, even as time passes he still has that feeling that he's not really a part of their community at all; that everyone's hiding things from him that he ought to know as a fellow resident of Hinamizawa. By chance he gets a glimpse of Hinamizawa's dark past involving a repeating 'curse' phenomenon that claims two lives every year, and when it hits once again Keiichi starts realizing what's going on... and what's going to happen to him...


http://i.imgur.com/sNbmwTZ.png

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, or Higurashi: When They Cry in English, is best described as a supernatural mind-screwy horror mystery with great emphasis on the latter. As confusing as the plot can get at times, it really tries to get its readers to solve its core mystery. This is something I feel was lost in the anime for the most part, as it put more focus on the gory murders and people going insane instead of actually getting people invested in trying to figure out what's happening. Which made for a quite enjoyable series in its own right, but quite a different experience compared to the sound novel.



http://i.imgur.com/R5skqOw.png

Unlike most other visual novels Higurashi is entirely linear, and is divided into eight episodes. The first four are dedicated to presenting the situation and posing all the questions, while the latter four focus on giving clues and answers that ultimately come together to form the big picture and have everything make sense. The latter four are technically considered the 'sequel' to the first Higurashi, forming "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai" as the second entry in the When They Cry series, but they really are two halves of one story.



http://i.imgur.com/U8KoBg5.png

Higurashi calls itself a "sound novel" because it focuses more on its sound and plot rather than its visuals to create an enthralling atmosphere, although really I always felt that was just an excuse to justify their, ahem, aesthetically questionable character sprites. Seriously, while they didn't bother me reading through it myself - in fact they make for some great contrast when the sprites suddenly turn extremely creepy - I can't call them good by any means. If they bother you there are ways to give the game a graphic update, and the upcoming Steam rerelease has new sprites as well, so yay!



http://i.imgur.com/VnsHLJC.png
Original sprite on the left, PS2 version on the right.

What Higurashi certainly succeeds at is creating an incredible atmosphere that just draws you into it completely. Its storytelling is some of the best I've ever seen, and the first story arc is a great example of that. At first it's incredibly lighthearted and silly, but that only serves to set up the mindscrew that comes after. It intrigues you yet leaves you hanging just enough so that you really want to know what really went down, and going back to it later and putting all the pieces together is satisfying as hell.



http://i.imgur.com/VGF63lG.png

My favorite arc is easily the first answer arc, Meakashi-hen (Eye Opening Chapter). It's the first time things really start coming together, giving a deep insight into the actions and motivations of one particular character, who promptly ended up being my favorite character as a result. Although really, just about all of Higurashi's cast is great. Keiichi, Mion, Rena, Rika, Satoko, Tomitake, Ooishi, Irie, Takano, Akasaka... so many good characters.



VjNVPO8ff84

The soundtrack of Higurashi, especially in Kai, the second half, does a great job supporting the series' atmosphere and overall feel. Although there are few tracks I would listen to outside of context, the OST always reminds me of why I like Higurashi so much. The one standout track it has is "You (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/lPU5rMAWvlQ)" with its many variations. Love that piano.

The series does have very graphic descriptions of violence at times, so be warned, but of course being a novel it's not nearly as graphic about it as the anime was. If you can stand it, I certainly recommend at least checking it out.


http://www.mangagamer.com/user_data/free_html/higurashi_story.jpg

[Shauna]

I will never get over their balloon hands. xD

[Freya]

I will never get over their balloon hands. xD
I was just wondering wth about that in the screenshot

[Karifean]

Glorious Ryukishi07 original sprites. At least they got better over time.

[Karifean]

http://i.imgur.com/lo2oWjw.png
#6
Steins;Gate
Developer: 5pb./Nitroplus
Availability: Localized by JAST USA
Adult Content: None
Length: Moderate (~30 Hours)

El Psy Kongloo.

Steins;Gate is one of those novels that everybody seems to like, and for good reasons; It's got possibly the best main male character in any visual novel, one of the best main female characters, delightful internet-culture-based humor, a sci-fi plot that's actually quite easy to follow, and loads of well-executed drama. What's not to like?



http://i.imgur.com/vQetev7.png

The story of Steins;Gate follows a young adult by the name of Rintarou Okabe, or as he likes to call himself, Hououin Kyouma. He's the leader of the "Future Gadget Laboratory", a place where he and his friends hang out and and do weird trout with technical gadgets. By chance they happen to turn their microwave into a makeshift time machine that can send emails to the past. They experiment with it more and more trying to find out what it's capable of, granting some wishes to people they're close to. But before long it turns out they should have been more careful with what they change... as their changes cause effects they could not have even dreamed of...



http://i.imgur.com/wT4Xs1e.png

The MC, as I already mentioned previously, is awesome. He's a self-proclaimed mad scientist and reacts incredibly over-the-top to just about everything, making for some very hilarious scenes. But as you might be able to tell it's really just an act, so when things get serious he drops his façade and turns back into the genuinely caring person he actually is. Definitely one of my all-time favorite characters out of any visual novel.



http://i.imgur.com/eiZFO5t.png

The other half of the main duo is the genius scientist Kurisu Makise, who gets stabbed in the first 30 minutes of the game only to turn up alive shortly thereafter when Okabe accidently activates his time machine for the first time. As I said, she is quite a genius, and is most of the brains behind the development of the time machine. Her interactions with Okabe are glorious and drive most of the VN's comedy.



http://i.imgur.com/edRXXp9.png

There are six endings, three of which branch off the main plot, and three that conclude it. The true end is a pain to get to, but it's very touching and easily the most satisfying of all the endings.

The OST is, unfortunately, quite unremarkable for the most part, but there is one notable exception: the main theme, Gate of Steiner (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/qft44yIJ6_M), and its remixes. One of my absolute favorite tracks of any VN soundtrack.



http://i.imgur.com/AX8iKEb.png

Steins;Gate also has, in my humble opinion, the best anime adaptation of any visual novel to date. It feels just the same as the novel and the minor differences don't make it any less enjoyable. I wholeheartedly recommend reading the visual novel, but failing that the anime is a good replacement.

[Ayen]

I clicked on this thread just to see if there were any games I actually played since I don't play that many visual novels. Glad to see Phoenix Wright up there.

[Shauna]

My friend played Steins;Gate. She had a specific path in mind, and it required her doing something specific with the microwave right at the start of the game. She could never get it to work, and so, after months of getting it working on her laptop, she completely sacked it.

[Karifean]

I clicked on this thread just to see if there were any games I actually played since I don't play that many visual novels. Glad to see Phoenix Wright up there.

Yeah... that's the one VN on this list I actually expected people to have played. It is quite an extreme niche, which as an avid fan is a bit depressing.


My friend played Steins;Gate. She had a specific path in mind, and it required her doing something specific with the microwave right at the start of the game. She could never get it to work, and so, after months of getting it working on her laptop, she completely sacked it.

O.o with the microwave you say? The only thing I can think of is entering the wrong command ten times in a row which gives you an achievement. Other than that it's only the phone triggers that have an impact on anything. Or did you mean she couldn't get the game itself to work?

[Shauna]

Ahh it could have been the phone! I only remember little bits of it. Mostly that she was mad because she couldn't get it to do what she wanted it to do.

[Karifean]

Ahh it could have been the phone! I only remember little bits of it. Mostly that she was mad because she couldn't get it to do what she wanted it to do.

Okay yeah, as much as I like Steins;Gate... the phone is total bulltrout. It's the most inconvenient way of making choices I've ever seen in a visual novel. Whenever you can respond to a text message you get, you can sort of choose what 'subject' you want to bring up, but the problem is that you don't see the message you're going to type until you can already no longer back out of sending it. Which is stupid and makes getting the 'correct' choices incredibly annoying unless you follow a guide step-by-step, or painstakingly write down what to send.

I played through the game twice then just used a guide to get to the true ending. Looking back on it, I might have doubled my playtime had I tried to find it myself.

[Karifean]

http://i.imgur.com/iLe6Vci.png
#5
Muv-Luv (Series)
Developer: âge
Availability: Japan Only
Adult Content: Yes
Length: Long (~80 Hours)

Time is the cruelest kindness.

Oh yes, Muv-Luv. Fair warning, this is gonna be a long post.

I originally planned on posting this list quite a bit earlier in March, but there was one thing that kept me from doing so: I had not read Muv-Luv at that point. And I didn't feel right making a Top 10 Visual Novels list without having read the highest rated visual novel on VNDB (https://vndb.org/v/all?q=;fil=tagspoil-0;o=d;s=rating).

I won't be able to completely avoid spoilers for all games, especially since the final part of the trilogy builds heavily upon the first two, so if you're definitely planning on reading Muv-Luv and don't wish to be spoiled at all, you might want to skip this post. I will do my best to be vague so as to spoil as little as possible.



http://i.imgur.com/Ck9Xp00.png
On the left: Meiya, on the right: Sumika, the two main heroines

Muv-Luv is a trilogy comprised of Extra, Unlimited and Alternative. Muv-Luv Extra is a rather generic highschool harem slice-of-life kind of story. While the two main heroines, Meiya and Sumika, are pretty likeable, the protagonist, Takeru Shirogane, is incredibly dense, and just about everyone else is forgettable as hell. Especially the all the non-mandatory character routes... they were just boring. If it weren't for the occasional laugh, the two main heroines, and the at least somewhat engaging romance, I'd be out of good things to say about it.



http://i.imgur.com/z4xeAVm.png
Yuuko knows best.

So we're off to a rocky start, but what about Muv-Luv Unlimited? Well thanks to its setting it's already a lot more interesting than Extra; one day Takeru wakes up and finds the entire city around him in ruins. Nothing's left, except for his own house. Takeru decides he has to be dreaming and decides to just enjoy it as much as he can. I'm not gonna spoil the rest of it.



http://i.imgur.com/HTz1ges.png

Even with the initially intriguing and somewhat dark setting, Muv-Luv Unlimited is upbeat and bright as hell. Takeru is still as dense as before and the harem hasn't gone anywhere. While it's a lot more tolerable than Extra and has a pretty good ending, I still can't call it good overall.



http://i.imgur.com/CLcgqxG.png
But it has mechas, if you're into that.

So with all that, why is it #5 on this list?

Simple, Muv-Luv Alternative happened.

yAXEMvIHtT0


http://i.imgur.com/NDTjSn2.png

Seriously one of the hypest openings I've ever heard. From that point on it was clear that the mood has completely shifted. Gone is the fluffy pink logo from Muv-Luv Extra, Alternative's logo is simply grey. The lighthearted title screen theme from Extra/Unlimited is replaced by Crash (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/uTKgy6j8ojI).



http://i.imgur.com/RCbGSDp.png

Alternative begins with Takeru waking up back in his room, only to notice that he has looped back to day one, and all previous events have been undone - except that he still remembers them all. Determined to prevent disaster from striking again, he sets out to do things differently this time.



http://i.imgur.com/94MekVF.png

Muv-Luv Alternative is by FAR the best part of the Muv-Luv Trilogy, and easily makes sludging through Extra and Unlimited worth your time. Takeru is now actually a really likeable protagonist, and all the other main characters also get some good character development. It even resolves the harem very early on since now there's a 'one true pairing' (and it also happened to be my favorite pairing from Extra, so hooray). In short... just about all the issues I had with the first two novels are gone.

You can neatly separate Alternative into three acts. The first act is a repeat of a lot of previous events, but this time a hell of a lot better thanks to Takeru being a badass now. It's still somewhat reminiscent of the first two games, but in a good way. Around this time I found myself getting really attached to the cast and caring about seeing them succeed.



http://i.imgur.com/GVjTz5Z.png

The second act is when Alternative gets progressively darker and darker. I'd say its main focal point is Takeru's character development as everything he's built up starts to crumble around him. I seriously felt as if Alternative just kept going "oh you think he's hit rock bottom? Well smurf you, here's one more!" It gets so dark I actually started to wish I'd be back in Muv-Luv Extra. It was still happy and fun back then. Yes, that visual novel I considered boring and way too upbeat? I wanted it back. Badly.

I'm not gonna talk about the final act; if you want to know what happens, you'll have to read it yourself.



http://i.imgur.com/ws2gaVb.png

Alternative managed to do something quite incredible: it made me appreciate Extra and Unlimited, and a lot at that. Without having read those two first, Alternative simply wouldn't pack nearly the punch it does. Usually Key is the studio that specializes in tearing down happy times, but Muv-Luv is just on a completely different level. It literally spent TWO ENTIRE VISUAL NOVELS just building and setting up for their deconstruction in Alternative. It was an incredibly daring move on âge's part, but given Alternative's extreme popularity, it certainly paid off.



http://i.imgur.com/OdUgA1a.png

Of course I also have to mention the soundtrack. While Extra and Unlimited were once again unremarkable in this regard, Muv-Luv Alternative has a great soundtrack. It does wonders to build atmosphere in context, and is still great to listen to outside of context, which is exactly what a great soundtrack should be like. There are a lot of suspenseful, anticipation-building tracks, like War Preparation (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/dkXlh3G-ECM) or Briefing (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/WNGlivE2Ls0), and quite a few emotional tracks like Meiya (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/u9fvnSkSC90) or End of Regret (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/EkAucpKG7qc).

And oh my god I swear Flame of Life (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/3u2jQdAXrSY) is one of the overall best tracks from any visual novel soundtrack as far as I'm concerned.



http://i.imgur.com/FnNklQa.png

I think the anime Muv-Luv is best compared to is Attack on Titan, both in tone and in popularity. If you liked Attack on Titan, chances are you'll love Muv-Luv Alternative. If on the other hand you hated it, or you don't like dark settings in general, or you despise mechas, then Muv-Luv Alternative might not be for you. There is a good reason MLA is as popular as it is, and while it's (obviously) not my personal favorite - and going by it's popularity I actually expected it to end up even higher on the list - I still loved it.

But now we're getting to the Top 4, and to me this is a notable step up because if I were to rank my favorite video games including visual novels, my #1 non-VN game would be at the #5 spot with the Top 4 occupied by these very novels. They are the main reason I like the genre as much as I do, and why I prefer it over any other storytelling medium. And if anyone else here ever gets around to reading them, I hope you will agree~

[Karifean]

http://i.imgur.com/maeZ0Ku.png
#4
G-senjou no Maou
Developer: AKABEiSOFT2
Availability: Japan Only
Adult Content: Yes (can be patched out)
Length: Moderate (~30 Hours)

Come capture me, Usami Haru. If you are indeed worthy, then I shall be your opponent.

Ah, my very first entry on my blog. Hard to believe it's only been three months since then.

The story of G-senjou no Maou, or The Devil on G-string, follows a young man called Kyousuke Azai. When he's at high school, he's a rich laid-back playboy just messing about, not sticking out much. When he's at home, he's the son and underling of Gonzou Azai, a yakuza boss, in a daily routine of coercing and blackmailing. This Kyousuke is ruthlessly economical and follows the philosophy that the entire world revolves around money and that it's the single most significant factor of a person's worth.



http://i.imgur.com/rh6YCb6.png


Kyousuke manages his double-life pretty well, until a transfer student appears; Haru Usami, a somewhat weird, yet very smart girl with really long hair. She is apparently rather eccentric, letting her classmates call her "Hero" and calling them her "party members". Plus she makes one hell of an impression when she plays detective and exposes Kyousuke and his best friend Eiichi as the culprits of a silly prank at school.



http://i.imgur.com/KA5fRgy.png

But, she is on a personal mission; to find the notorious phantom only known as 'Maou' (Japanese for 'Devil'). Anytime the conversation turns to him, her expression becomes one of absolute hatred. Kyousuke apparently doesn't take much of an interest in her mission at first, but...



http://i.imgur.com/Ici35uL.png

Very soon, 'Maou' makes his appearance by sending a threatening e-mail to Kyousuke and challenging Haru to a game of tag. And as if that wasn't enough, Gonzou's mafia and Kyousuke's friends are soon dragged into their clash as well...



http://i.imgur.com/yZTsmGU.png

G-senjou no Maou has one of the most engaging and thrilling stories I've ever read. 'Maou' and Haru's battle of wits always keeps you on the edge of your seat and is a joy to watch from beginning to end. And it only keeps getting better and better in subsequent chapters until it all culminates in one of the best endings I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing.



http://i.imgur.com/zP59q2c.png

The main cast is simply great. Haru is definitely one of my all-time favorite heroines, and female visual novel characters in general. Her intelligence never feels forced or misused as a plot device, and she has such a lovable personality. Kyousuke is a wonderful morally-grey protagonist whose occasional sadistic tendencies make you really question your initial impression of him. And 'Maou', the enigma, is such an amazing antagonist. He's the "villain who's always one step ahead of you" done perfectly. I loved every second I spent with these characters.

The side characters, while not quite as memorable as the mains, are still notable. I love Eiichi's silly antics and club activities with Kyousuke. Tsubaki is easily my favorite heroine next to Haru; seeing her endlessly bright world break down around her was just shocking. And of course who could forget Gonzou, Kyousuke's foster father, the King of the Beasts, possibly THE most intimidating character I've ever seen.



http://i.imgur.com/r5EC33W.png

The soundtrack is golden. Almost all tracks are reimaginations of classical music pieces and it fits the novel perfectly. Just to list some examples, The Moment of Truth (Beethoven - Für Elise) (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/jfthFelJnsk), Sunset (Schubert - Der Erlkönig) (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/az1g5BKyyxE), The Devil (ditto) (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/GbUXzvFZrvo), No Escape (Beethoven - Appassionata 3rd Mov.) (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/gm-EUknpIxw), Showdown (Wagner - Ride of the Valkyries) (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/nmUtssx0Vx8) and of course Air on the G-String (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/E_ZrQhfQ1Bw). There are also four truly original tracks - the opening song, two ending songs, and Sayounara (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/8V77PC5XzdY) - which are damn good as well.



http://i.imgur.com/On8DNMH.png

G-senjou no Maou is my #1 recommendation for anyone who wants to get into the VN genre, or who just wants to read a damn good visual novel. It's really easy to get into and doesn't let you go, and at only ~30 hours it has what might just be the best time-to-quality ratio out of any visual novel I've ever read. If you haven't read it, you really should. I would be very surprised if you didn't like it.

It is rated 18+, but there is a patch to cut out the H content, you can get it here (http://tlwiki.org/index.php?title=G-Senjou_no_Maou#Releases).

[Shauna]

Not got too much to say about either of those, since I know nothing about them. But they do sound pretty cool, and if I can ever fit VNs into my schedule of video games, then I will get them played.

[Karifean]

Maybe this one isn't as unknown.


http://i.imgur.com/WHSFOrZ.png
#3
CLANNAD (Series)
Developer: Key
Availability: Localization in progress (Steam Release: Q4 2015)
Adult Content: None (CLANNAD), Yes (Tomoyo After)
Length: Very Long (~90 Hours)

Do you like this town? I really really love it. But nothing can stay the same forever. Fun things, happy things... they'll all eventually go away. Even so, can you keep loving this place?


CLANNAD holds a special place in my heart. It was my number one for quite some time, for two main reasons: It's the best romance story I've ever read, and it's also the most excruciatingly sad story I've ever read.



http://i.imgur.com/VvAlmzN.png

The protagonist of CLANNAD is Tomoya Okazaki, a highschool youth whose everyday life couldn't be more shallow. Endlessly repeating days of boredom and nothing ever happening... all excitement and love of life long forgotten. (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/5KMzDVf2Bx4)



http://i.imgur.com/NV6NUxl.png

One day upon walking to school he happens to notice a girl around his age on the way, lost in thought, talking to herself (see quote atop the post). On a whim, Tomoya decides to speak to her... and starting with that one interaction he slowly begins to once again take notice of the things around him. (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/hNrXDrs352g)

CLANNAD doesn't have much of an initial plot as much as it has a setting from which a story starts building up depending on which path you take. The main theme that runs through most of CLANNAD is "family", and many of the story routes are at least partly focused on family, be it through parents, siblings or the trials and tribulations of building a family yourself. But naturally it's also a very romance-heavy story, as almost all the paths involve a romantic relationship with one of the many heroines. The routes are all-round pretty solid and you easily get invested in them. Most of the routes also involve a lot of drama, which coupled with the emotional investment that is so easily built up makes for one hell of a successful formula.



http://i.imgur.com/K9fofcf.png

You might be able to guess looking at the estimated length, but CLANNAD is freaking huge. It starts off having 9 story arcs that all take between 5-10 hours to read through (and that's assuming you can get through them without getting sidetracked by any bad ends), and once you complete ALL of them you unlock After Story, the final arc, which is maybe as long as two school arcs. So if you want to complete CLANNAD in its entirety, you're looking at quite a time investment.



http://i.imgur.com/BsGwRKn.png

However, After Story is easily the best part of the CLANNAD visual novel. It's an extension of Nagisa's storyline path, and shows them spending their lives together, building up independence, even starting a family. Quite a few arcs end before the romance even really got started, so seeing this was very satisfying. But believe me, you'll want to have a box of tissues next to you reading it. You will be needing them.



http://i.imgur.com/ylQLLTR.png

By this point in the countdown it goes without saying, but CLANNAD has a wonderful cast of characters, and not only that, but the relationships between them are just as great. Tomoya and Sunohara have such a great friendship it makes you envious. Nagisa's parents Sanae and Akio are both totally awesome characters. Tomoya and his father are on poor terms, but their reconciliation in After Story is such a beautiful scene. And Kappei x Ryou is seriously one of the cutest couples in the whole visual novel.



http://i.imgur.com/0Z50gKX.png

But, if you're like me and think the best romantic couple in CLANNAD was not Tomoya x Nagisa at all, but rather Tomoya x Tomoyo, you may be happy to hear that CLANNAD got a spinoff; it's called "Tomoyo After ~It's a Wonderful Life~" and is basically an After Story for Tomoyo's arc. And although it's rated 18+, just about all the H scenes are gathered right before the game's intro movie, so once you're past that it's *almost* all-ages rateable.



http://i.imgur.com/37ziY72.png

In Tomoyo After, Tomoya and Tomoyo take in a young child by the name of Tomo who turns out to be Tomoyo's illegitimate half-sister who was left in their care by her mother because she has a terminal illness and wishes for her daughter to be spared a painful farewell. Ah Key, you just love making your readers cry, don't you?

I loved Tomoyo After just as much if not more than CLANNAD, partly because Tomoya x Tomoyo really is my single favorite romance in any visual novel, and also because it has an absolutely incredible ending in the form of its final arc "Tomoyo After After". It's just... I can't even. So many tears. So many emotions. It still frustrates me to no end that the ending was changed in the all-ages rereleases.



http://i.imgur.com/QPRf1bf.png

Both CLANNAD and Tomoyo After have a very good soundtrack. There was a time when I'd have called it the best soundtrack of any VN, and while those feelings have subsided I still hold the OST in high regard. The one thing it does incredibly well is bringing up memories and emotions of reading CLANNAD when listening to them outside of context. Many tracks still get me misty-eyed to this day. Some examples of such tracks: Country Train (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/-cwTRta-USU), Roaring Tides (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/vdk_76z38bA), Snowfield (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/rTiIQ5I6XTY) (I cry every time), and from Tomoyo After, Dear Old Home (Piano) (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/4UECG_ttLgs) and Old Summer Days (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/IlkBdL_hfXw).



http://i.imgur.com/12msng1.png

CLANNAD is Key's most well-known work, and was my introduction to them; through the anime adaptation. The CLANNAD anime is honestly a very good adaptation, combining the stories of most story arcs into one without feeling awkward. Well sure, they had to cut out the romance from all but Nagisa's arc, but still it's a really good anime on its own and a lot better paced and less time-consuming to go through than the visual novel. The one thing they did kinda smurf up on is the ending, but I guess it can't be perfect. It's still my favorite anime, and I don't see that changing anytime soon.



http://i.imgur.com/wVINhrJ.png

CLANNAD is the main reason I read visual novels today. When I finished the anime, I simply wanted more, more of the characters, their interactions, their backstories. And so I came upon the visual novel, and it just fascinated me. While Ace Attorney may have been my first VN, reading CLANNAD was what made me love the genre.

Following a quite successful Kickstarter a few months ago (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/sekaiproject/clannad-official-english-release/description) a western release for CLANNAD is just a matter of time. Whether or not Tomoyo After will follow is anyone's guess but if CLANNAD does well enough I'll consider it likely. Either way, if you like romantic visual novels, I definitely encourage you to check this one out.

[Shauna]

Man, with it being so time intensive, I think I'll just anime it up and look thoughtfully at the VN, particularly if it does get an English release.

[Karifean]

Can't really blame you. It is absurdly long and the main reason I got through it is precisely because I was so motivated to get to know all there is to CLANNAD after being enticed by the anime.

Time for the final two. As far as I'm concerned they're both full 10/10s.


http://i.imgur.com/0wwtVQ3.png
#2
Little Busters!
Developer: Key
Availability: Japan Only
Adult Content: None (normally), Yes ("Ecstasy" version)
Length: Long (~50 Hours)

The Little Busters are eternal...


Oh god... Little Busters. In my eyes the perfect execution of Key's signature formula. Everything CLANNAD started, Little Busters perfected.



DLDI9QuukGU

Little Busters takes place in a highschool setting (how original). The protagonists are the titular Little Busters, a group of five friends who have been together for as long as they can (or rather, want to) remember. But as their leader, Kyousuke Natsume, is starting his final year of school, Riki Naoe, the main protagonist, reflects on the time they spent together and wonders... will it all come to an end? Will they part ways after so many years?

Kyousuke, the upbeat and charismatic leader, decides for all of them to do something they can only do now: start a baseball team.



http://i.imgur.com/wbw6kvd.png

Of course five people aren't enough to form a baseball team, so they start recruiting new members. In true galge fashion they all happen to be girls, naturally. And so as they spend their daily lives, the original group of five keeps expanding, all the while playing baseball and spending time together.



http://i.imgur.com/XESyDsY.png
I dare you to find a more heartful tale of friendship in a video game.

I'll be upfront, Little Busters has the most lovable cast of characters I've ever seen. Never before or since have I cared so much for a group of fictional people. I love the characters of this visual novel so much that whenever drama struck I was mercilessly pulled in. Between the lively-as-hell Haruka, the endlessly optimistic Komari, the incredibly adorable Kud, the quiet but philosophical Mio and the eternally teasing Kurugaya, to me all of the add-ons to the original five Little Busters were great characters.



http://i.imgur.com/iebGprl.png

And what about the original five? All of them are some of my absolute favorite characters. Kengo and Masato are the broest of all bros and their interactions are the best. Riki and Rin are both overly dependent on the group at first, but both undergo some wonderful character growth. And Kyousuke... Kyousuke is my #1 favorite fictional character. He's every bit as awesome as Riki makes him out to be, always coming up with endlessly fun ideas, over-the-top yet respectable to no end, and I just love his voice *swoon*. Midorikawa for best voice actor.



http://i.imgur.com/6rn12WK.png
So dreamy~

What about the story? Well if CLANNAD's main theme was "family", Little Busters' main theme is "friendship". Many of the arcs, or at least Riki's motivation in them, revolves around all he received and learned through being with the Little Busters, and hoping to pass that love of life onto others. Pretty much everyone in the group suffers from some sort of trauma, and it's all thanks to the Little Busters that Riki was able to conquer his.



http://i.imgur.com/EJXh8nx.png

The common route of Little Busters is heartwarming like no other and always manages to find new ways to be interesting even on multiple playthroughs. It even has several minigames which are, true to the Little Busters' attitude, pointless but simply fun.

There's the baseball practice, which is so beautifully calming and therapeutic - with Day Game (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/v4JVXMd5Aek) playing in the background - and adds so much character to the game. You can try to hit the ball towards anyone currently on your team, which leads to some hilarious lines... and I simply love watching these guys interact.



http://i.imgur.com/pTQZAsf.png

There's also the battles which unlike the baseball practice have basically no interactivity, but are still fun as hell. Both fighters have completely random weapons that can range from a bag of balloons, sticky tape or soap all the way over to a freaking katana. The loser of a match is given a disgraceful title that is jotted down and tracked in the Status screen. There's even a ranking system and a hidden sidequest if you manage to get to the top. It's all pretty pointless, but just so delightfully pointless. Plus, Heroic Battle (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/Y_kWXJc753o) is totally awesome.



http://i.imgur.com/wYnnIGM.png

http://i.imgur.com/AKSX96T.png

Now for the more serious part. At first there are six major story arcs, each corresponding to one female character - as per usual for galge - then you can move on to Rin2, an extension of Rin's arc, and then you unlock the final arc, "Refrain", which concludes the main plot. The individual story arcs are overall pretty damn good. While Komari's and Kud's arcs were good-but-not-great, Haruka's and Mio's arcs were just amazing. I also love the romance in Kurugaya's arc. The Rin1 arc is perfect for setting up the story, and Rin2 is when the emotional involvement starts hitting very hard, with some truly unforgettable scenes.



http://i.imgur.com/YOyMJVi.png
*sob*

And then there's Refrain. It may not have made me outright cry as much as After Story did, but the writing is in a completely different league altogether. Never before or since have I felt my feelings being toyed with as much as with Refrain, and on the whole it's my absolute favorite single plot arc in anything ever. It's just that good.



http://i.imgur.com/pHK4N6z.png

The soundtrack is very good. Both the atmospheric tracks that just set up scenes as well as the character themes... they're wonderful and I listen to them on a regular basis. Special mention goes to the vocal songs; Little Busters has bar none the best. It has five in total, Little Busters! (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/6S4HvWRrsQU) (the opening song), Alicemagic (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/FlF_G7uEleY) (Komari/Haruka ending song), Clear Weather After The Rain (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/hIGI3x6Mma4) (Kud/Mio ending song), Song For Friends (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/M3hjAbMOe8E) (Kurugaya ending song) and Faraway (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/rdpqerzaosA) (Refrain insert song). Little Bsuters is easily my favorite visual novel opening song, Alicemagic and Clear Weather are so satisfying to listen to after just getting done with the respective routes, and Song For Friends and Faraway are both very emotional. Song For Friends in particular is my overall favorite vocal song from any VN OST (although there's not that much competition in that category).



http://i.imgur.com/U9WfquH.png

I also REALLY have to give special mention to the storytelling of Little Busters. It utilizes the capabilities of the visual novel medium to its utmost potential, and simply could not work as well in another format. Firstly, the bad ends in all the routes are worthy of note; they are some of the most excruciating bad ends I've ever seen. Especially Kud's and Haruka's, just oh my god. And precisely BECAUSE you reach these bad ends on your own by making certain choices is why they hit so hard. Secondly, as already mentioned the minigames add tons of character and make the dynamic of the group feel that much more genuine. Thirdly, the common route expands and gets additional scenes with every character route you complete, which takes you right back to the fun even if you just skip right through the rest of the common route (like I usually did). And finally, there is some very subtle storytelling that comes through thanks to the very structure of Little Busters, which I'm not even gonna spoil.



http://i.imgur.com/PpB4tYT.png

And on that note I should probably mention the anime adaptation. I have mixed feelings about it. It was my introduction to Little Busters and it sure as hell managed to get me attached to the cast, but in terms of storytelling it simply doesn't come close to living up to the visual novel. A lot of charm and good writing is lost in the transition and Refrain ended up being pretty confusing and not making much sense. Plus it tried to connect all the routes together to one big route, which worked well for CLANNAD, but really didn't work for Little Busters. So yeah, this is an instance where I most definitely recommend the novel over the series.



http://i.imgur.com/KJhBPYb.png

But you know what the real kicker is? I haven't even read all of Little Busters yet! Yes, I'm serious, and here's why: When Little Busters was rereleased in the Ecstasy/Memorial/Perfect Editions, Key added three completely new story arcs that were not in the original. As of writing this, there is no translation patch available for these extra routes, as the current translation project is stuck at I think 98% completion and just won't finish. And I heard one arc in particular is supposedly as good as Refrain! THE FRUSTRATION IS REAL.



http://i.imgur.com/K7ic1rq.png

To me, Little Busters is an unforgettable story. The characters and their turmoils stuck with me more than anything I'd ever read up to that point, and not even CLANNAD can keep up. Going back and reading through the fun-fun common route again makes me genuinely happy from the bottom of my heart. That's more than enough for me to give it the number two spot. If you're looking for a story and characters you can really get emotionally invested in, look no further. Key's got you covered.

So in the end, Little Busters has my favorite plotline, my favorite character and my favorite song in visual novels, and is also unparalleled in emotional payoff. What could possibly top that?

[Shauna]

dat best girl kurugaya

[Karifean]

dat best girl kurugaya

That's a funny way of spelling Haruka.

[Karifean]

Well, time to wrap this up.


http://i.imgur.com/nhmrMnQ.png
#1
Umineko no Naku Koro ni
Developer: 07th Expansion
Availability: Localized by MangaGamer (http://www.mangagamer.org/07thExpansion/) (translated by TheWitchHunt (http://witch-hunt.com/stage.html))
Adult Content: None
Length: Longer than the Bible (100+ Hours)

The food the victims were given had small bombs in it, which exploded from inside their stomachs!

Nothing else could be number one. As much as I love Little Busters to bits, my appreciation for Umineko is on a whole new level. A spiritual successor to Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, but a fundamentally very different story.

Umineko OST - Fishy Aroma (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/ENL0nPskSao)


http://i.imgur.com/T3XXOdZ.png

At first glance, Umineko is a simple mystery story. 18 people gather on a remote island. A typhoon comes and traps them all on the island for three days. People start dying. It's very reminiscent of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None, but Umineko is so, so much more than that...



http://i.imgur.com/fWlbZoW.png

For starters, it's not as simple as people being murdered. It's people being murdered in impossible scenarios. People dying inside closed rooms with no possible way for a murderer to escape the scene after committing the crime. People dying even though everyone else has an airtight alibi. And all the while, eerie occultic drawings and mocking letters appear that claim the murders to be the work of the legendary golden witch 'Beatrice' using magic to kill the victims.



http://i.imgur.com/UEYowEQ.png

One of my favorite parts of Umineko is its absolutely stellar storytelling. The first episode is rather reminiscent of its spiritual predecessor, Higurashi, what with the increasingly unsettling atmosphere and urge to find out what's really going on, but when the "Episode 1 Post-Presentation Tea Party" (think all-staff gatherings from Higurashi) rolls around, things change. The protagonist, Battler Ushiromiya, refuses to accept that his family was killed by a 'witch' using 'magic', because, well, magic doesn't exist and the very notion that a witch was the one killing people is absurd!



http://i.imgur.com/O70nDKZ.png

So many questions start filling your mind. Is 'Beatrice' human or a supernatural being? Are there really only 18 people on the island? If Beatrice is indeed one of the 18, then who could it be? Couldn't there be more than five master keys? What if there was an unknown 19th or even 20th person X that uses spare master keys to create closed rooms?



http://i.imgur.com/TznJfeu.png

You might be thinking that because you can never be sure about the true answer to these questions that reasoning in Umineko is pointless. Well my friend, that's where Umineko becomes ~glorious~ and introduces the "red truth". Simply put, any words written in red are the absolute truth, and there is most certainly no need to doubt that! Such a simple addition, yet it changes everything. Now all of a sudden, if you get a red truth stating there are no more than five master keys on the island you can be 100% sure that this is the truth, not just a lie perpetuated by someone, and thus you may discard any theories involving more than five master keys.

But... if you ever find yourself completely out of theories... or you just don't want to suspect any of the character you've come to love... you may just have to accept that magic does exist, and the murders were indeed committed by a witch...



http://i.imgur.com/ByVguRe.png
"OBJECTION!" ...uh I mean "REPEAT IT!"

Of course Umineko isn't just a puzzle. It's certainly much of the initial setup, and trying to reason out the truth is a lot of fun, but if that were all it wouldn't be sitting at the #1 spot. The main happenings of 1986 Rokkenjima are only the tip of the iceberg. Below the tip is recursive layer upon recursive layer of storytelling. When you're reading a story that's an imitation of message bottles telling the same story in a different way, which in turn is being read to you by a character in the game, and you get to see all that by spectating a higher plane of existence from an even higher plane of existence... it's amazing. And naturally all those layers have their own stories and characters, and it gets to the point where I'm simply in awe at the fact that someone actually wrote this. Someone actually thought up this entire complex multi-layered story, and wrote it in such a skilled way that it's, surprisingly enough, almost easy to follow.



http://i.imgur.com/HzMSErt.png

Umineko can be enjoyed in many different ways, hell you could probably just ignore the mystery entirely and just try to enjoy the plot, but if you don't at least occasionally stop to think, gather your ideas, draw conclusions, Umineko is going to leave you in the dust. It very much expects its readers to engage in its plot, it's not a mindless kind of story you can just quickly read through without caring much... if you do that I believe you'll miss out on a lot of what makes Umineko as great as it is.

Oh, and for the record, it's not connected to Higurashi beyond one common character (who didn't even have a sprite in Higurashi) and numerous references. Plot-wise they're completely separate, so there's no need to worry about missing out on anything if you jump straight to Umineko instead of reading Higurashi first.



http://i.imgur.com/zeiqV8h.png
Battler-actually-killed-his-family-to-take-revenge-for-his-stupid-name-Theory.png

Wow I got so hung up on the storytelling I haven't even mentioned the characters yet! The main characters of Umineko are the members of the Ushiromiya family - the old family head, the seven adults and the four cousins - with the adolescent Battler being the main protagonist. There are also five servants on the island at the time of the incident, as well as the family head's physician, making 18 characters initially. But Umineko's cast grows to almost ridiculous numbers. Every single episode introduces new characters.



http://i.imgur.com/wN1MJgD.png
The TIPS menu helps you keep track.

This seems strange to say after gushing about how much I love the characters of Little Busters... but Umineko has definitely the best cast of characters I've ever seen. What sets them apart from Little Busters is that there are no saints or devils in Umineko. Umineko makes sure you understand that even your favorite characters have their faults, and even your most hated characters have their good sides. Wishing for everyone to be perfect is just... fantasy.

Pretty much every single one of the about 40 characters is complex and well-written, especially the adult family members and the one particular character first introduced in the Episode 1 Tea Party - BEST FEMALE CHARACTER EVER. There are very few characters I don't care for at all, mainly the useless rabbits. Everyone else, protagonists and antagonists alike... well let's just say a Top List of favorite characters would become monotone and predictable reeeally quickly if I didn't limit myself to one-per-novel.



http://i.imgur.com/bQj84Bx.png

Just like Higurashi, Umineko is considered a 'sound novel', so it doesn't have any branching story paths or anything like that, and overall focuses on using its plot and sound to create an atmosphere, rather than through its imagery. Does it succeed? OH YES IT DOES.

Saying this on a Final Fantasy forum feels dangerous... but Umineko has bar none my favorite soundtrack of all time. It's a collaborative effort with entries from many different Japanese composers and it. is. glorious. The main three composers are dai, Luck Ganriki and zts. My favorite of those three would have to be zts, for composing totally awesome and hype tracks for every episode, like Worldend Dominator (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/fAKkw71ff3U), Mirage Coordinator (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/p85zQLOMlUY), Golden Slaughterer (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/z6BPgGQhSHk) or Dreamenddischarger (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/zDPJuAxZaOo), and also some beautiful tracks like Far (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/TSsXs9Ua7KY), or really atmospheric tracks such as Dead Angle (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/kVP09lhSPm4). Dai is responsible for many feelsy tracks, for example Hope (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/QTAcJ0ZcUkI) or Soul of Soul (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/XCfsa8YhEIE), but also wonderful tracks like Life (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/GbqYuTZFDKk) or Final Answer (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/Zq-HbOF1xvI). Special mention to ~45, who composed several gripping tone-setting tracks such as Solitary Deep Sea Fish (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/mZxOyWlFx2g), Prison Strip (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/YGLSZ2Lm588) and Patchwork Chimera (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/HOImRaoppdY). Yeah, I really like the Umineko OST.



http://i.imgur.com/Y5cl7zp.png

As for the graphics, it's a significant step up from Higurashi, no doubt, but the drawings are still somewhat crude. However, I have to give it to Ryukishi07, they have some of the most expressive faces I've ever seen, and I do feel there's a certain kind of charm to the sprites. There is once again a graphical upgrade patch if you still don't want them, and it also adds voice acting to the game, but I feel both versions have their advantages.



http://i.imgur.com/npJC9dO.png
Here for example I feel the two variants give off quite a different vibe. I prefer the former.

But what ultimately cements Umineko at #1 is the effect it had on me. Umineko changed the way I look at the world, and the people in it. I feel it widened my perspectives, that I can now understand and see things I couldn't have before. The struggles and teachings of Umineko deeply resonated with me and even though it's only been a little more than a year since I first read it, I couldn't imagine what I'd be like never having read it.



http://i.imgur.com/SqEFmEx.png

One of the most fun parts about reading Umineko was going back and reading through all 100 hours all over again just to find myself in awe at how beautifully and intricately it's constructed. I used to far prefer Episode 3 over the other episodes of the first half, but now I like Episode 1 and 2 just as much, and Episode 2 and 4 don't feel nearly as badly-paced as they used to. My absolute favorite scenes in the story are the endings of each and every single episode, especially Episode 5, 6 and 7. Just thinking back to that "Sorry but... Even if you do join us..." scene takes me right back to how much it blew my mind the first time I read it.

About the anime, I have not watched it myself but I have heard soooo many negative opinions on it that I still honestly discourage watching it. I could not imagine the story of Umineko being nearly as impressive if it wasn't told as well as in the visual novel, and that seems to be where the anime fails. Which leaves naught but a confusing mess with way too many characters than could possibly be developed well in a condension of 50 hours of reading time into 24 anime episodes. Not to mention Chiru - Umineko Episodes 5-8 - never even got an adaptation so you're stuck with an incomplete story! Yeah, don't watch the anime. Just don't.

But if you're more of a manga person, I have heard many very good things about it - even supposedly clearing up some all-too-cryptic parts of the novel - so that might be worth checking out. If you can stand the lack of that amazing soundtrack, that is.



http://i.imgur.com/oIKUgvs.png
Maria <3

I do not hesitate to call Umineko a masterpiece, and the overall best work of literature I have ever read. It's not perfect by any means, and has many flaws I could point out, but that's only natural and its good sides far, far outweigh the bad. Ryukishi07 is a truly amazing writer, and I hope that one day the When They Cry series will be continued. Not as a continuation of Umineko of course, it's a complete story and fine as it is, but as an all-new installment.



http://i.imgur.com/CaiC9oT.png

And to everyone who doesn't think nearly as highly of Umineko as I do, I only have one thing to say...


Without love, it cannot be seen. (http://www.nospoiler.com/y/lVXe-9XB5FY)

Well there you go, my Top 10 Visual Novels. I hope you enjoyed it, and maybe even found something you'd like to read. I still have a lot to read myself, so this list - except maybe the Top 4 - may be outdated soon enough. But as it stands, these are my favorites.

[Shauna]

Nice.

Still gonna watch Umineko because ain't nobody got time for that. xD

Thanks very much for putting your time into this! It has given me things to think upon. :3

[Ultima Shadow]

Whew, read the entire list in one go. Very well written top 10 list, and you expressed your thoughts on each VN very well. Awesome job! =D




When it comes to visual novels about people wielding mystical powers in a highschool drama setting, most people would probably immediatly think of Fate/Stay Night. Understandable with how much of a classic it is, but alas it's not on this list

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/AGAFURO/Bernkastel8.pnghttp://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/AGAFURO/rider2.png
"Owned."



As of writing this, there is no translation patch available for these extra routes, as the current translation project is stuck at I think 98% completion and just won't finish. And I heard one arc in particular is supposedly as good as Refrain! THE FRUSTRATION IS REAL.
There are few things more frustrating than this. And it's been pretty much the same for Mahou no Yoro since like a year back, and it's killing me. D=

--------------------------------



...Aaand, I agree 100% on the top spot. ;D



This seems strange to say after gushing about how much I love the characters of Little Busters... but Umineko has definitely the best cast of characters I've ever seen. What sets them apart from Little Busters is that there are no saints or devils in Umineko. Umineko makes sure you understand that even your favorite characters have their faults, and even your most hated characters have their good sides. Wishing for everyone to be perfect is just... fantasy.

Pretty much every single one of the about 40 characters is complex and well-written, especially the adult family members and the one particular character first introduced in the Episode 1 Tea Party - BEST FEMALE CHARACTER EVER. There are very few characters I don't care for at all, mainly the useless rabbits. Everyone else, protagonists and antagonists alike... well let's just say a Top List of favorite characters would become monotone and predictable reeeally quickly if I didn't limit myself to one-per-novel.

Couldn't agree more. I've never ever before read anything that even comes anywhere close to Umineko's level of making absolutely everyone in a massive, massive cast so interesting, well-written and likeable.





Still gonna watch Umineko because ain't nobody got time for that. xD

Having read the VN AND watched the anime, I have to say... don't do it. At the very least read the manga instead, because the anime... well, not only is it an incomplete and poorly executed bad adaption, but it's also just a mess. There are so many important things that are just being skipped over completely and it's pretty much impossible to get the whole picture. The manga is still far from being as great as the VN, but it's way, way better than the anime still. :greenie:

[Karifean]

Glad to see you enjoyed it! It was a lot of fun to write, too.

I actually watched the last episode of the Umineko anime once, just to have a side-by-side comparison since I had heard it left out a lot. That was an understatement O.o They cut out nearly everything you need to make sense of what's going on, plus most of the red truth statements are just gone. If this is what the rest of the series is, I don't even want to think about it. It's a shame too because theoretically I think Umineko could do just fine as an anime, if done VERY well.





When it comes to visual novels about people wielding mystical powers in a highschool drama setting, most people would probably immediatly think of Fate/Stay Night. Understandable with how much of a classic it is, but alas it's not on this list

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/AGAFURO/Bernkastel8.pnghttp://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c344/AGAFURO/rider2.png
"Owned."



Nice one. :jess:

[Del Murder]

If a visual novel is all voice over and no text, is it still considered a novel? I like this genre, but I prefer to 'read' my games on the go. Is there a way to get all these PC masterpieces in portable form?

Anyway, I'm really interested in hearing what you would think about 999 and Virtue's Last Reward.

[Karifean]

If a visual novel is all voice over and no text, is it still considered a novel?

Good question. You mean like a movie but with branching paths? I personally wouldn't call it a novel without text.


I like this genre, but I prefer to 'read' my games on the go. Is there a way to get all these PC masterpieces in portable form?

Most of them do have releases on the PSP/PSVita but you'll rarely ever find a translation patch for a portable version, meaning you're stuck with a Japanese version. Ace Attorney is the only officially released portable version and it seems Steins;Gate has a PSVita (and PS3) release scheduled for next month.

I do know there is, in fact, a translation patch for the PSP Version of Little Busters! (Converted Edition), but as far as I know that's the only one of those on this list. Although I do believe an emulator of the RealLive engine (which both CLANNAD and Little Busters use) exists for mobile phones.


Anyway, I'm really interested in hearing what you would think about 999 and Virtue's Last Reward.

I'm very interested in reading them! Since I happen to have a 3DS available right now, I'll try to get my hands on them ASAP.

[Shauna]

999 and VLR are super fun. :}

I look forward to hearing your thoughts on those too!

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I'd be interested in seeing what you thought of Danganronpa if you ever get the chance to play it as well. 999 and VLR are games I own that I really need to get around to playing too.

[Karifean]

Placed an order, Virtue's Last Reward scheduled to come sometime next week, 999 sometime in 3-5 weeks. Figures. I might end up getting too impatient to wait that long...

I'd love to play Danganronpa too but I don't really have the means to at the moment.

[Shauna]

Whoop! :excited:

I am now hoping that you do actually enjoy them. xD Room Escape puzzles x VN.

[Pumpkin]

I missed this because I was out of town. Very much enjoyed it, thanks for sharing!

[Ultima Shadow]

Regarding Dangan Ronpa...

I think the first one is a great game, despite some very noticable flaws. I really like the setting and most of the cast, the overall atmosphere (especially in the begining of the game) and the interactions between characters. But what's supposed to be the climax of each chapter - the mystery solving process - is one of the areas where I feel the game falls a bit short.

Unlike Pheonix Wright and Umineko, where you actually are encouraged to think things through on your own, most of the mysteries in Dangan Ronpa are ultimately solved (to a degree) through mini-games. There is still some thinking involved, but the clues are handled poorly for the most part. In one case, the culprit's name is basically being shoved in your face, while in other cases it's straight up impossible to figure out the culprit through the clues presented before the trial, because twist after twist you had no clues on are being presented during the actual trial and change the entire setting of the crime completely.

Also, while I do love the free time interactions, I hate how they have absolutely no effect whatsoever on the plot or how characters treat you in dialouges outside of the free time interactions.

There are a few poorly done scenes as well which I won't mention here because of potential spoilers, but at the end of the day I still think the good points outweight the bad ones by a lot.

...well, for the first game anyway. Sadly, I can't really say the same about the second.

First of all, I really don't find the setting to be quite as interesting. Still, the game is off to a good start. I find the cast a bit less interesting than in the first game, save a certain "Nagato", but many bad plot devices are being deployed later on, one after another and there are many things that just feel out of place (and only covering these up with additional "surprise twists" doesn't help all that much). But perhaps my biggest issue with Dangan Ronpa 2 is the fact that they just added more mini-games to the trials. And even more unreleated ones at that. You can actually fail to solve a case that you know the answer to because you failed to jump over something while surfing through a tunnel.

...yeah.


Just like the first game Dangan Ronpa 2 still has its moments, and it has some really well written dialouges and characters (Nagato <3). But ultimately I feel they are being held back by a disappointing plot, some really bad scenes and twists and terrible trials.


I'd recommend anyone to giving Dangan Ronpa 1 a go, but I just can't say the same about the sequel.