What are Visual Novel Games?
Visual novel games are just like a graphical novel but with user interactive. VN games is more popular in Japan than stateside. There are examples such as Ace Attorney, Doki Doki Literature Club and Fate Stay Night. During gameplay, you can pause, fast forward and view text logs. Players can view GCs went they reach certain part of the game. There is different of visual novels such as Eroge, Kinetic and many more. Along with other genres such as romance, horror and science fiction vn games out of the market. When playing visual novel games, there are different paths called “routes”. Routes triggers certain actions in game depending on player’s choice and get a certain ending at the end of the game. Fallout 4 series have choices that player can explore and depending on what will happen in-game. Other games like Mass Effect have a route system such as “Renegade” and “Paragon”. Which allows Commander Shephard to become a decision maker throughout the game.
Although, Mass Effect and Fallout 4 are not visual novel games but has elements to them.Vn games can be static 2D backgrounds with hand-drawn sprites. You can 3D in the mix as well, personally I don’t care to much about it. Visual Novel can incorporate rpg and other elements in them. Players doesn’t have to get bored reading text but have some interactive in their games. I love me some Danganronpa because how interactive it is and finding out the culprit of the murder. Another example is Sakura Wars (2019) reboot, how they integrate action role playing in their game and dating sim as well. I would recommend buying Danganronpa and Shin Sakura Wars Taisen on Amazon. Due to sells, visual novels game be adaptation of anime such as Kanon, Steins;Gate and YU-NO: a Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World. I have watched a lot of visual novel animes in my time. My thoughts on them, it’s probably better than playing visual novel.
Storytelling in Visual Novels
I can’t list all the vn animes right now but if you watched them, let me know. Storytelling in visual novel games range from a boy in a village filled with a curse that drive residents mad (Higurashi: When They Cry). Main character fall in love with a vampire that he almost killed in the first encounter (Tsukihime). What about a maid café filled with cat-like girl (Nekopara)? Every vn has story but does it connect with the player. What about them connecting with the characters for example having depression or being a mute? While playing these games, there might be a to be continue because certain episodes has ended with cliffhanger. Do you intend to re-play the game for what happen at the end of the story? Like I said before, routes because different scenarios happening in the story.
Unseen protagonist narrates his life and meets a girl that he loves. But there is other who wants to be relationship with him. What about a mysterious murders happening inside a family house and finding culprit? You guys want to know what happens next. Visual novel game stories are like paperback books that lead you into another world. You probably will bookmark (save) your progress and find out next scenario. Toward the end of the game, will you have your perfect ending or bad one.
Closing
Visual Novel games can be easy to make using Ren’Py, KiriKiri and NScripter along with other programs. If you are an artist that know how to draw backgrounds and characters. You are on the right side of being creative. What about writing commands and learning Python? Personally, I have no programming experience, but I think Ren’Py is easier than other programs. Myself, I am thinking about starting a visual novel project. But I have to make connections and talk to artist who is willing to do it. Anyways, that a future project that I had in mind. Make sure to contact me, if you are interested. How does visual novel stack up to manga and light novel? Again, if I haven’t said this before it very interactive went just looking at pictures and words.
Visual novels take one step further than any literature. Of course, if you’re a content creator or streamer reading words aloud with no voice acting. Trust me, I am bad at reading sometimes due to my lisp and language disorder. Enough about me, that’s a different story for another day. Whether you generate an ideas about creating a visual novel games or finding the best route for that main protagonist. It just like reading a book and take you places. I had to get into more visual novel games, but I am on a budget right now. Let me know what you think visual novel games in the comments. You can buy visual novels on Steam, Amazon and more. Thank you for reading this blogpost and tune into the next one.
