It makes sense, really; Legend of Heroes games tend to thrust players into a prolonged, chaotic fight at the very start, and then back-peddle to calmer times. I can’t say for sure that that’s how Trails Through Daybreak will begin, but the ability to play such an introduction ahead of release would make sense.

And if you want a taste of what those battles will be like (and whom you’ll be taking into those battles), today’s new trailer will give you a glimpse…along with some quality J-rock, of course:

And just who are these people?

Key characters include Van Arkride, a spriggan or an underground professional that accepts work from any client and acts as a detective, negotiator or bounty hunter with no allegiance, and Agnés Claudel, a first year student at the prestigious Aramis Academy who goes to Van with a unique request. Little does Van know that her request will prove to be more than he bargained for and lead to events that could threaten the very Republic itself!

And just what is the Republic?

In the aftermath of a brief war, Calvard is enjoying unprecedented economic prosperity. However, the public grows uncertain as the number of immigrants increases and questionable political reform runs rampant. Follow the spriggan Van Arkride on a unique request that will prove more than he bargained for. Will the nation fall into chaos?

So, then, more than we bargained for. Got it. But their turmoil is our gain, as The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak is looking to provide more than enough JRPG action and melodrama to satisfy series fans and newcomers alike.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak will be available July 5th in multiple digital and physical editions (the stock meter on the Switch Limited Edition is down to 5% at press time). For more information, visit thelegendofheroes.com/daybreak/.

[Update: June 4, 2024 – The update is now available. We’ve also learned that the Switch demo covers the entire prologue.]

The post Trails Through Daybreak demo downloads June 4th appeared first on Pure Nintendo.

If that’s enough to pique your interest, how about this slick limited edition for all you collectors out there?

The Limited Edition retails for $99.99, and includes:

• a physical copy of the game
• a collector’s box
• an artbook
• an acrylic art print
• a multi-panel art print
• and a Digipak original mini soundtrack

As for the game itself:

REYNATIS is an atmospheric urban fantasy set in a realistic recreation of Shibuya, Tokyo, where the ultimate clash between magic and order is about to unfold. Seeking freedom through strength, the wizard Marin heads to Shibuya, where he meets Sari, an officer of the M.E.A., an organization dedicated to keeping wizards under control.

There, Marin also encounters Owl, a support group for stray wizards working towards a world where wizards and non-magic users can safely coexist. Consisting of just three members: Michiro, Moa, and Nika, Owl keeps radicalized vigilantes in check and imposes their own sanctions on troublesome matters that the law-abiding M.E.A. cannot control.

Limited Edition pre-orders are now open at store.nisamerica.com. For more information on REYNATIS, visit www.nisamerica.com/games/reynatis.

The post REYNATIS begins in September, ends with you appeared first on Pure Nintendo.

The problem begins with the title, really. The Legend of Legacy could just as easily be The Legacy of Legends, The Quest of Adventures, or The Battle of Combat. It’s too generic to hook you, and it somewhat betrays the unique concept of the game. At least this time they’ve added HD Remastered to the title, as this is an updated port of the original Nintendo 3DS release from 2015. The game was developed by FuRyu featuring a staff with numerous connections to Final Fantasy and SaGa. As such, it’s not surprising the game is clever and well made. It is surprising that it failed to hook me.

You begin the game by selecting one of seven heroes as your protagonist. You’ll eventually meet and can recruit the others, but this does provide some replay value by altering the game’s opening frames and conclusion. You’re then tasked with pretty much nothing more than exploring the island of Avalon. A story about the ancient history of Avalon is revealed through the collection of “Singing Shards,” and these revelations affect the future of the island and our seven heroes. Each gets a unique ending, none of which are grand adventures. It’s a small, tightly contained story that’s actually a welcome reprieve from the typical “village farmhand goes out to collect nuts and ends up fighting god” approach to JRPGs.

The problem with a minimalist story, however, is that other elements have to carry the game. Is it the visuals with The Legacy of Legends? No, although they’re kind of fun for a remastering of a nine-year-old game. The chibi characters have a nicely textured, illustrative look that helps them pop out from the scenery. The backgrounds are a bit muddy, but their heavy color saturation gives them plenty of life. And I like how landscape elements pop into place as you roam around the island. If exploration is half the game, they’ve at least made that exploration pleasant to look at.

The soundtrack is equally fun, but I’d expect that from Masashi Hamauzu, whose work you’ll know from numerous Final Fantasy games, amongst others. It does a good job of meshing with the brisk pace of the gameplay.

That gameplay involves turn-based combat that centers around positioning. Before a turn, you select which position to put your party in. These can focus on offense, defense, support, etc, and they directly affect your abilities during that turn. Progressing through the game unlocks more positions, thereby giving you more weapon abilities. And the more you use those weapons, the more proficient you become with them. Using them enough in battle releases Awakened skills for more powerful attacks, so there’s plenty of strategy involved with combat progression.

The problem with that combat, however, is the difficulty spike with bosses. They all have a particular way to be defeated, and if you’re not adept with that method, they become annoyingly difficult. What’s fairly simple with your group in one playthrough can require a heavy amount of grinding to overcome with another. I suppose this makes multiple playthroughs more rewarding, but it doesn’t change the aggravation of finding yourself woefully unprepared for a boss when you’ve been cleaning house against the enemies leading up to it.

I’ve seen this combat system compared to the SaGa series, which I haven’t played. I have, however, played The Alliance Alive, a similar game from FuRyu released two years after The Legend of Legacy on the 3DS. The Alliance Alive got a similar Switch HD remaster back in 2019, and it’s interesting to compare the two. They share combat mechanics, but The Alliance Alive focuses more on story and less on exploration. It’s a more typical JRPG in that regard, but there, the  overworld ends up interfering with the game’s progression. In The Legend of Legacy, exploring the environment is a core component of the gameplay. Completing the maps is required for progression, but the story gives you little reason to do so.

Combine these two games, and I think FuRyu would definitely have a winner. Separated, they’re more like two halves of a whole. Going back to my opening restaurant analogy, it’s like one has good food, the other has a good atmosphere, and never the twain shall meet. Both of these games have elements that make them fun to play, but lack the pieces to get full recommendations. Playing them side by side could be an interesting experiment for JRPG fans, but neither is a must-play on its own.

The post Review: The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered (Nintendo Switch) appeared first on Pure Nintendo.

JRPG gamers (and fans of quality action/adventure games in general) can check out some new footage in the release date announcement trailer below:

And just what can we expect from this new entry in the vast Legend of Heroes series?

Van Arkride is a spriggan, an underground professional that accepts work from any client and acts as a detective, negotiator or bounty hunter with no allegiance. However, the course of his life will change forever when he takes on a strange case that threatens the entire nation. Slash your way through intense combat that springs to life with beautiful visuals, and craft your own gameplay experience in Calvard with features such as Story Mode and high-speed game mode!

Throughout the game, players will:

• Follow the bounty hunter Van Arkride as he takes on a case that will change the nation’s fate…as well as his own. Explore the reaches of the Calvard Republic while immersing yourself in a rich story filled with action and intrigue.
• Transition seamlessly between action field battles and turn-based combat with the revamped AT (Action Time) Battle system, and expand your arsenal of Arts and Skills with the sixth-generation combat orbment, Xipha.
• Affect how the story unfolds via choices and actions in the Under the Alignment system. Your propensity towards Law, Chaos, and the shades in between can influence your status in the city, who will ally with or oppose you, and even what jobs and dialogue options are available to you.

So, it looks like quite a bit has changed since the Trails of Cold Steel arc. No need to panic, though; the game will clearly carry on with the intricate combat, deep lore, complex character development, and high melodrama (not to mention the insane outfits) for which the series is known. And if you haven’t played a Legend of Heroes game, you’ve got four months to get that done.

For more information on The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak and how this new story arc ties into Trails of Cold Steel (series fans will notice some familiar faces), visit thelegendofheroes.com/daybreak. Preorders for the standard and deluxe editions are now being accepted.

The post Trails Through Daybreak will dawn on July 5th appeared first on Pure Nintendo.

This latest entry in the legendary Ys series offers exhilarating, fast-paced combat, a moving story of unlikely allies, and naval exploration across a vibrant, high seas setting.

Following their tenuous encounter at sea, the young red-haired adventurer Adol Christin and the proud pirate Karja Balta find themselves bound by fate – and the mysterious power of Mana! As they search for a way to undo the mystical ties that bind them, they soon find themselves caught up in a conflict between two factions: the seafaring warriors known as the Normans and the enigmatic and seemingly immortal Griegr. In order to save the people of Obelia Gulf, Adol and Karja must navigate the depths of their unexpected bond and the power that it grants them.

Ys X: Nordics will feature:

• Two Heroes, One Story: Bound by unexpected circumstances, the young adventurer Adol and the Norman pirate Karja must work together to determine the fate of Obelia Gulf and its people.
• Cross Action System: Swap between controlling Adol and Karja independently or together. Combine their unique strengths to overcome enemies, and build up the Revenge Gauge to unleash devastating attacks.
• The Power of Mana: Harness the unique abilities of Mana to overcome challenges. Grapple and slide through dungeons, demolish obstacles, create new platforms, and uncover hidden treasures and critical points.
• Sailor’s Delight: The sailing ship known as the Sandras takes exploration to new levels. Ocean travel, naval battles, and discovering uncharted islands are all made possible with this seaworthy vessel.

Of concern, the press release states that, “Additionally, the PC version will include language options for Japanese text and audio.” Does that mean the Switch version doesn’t support the game’s original Japanese dialogue? That would be a shame, so we’ll keep an eye on that detail.

While we’re doing that, you can learn more at nisamerica.com/ys-x/.

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Enigmatic ruins and mysterious crystals descend from the heavens, leaving many to speculate on their extraterrestrial origins. It is from this point that Nayuta embarks on an epic odyssey within Lost Heaven, delving into the realm of seemingly boundless possibilities and unearthing the tantalizing quest that awaits beyond the horizon.

On your journey, you are joined by Noi and others such as Signa and Lyra. Each character is captivating, and there are plenty of engaging quests. The art style is also really nice in 2D, as well as 3D. The companions are endearing, and the game’s world is made all the more delightful by the warm ambiance of Remnant Isle and the enigmatic allure of Lost Heaven. The storyline manages to maintain an element of intrigue that keeps you invested.

While journeying through Lost Heaven, players will experience a combination of action-based combat and platforming elements. Each location features stages where you’ll engage in battles, gather items, complete optional quests, and progress to temples where challenging boss encounters await. The combat system seamlessly integrates Nayuta’s sword abilities with Noi’s magical powers. The action is easy to grasp.

As you advance through the game, you gain access to a wider array of these abilities. To enhance your character, you can earn stars by completing stages under specific conditions as well as doing side quests to unlock new abilities for Noi. Accumulating more stars enables you to unlock new sword techniques for Nayuta. Each new technique is useful, and some are especially fun to use.

In battle, Nayuta is merely a slasher. You can do a rapid sword combination, a dodge roll, and a double jump. This is simple at first, but the game quickly introduces foes that demand more than just button mashing. It could be due to ranged attacks or resistance to all but a few abilities, you’ll learn how to use all your abilities real quick.

When you come into groups of enemies that combine several of these features, things can become challenging, but in a good way.

The game isn’t perfect of course. The individual areas—with their own amazingly designed backgrounds and landscape, as well as beautiful soundtracks—are very well designed, but they can be annoying to work through at times. The platforming segments of the game occasionally proved challenging. These stages are presented in a 2.5D format, and players may encounter difficulty judging the distance when jumping onto moving platforms, resulting in fall damage. The fixed camera angle doesn’t help in these situations whatsoever. There are also some spelling mistakes now and again. But no issues leftover from the original PSP release will prevent you from completing the game, which can be done in an enjoyable 20-some hours.

While it may not be for everyone, if you’re looking for a JRPG with an amazing world of characters and secrets, the Switch update of The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless Trails is the game for you.

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No, I have not.

“Oh. Well, good luck then.”

So, like a student attempting Advanced French when he’d taken Basic French three years earlier rom home during the COVID pandemic, I pressed on with no knowledge of Disgaea’s flow or nuances. Making sense of it all was difficult early on, but achieving fluency in this turn-based SRPG proved quite rewarding.

My point is that you should take this review for what it is—a newbie writing for newbies. If you’re looking for something that’ll compare it to previous Disgaeas and offer details on what’s changed and enhanced, head back to Metacritic and click again.

Disgaea 7 begins with the “unlikely” pairing of the wealthy but naive Pirilika and the scoundrel ronin Fuji. Pirilika aims to return the concept of Bushido to the Hinomoto Netherworlds, while Fuji just wants to make a lot of money (with minimal effort) so he can get out of debt. You can see where this is heading, right? Well, that’s only part of it, because this game evolves in ways you wouldn’t fully expect.

This is largely due to the battle system and character leveling. You’ll acquire units as you progress through the maps, and decide which ones to take into the turn-based battles on the game’s isometric grids. Using characters in combat rewards them with experience, and they can take back money and items to share with the group. It sounds like a typically simple system, but it can actually be quite complex if you’re new to the series. After the initial training level, I was dumped in a town with a few stores open and told to buy what I needed before heading out. But I had no idea what I needed. I knew little about the characters’ strengths and weaknesses, they’re preferred weapons, or what I’d be facing. Although that ignorance is largely on me, the game could’ve done more to guide new players along at the initial stages.

That carries over to combat, too. Aside from a few basic pointers, any knowledge or strategy I brought to the gameplay came from playing other SRPGs, not from Disgaea 7 itself. Characters take turns moving on an isometric grid to come within range of enemies for standard or magic attacks. You can be aggressive in your approach or you can take on a defensive strategy and lure individual enemies towards you. Team attacks are available for additional damage.

Standard stuff, right?

OK, but you can also lift and throw enemies or your own units to change positioning. Want to get teammates close to the enemy or onto an out-of-reach Geo Panel to acquire a certain buff? Toss ’em! It’s a fun mechanic that highlights the uniqueness of Disgaea. The aforementioned Geo Panels do, too. Whereas most grid-based SRPGs give you typical terrain bonuses, the Geo Panels give you specific coveted buffs and debuffs that can be crucial to victory.

Want more uniqueness? How about Jumbification, which allows you to turn your characters into giants for larger area attacks that do significantly more damage. You can even use it to bust open treasure chests that are otherwise inaccessible. Of course, your enemies have this ability, too, so there’s another degree of difficulty to worry about.

Or how about Hell Mode? No, it’s not an extreme difficulty level. Rather, certain characters are able to build up their Hell Gauge via the Founding Weapons that are acquired throughout the game. Once full, Hell Mode can unleash devastating demon powers with the added bonus of acquiring extra experience. As such, I didn’t always feel I needed to quickly dispatch enemies, but should simply chip away at them until Hell Mode was ready.

There are an awful lot of abilities and tricks layered through Disgaea, and peeling away at them will keep players engaged and challenged throughout. Even if you spend too much time grinding and inadvertently render most battles too easy (and there is an auto-battle setting, for what it’s worth), you can venture into Item World for bigger challenges with bigger rewards.

With all of the places to go, enemies to engage, and ways you can level up and customize your characters, Disgaea 7: Vows of the Virtueless can easily bog down even the most seasoned of SRPG fans if you don’t pay attention to the details or aren’t familiar with the series. That’ll turn away many players. On the other hand, if you’re looking for something that really kicks the standard formula in the pants, this game does it.

It helps that the visuals and story are presented with so much color and joy. Disgaea 7’s upbeat tone can carry you through the more confusing components and compel you through. And by the time you’re pushing toward the game’s ending (and that will take quite a while), you’ll really feel like you’ve made your party and the game itself your own. I can’t say that about most SRPGs I’ve played.

So, again, speaking specifically to those who haven’t played a Disgaea game, Vows of the Virtueless will overwhelm you at the start. But once you get over the hump (perhaps with the help of an online guide), it’ll likely become one of the most unique and inviting SRPGs you’ve played in quite some time. You can easily spend a hundred hours in it, and that’s without all of the available DLC. What better way to cozy up for the winter?

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We may be racing towards the inevitable end of the Nintendo Switch, but that doesn’t mean the inevitable end of intriguing releases for Nintendo’s 6½-year-old system. Especially if you’re a JRPG fan. Adding to a string of forthcoming Switch releases, NIS America has announced an early 2024 release of The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered.

Originally developed by Cattle Call and released for Nintendo 3DS in 2015, The Legend of Legacy allows players to take charge of seven adventurers as they explore the mysterious land of Avalon while pursuing their own unique journeys.

Discovered ten years ago, the island of Avalon is shrouded in mystery. It is said the continent was forged by the gods and elementals, and is home to many fabled treasures with immense powers. Numerous brave souls have attempted to venture and investigate the lands of Avalon. Will you be next?

Follow the stories of seven upcoming heroes as they descend upon the untrodden lands to fulfill their unique desires. Each of them have their own individual skills and stories to tell. Manage battle formations and instruct specific combat roles to develop the upper hand in battle and seize victory, and utilize the ancient power of the elementals by forging contracts mid-battle to call down powerful skills. Take part in an epic journey unlike any other!

The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered will feature:

• Legendary Storytelling: Illustrator Tomomi Kobayashi, renowned composer Masashi Hamauzu, writer Masato Kato, game designer Kyoji Koizumi, and Masataka Matsuura all come together to create a one-of-a-kind adventure.
• Seven Heroic Journeys: Each character in The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered has a unique motivation for exploring Avalon, as well as an individual conclusion at the story’s resolution. Play through as each character to see how the separate tales unfold.
• Combat Innovation: Battle enthusiasts can discover a new level of challenge during combat by using formations and stances to assign flexible combat roles instead of fixed classes.

To clarity that final bullet, characters can take on attack, guard, or support stances in battle, and level up accordingly. So, how you tend to use them will determine whether they grow into a tank, a fighter, a healer, or a more well-rounded unit.

The core developers of The Legend of Legacy would go on to release Alliance Alive—another 3DS JRPG that was remastered for Nintendo Switch.

In addition to the digital release, The Legend of Legacy will be available in a limited physical edition that features a soundtrack CD, character cards, an art book, and more. Preorders are now open.

For more information on The Legend of Legacy, visit https://nisamerica.com.

The post The Legend of Legacy HD Remastered announced for Switch appeared first on Pure Nintendo.

I’ll explain this as clearly as I can. The game follows three separate storylines. One centers around Lloyd Bannings of the SSS, the new police division from the Trails From Zero and Trails to Azure games, both of which were recently released on the Switch. Another focuses on Rean Schwarzer, instructor of Class VII, harem king, and hero of the Trails of Cold Steel series. Games III and IV from that story arc hit the Switch, but not I and II.

Finally, there’s a new group featuring the mysterious, masked C, and a “doll” of obvious importance.

All of these groups have a multitude of characters from previous games who come and go at different intervals. If you have no previous experience with The Legend of Heroes, you definitely do not want to start here; keeping track of everyone in the three storylines is difficult enough when they’re already familiar. You may be fine if you’ve only played the Trails of Cold Steel games, but if you’re starting fresh, take on Zero and Azure first, move on to Cold Steel III and IV, and only then dig into Reverie.

All that aside, what’s going on? Well, without giving away important elements of the previous games, I’ll just say the City of Crossbell is about to declare its independence when a character believed to be imprisoned stages a coup and seizes control of the town. Ends up some people just aren’t happy with how the war wrapped up at the end of Trails of Cold Steel IV, so the long-awaited happy ending will have to wait a little longer. Our various groups are splintered, so much of the early game centers around regrouping to figure out exactly who’s behind this rebellion and how they can thwart it.

Anyone who’s played a single Legend of Heroes game knows to expect plenty of political intrigue and ambiguity as to exactly who’s on which side. That certainly carries over here, especially as characters from the different series flow in and out of the three groups. I’m glad they’re better than I am at recognizing one another, but I’m even worse at that in real life where I don’t have the assistance of brightly colored anime hair.

Players can mostly bounce between the three stories at will, although there are points where you can’t push forward in one without reaching a certain point in the others

There are times when the three stories intersect, and you can expect multiple battles between our heroes as they slowly figure things out. My first complaint stems from that, as there’s an early segment when two groups fight multiple times in quick succession. You’ll switch perspectives and locations, but it still felt like I was doing the exact same thing for a couple of hours. That portion of the story did not need to be so drawn out.

And while I’m talking about the story, my long-standing complaint about The Legend of Heroes still stands; although I enjoy the deep lore, I wish the developers didn’t dump so much narrative on us at once, especially between boss battles where you can’t save the game. There are still segments that require you to play upwards of an hour without saving, so don’t start a big fight before bedtime comes or the bus arrives.

Those boss fights, as all the fights, use the same turn-based mechanics as the previous games. For those not familiar with the series, you basically have immediate physical attacks, arts that can target weaknesses but usually come with a delay, or special skills that can cause more damage and inflict status effects. Arts use EP that slowly disappears until you rest or replenish with potions, while skills use CP that quickly drains and is restored mostly through regular combat. Breaking an enemy allows you to cause more damage and prevent them from unleashing their powerful attacks on you. And, of course, you’ll need to spend plenty of time healing and buffing your group as you cycle through the available party members (often of your choosing) during the bigger fights.

You can still power up your abilities with quartz and orbs that can be enhanced and interchanged, and you’ll be able to swap out and upgrade your weapons, armor, and accessories. The battle system is very deep, and optimizing your party for the individual battles is a big part of the fun. If you disagree, playing on easy mode allows you to push through without requiring much fiddling around in the party menu.

Of course, new Legend of Heroes games don’t arrive without new elements, and this time we get the United Front. When this gauge is full, the full party (four active plus one support) can launch an enhanced physical or arts attack that comes with additional benefits. There’s also a party-healing option if you need it. United Front isn’t available at all times, but it can be a godsend during tough battles (or when you just want to quickly clear through a group of lesser enemies).

The biggest change, however, is not battle-related. Trails Into Reverie forgoes the typical town/field/dungeon flow by adding a new True Reverie Corridor. When accessible, all three groups come together to engage in a multitude of tasks completely separate from the story. Here, for example, is where series fans will be playing Vantage Masters and Pom! Pom! Party! You can purchase rare items you may have missed earlier in the main game. There are randomly generated dungeons to enter and unique battles to initiate to improve your skills and acquire rare items. There are completely unrelated mini-games to play, including a franchise trivia competition and an on-rails shooter.

This is also where most of the fanservice has gone, thanks to a beach segment that allows everyone to lounge about in their swimwear.

The men get to show off their toned abs while splitting watermelons, and Rean returns to his harem while sharing drinks and flirtatious conversations with the women. If you had issues with that kind of content in previous games, it’s easily skipped here. Personally, I had a bigger issue with Vantage Masters. I know it’s a popular trend, but I’d really rather developers not wedge extra video games into my video games.

That complaint encompasses the True Reverie Corridor as a whole. Trails Into Reverie forces you in this area at multiple points, absolutely killing the momentum of the story. And considering the narrative is so important to the game, it’s weird to yank us away from it for mostly superfluous mini-games and disconnected “memories.” Players don’t need to spend a lot of time in the True Reverie Corridor, but considering the obtainable items and level progression are so important, you’d be crazy not to.

Also, there’s one particular area in chapter three where the game crashed on me every time after catching a fish. I imagine that’s a bug that will be addressed via an update (if not already), but to be safe, be sure you save your game before fishing!

The result is a more disjointed experience than the previous Legend of Heroes games. The combat is still great, the characters are vivid and fun, and the story pushes along at a decent clip (when it’s not bogged down by prolonged battle segments). It also looks great and plays wonderfully on the Switch.

It’s a thrilling world to dig into, and Trails Into Reverie serves as a great thank-you gift for those who did so with the whole The Legend of Heroes series. If you accept it as such, you’ll be entertained.

But if you’re expecting a game that’s as gripping as the previous Switch-compatible entries, you’ll be happier taking a different trail.

The post Review: The Legend of Heroes: Trails Into Reverie (Nintendo Switch) appeared first on Pure Nintendo.

Process of Elimination is one of these games. It’s a murder mystery that takes place on the island headquarters of a cadre of super-detectives who are being picked off by a sadistic criminal mastermind. You, as a rookie detective whom nobody trusts, must help the investigation, uncover moles within the group, and figure out how seemingly impossible deaths have happened.

Let’s get one thing out of the way right now—the plot of this story is absolutely bonkers. Each of the detectives has a code name based on their personality, which can be, shall we say, extreme. One detective is a super-smart kid in a robotic wheelchair. Another is, himself, a serial killer who’s been dragooned into working with the law. Another wears a suit of medieval armor constantly. And then there’s the one detective who truly believes in you. She’s dead and is a ghost only you can see.

You wander around the mansion headquarters of this motley group—which is somehow filled with ridiculous death traps and hidden passages—leading to an even more bizarre plot about secret experiments on children and killer robot sentinels.

I loved it.

Because it’s a VN, there’s no need for you, the player, to try and understand this world, because it plays out in front of you and you just have to click “next.” There are decision points where you need to show off your detective skills (like who’s betraying the group). If you mess that up too many times, the game ends, but you can restart from a save point.

The other method of interaction is a turn-based strategy mini-game. In it, you’re presented with a grid map where you can move the detectives around to explore and uncover clues that will lead you to breakthroughs in your investigation.

In the mini-game, you’ll start with limited control of all the available detectives, but as you solve the initial points, you’ll gain the ability to direct others. Each one has different strengths, and by supporting each other they can solve high-level problems. But the mini-game has a turn limit! Fail to get all the answers before you run out of turns, and it’s back to the save file.

Process of Elimination is a fun game in the visual novel genre that requires the patience to sit through long stretches of text and a nonsensical world. If you’re looking for any sense of reality or interactivity, stay away. But, if you want a singular experience in a world you won’t find anywhere else, here it is.

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