Board 8 > Which are the best, must-play Visual Novels out there?

(+) Yeah! (+)

So I hate horror and I simply can't stand certain things, but I made my brother play Doki Doki Literature Club just to see what he'd have to say about the game.

After that, he became interested in the VN genre, since it was something he never even considered exploring, but after seeing what DDLC had to offer, he asked me what was the "Ocarina of Time" of VNs, which I couldn't answer.

I know about the fame of Fate/Stay Night, Clannad, Ever17, and of course, Umineko, though I don't really know if any of those qualify for the aforementioned spot or if they are just the most popular.

Personal recommendations are also welcomed.

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steins;gate

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The House in Fata Morgana is my personal favorite.

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Ace Attorney trilogy is the obvious answer.

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steins;gate

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VA-11 Hall-A

The writing can be a little too author-avatar-y at times (meaning it was pretty obvious to me when the author stopped writing characters and was instead just rambling through their mouths) but was otherwise an excellent game.

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Danganronpa
Zero Escape
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Radical Dreamers

Steins;Gate
428: Shibuya Scramble
Muv-Luv Alternative

These are my personal top three of all VNs I've played/read through.

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The OP is a little confusing because I don't see how 'Ocarina of Time' as a descriptor necessarily corresponds to being the best. There seems to be an implication of being approachable as well as high quality. I think Umineko is easily the best VN of any I have read, but it's not super approachable. Steins;Gate might be a good choice for what you're saying though.

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Zero Escape

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Hotel Dusk: Room 215

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Ace Attorney
Danganronpa
Zero Escape
Hotel Dusk

Are all great answers, I think Ace Attorney is the cream of the crop though. It's probably got the best overarching story across the first three games, while still maintaining a great sense of humor. The gameplay is just enough to keep you focused without being obnoxious. Plus there's a ton of games, including a sequel trilogy, spinoffs and even crossovers with Professor Layton and Sherlock Holmes.

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Fate and Umineko absolutely qualify though for different reasons. Fate really has the more action-y VN genre down even to this day, which shouldn't be too hard to imagine since it's largely text. Umineko gets the mystery and horror aspects down better. if you want a little more dark aspect you can go to its predecessor in Higurashi but just for music alone, Umineko stands out above the rest i think. it delivers incredibly well.

Ever17 is loved on B8 but isn't a "must play" necessarily i'd say. once you're hooked on the genre, it is and i do recommend it.

Cross Channel is another one i'd recommend in the same avenue as Ever17.

as for Clannad: like all Key games, tearjerker. the company loves bittersweet as a genre and has perfected it. it's not a must-play but is a pretty solid niche of this genre.

you can expand outwards too, with games that are technically VNs but have a lot of gameplay to them, like Rance or Big Bang Age (both Alicesoft). there's a point in some where you're legit playing for the gameplay though so that happens. >_>;

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So basically:

Steins;Gate
Phoenix Wright
Zero Escape
Danganronpa (I'm personally not touching this one, but ok)

I think @NowItsAngeTime may have a word to say as well.

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TheArkOfTurus posted...

The House in Fata Morgana is my personal favorite.

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Ace Attorney
Steins;Gate
Zero Escape
Hotel Dusk/Last Window
428 Shibuya Scramble

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The House In Fata Morgana

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Fate/Stay Night is pretty great. Probably the best of the popular ones Ive read. I dunno how many qualify as must-read, but I really liked Katawa Shoujo and Sharin no Kuni. Majikoi is also supposed to be super amazing.

The House in Fata Morgana is my favorite video game of all time. Then Umineko in second.

Steins;Gate is excellent, though it's anime adaptation is usually tanked amongst the best anime of the last 2 decades, so you have a viable alternative there.

If you wanna factor in some gameplay:

Ace Attorney
Danganronpa (curious as to why you don't wanna touch this)
Zero Escape
VA11-HALL A

UshiromiyaEva posted...

Danganronpa (curious as to why you don't wanna touch this)

Even though I'm a fan of action in general, I can't stand watching graphic violence, blood and gore. I also hate anything horror-related.

The one and only exception to this rule is Castlevania, although that has more to do with it being an artistic series focused on action-adventure (which I'm a fan of) rather than scary, graphic, or disturbing things.

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https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/boards/8-gamefaqs-contests/78664255

You're welcome bro if you have any questions I'm sure its answered over there bro

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I mean...ths blood is pink <_<

I would not in any way shape or form deign Danganronpa a horror series, nor can I honestly say it's legitimately gory. The M rating is mostly there because of the language, honestly.

I havent played any cause I dont have any interest but my friends who have always talk about Clannad.

I don't like horror games either. I liked both Phoenix Wright and Zero Escape, but I wasn't able to get into Danganronpa myself, after playing the first 2 chapters of the first game. It's not necessarily the gore in this case but just the disturbing imagery and characters. Unless someone can tell me the rest of the game is less disturbing as time goes on, I likely won't finish this, and I really hate leaving games unfinished.

Zero Escape had some horror aspects too, but I was still able to enjoy that despite the horror aspects. I'm not sure I can verbalize why Danganronpa seems worse, but I just wasn't enjoying the latter.

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Danganronpa is way too tonally all over the place for me to consider disturbing in general. At specific moments sure, but that was guaranteed with the premise.

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Fiop posted...

Unless someone can tell me the rest of the game is less disturbing as time goes on, I likely won't finish this, and I really hate leaving games unfinished.

Better as a game, yes. DR1 in general isn't amazing, that series lives off of 2 and V3.

If that's your threshold for imagery though, it's not gonna get less iffy from there.

Danganronpa has some disturbing elements for sure but 90% of the time its tone hovers somewhere between slice of life anime, Saturday morning cartoon and cable murder mystery

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If you got through Zero Escape (999 and ZTD specifically), Danganronpa (at least the first two) should be nothing.

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Oh man, Zero Escape is horror too?!

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Root Double: Before Crime After Days should probably be up there too.

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I would say Zero Escape is certainly "more horror" nthan Danganronpa, but not as graphic. I still wouldn't call either horror, though.

Technically I guess Zero Escape is worse because the blood is red???

It isn't horror, but 999 and ZTD have consistently unsettling atmospheres and feature plenty of...unpleasant moments.

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428: Shibuya Scramble
House in Fata Morgana
Zero Escape (999 is the GOAT but the other 2 are pretty good)
G Senjou no Maou (Not a GOAT but I liked it a lot back in the day)

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I appreciate the tag but everyone's already mentioned the good story-based ones.

At this point all I'd list are the boring romance slice of life ones I dig a lot.

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Danganronpa is a murder mystery and to the extent that there's blood and gore it's still fairly cartoonish. Maybe if you're really sensitive it might still be too much, but I think it's on the level of cop dramas and whatever.

Zero Escape and Umineko are probably worse. Certainly Higurashi is.

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you should try Saya no Uta/Song of Saya

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Some people like the Telltale Walking Dead games.

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NFUN posted...

you should try Saya no Uta/Song of Saya

Seconded

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Is this the equivalent of recommending Boku no Pico to new anime fans?

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Sceptilesolar posted...

Is this the equivalent of recommending Boku no Pico to new anime fans?

No, but in terms of what he's trying to avoid it is.

Neither Danganronpa nor Zero Escape actively try to scare you like DDLC does. That said ZE can be pretty grim at times and you will find dead bodies, but it's nothing horrific at least from memory.

Now Danganronpa is a different story it really depends on how you look at it. This just spoils the premise, but teenagers die in this and their bodies are often shown in gruesome ways. It's still cartoony as the blood is pink and the art style is really over the top. It could very easily upset people that don't like the thought of seeing that kind of stuff.


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Zero Escape is definitely darker than Danganronpa. DR is just too silly to take seriously most of the time.

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I haven't seen it mentioned in here s I'll throw in Little Busters!, the one and only VN that made me cry.

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UshiromiyaEva posted...

No, but in terms of what he's trying to avoid it is.

Haha

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From what I understand, and my memory of reading up and looking into everything about the game a while back (haven't actually played it), Saya no Uta is in that wierd place where it does have actual legitimate merit, but because of the content within you can bet that 9 time out of 10 the people actually bringing it up are being disengenuous as all hell.

Not saying that's happening here...in the same way, but the game honestly HAS seemed to attract a Boku no Pico like meme status, deserved or otherwise.

No it's very good just OP has weird and particular criteria for what is and isn't 2 sp00ky

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maitetsu

or so i hear

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greengravy294 posted...

No it's very good just OP has weird and particular criteria for what is and isn't 2 sp00ky

As a 5-year-old child, watching my brother battle Ocarina of Time's Ganondorf used to scare the crap out of me, to the point of crying once. 7 years later, I played the game by myself and was mind-blown, but that scary feeling was gone. Played Majora's Mask shortly after and became my second-favorite Zelda.

I played I Wanna Be The Guy at age 15 and the Kid's blood splatter used to be disturbing, as well as the impaled kids at the Tower of the Guy, but as I grew older it stopped affecting me.

In terms of other media, there are some Dragon Ball Z episodes I just can't watch (namely Nappa chopping Tien's arm off, Vegeta breaking Goku's legs, Frieza bull-horning Krillin, etc.). I can, however, now see Frieza's defeat in Namek, and Cell's death.

So I guess some examples would be:

Fine: Super Castlevania IV, Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, Wolfenstein 3D (in terms of violence).
Was not so fine but it's okay now: GTA series, I Wanna Be The Guy, Mortal Kombat 1-3 (and 4 minus the Fatalities).
Not okay: Castlevania Chronicles's torture chamber.
Not gonna find out: DDLC, Resident Evil series, Silent Hill series, Mortal Kombat 4 onwards, Eternal Darkness, etc.

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