I want to start of by saying that I am not fond of visual novels at all. I think the medium itself is inherently flawed and anyone who wants to create a visual novel needs to really go out of their way to make it good. It doesn't help that most visual novels try to "fix" or "cover up" the inherent flaws by having ridiculously obscene content. I never felt that there was a chance I was gonna hate this game, but I would be lying if I said there wasn't a subconscious fear that The Silver Case wouldn't live to the expectation built on by its fan-base.
That fear was put to the rest the moment I opened up the menu. I was greeted with a sleek looking menu that looked like a radio transmitter. And the music that played. A unique blend of (what sounded like) traditional drums to a kind of robotic hum and electronic sounds. I opened Case #0: Lunatics, and the rest is history.
The Silver Case isn't a video game. It isn't a visual novel. Ok, technically it is those things. However, I can only despite what I just experienced as that: an experience. The presentation of those game is top class and very easily entices new-comers. The exploration gameplay aspect of this experience is simple and clean and not to overbearing, it's smoothness helping the player ease more into their experience. The characters and story are also really engaging and help the player get close with this experience.
And them it hits you. Or really, you begin to feel it. To recognize it.
Kill The Past.
The biggest highlight of this experience is its themes. More specifically, in the way it is able to not only portray them, but in the way it slowly eases the player into understanding these themes. It is almost akin to an outer body experience when experiencing the second half of The Silver Case. Everything is this experience. The characters. The setting. The time. The music. The dialogue. The two different story lines. Even the background style that changes with every case. Everything has purpose in this experience. Everything fits together like a perfect puzzle that reveals an immaculate painting. Nothing is wasted, and by the end of it all, everything makes sense, and I am completely satisfied.
Can a brother lend me 50,000 yen?
That fear was put to the rest the moment I opened up the menu. I was greeted with a sleek looking menu that looked like a radio transmitter. And the music that played. A unique blend of (what sounded like) traditional drums to a kind of robotic hum and electronic sounds. I opened Case #0: Lunatics, and the rest is history.
The Silver Case isn't a video game. It isn't a visual novel. Ok, technically it is those things. However, I can only despite what I just experienced as that: an experience. The presentation of those game is top class and very easily entices new-comers. The exploration gameplay aspect of this experience is simple and clean and not to overbearing, it's smoothness helping the player ease more into their experience. The characters and story are also really engaging and help the player get close with this experience.
And them it hits you. Or really, you begin to feel it. To recognize it.
Kill The Past.
The biggest highlight of this experience is its themes. More specifically, in the way it is able to not only portray them, but in the way it slowly eases the player into understanding these themes. It is almost akin to an outer body experience when experiencing the second half of The Silver Case. Everything is this experience. The characters. The setting. The time. The music. The dialogue. The two different story lines. Even the background style that changes with every case. Everything has purpose in this experience. Everything fits together like a perfect puzzle that reveals an immaculate painting. Nothing is wasted, and by the end of it all, everything makes sense, and I am completely satisfied.
Can a brother lend me 50,000 yen?