Visual novels are choice-based games, of Japanese origin, that have become quite famous over the years, and now, not only the East but the West also creates these games. But what is so special about them that captivates so many people?
Previously, we wrote an article discussing the origin of visual novels. Today, in this article, we will talk about their characteristics and why simple choice and narrative games are so successful.
Table of Contents
The choices in Visual Novels
At certain moments during the texts, you will need to make an important choice that will determine the character’s fate and the game’s ending. It’s almost as if you become the “owner” of everything, as if you could control that world.
In many stories, readers or viewers think about various “what ifs”? In a visual novel, they are real. With simple choices, you can define the fate of an entire story, of several characters. However, all these choices will have consequences, whether good or bad: they can improve or worsen the relationship with a character, they can help or hinder the resolution of a case…
In short, you will have to face these consequences and learn from them if you want to achieve a different ending. Although visual novels stray from reality, being just games and some having supernatural and fantastical content, they also come closer to reality than any other media, as they make you make choices that will reflect on your future. It’s like a life lesson.
The characters in Visual Novels
When playing a visual novel, you are introduced to various unique characters with incredible personalities and stories. Extroverted, shy, funny, cold, sentimental, insensitive characters… you will find it all in these VNs.
You also encounter tragic stories involving family, past loves, traumas that need to be overcome, childhood friends, etc. All these things make them unique and human: their story, their fears, traumas, likes, way of speaking, and that’s why it’s easy to identify with one of them and even easier to get involved with their stories.
Since they are mostly composed of texts and choices, visual novels need to captivate with their characters and stories, and they do this very well.
The Emotions of Playing Visual Novels
With visual novels, you experience a mix of emotions. Whether it’s the emotion of loving and being loved, the adrenaline of an adventure, the tension of a mystery, the sadness of a loss, the fear of the supernatural… Each story presented within this world is unique and each one provides different emotions that you may have never felt before.
The thrill of creating a theory and knowing if it’s correct, the feeling of a right or wrong choice, of getting a good or bad ending, these are some of the emotions you will never forget while playing a visual novel.
The endings of a Visual Novel
As mentioned before, there are endings that are defined by your choices, but what is so special about that? It’s simple! Having multiple endings for a single story makes everything more complete. In a visual novel, you will see happy endings, where everything ends completely well; normal endings, where there are goodbyes and regrets; and bad endings, where fights, losses, and the destruction of relationships will occur.
And it’s possible to see all these endings, all the consequences of your choices, and all of this in a single game, which makes it vast, makes you cry, laugh, smile, feel guilty for something you said or did, or simply keep smiling in front of a computer/mobile because you got what you wanted. It’s a sea of possibilities.
In short, VNs are portals to unique and equally amazing worlds, which is why they should be played by everyone, everywhere, and that’s why they have become so famous worldwide. It’s a way to escape reality while learning to deal with it, with your choices throughout life. It’s a world where you can be anything from a hero/heroine to a villain; where you get attached to or feel anger towards other characters…
If you’re interested in learning more about this world, feel free to join this Amino community and explore all types of visual novels! Article written by Maitê.
Leave a Reply