I used to be into VNs mixed with gameplay such as Ace Attorney, Ghost Trick, etc. These were usually better written than JRPGs which also played quite aswell. Lately, I got into the CPRG rabbit hole and the good ones pretty much are miles ahead in regards of storytelling(Planescape Torment,Arcanum,Vampire Masquerade,etc). Maybe I might give a chance to Rance someday, but I don't think I could drag myself towards a typical slideshow VN again.
But I digress, I just want to share my thoughts about some VN.
Ace Attorney trilogy, from law systems standpoint is often inaccurate and histrionic, but all its theatrical shtick is really amusing to watch. Cases usually unfolds in an interesting way, but what actually sold this franchise for me was the culprits's breakdown after cornered by showing seemingly absurd evidence to the courtroom one after another.
999. Seeing how Squid's Game was able to take over normieverse with the premise of lumping people together within a enclosure to progressively murder the shit out of them months ago, I thought 999 might have become also a hit if was properly translated into a TV binge show. Anyways, the VN revolves around replayability, It manages to keep the player engaged since every run is short and may greatly vary of outcomes. IMO puzzles were the weakest aspect of 999, endgame's true path has a freaking Sudoku as the last puzzle.
SMT Devil Survivor I & II. Megaten has a fuck ton of spinoffs. However, Persona games aside, if there's an issue these spnioff share besides grindfest mechanics, is that every single of them have a pretty cool premise involving Its pokédemons and judgment's day that, storywise, deflates pretty quickly no sooner you get halfway the game. Such is the case of Devil Survivor (and even Strange Journey), unfortunately.
So, what Devil Survivor is about? Essentially is a VN plus SRPG gameplay added to the mix. DeSu starts with mc as a typical highschooler + a bro + a romantic interest stumbling into an apocalyptic tokyo taming digital demons to survive (in the second game the whole "survival" motto is greatly diluted tho).
Shallow both as VN and SRPG, but considering its scope as a NDS game It was truly a curiosity worth giving a bit of attention during that gen. Anyways, DeSu is played as a slideshow VN, so you can't explore or any of that fancy real videogame shit, events happen across 7 days and you just simply has to pick whatever scheduled activity is readily available.
These activities are just either a cutscene or a fight stage similar to a Fire Emblem level but isometric, and you have an ample repertoire of demons to fuse and summon which is the most fun part of the game.
Another nice aspect was the minor reactivity on cutscenes, where your choices could lead to gain or lose unique allies and lock you into a specific endgame path. My main gripe with these games is that often forgets the demonic element that draws attention to the franchise in first place, several plot circumstances are tackled on with the demons as an afterthought resulting in a blatant narrative dissonance between SRPG gameplay and VN story. The sequel is even a worse offender, a ripoff of evangelion where everything goes full retardo. If this game picks ur attention, just play the first one.
DDLC n' mods. Funny thing is I'd have never touched this VN even with a 10ft pole If it wasn't for Chris Avellone (game writer) tweeting that the game was great. And I'm glad I gave in to the curiosity. DokiDoki Literature Club employs poetry and characters theme songs surprisingly well as key elements of storytelling and characterization. Albeit the fourth wall breaking stuff aren't really that interesting, the motivations of the forces behind it are.
I never cared playing a dating sim before, besides persona 4, but I've read on DDLC this is just played for shits and giggles prior to transitioning into a creepy VN. Good riddance that part was short, I was more inclined to dunk Natsuki's head into a toilet than spending time with her, and the MC swinged from a grumpy NEET to a crappy harem protagonist with oftentimes nothing much to offer but play the "kind" guy after realizing he has girl game on that club.
I didn't bother with DDLC Plus though, afaik is just fanservice content. But I tried a few fandom mods; the only one that liked a bit was DokiDoki Rainclouds but even gets obnoxious because It stretchs the core idea too much. The rest such as Exit Music or Fruits of Literature Club were so cringey I wasn't able to get past the first hour. These often sperg into incessant drivel describing tangencial activities to their plot such as cooking.
Not a VN, but wanted to mention this oddball of a game:
Betrayal at Krondor It's technically an good ol' dungeon crawling RPG; but instead of ludicrously large mazes, minimal writing and party building, BoK pursues a similar scope to VNs in wording as the main drive of narrative. Since Its method of storytelling it's so commited to convey that as a literary work,It can be safely regarded as a book with an unique multimedia approach. For instance, GUI elements emulate a book (overarching arc split into chapter, bookmarks as quicksaves, on screen yellowish textpages describing events,etc. ). Nevertheless, writing always is served first, gameplay, music and graphics are there to work as auxiliary elements for that writing.
