My huge list of Game/Visual Novel recommendations part II — the 9/10 tier
This is the second article in a series of articles where I list some of the best games/visual novels that I think you should play if you care about gaming as a narrative art form. You can see the first article here for the games of the 8/10 tier. This article consists of games that I think are truly amazing but still lack the final punch to push them into the 10/10 tier.
In no particular order, here are 9/10 games that I highly recommend:
1. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
The dark souls of JRPG? Heck, the entire Megami Tensei series, which predated dark souls and others for decades, are simply the best long-running hardcore dark fantasy series in the RPG world. Unlike the first two games, this game has aged really fine thanks to its excellent gameplay, great art design, and like the rest of the series, a thought-provoking albeit minimalistic story about morality, religion, and other abstract philosophical concepts. What holds this back from a 10/10 is its many bullshit difficulty spikes and a plot that in the end, was not as ambitious in scope as other SMT games.
2. Silent hill 4
A controversial title in a legendary series, to many people this game signified the end of the golden age for Silent Hill games. And while that’s true, I think the golden age ended with a phenomenon game: a messy but experimental and just as great as any of its predecessors. If you can forgive some of its weird mechanics, awaiting is an amazingly haunting and disturbing story that can rival even that of Silent Hill 2. The first-person perspective, the confinement horror of not being able to get out of your own room, and many other ideas made this Team Silent’s most creative effort to date (and proved to be very influential to later horror games too). Its soundtrack was still the usual Akira Yamaoka’s stuff, which is to say, fucking excellent. Kojima, if you are developing a new Silent Hill game according to some Internet rumors, you better not abandon this game in your study of the series! Though the P.T demo clearly has Silent hill 4’s footprints printed all over it, so I’m quite hyped about this affair!
3. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 2 — Innocent Sin
This game really surprised me with its great story and cast of characters, even its gameplay was actually not that outdated! For the longest time I’ve always heard about how this game possesses the best story and characters out of all Persona games, and now that I’ve played it… color me impressed! The character archetypes were already here in even better forms, and many ideas and themes of the later Persona games were also already explored in this old game. This game is a must-play for fans of the modern Persona games or any RPG really! Sadly I didn’t really like the sequel Eternal Punishment nearly as much as this one.
4. Nier
The first Nier game is, in many ways, more original and creative than Nier Automata. It arguably features a better story, an equally stellar soundtrack, and definitely a better cast of characters. While the main character might just belong to the angry dad trope so prevalent in gaming (or big brother depends on your version), all of the other main characters are very fascinating, with a special shoutout from me to Kaine. If you love Nier Automata or you want to try out something weird, you need to play this game as you will see many unique features of that game already present here!
5. Metal gear solid
The first game in the legendary series (kinda if you exclude the Meta gear games that nobody remembers anyway!) still holds up very well today as a piece of cinematic game. I personally find the game’s plot the most “solid” out of all of them because it is more focused, not bloated by the hell hole of awesome but weird stuff coming from Kojima’s head, and it delivers its core theme beautifully. The game is also possibly the first notable meta game in history if you are into that. Not to be missed!
6. The Last Guardian
The lastest game of Team Ico after a very long and troubled development process. Another uniquely powerful experience from them. The game takes the pet simulator genre to its next level: you play as a boy who has to rely on a giant dog/lion/bird creature Trico to traverse through a vast and mysterious landscape. You only have direct control of the boy and can issue commands for Trico, which is the focus of the game because without Trico the boy couldn’t handle most of the challenges. Many times the stubborn beast would just refuse to listen to your instructions, and this actually adds more to the experience, as the utmost care and detail have been spent on this AI-companion to make him feel like a life-like animal. You will feel an instant bond with Trico right from the beginning and by the end of this emotional journey together, you might even shed some tears!
7. Final Fantasy VI
While I don’t agree with the popular assessment that this is the best Final Fantasy game ever, it is definitely one of the best in the series, a magical game that is very hard to find an equivalence in modern gaming! In terms of soundtrack, this game might be the most innovative and influential game of all time: in 1994 Nobue Uematsu composed an amazing soundtrack of the highest caliber within the limitation of the horribly limited SNES sound engine, including an opera piece for the iconic opera scene and a near 18-minute symphonic track for the final boss fight. You simply don’t see this type of ambition in gaming music anymore even from the Final Fantasy series itself. The game is also famous for its diverse cast of interesting main characters, and an iconic villain that can be compared to the Joker from the Batman universe. This is probably the oldest game that I still highly recommend, it just blows my mind how in 1994 a game like this was made!
8. Ever17: The Out of Infinity
Ah, finally the first visual novel on the list! This game is easily the best novel written by Kotaro Uchikoshi with all of his best tropes here: a story structure that takes advantage of the multiple-route setup, a sci-fi story with many thought-provoking ideas, and a mind-blowing final route that answers all of the mysteries of the previous routes as well as provides a cathartic experience to the readers. The repetitive dialogue and slow-paced plot do hammer it down a little bit but that amazing true ending is worth any slog you could have during the story!
9. The House in Fata Morgana
I already talked about this visual novel in this article. Simply put, an amazing visual novel especially for people who somehow dislike the anime aesthetic.
10. Final Fantasy X
Another Final Fantasy classic right here! Yes, it has flaws and as early as this game we can already see the wrong directions that later FF games followed: overtly linear gameplay experience, boring color-swapped enemies, and awesome but poorly explained story premises. The other aspects are still classic level Final Fantasy though, amazing music, great art design, and an emotional story with great romance (yes, I like the awkward main couple!). Those final mind-blowing plot twists and emotional ending scenes are also very memorable. This is probably the best place to start if you want to get into the Final Fantasy series.
11. CROSS†CHANNEL
A classic visual novel from the literary esteemed writer Romeo Tanaka that is quite under-read, as all of its translations have been lackluster so far. That didn’t stop me from playing the game and enjoying the hell out of it! It has a great mix of daily slice of life writing (though sometimes gone on for too long) combined with existential horror overtone lurking in the background. Like many visual novels, it has a multi-route structure and a true route that leads to the true ending, and this game’s true ending is possibly one of the most beautiful endings that I’ve ever encountered in fiction, bar none! It really deserves all of the hype from the Japanese readers and is very suitable for someone who demands a “literary” experience out of visual novels!
12. Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
Another Persona game, another classic! This game is probably the most light-hearted and cheerful out of them all even with its murder mystery plot, thanks to a colorful cast of characters that, more than any other Persona game really makes you feel like being in a group of close friends. Its gameplay is absolutely addicting just like the rest of the series, and while the final true ending leaves me a bit cold, the journey overall is still very absorbing. And yes, while it’s true that some of the game’s treatments in sensitive matters are lacking and problematic, you have to remember that this is a pretty old game coming from Japan, an exceptionally conservative society. And now that this game has come to Steam, many more people can enjoy this classic JRPG! Hopefully, this is the start of Atlus’s other Megami Tensei games migration to the PC gaming world!
13. Final Fantasy VIII
One of the black sheep in the series but it seems like the more time passes, the more warmly this game receives, and that’s a good thing because I think it is one of the very best Final Fantasy games! Coming right off after the game-of-the-generation Final Fantasy VII, instead of following its big brother, this game tears everything down, redoes everything again, and the result is possibly the weirdest game in a series full of weird experimental games that have somehow become mainstream. The entire gameplay system is wacky as hell, and while it might look convoluted in the beginning, it will make more sense and even easily exploitable after you take some time to understand it. Its art design, music, overall atmosphere are still as great as how a classic FF game should be, which is better than 99% of other games. And finally, while there is one major plot twist that is kinda dumb, it doesn’t stop FFVIII from featuring one of the strongest and most romantic stories in gaming. A must play!
14. Sharin no Kuni, Himawari no Shōjo
Coming from the same writer of G-senjou no Maou, this novel is set in a dystopian future where the government can punish its citizen by interfering with their life using technology, something that might not be that far away in 2020. Being constantly monitored by digital devices is a given, and the “interferences” could become quite strange. For example, one girl was forced to take a pill that makes her unconscious for 12 hours, reducing her time of the day by half! In my opinion, a better written and deeper novel compared to G-senjou, and a classic in the “bookshelf” of a visual reader!
15. Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin
Another black sheep in a legendary series (I seem to have a soft spot for this type of games…), this game was the only game not directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, and it does feel more like a fan-fiction instead of a sequel to the first dark souls. With that said, the game is still dark souls with many of the series’ trademarks. The mysterious atmosphere is certainly still there. The art design of everything still looks deliciously dark and awesome. The dreamy writing and excellent narrative in particular are bright spots that hooked me and made me forgive all of the game’s missteps in its gameplay department! Hell, I’ve even seen some people declaring this game as their favorite dark souls game, and I wouldn’t call them blasphemy for it!
16. Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
No doubt, the most emotionally affecting story that Hideo Kojima has told in his games. This game features a rare prequel origin story that not only is great on its own but also has great implications for the narrative of the entire series. While it still has many Kojima’s trolling trademarks, they are kept at the bare minimum, and the many weird and creative ideas, like the amazing boss fights of the End and the Sorrow, are all very effective. Of course, we cannot talk about this game without talking about The Boss, one of the best written female characters in the gaming world, an especially rare achievement coming from Kojima! Deserves to be a fan-favorite.
17. Shin Megami Tensei IV Apocalypse
And now we come to a completely opposite one: a hated entry in the legendary Megami Tensei series. And, please YHVH don’t punish me, this is my favorite game in the mainline Megami Tensei games! Granted, I’ve not played the first 2 SMT games on SNES because from what I’ve seen so far they look really out-dated. Just fucking remake them Atlus! The only criticism that I agree on this game is the cliche stereotype party members, but even then I still quite like them, and it’s not like Nocturne has amazing character-driven narrative either (you will want to play a Persona game for that instead of a mainline game!). On the other hand, this game has the most modern and most well-designed gameplay out of all mainline SMT games, which means one of the best gameplay systems in all of the turn-based JRPGs I’ve ever played. It also features the best soundtrack in the series, and (fight me!) I really like the new designs of the demons and gods. I personally was a fan of the main story, its theme on the nature of religion was explored beautifully, and honestly wouldn’t mind if this works as a thematic conclusion to the mainline games. Atlus, you have a lot to live up to in SMT V, I want to see the series taken into a new direction!
18. Kikokugai: The Cyber Slayer
This short and quite under-read visual novel of Gen Urobuchi is a great novel from the Japanese writer written in a Chinese genre: Wuxia. Like I explained in the previous article, Wuxia is the name of a Chinese literary genre for fantasy martial art stories. Kikokugai brings a science fiction twist to the genre by setting it in the dystopian Shanghai of the far future, where technology can be used to enhance martial arts. Well, we are talking about Gen Urobuchi the Butcher here, so prepare for a super twisted story! Like most of his works, Kikokugai manages to pack an emotional and thematical experience in a story full of disturbing events and horrible characters. The game is as far away from your stereotype dating sim as possible, and will be a very (un)pleasant surprise for many visual novel readers out there!
19. ISLAND
Another great under-read visual novel. This novel is probably one of the best narrative works out there that try to combine different genres together. Mind-wrecking mystery? Advanced and “hard” science fiction with a pretty unique approach to time-travel? Funny slice of life comedy? Tear-inducing tragedy? Emotional romance? Moe cute girls? This novel has everything and doesn’t compromise in any of them! If its slice of life scenes could be reduced in length and its characters could be a bit more profound, this could have been a straight 10/10 for me. An amazing visual novel.
20. Persona 5
Persona 5 is arguably the most stylish game ever based purely on aesthetic and interface design alone! This is another amazing Persona game, probably the best JRPG of the last decade (which is a sad statement on the state of modern JRPG, to be honest…). Seeing how it incorporates many of the mechanics from the mainline games and the older Persona games to make a kind of “ultimate” gameplay experience, I am honestly afraid that Persona 6 wouldn’t be able to improve much on such a well-designed game. To any JRPG or turn-based RPG allergics out there, please play this game as this will change your mind so rapidly about how you have missed out much greatness, I guarantee! The reason why it’s here and not in the 10/10 tier is because the story and characters, while still great, are a step down compared to the previous Persona games. Arguably even the music is not that great, as most of the time, they are too repetitive and simplistic to my ears, already spoiled by the catchy as hell soundtrack of Persona 3 and 4. Still one hell of a ride though!
21. Dies Irae ~Amantes Amentes~
This visual novel is a mess, but one of the most profound mess I’ve ever experienced. Its plot is complex and well thought out but too slow and opaque despite its lengthy exposition, its writing is beautiful and flowery but many times too long and purple-ish, its battle scenes, which are very important in a high concept battle royal story like this, are too cumbersome to read and sometimes don’t make any sense. What makes this an enchanting experience is one of the best cast of characters in any works of fiction (seriously, many characters just gush quotes after quotes out of their mouths!), some pretty thought-provoking themes being explored, ranging from European philosophy and literature to Buddist thoughts. Of course, its art direction, music and voice acting are absolutely stellar too! Should belong in the bookshelf of any serious visual novel reader.
22. Xenoblade Chronicles
The best singleplayer MMORPG of all time! Seriously though, I fell in love with this game despite having 2 styles of gaming that I’d always hated: the open-world style and the MMORPG style. As a gameplay system, this game has some of the deepest and most satisfying RPG mechanics out there. Its world is beautifully designed with great aesthetics and full of lively interesting little points to be explored. The excellent soundtrack enhances the traversing of the terrain so much that many times I just stayed in one place, listening to the enchanting music and taking in the amazing vista. The story, while heavily simplified, or shall I say, dumbed down compared to Xenogears and Xenosaga, is still very engaging and very effective at what it is trying to say. A brilliant game!
23. Himawari
A visual novel written by G.O., the same writer of Island, and like Island, another excellent but underread game. It still has this delicious mix of different genres mixed together that might put off (or actually satisfy!) both the more serious elitist “literary artistic” type and the more casual for fun entertainment type of readers. It features one of the most emotional romance stories I’ve ever seen in any medium, some brilliant choices that truly test the player’s empathy and understanding of the characters, as well as some pretty poignant themes about maturity, chasing impossible dreams while facing the mundane real life. Could have been a 10/10 for me if not because of the final route which felt underwhelming compared to the rest of the novel.
24. NieR:Automata
Almost my choice for the title of “Game of the decade 2010s”. Yes, I did have a lot of problems with many of its aspects. Its open world, both aesthetically speaking and gameplay design wise, is nowhere near the best. The gameplay while this time much better compared to previous Yoko Taro’s games, it’s PlatinumGames bitches!, is still not as good as it should be, bogged down by the tedious open-world design and horribly balanced difficult, as well as a lack of variety in enemies and bosses. Arguably even the story and characters are a little bit generic for my taste and a step down compared to the first Nier game and other Drakengard games. With all that said, as a whole package, no other game coming out from the last 10 years that I’ve played, is as creative and effective in its use of the gaming medium to tell its story and deliver its heartfelt message like this game. The multiple route structure, the meta element, the continuous changing of gameplay genre (sometimes in a single scene!), all were designed not only to shock and wow the players but also to deliver an ultimate gaming experience that you can’t have in other mediums. And let’s not even mention its music, no doubt one of the greatest game soundtracks of the decade, that enhances every moment of the game! An amazing weird game.
25. Higurashi
Here I included all 8 episodes of the Higurashi visual novel into one package. One of the first visual novels that I’ve played, and one of the best too. It is surprisingly scary and proves how effective the minimalistic form of the visual novel genre can make for a great experience comparable to or even greater than other more showy mediums of film and “game”. It is also, unlike another visual novel from Ryukishi07, a damn well designed and perfectly fair detective story. While the horror mystery nature of the story was what made the visual novel so engaging to read, what ultimately stuck with me and elevates it above many others is its amazingly realistic portrayal of life in a rural area in Asia, its deep dive into the psychology of many disturbed individuals, and possibly the best exploration of the meaning of friendship in the gaming world. The game might be a bit slow at the beginning, but believe me, it is very worth slogging through!
26. Xenoblade Chronicles X
More like a spinoff of the first Xenoblade game than a sequel, this game is even more focused on its gameplay experience with the price of an even thinner story. What sells this game though, is, in my opinion, the best open-world in all of gaming, better than the first game, better than the other games like the Witcher 3, Skyrim, Fallout, etc. Exploring the vast alien landscape of Mira is one of the most immersive and absorbing experiences that you could possibly have in gaming. The gameplay is simply an improved version of the first game, which makes it even more amazing, especially the RPG customization is more in-depth. And you can control giant robots in this game! Seriously though, the game really makes the word “open” in open-world a reality, everything that you can see you can go there, literally, every nook and canny can be explored and has some interesting tidbits that make the world feel alive. Many other open-world games that I’ve tried are just a bunch of set pieces bundled together that look pretty but feel like there’s not much thought behind the design. And finally, it’s still a Xeno game, so the story, while not the main focus, is still surprisingly interesting, particularly later in the game where plot twists just seem to come left and right. My favorite open-world game!
27. Final Fantasy IX
As a fan of the Final Fantasy series, I avoided playing this game for so long because of its kiddo-ish art style and its promise to return to a more traditional fantasy setting instead of a more futuristic world from Final Fantasy 7 and 8, which I absolutely loved. And surprise surprise, the game was actually fantastic! The gameplay, the art, the music, the story, everything was still top-notch Final Fantasy classic level. I might still prefer the craziness of the other Final Fantasy games but there’s no doubt this game is one of the most emotional and thoughtful games in the entire series.
28. Final Fantasy XIII
Another Final Fantasy game that I avoided for the longest time because, well the trilogy of Final Fantasy XIII is probably the most hated entries in the entire series. I was still intrigued by it though, mostly for the different looking gameplay and the gorgeous sci-fi landscape. And after playing it, the game instantly became one of my favorites in the series! Yes, it has flaws, most notably the linear level design (only the level design, the linear story is fine for its premise), and the confusing nature of the story in the beginning (though it’s not that confusing if you keep at it). But it still delivers something that is quintessentially Final Fantasy: bizarre story ideas, melodramatic but charming characters, absolutely beautiful art design and soundtrack, and innovative gameplay that plays differently from previous Final Fantasy games, or RPG games for that matter. I definitely will play the next 2 games in the future to judge the trilogy as a whole!
29. Devotion
The newest game from Red Candle Studios, the creators of Detention, one of my favorite horror games that I listed in the previous article. This game arguably surpassed Detention with a more ambitious story (though much more personal, revolving around only 1 small Taiwanness family in the 80s), as well as, to me, much scarier! This is the type of creative endeavor that you rarely see in the gaming landscape: a story that dives deep into the culture, religions, and social issues of a region (in this case East Asia of course) with a lot of weird twisted ways of scaring the players. Probably the greatest horror game I’ve played since the golden age of the Silent Hill series. Not to be missed by any horror lovers!
30. Fate/hollow ataraxia
How can a supposedly fandisk be this good? Not only the slice of life scenes are very well written and a joy to read for us fans who loved the characters in the original Fate/stay night, but the game also features a brilliant mindfuck main story that contextualizes all of those fluffy daily scenes too! It works very well as both a direct sequel and a side story, with some great new characters and the backstory of some neglected original characters. The entire atmosphere is top-notch too, with great writing, beautiful art style that is not afraid to look silly at times, and amazing new music. All of the fascinating philosophical rambling that Nasu is famous for is also here, turning this impossibly bright and cheerful game into a very meaningful and thought-provoking piece of work! A must-play for anyone who enjoyed Fate/Stay night.