@@KhanMann66 yeah it's such a shame tsukihime remake didn't get release to the west, well seeing how popular fate franchise is, i'm pretty sure they gonna reconsider it
I’m so happy to see Fata Morgana on this list!! It’s one of my favorite stories of all time. The Gothic and historic elements, the stunning art, the haunting, lyrical music, the intrigue, the mystery, the searingly human themes and characters… I’ve cried thanks to this visual novel more times than I can count. The characters don’t even feel fictional; they feel like people in all their tragedies, hopes, and faults. The writing is so immensely personal to each of them, like a brutally honest diary. Everyone’s perspective is delved into in all of their biases, prejudices, feelings, and terrible faults. Though the visual novel is the very definition of slowburn in its setting, plot, and tension, it is more than worth it if you’re willing to pay attention to details and patterns in each story. In the months since I’ve finished it, its affective storytelling is still ever-present in my mind. I can’t give it a more glowing recommendation. As an aspiring writer, I endeavor to exemplify the uniquely empathetic and human narrative present in the story. If any of this sounds even slightly interesting to you, I BEG YOU to give it a try. At this point, I’m desperate for people to recognize its merit and expose themselves to the vulnerable, personal, emotional story at its center.
it's so rare to see a fata morgana fan 🥲, I still have the ost Giselle and Cicio on my spotify and everytime i hear them i feel the same way as I had when I was reading it for the first time.
While the 07th-mod patch for Umineko is serviceable, I would actually go a step further and instead recommend either the PC patch by The Umineko Project instead, or playing the Switch version with associated translation patch on a hacked or emulated Switch, if that option is available to you. The Umineko Project and Switch versions both add back in things such as proper lip syncing, sprite/background/rain animations, song subtitles, line jumps within the backlog, and several other features that are missing from the base Steam version due to the engine that Mangagamer decided to release the game on.
While I love FSN, I think Hollow Ataraxia might be one of my favorites as a fan of the series. It manages to pull off an interesting story as well as have a fan service aspect that lets you get to know other characters (including those who didn't get a lot of time in the og vn). Highly recommend for anyone who enjoyed FSN.
I actually prefer Hollow Ataraxia to FSN. Sure it has a lot of fan service in there, and sometimes it meanders about due to the nature of its storytelling, but I think it's ultimately the more interesting visual novel experience. Also, it serves as "Medusa route," and she's way more interesting there than in FSN. Not to mention Caren, Bazett, and a certain other protagonist are all excellent characters in their own right.
@@nicholas_bolas2018 There is sadly no official release for HA. If you google "Play Hollow Ataraxia" you should find what you need in order to play it.
Addendum: This list was ranked using VNDB's Bayasian Average scoring method. Addendum #2: As of 6/11/23, the list has changed due to VNDB changing their ranking metrics. This list is still a fairly good listing of top visual novels in the medium however.
Subahibi and Umineko are the best visual novels to me, but Sakura no Uta genuinely touched my heart like not other VN. Maybe because in a twisted and unexpected way, I relate to Naoya, whose view on beauty and talent mirrors my life experiences. It is truly an incomparable experience.
It's made me so happy to see more and more people checking out The House in Fata Morgana since it's Switch release because when I first read it years ago, I knew it would be something really special for me. And it's only reinstated that personal distinction on subsequent re-reads. I also agree it's one of the easiest to recommend to those outside the anime/VN sphere, female and/or lgbt+ audiences, etc... so long as they are readers in general (aka are willing to invest a bit of time haha) and can handle certain subject matter.
Man idk what it is, I tried repeatedly and just can't get into Fata Morgana. I get like 3 hours in and just doesn't hook me at all. I think it's gonna end up being my VN equivalent of Madmen, where I recognize there's amazing writing in it but it just doesn't do it for me.
I was confused at first why it's 14 VNs, but then I saw that both parts of Umineko are in the top 15 Also, thanks for the list. I've been having decision paralysis about which VNs to start with, and this seems like a good way to help clear that up.
Subahibi has to have one of the best(or the best) opening scene to a visual novel. Nothing beats a rooftop, black frilly dress and a smoke. Also my favorite vn e.e
for now ive read the house in fata morgana (the only visual novel i played ever) and ive loved it so much that now im interested in the genre and searching new games, ty for making this video
Fata Morgana is a masterpiece. I’m a big fan of the Danganronpa Trilogy as well, and I’ve watched Steins Gate and SG0. I’ve seen the visual novels Katawa Shoujo and DDLC. I really want to check out Umineko and White album 2.
Steins;Gate vs. Umineko is where I typically end up with for my top spot, and it's hard to keep it to just the VN comparison since one got probably the greatest anime adaptation a VN ever got and the other... well the less said about it the better. But for Umineko to be in that conversation alone should tell you how much I love it.
The House in Fata Morgana is life altering, I cannot recommend it enough. I've read through it multiple times and im moved every time! Incredible read!!
Played Muv-Luv about half a year ago and it was genuinely one of the best things I've ever read. I still think about it every so often. I just started Fate a few days ago and it's been pretty good too.
Aesthetically and storywise the house in fata morgana stands in a tier of its own. Unlike most of the vns on the list this one does not rely on abstract concept or metaphysical stuff to aid in its storytelling.
@@AngeVNs Is that all in English though, and is all of it even well translated. There are plenty of great VNs out there that either don't have an English translation or do have one but has been advised by Japanese readers as being poor quality.
So far I've just read 4 of these: Higurashi, Umineko, Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth, Muv-Luv Alternative. And I thought all of them were great in their own way. Each really drew me into their worlds through their mix of tense stories and character development. I do have a few others in my backlog: Baldr Sky, Clannad, The House in Fata Morgana, and Steins;Gate. My backlog is pretty big right now, so it may be a while before I get to them, but I'm really looking forward to all of them. And I do want to read as man of them as possible, but again my backlog (and VNs I want but haven't purchased yet) means it will take a long time before then, if ever.
As someone who plays both, Do you think I should start With Higurashi or Umineko? as a Mystery genre which do you think succeed more in their goal of keeping suspense?
@@kraney195 If you're planning to read both, you may want to start with Higurashi. They're separate stories, and I wouldn't say Umineko requires Higurashi to make sense, but it can definitely enhance the experience, since there are a few nods back to it. From a mystery standpoint, I think Umineko's the best though. Both are good, but Umineko really leans into that side of things, and I'd say does it really well overall (though there may be parts that you could have issues with).
@@soulscyther666 Oh, they're both high on my lists of VNs to read. I am reading Chaos;Head Noah right now, so I'll obviously want to wait until afterwards for Steins;Gate. Really excited for both though.
The Devil on G-String is also genuinely great although I despise the MC most of the time. I also think people are not giving Chaos;Head enough credit. Yes, the world is less fleshed out than in Steins;Gate, but it does some genuinely creative stuff with it's delusion system and the MC Taku is an absolute character study of hikkikomori and social anxiety. No VN simulates losing your mind better.
@@gilroyscopa The issue with C;H at least for me is that while the first half does a fantastic job of ratcheting up the tension and paranoia surrounding the events taking place. The second half mostly consists of info-dumps, and leads to an ending that felt rushed and tropey at least in my eyes.
@@Lokd0wn Yeah, you're probably right. Still, I like how little you know what is real and what isn't at times, once the obvious delusion-transitions stop.
@@gilroyscopa Oh yeah, if someone wanted to make the arguement that C;H has the best opening chapters of all the Sci;Adv stories I could definitely see where they're coming from. As while to me the likes of S;G and C;C have better story and characters overall. The setup done by C;H is masterfully done, just a shame they could only sort of stick the landing. It should be noted that I haven't read the C;H Noah routes yet. The official translation is apparently pretty bad. And there's still some contention as to whether the CoZ patch translation is all that good. But I am aware of what happens in the Noah routes as a friend who knows Japanese gave me Cliff Notes of them a few years ago. And none of them seemed particularly outstanding, aside from the revelation about one of the characters in a route ending that completely flips some stuff in C;C on it's head.
utawarerumono series is indeed an absolute banger, never really interacted with others about visual novels but binging these type of videos is really fun and makes me kinda want to find some people to talk about these type of games.
To add on MuvLuv Alternative, to quote on one of the reviews in VNDB: MuvLuv Extra introduces you to the characters MuvLuv Unlimited introduces you to the world MuvLuv Alternative ties both together It truly is a grand story that refuses to leave as I finished playing it last January and to this day I keep listening to its damn soundtrack like its some damn good cocaine.
@@kraney195 You may consider it like that. So far the studio that made the core MuvLuv series (MuvLuv and MuvLuv Alternative) has made like three major spinoffs and a lot of minor ones that were based on the MuvLuv Alternative universe. Also for people who just heard about MuvLuv, to not get confused, MuvLuv Extra and Unlimited are not two separate games and are merged together in one game just titled MuvLuv.
Personally saying I recommend Paranormasight The 7 legends of Honjo in this it's a recent game which came out a few months ago and Istg this game is just mind blowing the story, characters, plot twists was just perfect I finished it recently it's a solid 10/10 on story
To anyone who's enjoyed steins gate, I highly recommend the rest of the visual novels in the science adventure series, steins gate takes part in a shared universe of other phenomenal vn's. Chaos Head Noah is its prequel that takes place a year before and is the very first vn in the series, and I personally favour it over steins gate.
@@tallesrodrigues5994 the only timeline that exists currently Is the steins gate world line , every entry takes place on this world line except chaos head since that came out before sg and takes place before it. There isn't quite parallel universes but world layers are a concept from the series
I also prefer Chaos;Head (I played the OG ver) over steins gate As great as steins;gate is it gets pretty predictable in the middle. At least Chaos;Head remain unpredictable 90% through the game and you can actually feel MC Paranoia seeping into your brain The resolution is really weak tho. The initial concept hardcarries it till the end but they thrown it to trash for finale. Honestly I think it'll be much better if Chaos;Head just make the MC insane and let us sit in his brain the whole way. I mean it's a real cool concept, playing as insane person, choose which delusion he's gonna see and watch him either went full insane, get better or in between
Muv luv was #1 for the longest time on vndb, unfortunately it isn't nearly as popular as steins gate. Steins gate has a really good anime to help it, wish we had the same for muv luv lol
I just finished getting all the Rance X routes and endings today. Man it's so peak. The Rance series is sooooooooooo long but the payoff in X is so damn worth it. I can't wait for the English release so my fellow Rance fans can experience the culmination of characterization, lore, and worldbuilding they established throughout the whole series.
It sadly to see not even a single popular romance long time ago visual novel make it like Dracu-riot , Noble Work from yuzusoft and Hapymaher , Amatsutsumi or Cyanotype Daydream from Laplacian which is very popular but not make it to the list
So I'm reading Steins Gate and currently at chapter 6, it has been really fun to read and it is definitely huge improvement in both production quality and story compared to Chaos Head. But from what I have read so far it seems overhyped. Don't get me wrong I absolutely love Rintaro (he is very likeable) and the others, so I will see after finishing the whole game.
Just keep on reading. I struggled a bit to continue during the first half. Then it became my most favorite vn and re-read it several times. Also make sure to read all the different routes.. one of them was so freaking shocking to me :)
Steins;gate has absolutely atrocious pacing. the people who manage to stick with it get rewarded with a very exciting second half, that honestly makes it hard to stop reading.
@@AlkonKomm As a science nerd the bad pacing didn't matter to me at all. All that riddling over what's happening was fun to me. Plus: I'd attend Kurisus' lectures every day.
@@MrEDET Hey. So I kept reading and finally finished it 2 days ago. Now I have some free time on my hands, I might as well share my opinion (I have no one else around me who reads/plays visual novels). SPOILERS FOR STEINS; GATE: So, basically I read the first entry in the franchise Chaos; Head like a year ago, it was interesting but I hated the protagonist, though he did redeem himself in the later parts. I have been hearing so much about this and Umineko for so long, so I decided to finally read it despite my upcoming exams (my big mistake). I started and read 5 hours straight on weekends cause Kurisu. But my experience got distorted because I was able to read only like 20 minutes on weekdays. The beginning was pretty great for me, though I had a lot of questions but all of them got answered in the later sections as it was the case with Subahibi. Steins; Gate is a huge improvement from Chaos Head in all aspects like production quality, art, story and characters. I absolutely loved all the characters and their interactions (but I want more Kurisu and Okarin). Okarin is a great protagonist probably my top 3. Kurisu- the best girl, the best assistant. I oved her online toxic personality. Endings: Suzuha Ending - I think this ending is most wasted when it had a great potential. It felt kinda short to me, I was really interested in how Okabe was getting mentally broken and started listening to his intrusive thoughts such as seeing Daru almost get hit by a car. I was hoping they would explore it more, but it got rushed. Faris Ending - I didn't expect much, but I liked Faris in the end. Good route. I loved how everyone is alive, but no one knows Okabe and it was probably the happiest ending. Luka Ending - Wait, did they just sacrifice Mayuri and just kept on going? Mayuri Ending - it was great, but why Kurisu? Kurisu Ending - same with Mayuri Route, but double the pain. True Ending - I was kinda disappointed that Kurisu was not saved, so I got really happy when Okarin was given a chance to save her. Big Mistake, Okabe got traumatized, he didn't deserve it honestly. This is easily the best ending and is among my most satisfying endings because of that final interaction with Kurisu. My complaints are that Okabe can be real dense sometimes, such as talking about Time Travel Machine in Public places (like that time Faris heard). I mean dude learn some self restraint, you hacked into one of the biggest organizations on Earth and you are talking about openly? Also, he allowed anyone to become a lab mem and send messages which was kinda fine, but letting them send D-mails without knowing its contents was stupid imo. Plot twists were not good as in other vns like 999 or When they cry series, they were kinda easy to figure out like Suzuha being Daru's daughter, I mean she went to the same event as Daru saying she will meet her father there and they have similar hair color. Also, I knew Okabe was involved Kurisu's death because she said in the very beginning of the game that Okabe wanted to talk to her in private and then she gets killed mysteriously. Finally, not enough CGs of Okabe, I mean it would have been much more impactful in serious situations if we could see Okabe suffering like we did with that CG of him holding Kurisu's dead body. Well, I think I talked too much, overall it was enjoyable and fun, though not enough Kurisu for me. I will watch anime sometime in the future and see how it holds up (though they rarely do).
I was initially put off by Higurashi’s dorky art style, but it soon grew on me. Still, the 07th Mod is highly recommended for both Umineko and Higurashi
Well I have steins;gate and the whole muv-luv collection but haven’t played either yet. I did watch the steins;gate anime though, and it is one of my favorites. I’m not sure how I feel about visual novels yet cause I kinda hate reading. 😂 if I read it’s usually an encyclopedia, anime, or textbook, but if I read anything nonfiction I can take a good fantasy/scifi romance.
My fav VN is Saya no Uta. I love horror but I have dropped so many VN's due to how slow they are. I dropped Fata Morgana, Tsubihibe, Steins;gate, Chaos;head. I just want something really good that i don't have to sit through hours of boredom in order to get immersed in the narrative.
Believe it or not somehow the only thing I've heard about Steins;Gate is that it's the only game Joseph Anderson has dropped and refuses to ever pick back up.
Clannad at 11? either this list is broken as hell, or the novel isnt as good as the anime, because i cant believe the top 10 can top that. anyway, continuing to watch
It's due to different love interests once White Album 2 is on steam it will go down. There were other vn like Air that did not make the cut for these reasons.
As someone who watched the anime years before playing, strong yes. I am continuously impressed by the pacing and how well-written it is. It can be frustrating at times, but you have to understand who the characters are and all of the flaws that they have. All of the build up makes it more cathartic when things start developing.
Make sure to do the side routes in closing chapter before doing the main route on it, even if you don't like the character. It shows sides of other characters that you don't see in the main route and really fleshes them out
As far as I understand, the While Album 2 anime only covered the opening chapter part of the story, which is merely 10-15% of it lol. The other 85% is closing chapter and none of that was animated at all.
Can you make a deepdive about why steam ask for censorship for visual novels, while there are so much awful porn on steam?(Daily Reminder that Furry Hitler Never got Banned but Full Metal Daemon Muramasa did)
Because Furry Hitler isn’t considered CP in some territories, while many anime visual novels are straight up illegal to distribute because they qualify as CP depending on where you live
For Umineko it's generally recommended by the 07th-Mod Team themselves to not play the 07th Mod version but get either Umineko Project or play the Umineko Switch version patched to English. The latter needs a modded Switch or Switch emulator but is considered to be the better choice of the two because of the additional content and better engine.
baldr sky was actually the first Visual novel i ever played and Complete it .....still bare special place in my heart ...and ironically the review of that game was first video from you i ever watched ...funny i know
Amazing how I have read them all and my all time favourite isn't even near the top lol Also, funny enough, I disliked Muv Luv Alternative My top would be... 1. Dies Irae 2. Chäos;Child 3. Little Busters 4. Umineko 5. Fate/stay night
Fsn could literally just be summarized as mentally ill boy trying to become a super hero while he also pulls off the most convoluted suicide plot of all time
I enjoyed the video! But I will forever disagree with Western fans lauding Umineko as one of the best VNs out there. Chiru was absolute garbage. While the West tends to disagree with me, at least the Japanese agree with me as on Erogamescape, they give Chiru mostly 60-70 out of 100 instead of the high ratings Western fans give on VNDB.
the recent interest of umineko in the west does not mean that the west likes umineko, chiru was universally laughed at all the way back a decade ago when it came out and ryukishi basically had to go into hiding due to all the backlash. The recent resurgence in fanboyism is an entirely new aberration due to the change in social clime and rise of a certain group of people who took umineko as a "life manual" and recommended it in their circles due to the circumstances of one of the female characters.
If you think game preservation is already bad enough, look how many of the best and most influential visual novels are either completely unavailable or only in Japan, it's really depressing... There isn't a single fate visual novel available easily on steam...
house of fata morgana and Muv Luv are absolutely awesome. Utawarerumono is my favorite, the VN completely blew my mind, too bad the new animes are mid at best, garbage at worst
Really depends on the visual novel. But if you want to understand most of what you're reading without looking up words constantly, you'll need to be confident with at least basic grammar and a few thousand words of vocab I'd say (bare minimum for easier vns). That said though, reading an easier vn can be a great way to learn Japanese and that doesn't require you to understand everything (in fact, the point is that you don't). That's originally why I started reading vns and my reading ability has improved significantly. I started with Little Busters and could already understand a lot, but there was also a lot of vocab I had to look up. I know of people who started vns with far lower comprehension than I had and gradually got to a point where they could understand stuff pretty well, so it's worth a try
I know umineko is well written. After reading it however, I didn't feel satisfied with it as many others have which is a shame. It just went on for far too long for my liking, especially with a certain character in the 2nd half rubbing me the wrong way...😅
I'm ashamed to say that I dropped it after episode 6. I loved everything about it except its pacing. (mild spoilers ahead) The structure of the consistantly "set back" games felt like starting all over again and again and again. At the end of ep 6 there was finally some long awaited resolution and character progression and then I started ep 7 and once again, everything got washed away and the narrative started at zero. I do regret dropping it after all the invested time but man, there are a couple of VNs on this list that have a way better quality/quantity ratio imo.
@TheLastDaysOfSorrow dude right after episode 6 is EXACTLY where I completely lost all interest with the game. The constant resetting of character growth absolutely destroyed me time and time again, and I had went into the answers arc hoping the characters would retain alot of their memories and experiences from the questions arc. But no. It got to be too much, too convoluted, and the game suffered from having way too many scenes of dialogue with characters going in circles for hours on end on the same single thing. Ryukishi 07's writing style just completely bothers me now, and I can't bring myself to enjoy higurashi because of it now
@Basel-iv7zu I read the entire thing and even afterwards got more context from the manga. Just goes to show even if people plead with you on something they like, it doesn't mean another person will. I have learned my lesson due to having hundreds of people sing the games praises, only for it to leave me annoyed.
@@N_Wah_ Good to know that I'm not completely alone on that front. :P Having said that though, I'm not quite as down on the VN as you are, I believe. Even though I do think it's way too long for what it's telling, I do appreciate the story, love the characters and I'm still listening to the banger OST regularly to this day. My main issue was that the VN took away the main thing I enjoyed about the narrative - the Battler/Bea dynamic. Spoilers for Answer Arc: If I remember correctly (it's been years) Beatrice basically "deletes" herself becoming an empty husk and Battler tries to bring her back. And obviously I was all in for Battler to succeed since I loved their dynamic and was looking forward to how it would unfold after all that's happened and their new mutual understanding of each other. And after an episode that just felt incredibly long and frustrating I finally got that carrot I was chasing, only for everything to immediately get wiped away again by the beginning of episode 7. I apologize if I got the story mixed up - as I said, it's been years since I dropped the VN. Might pick it up again after watching a recap or two since it's been walking around in my head ever since. Maybe some one can drop a subtle hint if/ when I can expect a thorough and truly rewarding return of Battler and Beatrice? That could serve as a potential motivator. lol
The Rabbit Hole really screwed with me. I couldn't finish it. I played Sengoku Rance, and while I loved that game, it showed me ho much of a grind it was.
Great list! I'm reading through Wonderful Everyday right now but I still have many of those you mentioned to catch up to. Some are already installed on my PC. The hardest part now is deciding which to read after.
Hopefully the English community can play Sakura no uta some day as the Spanish community made it, it really is a new experience and a visual novel on its own league in every single technical aspects.
If I have to describe the feeling of reading The House in Fata Morgana it's this --- your heart being pulled right out of your chest, smacked & repeatedly trampled on the floor into many pieces, and then placed into a grinder 'til you reach the most happiest chapter that rewards you for going through all that pain and suffering. In all that, I applaud this VN for its rich, beautiful art, music and storytelling. Hell, even when I thought I've had the mystery all figured out, it slaps my face with an unexpected reveal on various levels. Hence, this has become one of my favorites. As for Sakura no Uta, it's too bad that there's no English patch for it. I'm still in the middle of reading Subahibi, and despite its disturbing situations, the VN does leave a lasting impression in my head (currently just finished the most vile of scenes that involved Zakuro and damn, that was rough). Lastly, I have to mention Higanbana no Saku Yoru ni. This is one title that's also good with its storytelling aspect, but how I wish it would get the same treatment as Higurashi when it comes to being given the option of changing its art style.
The only criticism I had was only at near the end where our protag is treated like a Mary sue Christ figure and just constantly preaches while everybody just bow down to him out of character, it's like naruto's talk no jutsu his opponents away. Im also not a big fan of it's spiritual and supernatural aspect of it, something which also got more prominent at the end, that's maybe why I prefer it's more grounded prequel Requiem.... So do you have any recommendations similar to that? Best I could find is Aiyoku no Eustia
@@kraney195Well the entire point of that last part was that no one actually wanted to do what they were doing they just thought they had to and were being stubborn. Plus it wasn't real anyway
#1 Turned out to be far too predictable, as much sense as it makes. I mean, I love that VN too, but it has a bad tendency to overshadow its own franchise. And I'm pretty sure it has less to do with it being truly the best entry in the series (which I don't think it is) and more to do with its anime adaptation being far better handled than those of the rest of the series.
The anime adaptation from UFOTABLE is actually not that good, i watched the anime before and then played the VNs and the vn is like genuiely a lot better, tho i must say they handled heaven's feel way better than UBW, but zero is def the best anime adaptation from Fate, the ufotable adaptation for zero was even better than the original product, tho since the original product is complete ass Zero's anime is def worse than UBW's anime. And the F/GO adaptation for Babylonia is even better than the original, and babylonia by itself in the game is really good. Sadly cloverworks did quite the nasty oopsie with camelot, and Solomon was just fine. I feel like F/GO gets really underapreciated but the third pseudo singularity and the latter lostbelts are actually quite comparable to Stay Night. Apocrypha was pretty mid and the adaptation is fine, soo not much to say. Redline is great, and strange fake as well, i'd even argue its better than stay night and the anime adaptation soo far is insane. Hollow ataraxia is just a beautful sequel for a concluded story, wich is actually a insane thing to manage if im honest, def the third best entrance in the nasuverse in my opinion. And Fate/Extra (atleast before extella) is the best Fate entrance in my opinion, from having the top MC right there with shiki and shirou, to having the best cast of servants, and a really beautiful message. Also the game itself is pretty cool, tho the anime adaptation is horrible, atleast they translated Wada arco's absolutely stunning artstyle really well. Tho the best is def Tsukihime, but its not tecnically fate. Don't know about maho, since its getting a UFOTABLE adaptation im waiting for that, and samurai remmnant i have no idea since its kinda recent, and i like, dont buy games. Kalleid is ass until the final season and the movie, soo as a whole its like the worst fate thing, maybe better than Zero. And Lord ell melloi is a pretty nice change of pace, but nothing insane. And the deen Stay Night adaptation... i dont want to talk about that.
Muv-Luv Alternative was the first one for me, and the one that I actually finished the whole way through. The military themed apocalypse setting is the ideal fit for my interests. It's the first, and the perfect one for me, that until today I struggle to find another VN that can match it.
The thing is, you should not be talking about some of the VNs in this video like this, especially when I feel that at the time of this video, you have yet to play said VNs. Like I feel you are praising them, but it is based on what people say, and if you played some of them, you might not feel the same. This goes hard for ones like MLA, unless you played them a long time ago, if so all good, but otherwise, I don't want to hear you vomit the words others used, if it is a video you upload, I want to hear words based on your feelings and experiencies about it. If not possible, just give context and said you have not played X, but people like it due to, etc etc.
i'm thank you to YU-NO (1996) for revolutionary a visual novel .... YU-NO deserve to get respect from me even so many people dislike this vn .... the real masterpiece ...
list is wrong. MLA consistently kept #1 for over a decade. If it ever falls, it still going to be like in tennis comparing Federer with later #1, its just in its own tier.
"Visual novels are a largely unappreciated medium"
After watching this video I can really agree, this video encouraged me to read so much more.
I blame Japan for not releasing a lot of their popular VN to the West. I want to read Tsukihime remake but it’s unavailable in the West.
@@KhanMann66 yeah it's such a shame tsukihime remake didn't get release to the west, well seeing how popular fate franchise is, i'm pretty sure they gonna reconsider it
@@ronnieandreas8572 it just got a fan translation that’s amazing
It's coming out in 2024
@@thetruemrf7481 yeah i just heard about it recently, finally our prayers has been heard by type moon
the first visual novel that i've ever played and immediately fall in love with is chaos;head on switch , man the atmosphere alone is something else!
Thx for this list, I can always read some new VN that might interest me. Love your content
Mahoyo, Tsukihime, FSN and Hollow Ataraxia are the best VNs i've ever read.
I've only played 1 of these... I've got some work to do!
im done.. guess i'll write a story about banana into microwave.
*most popular visual novel
No va-11 hall-a?
we need ufotable adaptation of rance series
how the fuck is fate somewhere in list of highest rated...
I’m so happy to see Fata Morgana on this list!! It’s one of my favorite stories of all time.
The Gothic and historic elements, the stunning art, the haunting, lyrical music, the intrigue, the mystery, the searingly human themes and characters… I’ve cried thanks to this visual novel more times than I can count. The characters don’t even feel fictional; they feel like people in all their tragedies, hopes, and faults. The writing is so immensely personal to each of them, like a brutally honest diary. Everyone’s perspective is delved into in all of their biases, prejudices, feelings, and terrible faults. Though the visual novel is the very definition of slowburn in its setting, plot, and tension, it is more than worth it if you’re willing to pay attention to details and patterns in each story. In the months since I’ve finished it, its affective storytelling is still ever-present in my mind. I can’t give it a more glowing recommendation.
As an aspiring writer, I endeavor to exemplify the uniquely empathetic and human narrative present in the story. If any of this sounds even slightly interesting to you, I BEG YOU to give it a try. At this point, I’m desperate for people to recognize its merit and expose themselves to the vulnerable, personal, emotional story at its center.
Well said, Fata Morgana is such a masterpiece. The characters are so human its scary
Absolute masterpiece
it's so rare to see a fata morgana fan 🥲, I still have the ost Giselle and Cicio on my spotify and everytime i hear them i feel the same way as I had when I was reading it for the first time.
Has two of the greatest character dynamics, Jacopo and Morgana, Michel and Giselle
While the 07th-mod patch for Umineko is serviceable, I would actually go a step further and instead recommend either the PC patch by The Umineko Project instead, or playing the Switch version with associated translation patch on a hacked or emulated Switch, if that option is available to you. The Umineko Project and Switch versions both add back in things such as proper lip syncing, sprite/background/rain animations, song subtitles, line jumps within the backlog, and several other features that are missing from the base Steam version due to the engine that Mangagamer decided to release the game on.
While I love FSN, I think Hollow Ataraxia might be one of my favorites as a fan of the series. It manages to pull off an interesting story as well as have a fan service aspect that lets you get to know other characters (including those who didn't get a lot of time in the og vn). Highly recommend for anyone who enjoyed FSN.
I actually prefer Hollow Ataraxia to FSN. Sure it has a lot of fan service in there, and sometimes it meanders about due to the nature of its storytelling, but I think it's ultimately the more interesting visual novel experience. Also, it serves as "Medusa route," and she's way more interesting there than in FSN. Not to mention Caren, Bazett, and a certain other protagonist are all excellent characters in their own right.
@@Cav829 Oh Medusa's route was the first one I focused on lol, that game made her one of my favs.
@@Cav829 angra is the greatest fate protag
Where can I read this visual novel in English?
@@nicholas_bolas2018 There is sadly no official release for HA. If you google "Play Hollow Ataraxia" you should find what you need in order to play it.
kind of surprised Mahoyo didn't make the list since it's probably the best looking vn (personally sad Tsukihime didn't show up)
Addendum: This list was ranked using VNDB's Bayasian Average scoring method.
Addendum #2: As of 6/11/23, the list has changed due to VNDB changing their ranking metrics. This list is still a fairly good listing of top visual novels in the medium however.
Just means you can do another video on the topic as well as keeping this older one as a record of the past, as it were.
@@joshuaanderson1712nah they're still good games and it hasn't really changed much
I still can't accept the fact that fruit of grisaia trilogy series isn't here
Nor Saya No Uta...
@@ilucaszisn't that the one with the meat monster
@@lilzeddy Yep!
Same....
Because there is 15 VNs better than Grisaia.
Subahibi and Umineko are the best visual novels to me, but Sakura no Uta genuinely touched my heart like not other VN. Maybe because in a twisted and unexpected way, I relate to Naoya, whose view on beauty and talent mirrors my life experiences. It is truly an incomparable experience.
Where did you sakura no uta?
@@dudi.x9659 I read with the spanish patch
Sakura no Uta? Not Saya no Uta?
@@ilucasz Yes
@@soooslaaal8204 Didn't know there was another with a similar name.
It's made me so happy to see more and more people checking out The House in Fata Morgana since it's Switch release because when I first read it years ago, I knew it would be something really special for me. And it's only reinstated that personal distinction on subsequent re-reads. I also agree it's one of the easiest to recommend to those outside the anime/VN sphere, female and/or lgbt+ audiences, etc... so long as they are readers in general (aka are willing to invest a bit of time haha) and can handle certain subject matter.
Man idk what it is, I tried repeatedly and just can't get into Fata Morgana. I get like 3 hours in and just doesn't hook me at all. I think it's gonna end up being my VN equivalent of Madmen, where I recognize there's amazing writing in it but it just doesn't do it for me.
@@EE-jp5evmaybe it's the slow writing? it really does pick up though and is 100 percent worth going through the slow parts
@@EE-jp5evIt's weird cause the later stuff will make the first parts way better in retrospect
@@EE-jp5ev you literally read only 3 hours of the worst parts 💀
I was confused at first why it's 14 VNs, but then I saw that both parts of Umineko are in the top 15
Also, thanks for the list. I've been having decision paralysis about which VNs to start with, and this seems like a good way to help clear that up.
My top 5
1. Umineko
2. Steins;Gate
3. Fate/hollow ataraxia
4. Higurashi
5. Fate/Stay Night
You have grown so much over the years my dude. Top tier editing and a great video as always.
Subahibi has to have one of the best(or the best) opening scene to a visual novel. Nothing beats a rooftop, black frilly dress and a smoke.
Also my favorite vn e.e
Never enjoyed myself so much reading a visual novel (except Umineko), still think about some of its dialogues every day
Would love to know your thoughts in full on White Album 2 one of these days. It's such a huge, ambitious game it's worth a full review.
In summary, the writer is a huge sadist
for now ive read the house in fata morgana (the only visual novel i played ever) and ive loved it so much that now im interested in the genre and searching new games, ty for making this video
Fata Morgana is a masterpiece. I’m a big fan of the Danganronpa Trilogy as well, and I’ve watched Steins Gate and SG0. I’ve seen the visual novels Katawa Shoujo and DDLC. I really want to check out Umineko and White album 2.
Steins;Gate is just SO good. It's what got me into VNs
Steins;Gate vs. Umineko is where I typically end up with for my top spot, and it's hard to keep it to just the VN comparison since one got probably the greatest anime adaptation a VN ever got and the other... well the less said about it the better. But for Umineko to be in that conversation alone should tell you how much I love it.
Umineko anime does not exist 🗿
The House in Fata Morgana is life altering, I cannot recommend it enough. I've read through it multiple times and im moved every time! Incredible read!!
Played Muv-Luv about half a year ago and it was genuinely one of the best things I've ever read. I still think about it every so often. I just started Fate a few days ago and it's been pretty good too.
Aesthetically and storywise the house in fata morgana stands in a tier of its own. Unlike most of the vns on the list this one does not rely on abstract concept or metaphysical stuff to aid in its storytelling.
Facts brother
Sad part is that I played a lot of these 😭. Hard to find high quality Vns in English these days.
still waiting As night reincarnation get pickup
Define "high quality". Going off the vndb average score, there's whole bunch with around or above an 8.00 average score.
try policenauts, yuno and eve burst error
@@__diosito__ Much appreciated. Gonna look them up when i get home.
@@AngeVNs Is that all in English though, and is all of it even well translated. There are plenty of great VNs out there that either don't have an English translation or do have one but has been advised by Japanese readers as being poor quality.
for umineko it's recommended to get the project instead of the 07 mod as it has lots more features i believe
Yeah, definitely pick that for lip sync + much better translation
So far I've just read 4 of these: Higurashi, Umineko, Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth, Muv-Luv Alternative. And I thought all of them were great in their own way. Each really drew me into their worlds through their mix of tense stories and character development.
I do have a few others in my backlog: Baldr Sky, Clannad, The House in Fata Morgana, and Steins;Gate. My backlog is pretty big right now, so it may be a while before I get to them, but I'm really looking forward to all of them.
And I do want to read as man of them as possible, but again my backlog (and VNs I want but haven't purchased yet) means it will take a long time before then, if ever.
As someone who plays both, Do you think I should start With Higurashi or Umineko? as a Mystery genre which do you think succeed more in their goal of keeping suspense?
Go read your copy of House in Fata Morgana and Steins;Gate now. Definitely worth it. And they will wreck you real HARD.
@@kraney195 If you're planning to read both, you may want to start with Higurashi. They're separate stories, and I wouldn't say Umineko requires Higurashi to make sense, but it can definitely enhance the experience, since there are a few nods back to it.
From a mystery standpoint, I think Umineko's the best though. Both are good, but Umineko really leans into that side of things, and I'd say does it really well overall (though there may be parts that you could have issues with).
@@soulscyther666 Oh, they're both high on my lists of VNs to read. I am reading Chaos;Head Noah right now, so I'll obviously want to wait until afterwards for Steins;Gate. Really excited for both though.
Fsn, hollow ataraxia, mahoyo and tsuki remake are just peak (we don't mention KT)
y si te dejas de the most gungangingan y pones el titulo de la VN en los timers que tal?
Notable mentions: The Grisaia series, Katawa Shoujo, Saya no Uta
The Devil on G-String is also genuinely great although I despise the MC most of the time.
I also think people are not giving Chaos;Head enough credit. Yes, the world is less fleshed out than in Steins;Gate, but it does some genuinely creative stuff with it's delusion system and the MC Taku is an absolute character study of hikkikomori and social anxiety. No VN simulates losing your mind better.
@@gilroyscopa The issue with C;H at least for me is that while the first half does a fantastic job of ratcheting up the tension and paranoia surrounding the events taking place. The second half mostly consists of info-dumps, and leads to an ending that felt rushed and tropey at least in my eyes.
@@Lokd0wn Yeah, you're probably right. Still, I like how little you know what is real and what isn't at times, once the obvious delusion-transitions stop.
@@gilroyscopa Oh yeah, if someone wanted to make the arguement that C;H has the best opening chapters of all the Sci;Adv stories I could definitely see where they're coming from.
As while to me the likes of S;G and C;C have better story and characters overall. The setup done by C;H is masterfully done, just a shame they could only sort of stick the landing.
It should be noted that I haven't read the C;H Noah routes yet. The official translation is apparently pretty bad. And there's still some contention as to whether the CoZ patch translation is all that good.
But I am aware of what happens in the Noah routes as a friend who knows Japanese gave me Cliff Notes of them a few years ago. And none of them seemed particularly outstanding, aside from the revelation about one of the characters in a route ending that completely flips some stuff in C;C on it's head.
Very, very surprised Hakuoki isn't on here. It's one of the most popular and beloved historical-based visual novels of all time.
Clannad and WA2 are both my favorite romance and drama stories... they're just amazing.
Steins gate or steins gate elite which one should I play
Both
Imo fate stay night is better than all of them
Great video. Should have mentioned the amazing White Album 2 soundtrack though.
utawarerumono series is indeed an absolute banger, never really interacted with others about visual novels but binging these type of videos is really fun and makes me kinda want to find some people to talk about these type of games.
Is there romance in the series?
To add on MuvLuv Alternative, to quote on one of the reviews in VNDB:
MuvLuv Extra introduces you to the characters
MuvLuv Unlimited introduces you to the world
MuvLuv Alternative ties both together
It truly is a grand story that refuses to leave as I finished playing it last January and to this day I keep listening to its damn soundtrack like its some damn good cocaine.
MuvLuv TDA is a great addition for it
how many muvluv are there? Is it one of those oversaturated franchise that overstayed it's welcome like Fate?
@@kraney195 from what I know the one's mentioned by Charlie500 above are the only ones and a spinoff mech game, i think.
@@kraney195 You may consider it like that. So far the studio that made the core MuvLuv series (MuvLuv and MuvLuv Alternative) has made like three major spinoffs and a lot of minor ones that were based on the MuvLuv Alternative universe. Also for people who just heard about MuvLuv, to not get confused, MuvLuv Extra and Unlimited are not two separate games and are merged together in one game just titled MuvLuv.
@@ketanvirbhadre1634 MuvLuv TDA(The Day After) is a continuation of MuvLuv Unlimited.
Personally saying I recommend Paranormasight The 7 legends of Honjo in this it's a recent game which came out a few months ago and Istg this game is just mind blowing the story, characters, plot twists was just perfect I finished it recently it's a solid 10/10 on story
To anyone who's enjoyed steins gate, I highly recommend the rest of the visual novels in the science adventure series, steins gate takes part in a shared universe of other phenomenal vn's.
Chaos Head Noah is its prequel that takes place a year before and is the very first vn in the series, and I personally favour it over steins gate.
There are other timelines? Or parallel universes?
@@tallesrodrigues5994 the only timeline that exists currently Is the steins gate world line , every entry takes place on this world line except chaos head since that came out before sg and takes place before it.
There isn't quite parallel universes but world layers are a concept from the series
@@kheggz6734 Yes, I remenber that, for a moment I thought they had broken the rules of the series in a spinoff (like Fate did)
I also prefer Chaos;Head (I played the OG ver) over steins gate
As great as steins;gate is it gets pretty predictable in the middle. At least Chaos;Head remain unpredictable 90% through the game and you can actually feel MC Paranoia seeping into your brain
The resolution is really weak tho. The initial concept hardcarries it till the end but they thrown it to trash for finale. Honestly I think it'll be much better if Chaos;Head just make the MC insane and let us sit in his brain the whole way.
I mean it's a real cool concept, playing as insane person, choose which delusion he's gonna see and watch him either went full insane, get better or in between
Muv luv was #1 for the longest time on vndb, unfortunately it isn't nearly as popular as steins gate. Steins gate has a really good anime to help it, wish we had the same for muv luv lol
I'm glad and proud that white album 2 ranked this high
if it didn't haruki would blame himself and self isolate for 3 years
@@AlkonKomm two most useless person in the room. Haruki & Kazusa. Love to see that.
Havent played all yet but House of Fata Morgana is still the top visual novel for me
I just finished getting all the Rance X routes and endings today. Man it's so peak. The Rance series is sooooooooooo long but the payoff in X is so damn worth it. I can't wait for the English release so my fellow Rance fans can experience the culmination of characterization, lore, and worldbuilding they established throughout the whole series.
FSN is just a classic nowdays but still worth a read especially their different spin-off series
" read especially their different spin-off series" I think the main timeline is superior to the spin-offs TBH.
Yeah, F/GO and the other spinoffs are good and all but it just doesn't match up to KnK, Tsukihime, F/SN and Mahoyo.
Don’t use up all your tissues on Clannad. Save some for Tomoyo After omg 😢
It sadly to see not even a single popular romance long time ago visual novel make it like Dracu-riot , Noble Work from yuzusoft and Hapymaher , Amatsutsumi or Cyanotype Daydream from Laplacian which is very popular but not make it to the list
So I'm reading Steins Gate and currently at chapter 6, it has been really fun to read and it is definitely huge improvement in both production quality and story compared to Chaos Head. But from what I have read so far it seems overhyped. Don't get me wrong I absolutely love Rintaro (he is very likeable) and the others, so I will see after finishing the whole game.
Just keep on reading. I struggled a bit to continue during the first half. Then it became my most favorite vn and re-read it several times. Also make sure to read all the different routes.. one of them was so freaking shocking to me :)
@@MrEDET The Ferris Route, that was cut from the anime completely, is genuinely great.
Steins;gate has absolutely atrocious pacing. the people who manage to stick with it get rewarded with a very exciting second half, that honestly makes it hard to stop reading.
@@AlkonKomm As a science nerd the bad pacing didn't matter to me at all. All that riddling over what's happening was fun to me. Plus: I'd attend Kurisus' lectures every day.
@@MrEDET Hey. So I kept reading and finally finished it 2 days ago. Now I have some free time on my hands, I might as well share my opinion (I have no one else around me who reads/plays visual novels).
SPOILERS FOR STEINS; GATE:
So, basically I read the first entry in the franchise Chaos; Head like a year ago, it was interesting but I hated the protagonist, though he did redeem himself in the later parts. I have been hearing so much about this and Umineko for so long, so I decided to finally read it despite my upcoming exams (my big mistake). I started and read 5 hours straight on weekends cause Kurisu. But my experience got distorted because I was able to read only like 20 minutes on weekdays. The beginning was pretty great for me, though I had a lot of questions but all of them got answered in the later sections as it was the case with Subahibi. Steins; Gate is a huge improvement from Chaos Head in all aspects like production quality, art, story and characters. I absolutely loved all the characters and their interactions (but I want more Kurisu and Okarin).
Okarin is a great protagonist probably my top 3.
Kurisu- the best girl, the best assistant. I oved her online toxic personality.
Endings:
Suzuha Ending - I think this ending is most wasted when it had a great potential. It felt kinda short to me, I was really interested in how Okabe was getting mentally broken and started listening to his intrusive thoughts such as seeing Daru almost get hit by a car. I was hoping they would explore it more, but it got rushed.
Faris Ending - I didn't expect much, but I liked Faris in the end. Good route. I loved how everyone is alive, but no one knows Okabe and it was probably the happiest ending.
Luka Ending - Wait, did they just sacrifice Mayuri and just kept on going?
Mayuri Ending - it was great, but why Kurisu?
Kurisu Ending - same with Mayuri Route, but double the pain.
True Ending - I was kinda disappointed that Kurisu was not saved, so I got really happy when Okarin was given a chance to save her. Big Mistake, Okabe got traumatized, he didn't deserve it honestly. This is easily the best ending and is among my most satisfying endings because of that final interaction with Kurisu.
My complaints are that Okabe can be real dense sometimes, such as talking about Time Travel Machine in Public places (like that time Faris heard). I mean dude learn some self restraint, you hacked into one of the biggest organizations on Earth and you are talking about openly? Also, he allowed anyone to become a lab mem and send messages which was kinda fine, but letting them send D-mails without knowing its contents was stupid imo. Plot twists were not good as in other vns like 999 or When they cry series, they were kinda easy to figure out like Suzuha being Daru's daughter, I mean she went to the same event as Daru saying she will meet her father there and they have similar hair color. Also, I knew Okabe was involved Kurisu's death because she said in the very beginning of the game that Okabe wanted to talk to her in private and then she gets killed mysteriously. Finally, not enough CGs of Okabe, I mean it would have been much more impactful in serious situations if we could see Okabe suffering like we did with that CG of him holding Kurisu's dead body.
Well, I think I talked too much, overall it was enjoyable and fun, though not enough Kurisu for me. I will watch anime sometime in the future and see how it holds up (though they rarely do).
I was initially put off by Higurashi’s dorky art style, but it soon grew on me. Still, the 07th Mod is highly recommended for both Umineko and Higurashi
Well I have steins;gate and the whole muv-luv collection but haven’t played either yet. I did watch the steins;gate anime though, and it is one of my favorites. I’m not sure how I feel about visual novels yet cause I kinda hate reading. 😂 if I read it’s usually an encyclopedia, anime, or textbook, but if I read anything nonfiction I can take a good fantasy/scifi romance.
I love you bruh (Higurashi is my favorite)
Katawa Shoujo was a great VN
My fav VN is Saya no Uta. I love horror but I have dropped so many VN's due to how slow they are. I dropped Fata Morgana, Tsubihibe, Steins;gate, Chaos;head. I just want something really good that i don't have to sit through hours of boredom in order to get immersed in the narrative.
Believe it or not somehow the only thing I've heard about Steins;Gate is that it's the only game Joseph Anderson has dropped and refuses to ever pick back up.
If it's the right Joseph Anderson I'm thinking of, I get the feeling he just doesn't like anime games at all lol
Clannad at 11? either this list is broken as hell, or the novel isnt as good as the anime, because i cant believe the top 10 can top that.
anyway, continuing to watch
It's due to different love interests once White Album 2 is on steam it will go down.
There were other vn like Air that did not make the cut for these reasons.
should i play white alabum 2? since i watched the anime 5 years ago
As someone who watched the anime years before playing, strong yes. I am continuously impressed by the pacing and how well-written it is. It can be frustrating at times, but you have to understand who the characters are and all of the flaws that they have. All of the build up makes it more cathartic when things start developing.
Make sure to do the side routes in closing chapter before doing the main route on it, even if you don't like the character. It shows sides of other characters that you don't see in the main route and really fleshes them out
As far as I understand, the While Album 2 anime only covered the opening chapter part of the story, which is merely 10-15% of it lol. The other 85% is closing chapter and none of that was animated at all.
Baldr sky is no joke. Took me 94 hours and I played through one girls route for like 7 hours straight it was wild
Can you make a deepdive about why steam ask for censorship for visual novels, while there are so much awful porn on steam?(Daily Reminder that Furry Hitler Never got Banned but Full Metal Daemon Muramasa did)
the guys who check them hate anime visual novels as simple as that
No other genre gets this much flagging
Kinda hard to do when Steam doesn't make (public) reasons why they censor stuff.
Credit card/ payment provider stuff. And the root of that is shareholders kinda?
Because Furry Hitler isn’t considered CP in some territories, while many anime visual novels are straight up illegal to distribute because they qualify as CP depending on where you live
@@304Blaise that is retarded because they are other violent games that are illegal in other countries and they don't get ban.
“-will give you a false sense of security, and then tear you down and genuinely hurt you. And this is a good thing”
-VN daddy
For Umineko it's generally recommended by the 07th-Mod Team themselves to not play the 07th Mod version but get either Umineko Project or play the Umineko Switch version patched to English. The latter needs a modded Switch or Switch emulator but is considered to be the better choice of the two because of the additional content and better engine.
What about dies irae? :c
Yeah, Dies Irae is really underrated.
baldr sky was actually the first Visual novel i ever played and Complete it .....still bare special place in my heart ...and ironically the review of that game was first video from you i ever watched ...funny i know
I'm surprised there is just one tm vn in this list
Amazing how I have read them all and my all time favourite isn't even near the top lol
Also, funny enough, I disliked Muv Luv Alternative
My top would be...
1. Dies Irae
2. Chäos;Child
3. Little Busters
4. Umineko
5. Fate/stay night
thats ok because muv luv alternative is for men.
@@__diosito__Ong brother
Where is shinra bansho series
Katawa Shoujo?
Fsn could literally just be summarized as mentally ill boy trying to become a super hero while he also pulls off the most convoluted suicide plot of all time
I enjoyed the video! But I will forever disagree with Western fans lauding Umineko as one of the best VNs out there. Chiru was absolute garbage. While the West tends to disagree with me, at least the Japanese agree with me as on Erogamescape, they give Chiru mostly 60-70 out of 100 instead of the high ratings Western fans give on VNDB.
the recent interest of umineko in the west does not mean that the west likes umineko, chiru was universally laughed at all the way back a decade ago when it came out and ryukishi basically had to go into hiding due to all the backlash. The recent resurgence in fanboyism is an entirely new aberration due to the change in social clime and rise of a certain group of people who took umineko as a "life manual" and recommended it in their circles due to the circumstances of one of the female characters.
If you think game preservation is already bad enough, look how many of the best and most influential visual novels are either completely unavailable or only in Japan, it's really depressing...
There isn't a single fate visual novel available easily on steam...
Cannot recommend umineko enough!
Umineko is a masterpiece
After consuming Subahibi, Sakura no Uta and even Tsui no Sora remake I can only cope and seethe while I wait for some translation for Sakura no Toki
house of fata morgana and Muv Luv are absolutely awesome.
Utawarerumono is my favorite, the VN completely blew my mind, too bad the new animes are mid at best, garbage at worst
I wonder, how much Japanese would you say you have to know to read a visual novel anyway?
Really depends on the visual novel. But if you want to understand most of what you're reading without looking up words constantly, you'll need to be confident with at least basic grammar and a few thousand words of vocab I'd say (bare minimum for easier vns).
That said though, reading an easier vn can be a great way to learn Japanese and that doesn't require you to understand everything (in fact, the point is that you don't). That's originally why I started reading vns and my reading ability has improved significantly. I started with Little Busters and could already understand a lot, but there was also a lot of vocab I had to look up. I know of people who started vns with far lower comprehension than I had and gradually got to a point where they could understand stuff pretty well, so it's worth a try
Oh thank you
House in Fata Morgana broke me.
I'm just happy baldr sky is there
I dont why umineko when they cry is murder mystery. In first place we know Beatrice is killer. So why this game muder mystery?
wym bro magic isnt real
vndb says different
I know umineko is well written. After reading it however, I didn't feel satisfied with it as many others have which is a shame. It just went on for far too long for my liking, especially with a certain character in the 2nd half rubbing me the wrong way...😅
I'm ashamed to say that I dropped it after episode 6. I loved everything about it except its pacing. (mild spoilers ahead)
The structure of the consistantly "set back" games felt like starting all over again and again and again. At the end of ep 6 there was finally some long awaited resolution and character progression and then I started ep 7 and once again, everything got washed away and the narrative started at zero.
I do regret dropping it after all the invested time but man, there are a couple of VNs on this list that have a way better quality/quantity ratio imo.
@TheLastDaysOfSorrow dude right after episode 6 is EXACTLY where I completely lost all interest with the game. The constant resetting of character growth absolutely destroyed me time and time again, and I had went into the answers arc hoping the characters would retain alot of their memories and experiences from the questions arc. But no. It got to be too much, too convoluted, and the game suffered from having way too many scenes of dialogue with characters going in circles for hours on end on the same single thing. Ryukishi 07's writing style just completely bothers me now, and I can't bring myself to enjoy higurashi because of it now
If you have made it that far, atleast finish ep 7 tea party. Or read the manga instead
@Basel-iv7zu I read the entire thing and even afterwards got more context from the manga. Just goes to show even if people plead with you on something they like, it doesn't mean another person will. I have learned my lesson due to having hundreds of people sing the games praises, only for it to leave me annoyed.
@@N_Wah_ Good to know that I'm not completely alone on that front. :P
Having said that though, I'm not quite as down on the VN as you are, I believe. Even though I do think it's way too long for what it's telling, I do appreciate the story, love the characters and I'm still listening to the banger OST regularly to this day.
My main issue was that the VN took away the main thing I enjoyed about the narrative - the Battler/Bea dynamic. Spoilers for Answer Arc:
If I remember correctly (it's been years) Beatrice basically "deletes" herself becoming an empty husk and Battler tries to bring her back. And obviously I was all in for Battler to succeed since I loved their dynamic and was looking forward to how it would unfold after all that's happened and their new mutual understanding of each other. And after an episode that just felt incredibly long and frustrating I finally got that carrot I was chasing, only for everything to immediately get wiped away again by the beginning of episode 7.
I apologize if I got the story mixed up - as I said, it's been years since I dropped the VN. Might pick it up again after watching a recap or two since it's been walking around in my head ever since. Maybe some one can drop a subtle hint if/ when I can expect a thorough and truly rewarding return of Battler and Beatrice? That could serve as a potential motivator. lol
The Rabbit Hole really screwed with me. I couldn't finish it. I played Sengoku Rance, and while I loved that game, it showed me ho much of a grind it was.
Great list! I'm reading through Wonderful Everyday right now but I still have many of those you mentioned to catch up to. Some are already installed on my PC. The hardest part now is deciding which to read after.
Hopefully the English community can play Sakura no uta some day as the Spanish community made it, it really is a new experience and a visual novel on its own league in every single technical aspects.
If I have to describe the feeling of reading The House in Fata Morgana it's this --- your heart being pulled right out of your chest, smacked & repeatedly trampled on the floor into many pieces, and then placed into a grinder 'til you reach the most happiest chapter that rewards you for going through all that pain and suffering. In all that, I applaud this VN for its rich, beautiful art, music and storytelling. Hell, even when I thought I've had the mystery all figured out, it slaps my face with an unexpected reveal on various levels. Hence, this has become one of my favorites.
As for Sakura no Uta, it's too bad that there's no English patch for it. I'm still in the middle of reading Subahibi, and despite its disturbing situations, the VN does leave a lasting impression in my head (currently just finished the most vile of scenes that involved Zakuro and damn, that was rough).
Lastly, I have to mention Higanbana no Saku Yoru ni. This is one title that's also good with its storytelling aspect, but how I wish it would get the same treatment as Higurashi when it comes to being given the option of changing its art style.
I read The House in Fata Morgana last month and I agree completely.
There are moments you just can't believe what happens.
The only criticism I had was only at near the end where our protag is treated like a Mary sue Christ figure and just constantly preaches while everybody just bow down to him out of character, it's like naruto's talk no jutsu his opponents away.
Im also not a big fan of it's spiritual and supernatural aspect of it, something which also got more prominent at the end, that's maybe why I prefer it's more grounded prequel Requiem.... So do you have any recommendations similar to that? Best I could find is Aiyoku no Eustia
@@kraney195Well the entire point of that last part was that no one actually wanted to do what they were doing they just thought they had to and were being stubborn. Plus it wasn't real anyway
Utawarerumono best game ever made
#1 Turned out to be far too predictable, as much sense as it makes. I mean, I love that VN too, but it has a bad tendency to overshadow its own franchise. And I'm pretty sure it has less to do with it being truly the best entry in the series (which I don't think it is) and more to do with its anime adaptation being far better handled than those of the rest of the series.
The anime adaptation from UFOTABLE is actually not that good, i watched the anime before and then played the VNs and the vn is like genuiely a lot better, tho i must say they handled heaven's feel way better than UBW, but zero is def the best anime adaptation from Fate, the ufotable adaptation for zero was even better than the original product, tho since the original product is complete ass Zero's anime is def worse than UBW's anime. And the F/GO adaptation for Babylonia is even better than the original, and babylonia by itself in the game is really good. Sadly cloverworks did quite the nasty oopsie with camelot, and Solomon was just fine. I feel like F/GO gets really underapreciated but the third pseudo singularity and the latter lostbelts are actually quite comparable to Stay Night. Apocrypha was pretty mid and the adaptation is fine, soo not much to say. Redline is great, and strange fake as well, i'd even argue its better than stay night and the anime adaptation soo far is insane. Hollow ataraxia is just a beautful sequel for a concluded story, wich is actually a insane thing to manage if im honest, def the third best entrance in the nasuverse in my opinion. And Fate/Extra (atleast before extella) is the best Fate entrance in my opinion, from having the top MC right there with shiki and shirou, to having the best cast of servants, and a really beautiful message. Also the game itself is pretty cool, tho the anime adaptation is horrible, atleast they translated Wada arco's absolutely stunning artstyle really well. Tho the best is def Tsukihime, but its not tecnically fate. Don't know about maho, since its getting a UFOTABLE adaptation im waiting for that, and samurai remmnant i have no idea since its kinda recent, and i like, dont buy games. Kalleid is ass until the final season and the movie, soo as a whole its like the worst fate thing, maybe better than Zero. And Lord ell melloi is a pretty nice change of pace, but nothing insane. And the deen Stay Night adaptation... i dont want to talk about that.
@@bruhdrugon6094 I don't think you're thinking of #1 here...
@@TheWolfgangGrimmer Oh i thought that with 1 you meant the first one to appear in the video, mb.
Muv-Luv Alternative was the first one for me, and the one that I actually finished the whole way through. The military themed apocalypse setting is the ideal fit for my interests. It's the first, and the perfect one for me, that until today I struggle to find another VN that can match it.
The House in Fata Morgana was soo good
Baldr sky, wonderful vn. I recommend this vn
Building story, battle, and voiced by top VAs
The thing is, you should not be talking about some of the VNs in this video like this, especially when I feel that at the time of this video, you have yet to play said VNs.
Like I feel you are praising them, but it is based on what people say, and if you played some of them, you might not feel the same.
This goes hard for ones like MLA, unless you played them a long time ago, if so all good, but otherwise, I don't want to hear you vomit the words others used, if it is a video you upload, I want to hear words based on your feelings and experiencies about it. If not possible, just give context and said you have not played X, but people like it due to, etc etc.
i'm thank you to YU-NO (1996) for revolutionary a visual novel .... YU-NO deserve to get respect from me even so many people dislike this vn .... the real masterpiece ...
underrated channel! Love how well you share your passion for these vns
Played all of them except Rance 10 and Umineko. Many of them are great, some of them are not so great.
I actually felt thoroughly disappointed by Subahibi. It was so hyped up.
I’ve come here to name drop *Doki Doki Literature Club* .
That is all 🫡
My top VN of all time:
1. Tsukihime Remake
2. Mahoyo
( I only played these two )
list is wrong. MLA consistently kept #1 for over a decade. If it ever falls, it still going to be like in tennis comparing Federer with later #1, its just in its own tier.
Clannad: you will cry.
Rance: asshole simulator.
Umineko & Higurashi: the classic sprites are more charming.