Visual novels are incredibly popular in Japan. Release both digitally and physically for the Vita, there seems to be not only quite a large existing catalogue available but more being announced all the time. They’re certainly an acquired taste for gamers in the West but it hasn’t stopped a number of them being released with the most notable being Steins;Gate. Most recently, Fragment’s Note was given a full English translation and it’s one of the better ones I’ve seen…
By their very nature, visual novels are more of a passive experience so if you’re looking for something with plenty of action or a game with a lot of interaction then this certainly isn’t for you. Essentially what makes a good visual novel is the artwork and the storyline and this is what makes Fragment’s Note work, especially at it’s low price point. Without giving too much of the plot away, the story centres around a strange girl who visits the protagonist of the story, Yukiha, and claims to be his daughter from the future. She tells him that she is there to help him change events that will impact on his future and thus begins the story.
As the story continues it follows events in his life, his relationship with his schoolfriends, love interests, his daughter and his sister and while there are only a few occasions where you are presented with choices to make, these do seem to change the flow of events within the story. I do want to make a specific point about that as other visual novels I’ve played seem to have choices that bear little impact on the events that occur in the story.
The characters are varied and the story is well written. While there are one or two minor issues with the translation and a few minor issues with the screen layout, these are easily forgiven for what is an entertaining story and at the price it’s a steal. You’ll get plenty of value for money out of this but it’s not really one for younger gamers as there are more than a couple of sexual references in the game so be aware of this incase it’s something that might not appeal to you.
Title: Fragment’s Note
Developer: Ullucus Heaven Inc
Type: Visual Novel
PlayStation TV Compatible: No
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