The Most Anticipated VNs of 2018
1) Necrobarista (Route 59)
Yeah, I don’t know how anyone isn’t excited for this one.
Boasting fantastic style and a bizarre premise that Suda51 and Hideki Kamiya would drool over, Necrobarista has stood out to me from the moment I’ve seen it on visuals alone (a rare enough feat for this one). 3D models and tech have been attempted in the visual novel sphere, but the closest we’ve gotten to decent has been Wispfire’s Herald. The folks at Route 59 though are fully utilizing the tech to create some dynamic backgrounds and set pieces for their unique cast. The choice has created some incredible shots that the trailers and gameplay footage has shown off. And in a genre that, more often than not, demands fealty to one particular style of art, it’s interesting to see.
As far as the story goes, we still know very little. What we know for sure is that it’s a game based in a coffee house in Australia (because, of course) that hosts both living and deceased patrons. More than a few people have tried to tie its theme to VA-11 HALL-A and, if so, that is great. VA-11 HALL-A is a fantastic title and if its inspiring more fantastic work, that’s good for everyone! However, it does feel like its trying to cut its own path: creating a world and story with a unique vision. Whether or not it succeeds is a different kettle of fish. But with this kind of clear ambition, hopefully they will succeed: not only raising their profile, but opening the doors for more Western visual novels on consoles – specifically the Nintendo Switch that will also be getting this VN on launch day.
That’s all I got for now. Hopefully these ten will see a solid release date this year. JP3: OUT.
