This is a condensed version of the full review which can be found on my Main Blog Here.

 

Genre – Urban Fantasy, Suspense, Horror, Action    Play Time – 30 hours    Developer – Type Moon   VNDB

 

Will It Disappear At Dawn?

 

The remake of Tsukihime was once considered a dead project by the fanbase due to how long it took to show any results to the point of being a running joke. Even when it finally did produce something the resulting visual novel only covered the first half of the original with the second half coming later. This release was subtitled A Piece of Blue Glass Moon and is the subject this review. The game covers the Near Side routes, these being Arcueid and Ciel, which focus around the greater world of Tsukihime with its supernatural forces on full display. In the original this was arguably the weaker half of the game given its role to act as set up for the other routes and in particular how much Ciel’s route retreads a lot of Arcueid’s route. Through this remake Type Moon tried to address these shortcomings of the original 2000s title and create a definitive version of their first work with the bells and whistles provided by modern techniques and a vastly bigger budget. Was the wait worth it or does this vampiric tale burn in the light of day? Let’s skulk under moonlight and find out.

 

Once Again Walking With Death – Narrative and Themes

 

As a remake there are certain expectations the game inherits from the original when it comes to content, characters and overall theming. This is a strong and well defined legacy to inherit and there are times when you can feel the game struggle under its weight as it can occasionally give certain moments more emphasis then they deserve. However, overall the title is a broad success in terms of preserving and enhancing the elements which made the Near Side so distinctive, these being a commitment to psychological and vampiric horror, a leaning towards action and world building. For Arcueid’s route this hold especially true since the game copies much of that route verbatim with the only real alterations being made on the moment to moment interactions between characters, otherwise this revision is faithful to a fault. Beyond the adhering to the original there is an understanding of what the new technology can bring to older scene that enhances them in a such a way that you know the original would have done the same if it had the ability to do so. This includes the proper use of movement, lighting and camera angles to sell the emotion the text is trying to invoke in a subtle way so as not be as unnoticeable as it is powerful. The effect these enhancements have in making the remake seem more like you remember the original cannot be overstated and is one of the game’s strongest aspects for returning fans.

 

 

On the opposite side we have the many changes the remake has made in order to rectify the flaws and limitations of the original work. These includes range from minor things like the reordering of events to make more sense and the expansion of certain character moments to increase their prominence to the wholesale rewriting of Ciel’s route. The original version of Ciel’s route suffered from borrowing too much from Arcueid’s route and a general sense that it had been rushed, so it was a perfect candidate for a reimagining to bring out the potential of Ciel’s character. However, rather than throwing out the entire original route, the broad strokes have been preserved and the new material fitted around them so as to maintain the identity of Ciel’s route and offer a little subversion for returning players. The new additions to the route revolve around exploring Ciel’s past in a more expansive way which was a previously lacking area. It does this through having more character’s related to the Church being present for Ciel and Shiki to interact with and by drawing more parallels between Shiki’s plight and the experiences that have shaped Ciel into the person she is today. These touches do wonders to improve upon Ciel’s characterisation and give the route a much needed identity distinct from Arcueid’s route. The revitalisation of Ciel’s route is by far the game’s greatest success and the main reason to play it if you have already played the original.

 

 

Power level might seem like an odd thing to bring up as a criticism of a game which has always had its fair share of action, but it is in the inconsistency of that power level where the biggest issue with this remake lies. The problems manifest at two distinct points, fights related to the vampire Vlov and the final battle at the end of Ciel’s route. These conflicts are almost apocalyptic in scale and feel so detached from the rest of the game which deals in relatively down to earth and deadly threats. This is especially strange when considering our protagonist Shiki is presented as fragile and human outside of these battles but inside them he displays an ability to fight and survive damage he never uses outside of these moments. Vlov is the bigger offender since he is in the middle of the narrative meaning that the power level spikes when he appears and afterwards drops like a stone back down to its original levels. This causes a strong sense of whiplash and a feeling that Vlov does not belong with the rest of the game making it obvious he is a new addition. The final fight in Ciel’s route at least attempts to justify why the power level spikes, but its problem is the jump is just so ridiculously large with the strength of the characters involved moving from vaguely realistic to completely over the moon in a short space of time. It seems to be this way so as to have a big finale for the game since it now lacks the second half and must end on some kind of resolution to provide catharsis for the player. Since these two examples constitute a very small amount of the overall play time it would be misleading to say they ruined the game, but the poor way they were handled as part of the whole narrative does leave a sour taste in your mouth as it kicks you out from enjoying what are in isolation very impressive fights. However, they feel like the belong more in Fate Grand Order than they do in Tsukihime.

 

Of Vampires And Mortals – Characters

 

The majority of the remake’s cast is inherited from the original Tsukihime and they are as distinctive here as they have always been. Time has been kind to the main characters, they have remained relatively unmolested by imitators or an obsession with moe and feel as fresh as they did back when the original was released. Having a protagonist like Shiki at the helm helps a lot since his mixture of kindness, violent urges, supernatural powers and physical weakness makes for a soup from which a variety of character arcs are possible and provides things for the heroine’s to bounce off to create engaging dialogue. He is at once likeable and interestingly flawed which makes seeing events through his eyes an entertaining journey and his mortality adds stakes to every confrontation with the world of vampires. The two main heroine’s of the game, Arcueid and Ciel, strike the right balance between being proactive driving forces for the narrative and being vulnerable enough that it is believable for them to need Shiki both emotionally and as backup in battle. Beyond this the rest of the returning cast have mostly background roles in this game but even here they showcase a degree of complexity while hinting at what is yet to come. Together they are as memorable as always and the remake captures why they entranced so many people over the years.

 

 

As for the new cast members introduced in the remake, those which are directly involved in the plot work to expand the horizons of the narrative and provide a more well rounded character experience. They are mostly related to the Church and thus shine in Ciel’s route, but make enough of an appearance in Arcueid’s route so as to not appear out of nowhere when it is their time on screen. Their existence is an effort to give Ciel and Shiki some characters to interact with who relate to the side of the world Ciel exists on which the original was sorely lacking. For example Noel acts as Ciel’s work partner and is a complete contrast to Ciel’s personality being a strange mix of cowardice and adult, almost predatory, charm. This makes her an excellent character for Shiki to interact with and receive information that Ciel would not be willing to give up and allow Shiki to express feeling through an outlet beyond the main heroines. All the Church related cast broadly act in a similar manner and allow for a richer understanding of the world, past and beliefs of Ciel that were not properly explored before. It is in the new content that they shine their brightest and showcase the wonders well constructed additions can do to breath life into existing stories.

 

A Revitalised Full Moon – Visual, Audio and Technical

 

Visuals and audio were never the strong points of the original Tsukihime so any improvement to them would make the remake stand out against it. However, rather than simply replacing the identity of the original’s visuals and audio, the remake takes them as a basis to improve upon and regularly invokes these elements of the original through subtle nods or complete recreations. Above all else it brings these aspects of Tsukihime in line with the standard of modern Type Moon and makes them more accessible to a modern audience. There is a surprising amount of movement on display as the characters display a dynamic suite of positions and expression for their portaits to sell everything from the power of a blow to their hidden feelings. This move towards the unifying of the game’s style with the rest of the developer’s catalogue does come with an occasional hiccup where certain characters can look very similar to character from other games they have developed. Arcueid and Shiki suffer from this when they drift into looking like Saber and Shiro respectively and this is very distracting when you are trying to be invested in these characters. On the musical front, the majority of the tracks are entirely new since the original only had a handful of songs, but some of that old catalogue is maintained here in the form of remixes and bringing in motifs from them. In combination they make for delightful soundtrack perfect from enrapturing both new and old fans.

 

 

On a broader technical perspective, the remake makes use of a variety of presentation and accessibility elements to create an experience that is both tense and flows well. The choice of NVL as the game’s formatting style carries over from the original and is as good here at building atmosphere as it was before. There have been a few touches to make the potential walls of text more intelligible through having only the most recent line of text be bright and all the previous ones take on a darker hue to ensure clarity. In line with this move towards lucidity, a flowchart has been included in the game which allows for the player to see their progress, the consequences of their actions and jump to any unlocked scene at will. This lets the player navigate through the game without having to worry about constantly saving at every choice and wondering what action caused what outcome and, with the return of the helpful Teach Me Ciel Sensei, every effort has been made to ensure the player is never lost.

 

Conclusion

 

Tsukihime is certainly a game that needed a remake, but it is also a game with a lot of exceptions and baggage attached to it and for the most part the remake does a good job of capturing the essence of the sections it adapts. It is at once faithful to the original while taking on board new ideas to improve the weaker elements of the base game. In doing so it does run into some issues with how it handles the power level of the game which leads to a feeling of inconsistency at times. The old characters continue to be as charming as ever and the new additions who stand out here share a similar level of quality. There are some new characters that exist as set up for the next game and they feel really out of place here given they have no real role to play in the narrative. From a visual and audio stand point the game is a dramatic improvement over the original and breaths some much needed life into it. Modern conveniences have also been included in the remake with things like a flowchart making for a more streamlined and smooth experience. This is about as good a remake of Tsukihime as could be expected and with the second half coming at some point it will be interesting to see what the complete title will look like.

 

Verdict – A gold standard for visual novel remakes which captures the essence of the original while not being afraid to improve upon its weaknesses, even if it does stumble under the weight of these changes.

 

Pros -

 

+ Faithful to the narrative and themes of the original visual novel.

 

+ Adds additional content where needed to expand upon the weaker elements of the narrative, in particular with Ciel’s route.

 

+ The old cast is as memorable as ever and they are joined by a set of new characters who wonderfully fill holes present in the original game.

 

+ Having a modern coat of visual and audio paint does wonders for the effectiveness of the emotional beats.

 

+ Modern accessibility features such a flowchart allow for a smoother recovery from any potential bad endings.

 

Cons -

 

- The inconsistent power level of the battles can draw you out the experience and make it difficult to suspend your disbelief.

 

- Not all of the new cast are utilised in this game and many of them exist as set up for the next title.

 

- Having a modern Type Moon art style can sometimes lead to characters looking eerily similar to ones from their other games.

 

- The new content can make the game feel bloated at times.