Jump to content

Are Console Versions Worth it?


DeadPark121

Recommended Posts

Let me start with saying I am very VERY new to visual Novels, so forgive the ignorance of this question. My history with Visual Novels is basically limited to the Danganronpa Series and the Phoenix Wright Series, if you even consider those Visual Novels.

Anyway, I want to expand my library and I'm looking at some of the visual novels available on the switch and the vita, since i don't really play PC games. I don't even have a steam account or anything. My question is, are the console versions of the more romance heavy games still worth playing without the sex scenes at the end?

I'm sure this question gets asked pretty regularly, and again, forgive my "outside looking in" ignorance of the subject. But with my limited exposure to the genre so far, the concept just seems like you're intentionally giving yourself blue balls if you play the console versions. I'm sure there are other merits to the games, and perhaps I'm missing the point entirely. So please tell me your opinions on the subject.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It depends on how important sex scenes are for you. There is a part of the community that doesn't touch games that has them removed and there those that don't care much for them. Often console releases have new scenes that replace those removed sex scenes.  The problem is only very few VN are released for consoles in the west.

For example VNDB list about 23000 VNs in total. About 4700 of those have an English version. But there are only 15 VNs in english for the Switch and about 78 for the Vita.

 

Here is the list of all the VNs that have a English Switch release:

https://vndb.org/v/all?q=&fil=&rfil=lang-en.plat-swi&s=title&o=a

And here is the same list for Vita:

https://vndb.org/v/all?q=&fil=&rfil=lang-en.plat-psv&s=title&o=a

 

If you are interested in VN I would take a look around on VNDB and see what interested you, or read some threads on this forum. There is also a section where you can ask for suggestions, If you can stomach reading at the PC you will have a lot more options to choose from. Link to the Suggestion/Recommendation section

Lastly some users here have been playing VNs for PC on a tablet. Maybe that is compromise that you can live with?

Here are some links:

https://forums.fuwanovel.net/topic/20653-best-affordable-windows-tablet-for-visual-novel/

https://forums.fuwanovel.net/topic/20101-windows-10-tablet-and-visual-novels/

https://forums.fuwanovel.net/topic/17826-visual-novels-on-a-tablet/

Edited by Formlose Gestalt
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, DeadPark121 said:

Let me start with saying I am very VERY new to visual Novels, so forgive the ignorance of this question. My history with Visual Novels is basically limited to the Danganronpa Series and the Phoenix Wright Series, if you even consider those Visual Novels.

Anyway, I want to expand my library and I'm looking at some of the visual novels available on the switch and the vita, since i don't really play PC games. I don't even have a steam account or anything. My question is, are the console versions of the more romance heavy games still worth playing without the sex scenes at the end?

I'm sure this question gets asked pretty regularly, and again, forgive my "outside looking in" ignorance of the subject. But with my limited exposure to the genre so far, the concept just seems like you're intentionally giving yourself blue balls if you play the console versions. I'm sure there are other merits to the games, and perhaps I'm missing the point entirely. So please tell me your opinions on the subject.

I'd agree with Kiriririri but say that it depends on the VN. For some VNs you're not going to miss anything (Clannad PS4 for example) but for some you're probably going to be missing out (Grisaia Vita). Admittedly neither of those directly apply to your question, but it is worth noting that you'd be best off figuring out what your position on H-scenes is in general before deciding to read on those platforms. 

Like Kiriririri said though, the library is going to be very limited (unless you understand Japanese), so (if possible) moving to PS4 or better yet PC will mean being access several (and a lot, respectively) more than what you would with the Switch and Vita. That said, advantages to reading on those platforms would be portability (making it easier to read while out and about if that's something that concerns you), trophies (for Vita that is), and also (though this depends on you) being a physically more comfortable experience than sitting and reading on a TV (via a console) or monitor (for PC). Also, this doesn't really apply to being more romance-focused, but there are quite a few VNs / otome titles that aren't on PC that you could read (Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception and bad Apple Wars being but two examples). 

For what it's worth, I've taken to preferring to read multiplatform VNs on console (PS4 that is) over PC if possible, because while I do like reading on PC, I also really like earning trophies and VNs are good for that. I also find that physical releases of a VN are more common on consoles so I can get them without breaking the bank, and I also am not as worried about H-scenes being there or not there.

Edited by snowbell55
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the feedback.

I understood going in that my options would be limited if i didn't play on PC, but i accepted that. I was more curious if the options available would still be worth it. When i saw Nakopara on the switch, that's kind of what prompted this question. The sex scenes would be nice, but i'm glad to hear the games are still enjoyable without them.

Also happy surprise from Snowbell55, I own Utawarerumono but had no idea what it was. I remembered watching the anime years ago and bought it on name recognition without ever even looking into what kind of game it was. Guess I'll have to pull that off the shelf sometime soon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you like otome games, a Vita is a good investment. The stuff that's out in English is generally well-regarded (especially Code:Realize and Collar x Malice).

A Switch may also be a good option for otome gamers, at least in the future. Otomate (the biggest otome game developer) recently shifted their focus away from the Vita and onto the Switch. However, the only English options right now are mobile ports that aren't considered particularly good.

(It might be less worth it for developers/publishers, though...we're starting to see previously console-only VNs coming to PC. Amnesia and Hakuoki both have PC ports, Nightshade got a PC port just for the English market and never had its Vita version released outside Japan, Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly will be getting a PC port sometime in the future, and London Detective Mysteria is going to get a simultaneous Vita/PC release.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you chose to play the VNs on console only and wouldn't want to play otome, then yeah the library is going to be limited. Of course it didn't mean that there's no good VNs at the console though, although first of all I would like to ask though what console that OP owned here - because console VNs did need different machines (ie consoles) to play, and therefore limiting the library even further.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm a bit of a newbie as well, I know VNs since forever but only started reading them seriously last year.

There isn't much else I would like to say that hasn't been said already. I definitely recommend a PC, even if it's a bad one - I have a terrible outdated machine and I can run like, almost all VNs, and you'd get 18+ scenes to boot. I don't really care about H but it seems like you'd miss that. And there are translations! A lot of console VNs and story-heavy RPGs are in Japanese.

By all means, try the console exclusives if you want, but games are being ported these days too. Danganronpa is on Steam now, Ace Attorney runs on Android/iOS, etc..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As for whether console VN title is worth or not, I would say that some of those did get a good reception (ie worth to try). The main example here would be Shibuya Scramble which as we know got 40/40 from Famitsu, and I think the reception was quite good from what I see so far. Another good examples of that were Utawarerumono 2 and 3, in which it's only available as console VN (Thanks to Leaf) even though the prequel was originally available at PC. There's also Steins Gate and Chaos Child, in which it's two of most well received sci-fi VNs. So yeah there's some example if we talk about non-otome console VNs that was worth it, although in the end it's still quite limited compared to PC VNs though.

By the way, I just realized that you asked VNs for both of Switch and Vita. So in light of that, I would suggest you to try both of Chaos Child and Root Double, and from there I hope that you'll enjoy those two VNs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...