Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness
Best Visual Novels on Xbox One
Psycho-Pass is a well-known anime series, Mandatory Happiness is certainly one of the best visual novels on the Xbox One. The game is still plenty enjoyable for those that haven’t watched the show on which it is based. That being said, though, most of the characterization of the minor characters are left to the anime, and players would do well to at least watch a few episodes of the show before jumping in.
The story of this game plays out in the background of the Psycho-Pass anime, following the adventures of two characters that regularly interact with the characters from the show, but are on a completely different investigation. The player controls either Inspector Nadeshiko Kugatachi or Enforcer Takuma Tsurugi, two police inspectors living in a futuristic dystopian Tokyo. In this grim future, individuals’ emotional and mental states are monitored via their Psycho-Pass. Those who begin to have immoral or illegal thoughts are labeled criminals. The protagonists, both law-abiding cops, hunt these so-called “latent criminals” by using Enforcers, rehabilitated criminals who aren’t allowed to rejoin normal society.
The inspectors are on the hunt for a rogue AI named Alpha, who’s trying to force humans to be happy by unlawful means. Both are also battling their own demons; Kugatachi is missing memories of her past and Tsurugi is on the hunt for his missing lover. The visual novel is currently only available in Japan, but there is an update that provides the game with an English translation. Since the Xbox One isn’t region-locked, gamers can play the visual novel on a non-Asian Xbox One.
Chaos;Child
Best Visual Novels on Xbox One
Chaos;Child is the sequel to Chaos;Head and the fourth entry in the Science Adventure series. Like Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness, it’s connected to an anime show. Though unlike Pycho-Pass, this visual novel predates the show it is related to. As a result, gamers can jump right into the Chaos;Child visual novel without watching the anime. The anime, however, does reveal additional details on a few of the characters, but none of them are important to understanding the plot.
Chaos;Child delves into the psycho-suspense elements that the Science Adventure series has become famous for, but it also incorporates straight up horror elements as well. It’s disturbing stuff but a real page-turner of a story. Players will find the scares to be reminiscent of the ones found in Resident Evil VII: Biohazard.
The story follows Takuru Miyashiro, the president of his school’s newspaper, who experiences strange delusions each night. It’s up to the player to determine whether or not these delusions are good, bad, or neutral, and such choices shape the direction of the plot. Chaos;Child is only available in Japan for the Xbox One, but playable across all regions.
Three Fourths Home
Best Visual Novels on Xbox One
Three Fourths Home might have the most simplistic art style of any of the visual novels on this list, but it manages to tell a superb narrative. The story is based on Kelly Meyers, a woman in her twenties who’s moving back home to live with her parents. She doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life, so she’s driving home to find some stability and direction.
Throughout the ride, Kelly calls her mother, father, and brother. Each member of the family is a separate call, and the player is given control of how Kelly responds to each of her family members’ comments. It quickly becomes apparent that this family is struggling. They’re all dealing with something and it’s up to the player to get to the heart of each issue.
The game adds a bit more interactivity than your usual visual novel. The player will have to keep driving while they’re also trying to listen to Kelly and her family talk. The scenery outside is a grey landscape covered in white snow. The monotonous nature of driving along and listening to Kelly’s family prattle on will sometimes cause the player to subconsciously pick an answer to a question by mistake. It feels natural, though, similar to how someone might absentmindedly respond when they’re half listening to a phone and half focused on the road.
Steins;Gate 0
Best Visual Novels on Xbox One
Another piece of the Science Adventure series, Steins;Gate 0 is the sequel to Steins;Gate. Players can go into Steins;Gate 0 blind, but a manga of the same name provides a brief prequel to anyone who wants a bit of a set-up. With an anime based off of Steins;Gate 0 in the works and primed to premiere this year, there’s never been a better time to play this visual novel.
This visual novel has several protagonists, some of which have supernatural powers (such as time travel). The story is mainly told from the viewpoint of Rintaro Okabe, a university student who’s been assigned to test an AI called Amadeus. Throughout these tests, and other events that interrupt Okabe’s daily routine, Amadeus calls Okabe on the phone. The player gets to choose whether or not Okabe picks up the phone.
Admittedly, Steins;Gate 0 has received mixed reviews. Some players think the choice system is far too complex for a visual novel and others think it’s too simple. Personally, I think the choice system is fine, but I would never recommend Steins;Gate 0 as someone’s first visual novel. This game is best saved for when players are already well versed in how visual novels work. The choice system is a little tricky for newcomers to the genre.
Wheels of Aurelia
Best Visual Novels on Xbox One
Wheels of Aurelia is a pretty strange game, even by visual novel standards. Each playthrough isn’t more than fifteen or twenty minutes, but each one plays out like some sort of fever dream. With sixteen possible endings, ranging from a car chase to a philosophical debate with a Catholic priest, you’ll want to replay this game over and over again.
Wheels of Aurelia takes place in Italy in the 1970s. The player is in control of Lella, a young woman driving along the western coast of her native country. Players pick which roads Lella turns down and which buildings she’ll stop for. This determines whom she meets or doesn’t meet on her travels. There are some very interesting people out and about. In the 70s, Italy faced a time of terrorism, kidnappings, and political turmoil. Lella, and thus the player, get to explore all of these elements of the period and meet the people being affected by them.
About the author
