Followers of the increasingly demanded genre of visual novels already have another interesting representative to take a look at. What does Our World is Ended offer us? We show it to you in this analysis.
It is clear that it is not the genre that has the most followers. But fortunately for those of us who enjoy visual novels a lot , more and more representatives come to our territory belonging to the same category of productions. In fact, I dare to affirm that it is one of the genres that has “grown the most” within what is possible in the present generation of machines, at least taking into account that a decade ago it was practically non-existent and barely enjoyed any representation in the West .
And the best of all is that, in recent months, the season has been widening in this regard. We can no longer only enjoy the best-known titles (I insist, within an order) in this genre such as Steins; Gate or Danganronpa , but we have been able to taste eccentricities such as 428 Shibuya Scramble (one of my favorite games within its style) or the one at hand, Our World is Ended . A work by PQube for PS4 and Switch that will even be published in physical format in our country, although the PC version that will appear a little later only in digital download. A work that does not reach the quality of any of the titles that I have mentioned but that, despite that, I think it is interesting enough in general terms.
Of course, before getting fully into everything that Our World is Ended offers us, you should know that, as expected, the game comes to us with dialogues in Japanese (the dubbing is sensational, by the way) … but texts in English … or even Japanese . And, obviously and considering their nature, it is essential to understand them to find out about the plot that, after all, is its most important component.
Japanese adventure Our World is Ended launches on PS4 and Switch
Our World is Ended, very entertaining eccentricityFar from offering us a more or less “serious” plot, the scriptwriters of Our World is Ended have loosed their hair recreating one of the most curious , extravagant and, also, funny stories of all that I have been able to taste in recent months. A narrative that, from my point of view, starts off strongly in the prologue, then declines somewhat during the first chapters, and from there it gains a lot of interest again.
Sometimes we must choose between several answers and, depending on this, the relationship of the protagonist with the rest of the characters is modified.
And what is this story about? Well, basically, it narrates the adventures of a small Japanese video game development team (based in Asakusa, Tokyo) that calls itself Judgment 7 . A study that consists (as its own name indicates) of seven people, including Reiji Gozen (or Midnight as they sometimes call him), the protagonist and character that we embody.
Everything revolves around the latest creation of this group, which is led by the eccentric (and quite exited) Sekai Owari , an application / device called WORLD that is capable of modifying the layout and appearance of the world in real time. Well, this program ends up mixing both concepts until they are almost combined, reaching the point that even old characters and situations that appeared in the previous works of the Judgment 7 studio end up crossing the line of fiction. And believe me if I tell you that what Reiji glimpses through the aforementioned WORLD program is completely disheartening, with his companions in deplorable conditions and Asakusa totally in ruins.
The characters have a great personalityFrom here on, a story that mixes very specific moments more or less serious and even dramatic in some cases with, the most common, dialogues and scenes of the most surreal , eccentric and comic on dozens of occasions. A script in which different characters appear who have been very well characterized and endowed with very “extreme” personalities, so to speak, from the typical Gothic designer with a doggy humor to the classic sweet and open student to exorbitant limits. A true conglomeration of extravagant and outspoken guys who, obviously, play a lot of game and star in hilarious conversations in which the humor of all kinds (black, green and of all colors) and clichés of clear Japanese essence invade him everything.
An augmented reality program is the trigger for everything that takes place in this visual novel with a very Japanese flavor.
As it usually happens in these cases and given the particularity of its narrative , its characters and other elements that have to do with the story, it can be very enjoyable for some users (including myself) … but, we must also recognize it, those looking for more sober, credible and “sensible” plot lines may not be amused at all. I think it is the typical case in which either it hooks you first or it scares you after a few minutes of starting, it has no middle ground. And that is why it is quite difficult to assess all this …
The conversations between the characters are usually very funny … and the texts are in English.
As they also tend to dispense with this type of works, from time to time we must also make certain decisions that, yes, this time it is not that they have too much importance, at least in relation to the general plot. Instead, depending on the response that we take according to which dialogues, the protagonist’s relationship with the rest of the characters (women almost always) is affected in one way or another, leaving the main story on the sidelines. This fact reduces replayability to Our World is Ended , that is clear, but it also saves the, on more than one occasion, cumbersome process of having to scrutinize various specific decisions that do occur in other similar games in order to contemplate the different endings .
It is the typical case in which either it hooks you first or it scares you a few minutes after it startsWhere you cannot blame the title for anything is in everything that is related to its sound side, one of the brightest aspects of all that Our World has. The vast majority of the conversations have been dubbed in Japanese in a sensational way, bringing the necessary personality to the different protagonists to make them more “authentic”, so to speak. A finish well finished off by a bunch of simpler but well recreated effects and a soundtrack that accentuates the intense moments and is much more relaxed during the rest of the game. And in terms of its technical side, the general artistic line in the manga plan is very remarkable, as is the recreation and illustrations of the different characters that are seen throughout the game.
“Interesting”
Our World Is Ended
A new visual novel with a clear Japanese essence lands on PS4 and Switch (on PC it will do so somewhat later), a production that also presents some quite estimable production values (especially the sound). The story of Our World Is Ended is as curious as it is strangely absorbing and the characters are very well characterized, although they tend to fall into classic clichés. The fact that the texts are in English can be an almost insurmountable problem for those who are not fluent in that language but, otherwise, it is a very striking exponent within its genre.
- The script is very attractive, especially after the first bars
- The depth of his characters, especially Reiji and Sekai
- The Japanese dubbing is superb, the best of the game
- The illustrations and sequences are really remarkable
- The story takes a while to start
- The decisions we make have little impact on the global fabric
