CHAOS;HEAD NOAH
Chaos;Head Noah is a visual novel in the Science Adventure series, taking place a little before Steins;Gate. Chaos;Head Noah is the first English translation of the visual novel. CHaos;Head Noah is dark and gory, especially when compared to Steins;Gate. The game follows a series of grisly murders, and the protagonist, Takumi, finds himself pulled into them. He can go through positive or negative delusions that influence the story, especially the outcomes of the murders. Players themselves will choose which delusions Takumi endures, allowing for the game to become messy quickly. The negative delusions are especially dark and aren’t for the faint of heart.
While Chaos;Head Noah doesn’t reach the peaks of Steins;Gate, it’s still a thoroughly enjoyable visual novel if players are into the darker themes. When players go through all of the routes, it can actually fill in some blanks for the rest of the series. The positive delusions can have some unnecessary fanservice, but they are also entertaining to explore. Takumi isn’t a great protagonist though. He’s too moody and generally unlikeable. Still, the supporting cast is nice enough, and some are endearing.
It shows its age, but Chaos;Head Noah is a solid experience for visual novel fans.
CHAOS;CHILD
As a continuation of Chaos;Head Noah, this visual novel is more of the same. Even if it is a sequel, Chaos;Child has actually had a few English translations before. However, it is now bundled with Chaos;Head Noah in the Nintendo eShop, giving new players a chance to experience this one.
Chaos;Child is a much deeper experience, and generally more fulfilling. The protagonist is more likable, and the characters are all excellent. There are many routes for players to explore that can result in game that is at least 40 hours long if they want to see everything. It’s a massive commitment, but the close connect to Steins;Gate and the exciting mystery will keep players invested. This is an upgrade over Chaos;Head Noah in almost every way.
Amnesia: Memories
Amnesia is an otome visual novel that continues what one would expect from an Idea Factory visual novel. The art fits the house style that players used to, the main character has amnesia, and there are plenty of boys to fall for. If it weren’t for the ability to choose between one of the four worlds at the beginning of each playthrough, this would be a cookie-cutter experience.
The characters are nice and there is some genuinely exciting stuff going on in Amnesia, but it simply doesn’t stand out from the crowd. There are much better experiences with much more polish on the Nintendo Switch, and only hardcore fans should give this one a look.
Amnesia: Later X Crowd
Amnesia: Later X Crowd features tons of scenarios, as it includes the fandisk for both Amnesia Later and Amnesia Crowd. There is plenty of value here, and fans of Amnesia Memories will likely enjoy the different takes on the universe.
There is much more polish here than in Memories, making this the better experience. The only downside is that playing through Memories is essentially a requirement.
