Video Game Review: Code: Realize – Wintertide Miracles

Code: Realize – Wintertide Miracles

Studio: Aksys Games

Genre: Visual novel, Romance

Platform: Nintendo Switch

Code: Realize – Wintertide Miracles is the second fandisc (a sequel game of sorts that focuses more on after stories and cute fluffy interludes that take place after the main game, rather than a direct narrative sequel), to the popular mystery otome game, Code: Realize. The first fandisc (Future Blessings), mostly consisted of short epilogues for all of the main five romantic routes, as well as two new ones and a side story featuring the Mafia. It was more of a standard kinetic novel than an actual game as such, with no choices available but if you were a fan of the original game, then it was a nice extra bonus. Really, these two games only make sense if you have played the original game, and I wouldn’t recommend them otherwise – the original game itself however is easily one of the best visual novels in existence, combining mystery, steampunk, and literary elements to make an exciting narrative set in London and featuring a protagonist who’s very skin corrodes everything that touches her. The characters were all extremely likable, as was their narratives and I for one, was very excited to return back to them all in these fan discs.

How does Wintertide Miracles differ from the first fandisc though? To make it clear, this is not a game you should play without having played the first Code: Realize again, or indeed the first fan disk, particularly as most of the content on this second fan disk, takes place chronologically after the events of a side story which alters the ending (essentially presenting a what-if scenario if Cardia’s brother, Finis, joined her). It’s a bit confusing to anyone not new to the series, and let’s make this clear straight away – Wintertide Miracles is a game made for the fans of the series. It’s clear from the intro opening card which greets you with a cute chibi of the protagonist, saying “Welcome back. We missed you.” Add to this that, the game itself presented as something of a holiday special, a bit like the feel-good cheesy movies you watch at Christmas or that yearly Doctor Who special. It’s all very fluffy and light in tone and feels more like a DLC to the main game. This isn’t to say this is a bad game – it isn’t. But if you’re expecting an actual sequel to the original game, this is not what you’ll find.

Let’s get down to the content this game offers – but I’ll preface by saying that there’s actually a decent range of both light fluffy vignettes and action drama side stories. The game’s menu emulates a Christmas tree split into three parts. The top part and the lightest of the bunch are a series of short double date scenarios where the player can pick two of the main cast (and some side characters!) to have a short scene with our heroine, Cardia. There’s not a lot of substance to these but they’re short and sweet, building off the original game’s strengths – its characters and their relationships with one another. The middle of the three is purely made up of romantic epilogues for Cardia and each of the main game’s five love interests, with a twist – they’re all set after the second fandisc’s alternate ending scenario, with Finis included. This means that the story events greatly differ from the epilogues in the second fan disk, offering a whole other “what if” option. They’re cute and great for fans of the series’ romance but don’t offer a great deal of new plot.

The bottom of the tree however is where it really gets interesting. Putting aside the epilogue for the optional other bachelor (Sholmes), the gifts at the base of the tree consist of two fairly lengthy side stories. The first is set midway through the original game’s narrative and introduces some new characters and a whole new complex plotline. I found this to be very enjoyable and it was much darker and more dramatic in tone than the mafia side story from the previous fan disk. I enjoyed the three new characters greatly (even if the storyline for Baron Aguille felt very tacked on and unnecessary) and it was nice to see another female character who was very interesting in her own right interact with Cardia. The other side story is an epilogue to the alternate ending of sorts and follows Cardia and Finis as they try to adapt to a quiet life together. When their past comes back to haunt them, however, the two must make a decision whether to face it and take their hard-won future into their own hands or stay in the safety of their “happy ending”. It’s got some great character moments, particularly for Finis and Hansel, and really does feel like a good ending to the series as a whole.

The music, artwork, and voice acting are all excellent as we’ve come to expect from this series, though as a long-time fan of this series the repetition of certain musical scores does get a bit much at times (if I had to hear the comedy tune once more every time Impey did something silly…). The introduction of the new opening and ending songs was a nice touch though and the overall gameplay on the switch was very smooth and easy to maneuver. The translation too was very high quality, as is the norm for this series.

In summary, this game has a bit of everything – it’s got the gimmicky cheesy Christmas content I was expecting, but the more serious storylines took me by surprise and really added some great moments to the official story canon. Definitely only for fans of the series but if you’ve already fallen in love with the characters in the first game, this is more of the same great interactions, thoughtful moments, and story that we’ve come to expect from the series. At the end of the day, even the weaker moments in this series are often stronger than much I’ve seen in other visual novels out there and Code Realize sets itself apart as being one of the best franchises in the otome games market out there.