We Touch Games – Shuffle (PC) Review by Lolinia
Genre: Adventure, Visual Novel
Developer: Navel , Publisher: MangaGamer
UPDATE: This review was based on the MangaGamer version of the game which is no longer available. For the Shuffle that is on Steam, please check HERE.
Shuffle is Shuffle. What else can I say? Plenty. Developed by Navel and, at the writing of this article, published by MangaGamer, Shuffle is a fun read. You start out feeling like it’s a pretty cheap game, but end up feeling pretty satisfied at the end. Though it does have an a relatively average soundtrack, the story does make you feel those feels that make you feel them feely feels. I can definitely see how it got an anime, as it reminded me a bit of key’s CLANNAD. Many thanks to MangaGamer for the review key!
As I read through, the music and game scenarios originally made me think that this game was halfway done. It jumps you straight into the story with no prologue and made me think that I was missing a game installment. However, as I read through the game and made my choices, it evolved into a story that was very engaging. Some of the stories seem a bit exaggerated, but for the most part, it was fun. A little all over the place in terms of storytelling, but still fun. Also, most of the sex scenes probably could’ve been skipped or left out.
The audio is pretty cool, too. The voice acting was nice, but a little too ‘moe’ for my tastes. Mind you, when it comes to the anime I watch: the more ‘slice of life’ there is in it, the more I like it. However, Shuffle’s visual novel seems to take it a little too far with the cutesy voices. At times, it is a bit grating to the ear, but for the most part, I liked it. The soundtrack is extremely average. By that, I mean that it feels like generic music there so it won’t be silent. Like elevator music. There are some very special tracks, but all-in-all, it’s not TOO impressive.
Overall, Shuffle is GREAT for a first intro into visual novels. Similar to Katawa Shoujo or maybe even CLANNAD, Shuffle is the type of VN that would first get me interested in the genre when I haven’t really experienced most of what the genre can offer. It’s not too long, not too short, and, to be honest, not that awesome as some would want you to believe. However, I personally don’t feel like it’s worth buying at full-price at $39.95 USD on the MangaGamer site (at time of writing). I’d wait for it to show up on sale somewhere. On the other hand, it’s REALLY good for a beginner to start enjoying the visual novel genre. It does make me want to watch the Shuffle anime. Maybe I’ll review it as a follow-up.
Lolinia gives Shuffle a Drastik Measure 6.8 out of 10.0 (68).
