Are you a lover of Japanese-style graphic adventures, full of colors, absurd designs and crazy characters? Then you’ve come to the right review, let’s talk today about Yurukill: The Calumniation Gamesgame born from the mind of Homura Kawamoto, famous author of Kakegurui (gambling manga), and Hikaru Muno, and developed by IzanagiGames. A title that claims to unite within it 3 kinds totally different from each other, but to mix them as best as possible to make all unique and particular.
Yurukill: The Squid Game
Let’s start immediately by saying that to enclose Yurukill: The Calumniation Games precisely in a single genre it is not entirely correct. In fact, the title in addition to being framed as visual novelit also has sections within it shoot’em up And point and click / escape gamea decidedly interesting mix that has been able to standardize quite well.
As per the cliché of any escape game, we will begin the story by waking up in an unknown place, obviously without any memory of how you ended up in that situation. After a first moment of confusion, however, a particular and bizarre masked figure will arrive Binko to clarify your ideas. You have in fact been selected to participate in the Yurukill Gamesdeadly games – in full style Squid Game – which take place between various criminals who consider themselves innocent and who would like to get their freedom back.
You will take on the role of Sengokua boy sentenced to life imprisonment on charges of committing a heinous crime mass murder, and for which he has been in prison for at least 10 years. During the journey, you will also be given a mysterious note in which it is revealed that the real culprit of your crime is among the other participants in the games. This will push you even more to participate, with the intention not only of winning, but also of being able to unmask the one who framed you.
As soon as the ship on which you are docked on the island, Binko will return to explain to you how the games will take place: divided into various groups, the competitors will have to face different challenges in each of the attractions of the “amusement” park and defeat all the other teams. Those who finally manage to survive will receive absolute grace for their crime and the much desired freedom.
Despite all the similarities to the now super popular Korean Netflix series, Yurukill: The Calumniation Games he puts his effort into making his adventure unique. In fact, in each team there will also be a Performer, who will have the right to kill his partner at any time. it would be very strange as a possibility given the extent of the final goal, were it not for a small detail: the Executors are all people who are related to crime victims that each competitor says they have not committed. Therefore, it will not be enough to survive all the deadly games, you will also have to convince your partner time after time that in reality you have been framed and have nothing to do with their loss.
Many genres, but in loop
As we already mentioned at the beginning of this review, Yurukill: The Calumniation Games it does not belong to a single category, but rather you will have to prove your skills in different genres once and again depending on the section of gameplay in which you are. Although in fact during most of the time you will have to deal with one classic visual novelit will not be so during the games for example, where you will be called to to investigate in various scenarios of point and click to be able to solve the various puzzles that will come before you. Or the section of shoot’em up in which you will have to make your way through the whole level by shooting and trying to survive.
Although this great variety at the beginning can give hope for the longevity and playability of the title, however, in the long run it will get tired a bit when you realize that it is simply a repeating cycle until the end. Each attraction – which as we have said contains a different deadly game – will always have the same modus operandi: progress of the story written in visual novel style with 2D characters that time will appear on the screen, resolution of the actual game with point and click section, and finally shoot’em up where you have to convince your partner of your innocence (very interesting choice where enter the shooter part). Many of these dynamics are reminiscent of some patterns from the well-known series Danganronpa.
Going to nitpick, we must admit that the narrated part can sometimes be a bit too verbose and long, coming to tire a lot given how it differs from the rest of the gameplay. Even the resolution of the various puzzles lacks a bit of repetitiveness, in fact already after the first chapters it can be seen that, if one is a little accustomed to the genre, one does not find nothing extremely complicated to understand. Once you understand the general structure with the 3 × 3 grid made up of two side rooms and a central one, they will all be quite automatic.
Note of merit instead for the sections of shooting in which, although these are not excessively difficult, they are always very fast and dynamic, and therefore very pleasant to complete thanks also to the difference between the “spacecraft” and the various firing styles.
Final thoughts
We therefore give a worthy conclusion to this review, Yurukill: The Calumniation Games it presents itself well, with an interesting and engaging story, which hides some intriguing twists, excellently narrated in a visual novel style. Unfortunately, sometimes the dialogues are a little too long and heavy, and the lack of the Italian language which, although not the biggest of the defects usually, in this case it makes itself felt more given the strongly narrative nature of the title.
The gameplay breaks well then thanks also to the investigative part that is linked to the story and the crimes of the characters, too bad for the simplicity of the puzzles that after a while will be very childish. Honorable mention instead for the shoot’em up part in which instead the game shows a very fast and fun gameplay, which intersects well with the slower and more guided one of the graphic adventure. If you were also interested in other visual novels, we remind you that an unmissable package has landed on Nintendo Switch containing the three main chapters of Danganronpa, and a particular unpublished title. It is about the collection Danganronpa Decadenceand you can find our review here.
Review
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Yurukill: The Calumniation Games (Tested on PC)
7Total Score
Yurukill starts with an interesting idea and also manages all in all quite well. The story manages to involve and put hype in the player thanks to a few well-aimed twists and a very particular and “Japanese” environment. Nice the point and click part, and honorable mention regarding the vertical shooter part, both for the realization and for the context. Unfortunately in the long run the game tends to be extremely repetitive in structure, and the narrative part sometimes made up of excessively verbose dialogues and the lack of the Italian language penalize it a lot. It is not a must buy, but surely if you like the genre it will be something you will enjoy playing.
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