Ghostpia & Paranormasight: Two games I've played recently
20/09/23
I’m once again on my visual novel wave where I devour them one by one. But two recent VNs really stood out to me, so I want to talk about them a little.
Ghostpia
“In my dreams, I can get out. In my dreams, I can fit in.”Ghostpia is a work made by a small indie dev team and released on switch a while ago already and on PC in august. These are actually ports of a version that’s several years older. But I’m only familiar with the PC version that I’ve played.
I think the best way to describe the story’s main appeal would be: It’s a story about lonely people making a lonely world a little less lonely. It’s a story about getting over your inner turmoil and learning to reach out. That showing your true self will always be rewarded by those whom you are dear to. And about how trusting your friends as much as they trust you is imperative.
The backdrop to the story is a ghost town in the middle of a snowy nowhere. The ghosts can’t die or leave, so they just live their mundane lives. Which also means that nothing really matters, except for the bonds that you forge with those around you.
Sayoko, the main character, is an outsider and rarely feels comfortable around others. Except when it comes to her friends, who would go to any lengths to make her smile. And imo, this is the main draw of the game: Observing how much these friends adore each other despite their past emotional baggage. The character interactions are both very sweet when they get to the emotional core, and also incredibly funny in its writing that is at times very witty and snappy, and at other times stupidly juvenile. These interactions give the story the levity it needs, but also shows just how deep the characters’ relationships run. If you like fun character interactions, Ghostpia is absolutely the game for you.
Equally important: This game has yuri! Joining Sayokos friend-group is Yoru, a newbie in town who immediately adores the main character. I think Yoru encapsulates the core of Ghostpia the best: She is a quirky character who always has a stupid joke to make. She plays off the friend-groups dynamic incredibly well and adds even more levity when needed. But she is also someone who can see straight to Sayokos core. This doesn’t mean she will always act on it, but when Sayoko needs someone to lean on then Yoru will be there no question. Sayokos and Yorus relationship doesn’t have the same bagagge as Sayokos other relationships. Over the course of the game they slowly get to know each other and learn how to deal with the others’ less pleasant aspects.
An early plot point is how Sayoko wants to live with Yoru because her friends wanted her to get a new friend and Sayoko wants to honor that wish. However, she quickly learns that she is simply not used to living with other people. Not having alone and quiet time bothers her, she can’t rest when there’s always someone around. So while Yoru is a kind girl, Sayoko can’t stand being around her all the time on the simple basis that Sayoko needs her time alone. The rest of that episode then focuses on her navigating around that while trying to still stay close to Yoru. It’s a very real and grounded problem to have. No matter how much you like someone, it doesn’t mean that living together will be easy. And that’s what makes Ghostpia so interesting. Characters realize their shortcomings but making good on them isn’t that easy. And yet, they still try.
Paranormasight
This was probably the most fun I’ve ever had with a mystery story. I’m usually not really into these stories, because I usually feel not smart enough piecing things together and coming to satisfying conclusions. Playing Umineko a while ago changed my mind a little, but I’m still apprehensive.
Paranormasight however? First time I ever felt like I was doing something right. The mystery is pretty straightforward, but requires your attention. The game will have the occasional moment where it tests how much attention you’ve been paying, and while failing those tests doesn’t have any real consequences, getting them right right off the bat feels incredibly satisfying.
It definitely helps that the game makes it easy as hell not to get distracted. The pacing is quick and snappy and gets to the point, but takes its time for character moments and emotional scenes. Overall, the writing is really fun to follow. You play as different protagonists, and all of them are usually accompanied by somebody. These duos all have great chemistry and offer various different dynamics. You have the hot-headed school girl who just wants to learn what happened to her friend who’s accompanied by her classmate who is very responsible and caring, as well as very experienced in supernatural matters. There’s Harue, a grieving mother who wants to solve the murder of her son who hired the private investigator Richter, also a man of responsibility and with a heart of gold. And then there’s Tsutsumi and Erio, two investigators with the police, Tsutsumi being the veteran who takes great pride in his job and Erio his excited junior, who constantly toes the line of admiring Tsutsumi and being very rude to him. It’s pretty hard for me to decide which pair is my favourite, but it’s definitely a tie between Harues duo and Tsutsumis. Harues story has a lot of sweet moments in which you can see a broken and isolated woman finally getting the empathy she deserves, interspersed with a lot of levity from Richter, who enjoys goofing off when the situation allows for it. Tsutsumis story on the other hand is right on the pulse of the mystery, but is by far the biggest contributor to the comedic bits of the game, thanks to Erio and Tsutsumi having great chemistry as the responsible veteran not getting the respect he deserves from his Junior.
Add to the game some really beautiful artwork, haunting music and intricately crafted atmosphere and you get one of the most enjoyable experiences the VN scene has to offer currently. There’s a lot of outside-the-box thinking as well which gives the game even more memorable moments. I absolutely recommend it to everyone who likes the occasional spookiness, great character interactions, and/or people who are really into mysteries. Honestly? I actually recommend it to everyone regardless of interest. It’s a great story and a great game. And I want a goddamn sequel to this.
