Visual novels are an acquired taste for sure. Some see them as nothing more than quick and easy cheevos, while others appreciate the simplicity of sitting down and experiencing a story without the need for challenging (or indeed any) gameplay. There have been some good and some bad examples we’ve checked out in the past at the Tavern, with Vengeful Heart the latest in line. It’s not perfect, but I ended up enjoying my time with the story quite a bit.
As it is so story-heavy I’ll refrain from too many spoilers, though to discuss it properly I’ll need to skirt around a few parts as best I can. We follow the adventure of Josephine Lace as she looks to climb the corporate ladder in a future world where said corporations rule all – specifically, the water supply. She’s a well-regarded engineer and, having just designed a highly technical new water treatment plant for her employer-and-water-supply-dominating Nepthys, is set to get a promotion and all the bells and whistles that come with it.
After finally being asked out by her crush (and boss) Francis, she soon discovers that the man and company she works for and has prepared to progress in are less than ethical in their treatment of the people of the city. Water has all but evaporated from the world, with only companies like Nepthys able to supply clean, fresh water for the people to survive on. Unfortunately, this also means they can dictate if the people receive it at all, and the revelation that they plan to put Josephine’s new water plant on her very own tower block, thereby evicting or outright killing those that live there, is enough to set her on a journey of rebellion with a motely crew of like-minded friends.
Throughout Vengeful Heart the writing has, well, a lot of heart. Jo is written well, as are Janis and Norbert, the two potential love interests. Brawler Bob and rich girl Amy round out the main crew, and all are handled well, each character offering up unique perspectives and interesting dialogue. I found myself easily getting wrapped up in the to’s and fro’s of their attempts as vigilante-ism, and some genuinely touching moments caught me off guard.
There’s a lot of eco-messaging here too, squarely aimed at the real world idea of Capitalism and corporate overlords taking what they can at the expense of the people they claim to want to help. It’s all very familiar to certain current affairs which only helps to embolden some of the points made throughout. The tale manages to avoid being preachy or overly dramatic though, with even the antagonists being written well enough to have us almost understanding their skewed world view.
As you may expect, there is zero gameplay to be found here. Outside of one late game choice which skews the colour of the conclusion one way or another it is simply a case of sitting and reading the text. We can at least control the speed of the dialogue, or even set it to progress automatically should the need arise though. Again, visual novels aren’t for everyone, but this at least has the impactful and interesting story to keep us hooked to the end.
My main foible here is that is simply feels too long. Most visual novels I’ve read have stuck to around the 2-3 hour mark which feels just about right. Vengeful Heart spreads its 8 chapters out over around 8-9 hours. I must admit there were a few moments where I expected the next chapter title to appear only to be a little deflated when the current one just carried on for another half hour. The story still had its hooks in me, and it’s hard to say where things could have been cut, but in my eyes it would have been ideal to cut out an hour or two at least, or added in more choices if we’re going to be reading it for this long.
Conclusion
It might be on the long side but I still found myself wrapped up in the tale of Ms. Lace and her cohorts as they try to overthrow a monopolistic corporation. Well worth a look for those who enjoy visual novels with a side of not so subtle messaging behind it.
This game was reviewed based on Xbox S|X review code, using an Xbox S|X console. All of the opinions and insights here are subject to that version. Game provided by publisher.
