Departed Away

Let me tell you, visual novel Departed Away came so close to being perfect! While it may not have been perfect, it was still a very interesting visual novel and one that I can see myself going back to play again at some point. If you are into visual novels that lean more into the horror side of things, I think that this is well worth your time checking out, as there is a lot about this game to like. Keep on reading to see why this is one of the more interesting visual novel games I have played recently.

New School, Same Sinister Problems

The plot of Departed Away is actually pretty interesting. Our main character is being forced to move schools by his parents, and let me tell you, there is something off about this guy's parents. Anyway, at this new school, he meets a selection of cute girls, each one with her own personality, such as Hitomi, who is a nerdy chick, and Veronica, who is an artsy type of girl, to name just a couple. Turns out, that the people in this school are insane, and we are being blamed for something, and we find ourselves in a very dark and sinister situation that we need to try to get out of.

The Power Of Words

The premise, setting, and the characters in Departed Away are very interesting, and I found myself wanting to know more about these people. However, the execution here is not the best. You can tell that games like Undertale are a clear inspiration, but the translation here and the writing in general are not the best. There are many mistakes, weird phrases, and inconsistent tones that make it hard to truly connect with the story. To be fair, this could be just a translation issue, and if you played the game in its native language, it could be perfect. I also think that things are rushed here. I would have liked to have gotten to know more about the characters in this world, especially the stuff in regards to the main character's parents.

Taking It To The Extreme!

I knew coming into Departed Away that this was a visual novel, but I was actually very impressed that there was more to the gameplay than just making choices. The game does throw a lot of choices your way, and there are multiple endings. I managed to get two of them, but if I am being honest, I had a hard time knowing for sure what path I was on. There are some mini-games too, such as a neat little puzzle one, which I thought was interesting. There is no issue with the amount of content here at all, but the major issue I have with the gameplay is the save system. You cannot just save whenever you want; instead, it only saves at the start of each chapter, meaning you have to replay an entire chapter each time you play the game.

Pixel Creepiness

The use of pixel art in Departed Away is pretty awesome. The characters are nice and large and are very expressive, and there is a very creepy vibe about the whole game, which, as a horror fan, was something that I really did appreciate. Another thing I got a kick out of was that the developer had different title images, almost like when a comic book is released with several different cover variants. I would not say that there was something that fully scared the hell out of me; instead, there were just major creepy vibes all over the game, which I liked.

Pros:

• The horror and creepy vibes were fun
• This game has some fantastic and creepy pixel art
• I liked the different personalities of the girls
• The gameplay is pretty varied for a visual novel

Cons:

• The writing in the game could do with some work
• The save system feels very dated

Departed Away is a mystery visual novel, about mysterious people and the place that brings them together. The parents forced the protagonist to move to a new school without explaining anything to him. The very first day marked a simply terrible time for the guy, who already had a hard time making friends. Accused without reason, the hero becomes an outcast and only some schoolgirls are willing to go in contact with him. Does this mean that the hero finally has a chance to make relationships not only friendships?

Pros of the game:

• Gloomy and mysterious atmosphere
• Animated story inserts