Recommendations for Visual Novels

[Ginnazoh]

Daibanchou aka BBA was a fun game. It's alot more random than Sengoku Rance so trying to manipulate the game system was a lot harder, and I believe its by AliceSoft...I really liked BBA...except when I had to restart like 6 times just to capture someone...kind of like Sengoku Rance...

I commented on your list in GREEN.

E (5) So-So
Piece of Wonder
3/10...Mediocre graphics with rather a fantasy plot. Has some interesting concepts and the battle system is nice, but the plot and development really fails to impress

Wind: A Breath of Heart
5/10...I really liked the mood of the game and I actually really enjoyed this game. The final arc is pretty interesting and I liked the characters a lot. But from an objective point of view, this game has a good concept but failed to carry through with the delivery.

Little My Maid
2/10...I think this is one of the older games so for its time, it might've been good. But, it's a really straight forward story that was really cliche and uninspiring. The artwork was okay, but again this game was an older game. It's supposed to be based on some japense myth about a man who married a mermaid or something.

DiviDead
4/10...This is apparently a pioneer of the horror/mystery genre of VNs...and was supposedly really good for its time. In my opinion, this one disappointed. I liked the art style, music and the mood created...but the story felt incomplete. I finished the VN and I still had no idea what the explanation and resolution to the mystery are.

D (6) Decent
Da Capo
5/10...I liked the Kotori path. The rest of the characters just did not have enough development to attract me and the events that occurred in their arcs failed to entertain. But, the music, artwork and overall look of the VN is really nice

Snow Sakura
6/10...Another really nice looking VN that fails to do anything to make it stand out, but its well created. The characters are interesting and the plot follows like an "ideal japanese high school dream" type of scenario. The music and artwork are great too. A good slice of life/high school romance VN; nothing more, nothing less.

Tears to Tiara
8/10...I really liked this game but I have a soft spot for strategy games. The plot is a fantasy story that was entertaining with a number of twists. The ending felt a bit rushed so that was a let down but the rest of the game is amazing enough to make up for it. The characters are all likable and does a good job of portraying their stereotype (tsundere, etc.). The battle mechanism in this game is really challenging and fun when on harder difficulty...but can get repetitive near the end. Music and Artwork are high quality, as expected from Leaf.

One
7/10...One of Key's earlier work. The story starts off a little slow but really picks and every arc is worth reading. The art style is a bit dated but still acceptable. The music is nice. The character development are very nice and overall really enjoyable romance VN, as long as you over look the dated art style.

Castle Fantasia 2
6/10...Even though I have a soft spot for StrategyRPGs, this game just got repetitive. Too many long and pointless battles killed the game for me, and the battle was too simple for my taste too. The plot is interesting but again, it suffers from the syndrome of rushed ending, which most SRPG-VN seems to suffer from. This is also a slightly older game so the artwork will seem dated.

C (7) Good
(!) Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru
Want to read! I heard great things about this

Quartett!
6/10...It's a very unique looking game, in a good way though. The characters are interesting and it is an enjoyable read. But, at the end, it feels like just another slice of life-romance VN with nothing that really made it stood out.

Chaos Head
8/10...A nitro+ work, so expect the strange plot. The plot really takes you for a ride with nice twists but it can be a bit hard to follow. What choices you are making can be confusing as its not done in the typical VN manner. There is a distinct lack of character development other than the main characters, but the plot was good enough to impress me.

Utawarerumono
9/10...One of my favorite VNs. It is a SRPG so it does suffer from the rushed ending feel, but it is less noticeable in this one. The characters are all really likeable and each undergoes some type of development. The plot is nicely planned out with interesting twists and events, all paced very well. The music is nice and the battle system is simple but at the same time require lots of thought (especially on Hard 3 or higher difficulties). It is by Leaf so the quality is high as expected.

B (8) Very Good
(!) Yuki Uta
Never heard of this one so I'll check it out.

(!) Haruka ni Aogi
Another one I never heard of so I'll check it out.

Hanachirasu
I have this one around but never got a chance to play it. Will check it out after Muv Luv. It is another Nitro+ work.

Da Capo II
8/10...A vast improvement on Da Capo I. The characters are all very unique with nice nice development. All the arcs are worth a read and it does a great job of mixing slice of life and fantasy. The music and art work, like it's prequel, is very enjoyable.

Kira Kira
8/10...A music based slice of life. The arcs are all different enough to be interesting and the plot takes you on a comedic rollercoster. The characters are all really likeable. The music and artwork are all very nice as well. The biggest drawback to this game may be that the main heroine arc is vastly more indepth than the other arcs (and a lack of an harem end...since I really liked all the characters).

(!) Parfait Chocolat Second Brew
Never heard of this one either...so I'll check it out.

Yume Miru Kusuri
6/10...It's not bad but this series is a lot more serious than the other series. The entire series is supposed to be a slice of life but I found it very unbelievable and hard to relate to the characters due to how exaggerated things where. The artwork is decent enough, although I did not like the heavy pastel usage...and the music was alright too.

Gyakuten Saiban 2
8/10...This is the 2nd game in the Phoenix Wright series. I liked all the games in the series but I'm also a huge mystery fan. The game can get slow and grueling at times though when you are doing "investigations".

A (9) Excellent
Saya no Uta
9/10...Shocking, amazing and enticing. This game is one of the reasons I became a Nitro+ fan. Great plot and character. Provokes thought about lots of issues in life and what makes human human. Also the reference to HP Lovecraft is a huge plus in my books.

Clannad
10/10...The standard for slice of life VN for me. All the arcs are very interesting while being interconnected. The characters are all unique and undergoes noticeable development. The setting and mood created through the artwork and music is amazing. The events that takes place in the story are very idealistic but at the same time realistic enough to connect to. The only draw back to this VN may be its length...It is a very long game.

Tsukihime
9/10...TypeMoon's first work! It's a bit dated so the art style might not be suitable for everyone, but the battle scene description, the plot, the characters, everything was amazing. A must read!

Kazoku Keikaku
7/10...This VN does a good job of displaying certain human traits. The characters are all likeable and undergoes significant development. But, I found the start of the story to be really slow and weak, so if one can get past the weak start, the strong finish in each route makes the VN enjoyable.

(!) Koisuru Otome to Shugo no Tate
The name sounds really familiar but I can't seem to remember why.

999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors
I never heard of this game before, but the synopsis sounds cool! I might check it out for the NDS.

Flyable Heart
This game was translated to english? I only know of the trial version...

Swan Song
I have this game but haven't gotten around to it. Will definitely check it out soon.

Sharin no Kuni Yukyuu no Shounenshoujo
9/10...Only drawback is the repetitiveness of skipping through previously seen scenes to complete eaach arc. Everything else...fabulous!

G Senjou no Maou
10/10...One of my favorite VNs of all time. The music is downright EPIC! The character, plot, artwork, everything was amazing.

A++ (10) Masterpiece
Fate Stay Night
10/10...The gold standard for VNs? One of the best VNs ever. 3 distinct amazing arcs with awesome characters. A must play.

(!) Gore Screaming Show
Can't wait for an english translation...hopefully

(!) Natsuyume Nagisa
The name sounds familiar but dont remember it.

(!) Moshimo Ashita ga Harenaraba
Never heard of this one...will research...

Ever17 - Out of Infinity
9/10...A very awesome game. Music, artwork, plot, character, everything was great. The only slight drawback (and this is me being picky) is that everything before the final arc was a build up to the final arc, so the story feels a bit underwhelming until the end.

Some other English VNs I haven't completely read yet:
- Umineko no Naku Koro ni
Still waiting on episode 8 to be translated...should be good tho based on how good Higurashi is
- Syarin no Kuni, Himawari no Shoujo
I have it...haven't had time to read it yet. Should be good since its the Fandisk of Syarin
- Canvas 2
Have it...haven't read it yet since it sounds like another slice of life-school-romance VN
- Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai! (partial translation)
Never heard of this one before...
- Giniro
Just heard of it....I will definitely check it out
- Brass Restoration
This was a free game so I don't have high hopes for it...but apparently Yandere translation really liked it...so maybe i'll check it out...but I'm not a fan of the artwork based on screenshots
- Eien no Aselia
8/10...Strategy VN. Gets a bit repetitive but the story is nice and the characters are all very likeable and well developped. Only drawback is the large number of battles which drags the game out a lot...especially when trying to get all the endings.
- Sengoku Rance
8/10...RNG...only reason I hate this game. Strategy RPG thats all about the Strategy and harem..plot and characters are interesting enough
- MuvLuv Alternative
10/10...EPIC! One of the best VNs I've read...and I'm still around 60% way through.
- Little Buster EX
Waiting on english translation...
- Phantom of Inferno
8/10...Its a DVDPlay game by Himeki International...so that really detracts from the experience. THe game is also a bit dated so the quality/graphics suffer a bit. Otherwise, a fun story to read with nice plot and characters.
- Kikokugai
Another Nitro+ game I have but haven't had time to read...the artwork really unimpressing at first glance.
- Symphonic Rain
I didn't know this game has an english translation...interesting...
- DC Kotori Love
9/10...A Kotori FanDisk...nice if you like Kotori. Kept all the quality art and music of Da Capo but focusses solely on Kotori. Overall, a must for Kotori fans.

[InfernityFan]

Ok then, from what you haven't read yet:

- Flyable Heart
A well-done romance moege VN. It has been fully-translated too. At first glance, it seems to be just a moege VN. But little pieces of mystery are scattered here and there that will make sense in the true route. The slice-of-life is entertaining, the common route is also fun to read. It accomplishes what Da Capo is trying to accomplish, with a much better main plot. Other than Hoshizora no Memoria, It is also the only VN i know that in which the true route pairing is not with the cover girl :v

- Hanachirasu
If you like reading Action VN, a realistic sword-fighting, then this one is for you. Many battles are rarely done with more than 1 or 2 clashes. But each of them is extremely detailed, where we read how do the swordsman think and make the decision of a move. The characters are badass too.

- Swan Song
Woot, you have this but you haven't read it?! After Alternative, you gotta read this. It's an epic VN Unless you have read too much apocalyptic novel that is. Mind-provoking, deep insight to humanity, killing become more-and-more acceptable, etc. Not for those who want happy story, at all. There are only two routes, Normal and Good Ending. Most people, including me, think that Normal Ending is the canon one. Good Ending is for you who, after reading the Normal Ending, wish the characters to have a good end

- Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai!
I'm not really a fan of this. The plot is very entertaining, the comedy is well-done. But I just... cannot bring myself to like the writing. But many people recommend this and Yandere is the one who translates this. Suit yourself

Also, my short insight of the masterpieces:
- Fate Stay Night
I agree with everything you said. I especially like how Nasu writes the main character and amazingly distinct arcs. Heaven's Feel is probably one of my most favorite route of all time because of its sheer epicness, the darker tone, atmosphere, characters, etc.
- Gore Screaming Show
Actually, it scales on good/excellent to most people. But the VN is just very suitable to me, that I literally read three days continously, barring class, sleep, and eat. Gorefest with one of the best story I have ever read. The true route is epic, add to that the pairing is with the villain o.O Also, Gore Screaming Show is probably the best character I have ever seen. He doesn't have much character development, if any. But he is the embodiment of epic character on itself
- Natsuyume Nagisa
Before I read Moshiraba, this VN is the best romance VN I have ever read. The romance is so well-done, the writing is superb, the plot is intricate and really deep, and the characters are awesome. One of the route is, hands down, the best romance route I have ever read.
- Moshimo Ashita ga Harenaraba (a.k.a. Moshiraba)
Without a doubt, the best romance VN I have ever read. Needless to say, it's a masterpiece. Also, the only VN where I cried in all routes. It is that good.
- Ever17
do I need to bother with this one

It seems you also confused the Syarin no Kuni series. The one I have read is the fandisc, lol.

[imortal12233]

I would recommend the ace attorney series.
It's not technically a Visual novel, but it does share the general idea of being a plot oriented game with lots of reading. And many of the cases are quite epic (particularly the last case of each game).

[exemplar]

I would recommend the ace attorney series.
It's not technically a Visual novel, but it does share the general idea of being a plot oriented game with lots of reading. And many of the cases are quite epic (particularly the last case of each game).

Ghost Trick too.

[imortal12233]

thanks exe, didn't even know about that game , adding it to my list of games to play

[Ginnazoh]

@exemplar and immortal...yep played both PW:AA series, AJ:Aa series and Ghost trick.

Flyable Heart - who did the english translation? I thought it was only partially translated? Link me please

Swan Song - Yea, I just haven't had time to read this one. I think i'll put it off for a bit seeing as I just finished an apocalyptic series in Muv Luv.

Majikoi - not fully translated yet =(

Aiyoku no Eustia - I noticed Yandere was also translating this...want to read

3 of the masterpieces you listed aren't translated...and I want to read them...

I should go read the Syarin no kuni FD..but haven't had time lol.

[InfernityFan]

Finally, I finished MuvLuv Alternative. Despite the downside, It truly deserves praise So, a little review (limited to only MLA)...

(+) The drama is really great. I especially liked the faustian episode where the main character was like on top of everything only to be plummeted to the lowest level possible. In fact, if I have to choose what I liked most in the game, the entire tragedy in that particular episode is certainly what I will choose.
(+) The presentation is very awesome that I'm almost certain that this game has the most effects, sprites, and CGs I have ever seen. Not only that, the quality is top-notch. I also really liked the cockpit POV. The angles in every POV were really accurate too. Only serious talking scenes are static. As you might have guessed, this is my 2nd favorite thing in the game. Watching Susano'o still gives me goosebumps.
(+) Epic story. And I really mean it. Politics, War, International Conflict, Big Mecha, Alien, Time Travel, Space Distortion, Humanity Survival, Heroic Death, Romance, Faustian, etc. If it's not epic, I don't know what is
(+) Fleshed-out characters. Even a certain major that only appears in one episode has his awesome moments.
(+) The writer is not afraid to kill his characters. A lot of them. Heroic Death, check. Unheroic Death, check. Grotesque Death, check. Meaningless Death, check. Permanently disabled, check.
(+) Detailed War Operation. From the cause, preparation, planning, execution, field action, climax, and the aftermath. All of them are really hot... except the final operation. It is also not as awesome as previous operations overall, but the heroic deaths are more awesome. The orbital diving is also pretty cool.

(-) Too much moral talk. Seriously. It almost turns me off. Especially about reason for fighting, it is repeatedly excessively in both conversation and MC's thought in the entire game. It's even gradually increasing until the end of the game. The last part of the story can even be classified into three: Romance, Mission, and Moral Talk, equally divided. Characters are lecturing each other a lot. I'm not usually bothered by this thing, most stories even need them, but it is just so many and often repetitive that I dislike it.
(-) I cannot bring myself to like the action part of this game. The action depends much on the effects and CGs, kinda like movies. That itself is really good, if only it is not awkward. How they move the robot and show its action often feels stiff and is really weird, complete with the text like "HAAAAAAH" or "DIE!!!!!" or "OUT OF MY WAY!!!" or something along that line. Most of the time, I don't even understand what are they doing, unless specified in text. If I have to describe it in game, it feels like watching someone playing Dynasty Warrior. Comparing to Fate Stay Night, FSN is still far more superior here because their CG, effect, and text blend really nicely.
(-) Misplaced conversations. I don't like it when the characters talk in the middle of conflict as if they have all the time in the world. And the writer seems to be fond of them.
(-) A lot of infodumpings and science fictions. It is not necessarily bad if only the writer is not using a lot of complex words. Unfortunaly, he is. Mecha fans, rejoice, you now will also learn about quantum physics
(-) Kinda weak epilogue.

(?) The main character is generally better than the average main characters in the sea of VNs out there. He's thinking, a lot, only to be reprimanded because of doing it in the middle of a conversation. If you don't like the main character at all, chances are you won't like this game. He has his moments to shine and more moments to piss me off. He also repeatedly like to strengthen his resolve only to be crumbled soon. Still, he's not that bad.

My Final Score: 9/10 (Excellent)
If I have to assign an award to this game, it would be Visual Novel with the most production-value I have ever seen. Plus an epic story, character, and detailed operation, I would have made this game a masterpiece if only the annoying flaws are not there.

Now then, onto Noble Works.

[Romdeau]

Just finished Muv Luv extra and dove right into unlimited...yeah, extra is just a really long (and somewhat unnecessary) introduction to unlimited. Can't wait for the main entree though!

[fargone]

Why is this thread not in Defau's Den of Infamy?

[Romdeau]

Because visual novels are not anime or manga in my book? They are widely classified (and I agree with) as software and games. Visual novels is obviously the best term.