Out of all the genres populating the video game industry, Visual Novels are some of the most unique. For the uninitiated, Visual Novels are a type of interactive narrative video game, or interactive fiction game that combines text-based storylines and static or partially animated visual images.
Despite the genre originating from dating simulation games, where the player character pursues multiple characters along their designated romantic narrative routes, the genre has exploded to include other genres and game elements.
The genre has risen in popularity over the years, but certain elements continue to hold it back from mainstream success. For many gamers, one of those elements is its lack of interactivity.
Visual novels focus heavily on narrative, with many players comparing the genre to playing a novel. This has led to many games following a rather linear path with few choices and infrequent branching. While players who are accustomed to the genre are fine with watching the story unfold, others wish they had more choices to impact the narrative.
While many linear visual novels are quite popular with the community, a rising number of modern games have grown in popularity because of their high amount of choices.
Players want to see their playable character have an impact on the game’s story and for their choices to matter. Unlike in most big-budget role-playing games, visual novels have a medium where it is far easier to have players to have a significant impact on the game narrative.
A common counterpoint is that adding more interactivity to visual novels would mean an increased workload on the developer, and they would be right. Visual Novel developers are usually small, independent creators who don’t have the big budget of mainstream AAA developers like Ubisoft and Nintendo. Another caveat is that high interactivity might not be the right fit for the developer’s vision of the final product, which is also true.
Visual Novel developers should not have to feel forced to put more interactivity into their respective games. That said, the genre should have more space for more interactivity in future games. Not only would it help emphasize the strengths of the genre, it could also help bring in more interest from newcomers.
