Ayakashi Gohan

Ayakashi Gohan is another visual novel style game from the good folks at Honeybee. At this point, I pretty much know what I am getting into with a Honeybee game, but Ayakashi Gohan has so much charm to it, branching paths and an interesting main character in Rin that I found myself very engrossed in what was going on.

Dark To Light

The overall premise of Ayakashi Gohan is one that I was able to get right behind very early on. The main character in the game is Rin. Rin has had a tough childhood. Her mother works as… well, let’s just say lady of the night so she is rather drawn and distance. Her backstory really will make you say aww quite a lot. Her life takes a turn for the better when she goes to stay with her grandmother at Momoji Village. This is a “magical” place where humans live in harmony with Ayakashi. Here Rin learns that life can be fun and that eating a good meal can fix many problems life throws your way.

Two Ways To Play

I always think that Honeybee does a great job when it comes to storytelling and Ayakashi Gohan is no different. The game sets you off with Rin when she is young and for lack of a better term “damaged” you can then play the game on two different routes, the Ayakashi route, and the human route. What is interesting about this is that Rin is like a completely different person depending on the path you take.

The human side of the story has three characters for her to “woo” but Rin herself feels more distance and a little more standoffish. The Ayakashi route, on the other hand, has a much more outgoing and willing to try new things Rin. It is up to you which one you prefer. You could argue that the human route with her a little more withdrawn fits in better with the early part of her story. For me though, I really liked her being more upbeat and looking at the positives of life.

Who Will Be The Lucky Guy?

When it comes to finding someone you like Ayakashi Gohan has plenty of choices. Each of the routes has three different characters for you to try and get to know better. In all honesty, all (well except for one of them) are what you would expect. You have your “bro” type characters that are cool. Your more sensitive characters and your more mysterious ones who make you work for their affections.

The fact that there is voice acting for all of the characters does make these characters seem more real if you know what I am saying. As does the fantastic artwork that has brought them to life.

If you have enjoyed any of the past games that Honeybee have made, you will really enjoy what they have done with Ayakashi Gohan. I really do think that Rin is a wonderful character and seeing her life pan out in two rather different routes is interesting enough that it will make you want to go back and see all the outcomes that the game has to offer.

8/10

Pros:

• The game has a very nice and smooth art style
• Rin is a very interesting character
• Two very different routes to take
• You have six different companions to get to know
• The story moves at a pretty brisk pace

Cons:

• Some of the choices I felt were a lose/lose situation
• It can be hard to make a decision of what route you want to go down first time playing the game