Tsukihime

Tsukihime is a game that is unlike just about any other style of game that the average gamer may encounter. Instead of having an objective, goal, or ability to free roam, the player is placed in a series of decisions of a pre-determined story line, with practically no game play at all other than making some decisions. Tsukihime is a visual novel based game, allowing the player to visually live through the novel while participating. The game was adored by many fans, leading to the adaption of an anime and manga series.

Story

Tsukihime is set to take place before the story of Fate Stay Night, ending just as that story begins. The story takes place in Misaki Town, with the known location of Asagami Private Girls Academy being one to take note of that players may recognize. Players may also recognize subtle nods to the series Kara no Kyoukai, as the two are slightly connected and share many similarities.

The visual novel follows the life of teenager Shiki Tohno. Suffering a life-threatening injury as a young boy, Shiki gained the ability to see what he refers to as “death lines” on whatever he looked at. The “death lines,” later even becoming small points, are places on the person or object that when contacted with a sharp object, would immediately not only kill them, but as he later finds out, removes the person or object from existence. Being given a pair of glasses from a stranger, Shiki is able to wear the glasses and live life as normal, not seeing the death lines and points. What Shiki does with this odd and incredible power, however, is up to the player.

With the ability of five different narratives on the first play through and three more to unlock, the player can spend a lot of time in this visual novel trying to see if they can live through the various paths that Shiki had set out for him. The initial five narratives are measured as paths ranging from the “Near Side” to the “Far Side” routes of the story. Playing through specific routes and combinations of routes will unlock three new potential playthroughs for the character to take part in.

Personal Rating

Because Tsukihime is so different and practically pioneered its own path for games and even movies or shows like the popular Black Mirror episode Bandersnatched, which is practically a visual novel, there is not much to compare the game to. It provides an incredibly different experience to the average gamer, making for an unforgettable and enjoyable time in the game.

Pros:

• Many diverse story lines to play through, prevents burn-out or quick boredom
• Interesting story lines in the various paths available
• Good game to use as a mental break from competitive and high intensity games
• Provides new and unique gameplay that only visual novels can bring

Cons:

• To those looking for action in games, this will seem very slow and dull
• Some decisions have no effect on the game, while others have drastic effects, making the player feel less in control than they actually are