A Treatise on Visual Novels and America

Do you see my point? I could very well walk into a theater, plop down about $5, and watch a young naked woman be cut apart, her breasts boldly exposed to the camera for my enjoyment. However, if a Visual Novel even so much as references sex, Jack Thompson and his band of Lost Boys climb from under their tree carrying bamboo spears and fend off the evil family-destroying influence.

This goes on all over the country, and I really don't understand it. In no way do I mean to argue Visual Novels should be allowed in everyone's household- hell, most of them are of the level that I would not let anyone but a mature adult touch them. What I object to is the way that these games are treated, as if they are some kind of arcane enemy that threatens to destroy all of America. These games are nothing but stories that attempt to entertain the reader in unique ways different from normal books- more mature than trashy ?Romance Novels?, and more engrossing than your normal thriller. And best of all, these games draw you in by giving you options, letting you control the story in indirect ways, leaving many hours of gameplay open to even a speed reading gamer.

Visual Novels have their merits beyond simple gaming. Visual Novels have the ability to be more deep than normal games, and they present themselves well because of it. Instead of someone going ?That was a great graphic designer?, one can instead go ?The writing style was phenomenal?. And you can actually know that you meant that, because instead of seeing every last detail in full 3D, you are given the opportunity to use your mind. This may sound odd, but it is the same sensation as if reading a book. And by god, I like that.

So, let's compare. On one hand, you have Visual Novels. Yes, they are graphic- they can be very violent, sometimes disgustingly so, and very sexual. On another hand, you have typical American shooters that virtually every teen has in his house, featuring such abilities as decapitation, dismemberment, torture, rape, and abuse. Now, which one do you suppose is featured boldly in the front of virtually every Best Buy and Circuit City in the country, and which one is banished to only those with the energies to import them?

This may seem like I'm simply angry at normal gaming. I'm not. I fully understand that people enjoy a rousing fight rather than a 2 hour story full of reading and clicking. What I don't think is fair is how many people (especially other gaming websites) treat these games. Yes, they may not fit under the ?games mommy will love me for and support me for? gaming list, but they certainly have their own merits. Let me put it this way- you won't get the rush from pretending you're in the army, but if it takes a virtual boot camp to excite you, you may be a little bit too base for this kind of gaming anyway.

Even a child could see the unfair light these games get. So from now on, I have officially decided to make it a Gametrash policy to accept discussions of these games. Go on our boards and run your mouth about ?SHUFFLE!?. Get on there and rant about TYPE-MOON. Most likely, our staff will know what you're talking about, since in between those times in which we play games where we blow off heads, we're reading an intricate story and trying to find all the possible endings. We may be the only reviewers to do this kind of thing, but hey, we weren't going to get any girlfriends anyway. Now excuse me, I have a third ending to attend to.

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