Very good until you reach the ending, THAT thing photonically sucks.
Excellent journey poor ending.
This game was actually a WONDERFUL visual novel till the end got goofy
Very very good VN, it surprised me with its writing, characters, music, story.
I know, I know, the ending is controversial, but personally this doesn't bring down the whole game with it nor makes it useless after all, the journey I took far exceeds whatever happened at the end. Not like I heavily disliked the ending anyway, it was just ok.
I would say this is very much worth the time still!
I know, I know, the ending is controversial, but personally this doesn't bring down the whole game with it nor makes it useless after all, the journey I took far exceeds whatever happened at the end. Not like I heavily disliked the ending anyway, it was just ok.
I would say this is very much worth the time still!
⏰ In a rush? Don't worry, I gotchu'! ⏰
What Works:
✅ Intriguing Plot: Raging Loop offers a compelling narrative centered around a murder mystery with psychological horror elements, reminiscent of Danganronpa and Zero Escape.
✅ Engaging Gameplay Mechanic: The game utilizes an intuitive flowchart for navigating story decisions, allowing players to explore multiple endings and easily backtrack to make better choices. The looping mechanic is integrated into the story, adding depth and justification to the gameplay.
✅ Accessibility: The game is newcomer-friendly, with a charming tutorial explaining the basics and a Hint Corner that helps players when they reach undesired endings.
✅ Characterization: Both main and secondary characters are well-developed and memorable, adding to the story's richness.
✅ New Game Plus: The Revelation Mode offers additional insights into character thoughts, increasing replay value and depth for players who wish to delve deeper into the narrative.
What Doesn't Work:
❌ Slow Start: The plot takes time to kick into gear, which may deter some players initially.
❌ Inconsequential Choices: Many decisions lead to quick deaths that do not progress the story, potentially frustrating players.
❌ Artistic Simplicity: Backgrounds are too simple and repetitive, which detracts from the overall immersive experience.
❌ Audio Issues: Sound effects such as bird songs and running water end abruptly, breaking immersion.
🎭 A Macabre Exploration of Persistence: Raging Loop
One of life’s lessons is that persistence leads to success. However, how well does this advice hold up when the context is death? Raging Loop is a macabre exploration of this question and a high-profile venture from KEMCO, published by PQube. This visual novel, rich with psychological horror elements, centres on a murder mystery theme, reminiscent of titles like Danganronpa or Zero Escape, thanks to its overall strong execution.
🌌 An Intriguing Murder Mystery
The story begins with Haruaki Fusaishi, a 24-year-old Japanese man fleeing Tokyo after a falling out with his girlfriend. He then stumbles upon the village of Yasumizu seemingly by chance. In this seemingly peaceful place, full of curious and distinct villagers, the main character becomes embroiled in a variant of the social deduction game Werewolf (or Mafia). For further context within the Raging Loop universe, the experience always features two groups: a minority of informed individuals (werewolves) and a majority of uninformed individuals (humans). The goal is always to crown the surviving group as the winner. On one hand, the werewolves must achieve numerical advantage. On the other hand, humans rely on guardian spirits to help deduce who among them is different, choosing each night through voting and dialogue, one participant to kill in the hope that they are a werewolf.
🌀 A Looping Narrative with Multiple Endings
Although it takes a while to really kickstart it, the plot is quite fun to unravel, with multiple endings to discover. To reach them, decisions must be made throughout the story, which are easily accessible via an intuitive and simple-to-navigate flowchart. Unfortunately, many outcomes are inconsequential, detailing how Haruaki dies from making a wrong decision that doesn't progress the story. Despite many choices being relevant to the story’s context, their sole purpose is to push the narrative forward, as each time the main character witnesses his death, he returns to square one (hence the Loop in the title) and carries with him fragmented knowledge to make a better decision next time. This is particularly interesting as this feature is backed into the game's narrative, justifying its presence, unlike other visual novels where going back in the story (via flowchart, for example) is merely a player mechanic.
💡 Helpful Hints and Engaging Tutorials
Raging Loop is also very accessible to newcomers to the genre. At the beginning of the adventure, there is an optional, charming tutorial narrated by a chibi version of one of the characters, which provides the player with all the important aspects for an enjoyable experience. It even goes further by advising occasional breaks and discouraging sharing spoilers at a certain point in the story. Additionally, each time Haruaki reaches an undesired ending, a Hint Corner option appears, featuring a rude sheep that explains the obtained ending and offers a suggestion on how to progress.
🎨 Artistic Strengths and Weaknesses
However, Raging Loop has some weaker areas. Artistically speaking, the player is treated to well-characterised main and secondary characters, each sufficiently memorable. However, the background areas are too simple and unimpressive. At a certain point, it’s possible to have seen most of what this department has to offer. Additionally, some sounds, such as birds singing or water running, end abruptly (ironic in a game where half the title is Loop), breaking any existing immersion with the game.
🖥️ Text Legibility and New Game Plus Mode
Nevertheless, the text is always legible and comprehensible, even on a Switch Lite. Another noteworthy point is that there is a New Game Plus mode called Revelation Mode which provides more information and context about each character's thoughts, increasing the title’s longevity for those interested in learning more about its overall story..
🌟 A Solid Choice for Fans and Newcomers Alike
With an interesting and mysterious plot, despite the initial time it takes to become more engaging, and notwithstanding its minor flaws, Raging Loop is a solid choice not only for fans but also for newcomers to the genre.
🌟 M I S C 🌟
◻️ 🌳 Visit my Linktree for more content.
◻️ ⚠️ Review originally written for FNintendo (defunct website) and published on November 16th, 2019.
◻️ 🙋♂️ Explore more reviews written by me.
◻️ 🎮 Discover Nintendo Switch video games I've played.
◻️ ✍️ Reviewed in European Portuguese.
◻️ 📜 Review Number 008
✨ F I N ✨
What Works:
✅ Intriguing Plot: Raging Loop offers a compelling narrative centered around a murder mystery with psychological horror elements, reminiscent of Danganronpa and Zero Escape.
✅ Engaging Gameplay Mechanic: The game utilizes an intuitive flowchart for navigating story decisions, allowing players to explore multiple endings and easily backtrack to make better choices. The looping mechanic is integrated into the story, adding depth and justification to the gameplay.
✅ Accessibility: The game is newcomer-friendly, with a charming tutorial explaining the basics and a Hint Corner that helps players when they reach undesired endings.
✅ Characterization: Both main and secondary characters are well-developed and memorable, adding to the story's richness.
✅ New Game Plus: The Revelation Mode offers additional insights into character thoughts, increasing replay value and depth for players who wish to delve deeper into the narrative.
What Doesn't Work:
❌ Slow Start: The plot takes time to kick into gear, which may deter some players initially.
❌ Inconsequential Choices: Many decisions lead to quick deaths that do not progress the story, potentially frustrating players.
❌ Artistic Simplicity: Backgrounds are too simple and repetitive, which detracts from the overall immersive experience.
❌ Audio Issues: Sound effects such as bird songs and running water end abruptly, breaking immersion.
🎭 A Macabre Exploration of Persistence: Raging Loop
One of life’s lessons is that persistence leads to success. However, how well does this advice hold up when the context is death? Raging Loop is a macabre exploration of this question and a high-profile venture from KEMCO, published by PQube. This visual novel, rich with psychological horror elements, centres on a murder mystery theme, reminiscent of titles like Danganronpa or Zero Escape, thanks to its overall strong execution.
🌌 An Intriguing Murder Mystery
The story begins with Haruaki Fusaishi, a 24-year-old Japanese man fleeing Tokyo after a falling out with his girlfriend. He then stumbles upon the village of Yasumizu seemingly by chance. In this seemingly peaceful place, full of curious and distinct villagers, the main character becomes embroiled in a variant of the social deduction game Werewolf (or Mafia). For further context within the Raging Loop universe, the experience always features two groups: a minority of informed individuals (werewolves) and a majority of uninformed individuals (humans). The goal is always to crown the surviving group as the winner. On one hand, the werewolves must achieve numerical advantage. On the other hand, humans rely on guardian spirits to help deduce who among them is different, choosing each night through voting and dialogue, one participant to kill in the hope that they are a werewolf.
🌀 A Looping Narrative with Multiple Endings
Although it takes a while to really kickstart it, the plot is quite fun to unravel, with multiple endings to discover. To reach them, decisions must be made throughout the story, which are easily accessible via an intuitive and simple-to-navigate flowchart. Unfortunately, many outcomes are inconsequential, detailing how Haruaki dies from making a wrong decision that doesn't progress the story. Despite many choices being relevant to the story’s context, their sole purpose is to push the narrative forward, as each time the main character witnesses his death, he returns to square one (hence the Loop in the title) and carries with him fragmented knowledge to make a better decision next time. This is particularly interesting as this feature is backed into the game's narrative, justifying its presence, unlike other visual novels where going back in the story (via flowchart, for example) is merely a player mechanic.
💡 Helpful Hints and Engaging Tutorials
Raging Loop is also very accessible to newcomers to the genre. At the beginning of the adventure, there is an optional, charming tutorial narrated by a chibi version of one of the characters, which provides the player with all the important aspects for an enjoyable experience. It even goes further by advising occasional breaks and discouraging sharing spoilers at a certain point in the story. Additionally, each time Haruaki reaches an undesired ending, a Hint Corner option appears, featuring a rude sheep that explains the obtained ending and offers a suggestion on how to progress.
🎨 Artistic Strengths and Weaknesses
However, Raging Loop has some weaker areas. Artistically speaking, the player is treated to well-characterised main and secondary characters, each sufficiently memorable. However, the background areas are too simple and unimpressive. At a certain point, it’s possible to have seen most of what this department has to offer. Additionally, some sounds, such as birds singing or water running, end abruptly (ironic in a game where half the title is Loop), breaking any existing immersion with the game.
🖥️ Text Legibility and New Game Plus Mode
Nevertheless, the text is always legible and comprehensible, even on a Switch Lite. Another noteworthy point is that there is a New Game Plus mode called Revelation Mode which provides more information and context about each character's thoughts, increasing the title’s longevity for those interested in learning more about its overall story..
🌟 A Solid Choice for Fans and Newcomers Alike
With an interesting and mysterious plot, despite the initial time it takes to become more engaging, and notwithstanding its minor flaws, Raging Loop is a solid choice not only for fans but also for newcomers to the genre.
🌟 M I S C 🌟
◻️ 🌳 Visit my Linktree for more content.
◻️ ⚠️ Review originally written for FNintendo (defunct website) and published on November 16th, 2019.
◻️ 🙋♂️ Explore more reviews written by me.
◻️ 🎮 Discover Nintendo Switch video games I've played.
◻️ ✍️ Reviewed in European Portuguese.
◻️ 📜 Review Number 008
✨ F I N ✨