Developer/publisher: Zombilica, Hunex/Dramatic Create.
Platform: PC,switch.
Official Site: N/A.
Official Site: N/A.
Release date: 19-9-2024
Not sure what to play next I decided to give The Town of Nie a try! I don't really play much
BL games and this is actually my first. I read a few manga's but that was it.
Since it has an english release that is what I am playing as I do want to support those releases.
I played the switch version which I knew was already toned down as most PC to console port
tend to be, not sure what was supposed to be different but only a handful of scenes were IMO bad.
Pro's
- Interesting setting and characters.
- Pretty decent art, Hisora has a sprite as well as VA.
Grey area
- Music fit the setting and mood but some tracks are quite mid.
- The OP did not automatically play when booting up the game, only when lingering on title screen.
Con's
- Some translation errors; most could've been fixed if it had a QA sweep.
- Sound effects were annoying; first time in long while I had to put it on lowest setting.
- Copypasta; some scenes are the same in every route that you can't readskip.
This was a supernatural VN, it has suspense and some gore to go along with it
but moments that it got gorey were relatively minor.
I wasn't really sure what kind of story it was trying to tell but there were moments
when I was like is this really a BL game? the narrative was interesting
so I was easily hooked, I liked how everything was slowly introduced
and I got a better picture of what was going on. It also didn't feel like it tried
too hard to get that japanese supernatural ghost stories effect.
Hisora as a protagonist was pretty okay, he wasn't a total asshole unlike some other
protagonist from another supernatural VN I recently sat through.
Though I did feel that he kind of felt idk bland? in general he seemed like some normal dude
but there was not much that stood out to him other than being a workaholic.
By the time of Naruomi's route I thought that Hisora was cute but a big idiot.
Hisora is also voiced and has his own sprite while the LI and important characters are
also voiced, minor characters on the other hand without sprites aren't and they only have grunts.
You can really see where the dev's cut their losses.
The art was pretty good in terms of sprite and CG's but the backgrounds
really varied like there were some good pieces but some weren't as great as others.
Some bgm's really added to the setting but much like backgrounds it varied.
There were some bgm tracks that were honestly really average to just plain out of place.
Like yea imma bang my head to that one rock bgm.............. 💀 The bgm for tense situations
also ended up being a pain on my ears I lowered the bgm volume to 1 so I think that says enough.
The Town of Nie is one of the few VN that has me really mixed on its OST.
Also the sound effect for bringing up the backlog or menu was annoying
and quickly grew on my nerves so that too had to be put on the lowest setting.
There was one more sound effect which was supposed to be kids laughing but it was like
1-2 seconds on repeat. These minor slights really brought the experience down.
Translation wise... there be errors, some of them can easily be corrected
but it seems this could have done with another Q&A sweep.
For the most part it read pretty well so I can let it slide.
System wise its standard VN stuff, the common route had map movement
and this is also what decides which route you land on.
The common route could seem long atleast I thought it did when I checked a guide
but it wasn't at all, the game was paced quite well and it didn't drag on at all.
Said common route served its purpose of slowly setting up the route itself and I liked
how it really felt like Hisora stayed at some inn that wasn't exactly normal
while still trying to find out whatever this place was.
The early hours can seem like this is a non-romance VN, Hisora is pretty much a normal guy
who doesn't really think about romance so it can seem like its not a BL game.
The most gay thing Hisora said early on was call Koko sexy.😂
It was of course a BL game and there were plenty of cute scenes with the guys.
Due to spending time with a LI he does develop feelings, in some routes it done better than others.
I liked the romance more in routes that weren't Mio
I have never played a BL game before so I have nothing to compare it to but this was pretty OK.
I generally had a good time despite there being some gore/horror elements. Maybe it was due
to the stellar cast and decent amount of suspense. Though the horror felt more like it was there
on the side, there weren't many jumpscares or anything only one that caught me
offguard in Naruomi's route. There's only one creepy looking CG in the beginning
but I was disappointed there wasn't more of that. Some descriptions were horrific
but it also was done in a comical way? atleast there was no pictures of eyeballs
or innards falling out but I do think this game would have been scarier if there
had been more cg's or sprites to give more details cuz text is just text.
If I actually had to see some of that shit it I'd probably lose it like Hisora did...💀
Maybe some stuff was reserved for bad ends but I stayed away from those.
Also there was atleast WTF is this shit moment in most route
but the rest was relatively normal tbh. It also ended up feeling
more like a comedy like how was Asuku's route not a comedy?!😂
still The Town of Nie didn't shy away from being dark. Most of it is reserved for
bad ends but that tone is still present and some routes like Koko hit hard.
7/10
In the end I stayed for the characters and wanted to do their routes simply
to understand them better. I didn't really like Mio's route due some scenes here and there
but by the time of his good end most was forgiven, he's not a bad character but I do think
some things could have been handled better. It won't take four routes to figure out who
mister mourning clothes was but its a shame you can't read skip the scene at the end of the route.
I suppose this game was designed that no matter who you go for some things need to be
explained no matter what before it can end. It can be a bit repetitive as well making the only
reasons to do more routes more or less for the LI themselves and whatever secrets they carried.
The game has a FD but I am not sure if I will get to it anytime soon... i'm also not sure
if its worth it because if it doesn't have cute after stories or fun SoL scenes
and more weird stuff it definitely isn't for me.
TL;DR What I really liked from this game was the suspense,mystery and fun SoL scenes
everything else varied greatly, some cute romantic scenes were there but it was not enough.
Honestly when I think about BL that I like Sasaki and Miyano come to mind.
The Town of Nie wasn't exactly suited for my tastes but atleast I did like some of it
and its not that bad of a VN, I did like the story and it stayed true to what it tried to do.
Its just that this sort of setting is nothing new and I thought I'd seen it somewhere before.
Ultimately while the characters and setting were great the game is dragged down
by annoying sound effects and copypasta. After the first play it essentially becomes
a character game but by route 4 I was getting tired of the repetitiveness.
The game was obviously censored but it was done in such a way you could still
understand what originally had transpired and that doesn't sit well with me
because why even bother to change it in the first place?! meh.
I used a guide for the game and it is recommended that if you care about the story
to play in the order of: Mio > Asuku > Koko > Naruomi > True.
Personally I think Mio/Asuku/Koko can be done in any order as anything sorta goes
but Naruomi definitely last due to how easily he ties into the truth end.
This game also has bad ends with content that may be a bit much for some and since I am here
only for the story and shipping I decided it would be better to use a guide
and avoid andmines that could hinder enjoyment.
Route babbles after the jump and there might be some spoilers below as well as my fav CG's
so if you still want to play this then stop reading here, kthnx bye.
Suou Mio.😔
CV: Kitayama Kyousuke
 |
| I don't have a lot of CG I liked in this route but this was cute. |
in which Mio gets beaten up quite a lot, I wouldn't even call this game gorey but this really pushed it.
I got the feeling this was for comedic effect as it seems he never dies even tho he should
be after what happens to him at times. Though its looks more like it that he's a guinea pig....
and for some reason I was more interesting in Asuku and his episodes.
There's actually a reason why the residents of the town can't die...
except Hisora who came here through a backdoor or something.
Anyway Mio reminded me a little of Crow from the trails series
who loves gambling, big titty woman and strip clubs. Is he even gay?!
didn't seem like it to me cuz he just seemed like a normal guy. Mio is also an orphan
and seems like he was everyones big bro but nowadays he's just lazing around.
There was even a bitch you live like this moment, it was so bad
Hisora had to go clean like he was some housewife.💀
I don't think Crow was that lazy and was a lot more sensible than this clown.
Anyways there were definitely moments where Mio felt off but I couldn't really
put my finger on it as to why, this is made clear as the route progresses. Mio is such a dork
and him constantly going on about boobies didn't make me think he's gay so romance wise
I did have trouble seeing it but there were moments that were cute. So not that bad.
The romance sure was something it literally went from dudes being dudes to... gay.
I think it was kind of off putting to see Hisora be put off by being kissed suddenly
and really i've never seen any gay media where the protagonist was put off
at the guy making moves. Then it gets played as it was just a joke... right.
This made me go guys are you gay or what?! idk if this was pc to console censorship but
I am not sure how I feel about Mio helping Hisora barf either cuz he drank too much.💀💀💀
Honestly the worst of this route was a few random scenes, that aside Mio is a pretty fun
character, his past was sad and I felt bad for him but some scenes with him were very off putting.
Ultimately Naruomi is what saved this route, he really was a wingman or unsung hero.
Asuku was also redeemed in some strange way like he can be normal? now I am interested!
I'm not sure how or why Hisora fell in love either, they were basically just being bro's 90%
of the route but I guess stockholm syndrome kicked in at some point.💀
The return end was bittersweet though which felt like a new start for both of them.
Rarely say this but that Totonoe guy can burn in hell... Mio did nothing wrong compared to him.
They also mentioned in the return end that Akari guy was a pedo apparently and I am horrified
not that he did anything in this route or in the endings I saw... Mio really knows everyone ISTG
but so does Akari for some reason, more on that later.
6/10
I could be harsh and drop it by one point but... Mio also had his shit going on so it is what it is.
~
Rokushou Asuku.💕
CV: Takahashi Kouji.
At first I didn't really like him as he seemed prone to violence very easily.
Though I was sure he had his reasons I pretty much was like NOPE.
In the common route Asuku generally seemed like an asshole too which did not help his case
but near the end of Mio's route he surprisingly seemed kind of nice. Needless to say
his own route was still off to a rough start.Now Asuku can be normal but more often than not
acts like he left the bed on the wrong foot. Hisora wanted to ask him about his family
but this seemed to already struck a nerve and his reaction to it was very Asuku.😅💀
IDK why but I really enjoyed Hisora and Asuku's interactions, Asuku didn't really
like him right away so it was really interesting to see how it would go.
TFW the route starts off with an indirect kiss because they only had one fork...
this already sealed the romance for me and it hadn't even gotten started.
The whole scene was hilarious, I was willing to forgive the weird scenes in Mio's route.
Unfortunately Hisora's attempts to get closer to Asuku mostly end up in failure...
its actually quite comedic really, didn't think it would be like that but here we are!
Hisora be like; Idk what sets this guy off and I just resonate with him because same.
This route made me pop the question of why the fuck does that creep Akari know who everyone is?!
it felt like in this route the writer(s)? went the extra mile to make Akari creepier too.😨😱💀
There was a weird scene that made it seem like Asuku had a foot fetish but I assume
this was something else in the original PC version. Like the dialogue was blatantly
obvious it was about something else than... a foot. I didn't like this scene
and it almost killed the whole route for me. I swear this game always manages to have
atleast one scene that makes me react like this. They should have just cut it out entirely
and make a short explanation of Hisora taking care of his clothes or something.
I like how the scene just jumped after he untied his yukata like damn you're giving us
kinky stuff but then just skip the goods. Most embarrassing censorship ever.
They introduced some kid named Ao which made Akari show up real quick but he got
slammed hard cuz everyone knows about his tendencies. Its kinda gross to me and not funny
to joke about that sort of stuff. Thanks to it being dealt with quickly I didn't get too uncomfy.
made me go aww. Honestly I know Asuku can probably come across as toxic most of
the time but he really wasn't that bad and the romance was surprisingly sweet. Asuku's past
also was quite heartbreaking, its no wonder he got that pissy attitude but I don't blame him. Asuku
also gets compared to a stray cat which was hilarious cuz it true, like hsss hsss and then he's nice.
It gets even better because Asuku actually has a really cute reason for acting like he does
toward Hisora so all of his verbal abuse is easy to forgive and he did apologize too.
I also didn't expect Mama Otome to be tied into the story but it was done really well
and I think that was bittersweet. They did copypasta the Sata stuff which was identical
except you couldn't read skip it which was a shame still I think Asuku had a really good route
and the romance in general felt a lot better over here than in Mio's.
I did Asuku's stay end as well but it was kind of underwhelming, there was no CG either
so nothing can beat his return end I guess so it felt like there's only 1 good end.
8.5/10
Asuku is a complicated character and had quite a shitty past but so did Mio, its understandable
they don't wanna go back, most of the route was really hilarious and I just wanted
to keep playing to see what happens next due the nature of Asuku's character.
I would get the FD just for this guy!
~
Koko.✨
CV:Kawada Shinji.
but cleaning the inn is pretty useless as it apparently does so by itself except for peoples rooms.
Koko is also the guy Hisora actually seems to think is attractive and thus the only guy
he was openly gay about, if not for him Hisora is rather closed off about that fact.
''Koko is a very sexy guy, kind and great with housework'' this throws me off so hard
because Hisora never really perceived Mio or Asuku like this and things just sorta happened.
Koko has been at the inn for 7 years making him one of the longest resident and
doesn't remember anything of his previous life. As Hisora wonders why
Koko's still in this world the landlord spooks him and says its quite simple really!
its because Koko is afraid of the world he doesn't remember... this whole scene was hilarious
because it was like the landlord was reading Hisora's mind and answering for him.
Anyway the mystery of the boy in mourning clothes no longer carries this game but I was
actually surprisingly easily invested in Koko's character which felt really good and gave
me motivation to continue playing. It really is a character game on subsequent plays.
Koko really loves cooking so when Hisora watched him he got startled and Koko cut his finger...
and out of the blue Hisora just immediately starts to suck it. Koko is visibly confused as am I
since Hisora forgot that wounds heal themselves in this place.
commenting about Koko's sex appeal and how enthralling he is but it quickly turned into WTF is
going on here?!😂 with a lot of question marks to OMG Koko you can't be serious nani le fuck.💀
Koko might seem like a bad person and its true he's not wholly innocent but he has his
reasons. Koko can seem selfish and not like a mother filled with unconditional love.
Still I think this was part of Koko's charm and the route had a grip on me, it was also
heavier than the routes that came before it. Maybe heavy is an understatement
Koko had one of the darkest routes in this game, holy shit every route had like
a wtf moment and for Koko it was his past. I had to pause the game for a bit to digest.
Koko's return ending was bittersweet but man... what a route he had!
I genuinely did like this route, the first half was really fun but then it hits hard.😭
I legit got sad due to his past and I really had to take a break after I did his route
due how heavy it was. The copypasta also started to annoy me so maybe the game
was overstaying its welcome for me. The stay end did somehow felt like it was neither
a good or bad end yet still kinda nice. Needless to say I still pressed on because I wanted
to know everything about Naruomi and the remaining mystery surrounding the landlord
and the boy at the shrine which is what the last route covered.
7.7/10
~
Naruomi.😌
CV: Komatsu Shouhei.
Alright, time for the last route! I took a short break after Koko's but we back!!!
Honestly I have almost nothing against Naruomi, he's chill and more often than not
is someone Hisora could rely on and he has his back.😊 Naruomi is also one of
the new residents of the inn and came only shortly before Hisora did.
As seen in other routes he uses a crowbar to defend himself and is quite confident
in his self-defense skills due to practicing kendo. He can also be a bit clumsy as made
evident early on in his common route event. At first I didn't really understand why
this route should be done last, to me it seems like you can just do whatever
since the Sata stuff was explained in all routes anyway... buuut this route
also had a strange focus on the landlord lookalike so it did made sense to do it last.
Naruomi's first event cg scene was really cute, I liked the relaxed atmosphere in it.
Hisora even seems to think the same and just naturally feels at easy with him.
Romance wise maybe its a bit better than Koko's or so it seemed.💀
Unfortunately Akari was such a creeper in this route it legit made me uncomfy
because I knew something transpired between him and Naruomi.
Knowing what type of person Akari is it was obviously no good
and thus the route more or less became how to spot an abusive relationship.
Other than that same old of we search for the guy in mourning clothes, the scenes
with Naruomi were entertaining and there were some cute romance scenes
so it was still worthwhile to sit through it one more time.
Hisora seemed to realize much sooner its ok to be gay in this route so it didn't
feel like it was a sudden realization like in Mio and to some extend Asuku's route.
Honestly there wasn't much else that stood out with this route and found it for the
most part to be very boring, there's not much to Naruomi's character
like he came from a completely normal family and the only thing he has going
for him is that he is very overprotective and kind... maybe even obsessive.
Naruomi did hide something from Hisora and the truth of it all sure was a revelation...
by this point i could even figure who that boy who dropped the ball could be so it wasn't
all that surprising. I don't really hate Naruomi either but Akari sure was a dirtbag.
The reason Akari knew a lot about everyone is that he was a reporter... he also had some obsession
with Naruomi as a kid and he had wanted to snatch him but Hisora and Sata had to intervene.💀
I don't forgive Akari for it, as he is the worst character in this game, period. He already got
what he deserved the moment he spilled the beans Naruomi timely hit him with his trusty crowbar.
I did laugh a little when Hisora said: Ah I guess I am a hopeless Naruomi addict.
No, more like you got stockholm syndrome but you do you! atleast I could see some
sort of happiness with Naruomi and Hisora ending up together. They'll be sort of starting over
anyways as the residents of the inn don't remember their time in the world well except
for Hisora since he didn't come there normally. The world the inn resides in is like
sort of a boundary space for people in a coma after having a close call but some of this
was already obvious from the first route. Either way the return end was nice so its gucchi.
After everything I still found myself thinking what a weirdo Naruomi is... 😅
The stay end was good in a way even if they don't go back, Akari got his head split open
by Naruomi every day who has become Asuku v.2 but I feel like he deserved that so its whatever.
7.3/10
~
True end:
to do this last right after his route. I found it to be rather sad since Hisora
isn't able to accept the truth about Sata. It also brings albeit slightly more light to Shiro.
It wasn't much but it answered some lingering questions without overstaying its welcome.
Depending on the choice Hisora will either stay or return to that day...
staying didn't give anymore scenes which was disappointing tbh.
Returning to that day seemed to change the events of the past for some reason...
and no one gets hurt. Life seems to go on for both Sata and Hisora but they're together.
Erm... let me just say I did not see this ending coming but it was kind of heartwarming to have
such a happy outcome for the both of them so I can't completely dislike it for some reason.
Its just.... I am not sure where to place it? I'd much rather choose to have Hisora
accept it and end up with any of the LI than whatever happened here? though I suppose
in this ending it means both of their wishes got answered which in a ways is nice.
Unfortunately this didn't explain everything and even added more questions...
I guess its where the FD comes in but I am not sure if I will get to that anytime soon.
6.5/10
~
Fav route:
Asuku > Koko > Naruomi > True > Mio.
Mio's route was just weird all around and the only thing Naruomi had going for
his own route was the steamy romance and the stuff with Shiro on the side.
My fav was probably Asuku because it was hilarious followed by Koko.
Fav characters:
Asuku> Koko> Naruomi >Hisora> Mio> Ao> Landlord> Komachi/Mama Otome> Totonoe>Akari.
This is kinda useless since I generally liked all the LI, some side characters were pretty awful
but not all of them deserved to burn in hell either only the one at the end of this list.
Final thoughts?!
TBH the main characters were all great, Hisora as a protag was okay I liked him
but after four routes the only thing I can say is you ***king donkey! but I don't blame him.
I also liked the mystery/suspense but the romance was weird, it varied whether it was good or not.
This was especially obvious in the first route I did (Mio) in which Hisora didn't
seem like he was that gay and it didn't help Mio just seems like he was a normal guy.
I wasn't sure if it was normal for the genre but it pretty much felt like Hisora
was on a journey of self discovery, it makes perfect sense why he seems not gay.
I can't say the same for Mio as in chapter 12 of Mio's route I still wasn't sure about him like
was he bi or was his I like big titties a cover for being gay. He also seemed to have a hidden
side but romance wise it was super weird. A bunch of scenes also nearly ruined it for me
but in the end I still left somewhat satisfied. Mio had a problematic route to say the least.
Oddly enough most of the routes I did after were more enjoyable.
Anyway even after just one route I wasn't sure to keep on playing as it felt like they
wrapped the story up as well. Due to some of the above I started thinking that maybe BL games
aren't for me or perhaps I picked the wrong one. When I did Asuku's route I enjoyed it quite a lot
maybe it was because he didn't like Hisora at the start so it was kinda hate to love.
Koko was like the only guy Hisora was openly gay towards or found attractive.😅
But Koko's route was quite dark, I had to pause the game after certain reveals for a bit.💀
Of course I still did Naruomi's route and the romance actually felt normal in this one...
still even here there was a snake in the grass and it wasn't a pretty one.
Unfortunately certain aspects of the game could get a bit repetitive like looking for the guy
in mourning clothes, due already knowing who he is from the 1st route.
After the first play, remaining routes more or less are about the characters themselves
and whatever other mysteries still linger within the game. There were some copypasta scenes
in every route as well which you couldn't skip, that was annoying maybe I could have accepted
that better if it was a game I played in 2010 but in 2025? its just lazy to not let players readskip.
Most good ends end on a good enough note but romance wise it can be a bit unsatisfying, there was
atleast one scene in most routes that had me go wtf is this shit?! maybe it was due to
pc to console censorship but it was ridiculous. I know there's a FD but I am a bit hesitant
to get it, maybe if there's more fun SoL and cute scenes with Hisora and the guys
but if its more weird stuff then I will pass since I am not here for that.
7/10
I think most BL fans will probably like this game as it had a great cast of characters
but it does have a few annoyances such as the copypasta or the sound effects. I wouldn't
recommend this game for its horror either but more so if you like darker stuff. Like its there
for the setting and gives a hint of danger but everything was text only and if it wanted to be
really scary maybe there should have been more sprites or CG's to depict that.
I've always wanted to try the BL genre and I can't say I am too disappointed by this game
but i'm unsure if I will play more of these games. Taisho Mebiusline has interested me
but there's obviously some tropes in these type of games that I don't like
so it remains to be seen if I ever will play one of these VN's again...
As for what's next I plan to focus on FD/Sequel's of existing titles. I got the Toki no Kizuna
switch port and its become my time killer game. Mononoke Chigiri is still a huge maybe.
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