Yurukill: The Calumniation Games [Nintendo Switch] | REVIEW

As far as mixing up genres is concerned, the hybrid of visual novel, puzzler, and schmup found in Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is certainly unique. It’s something that I typically wouldn’t have expected to work that well, with the change of pace between the three almost feeling a little bit TOO weird for my own tastes.

You know what, though? I really, REALLY enjoyed the game. Yes, Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is very weird, and yes, sometimes the pacing can be a little off, but there’s something about its unique blend of reading, puzzling, and action that just clicked with me from the get-go.

Check out some screenshots down below:

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Yurukill: The Calumniation Games puts players in the role of Sengoku, a young man who has spent the last ten years in prison after murdering a bunch of innocent people in an arson attack… except he didn’t do it. With no way to prove his innocence, he accepts his fate – that is until he ends up in Yurukill Land, a theme park where he must compete with other prisoners in tasks in order to be freed from prison. The catch? He’ll do so with a partner, who just so happens to be someone who suffered because of the crime he supposedly committed (and also able to determine whether or not he lives or dies during the ordeal). Oh, and he also received a note claiming that the real perpetrator of the arson attack is one of his rival competitors, so he has that to deal with too.

The narrative is bizarre and takes plenty of unusual turns throughout, but I found myself captivated right until the very end. It leaves players with plenty of questions as they progress as to what’s going on within Yurukill Land and who exactly is pulling the strings behind the scenes, whilst the characters you encounter along the way are all full of personality (and easy to love or hate). Add to that some top-notch writing and it’ll be hard not to find yourself fully engrossed in Sengoku’s perilous journey to prove his innocence.

It’s a good job too because this is a very text-heavy experience. A lot of your time with Yurukill: The Calumniation Games will be spent reading, with only Japanese voice overs available. It’s not a bad thing, and like any visual novel-style game, you know what you’re signing up for when you play. Just know that the visual novel elements of the game feature more prominently than the puzzling or schmup action.

“The narrative leaves players with plenty of questions as they progress as to what’s going on within Yurukill Land and who exactly is pulling the strings behind the scenes, whilst the characters you encounter along the way are all full of personality (and easy to love or hate).”

In-between the reading, there are plenty of puzzles to be solved as you work through each of Yurukill Land’s attractions, with each being based around the crimes committed by the contestants. The answers to most of these puzzles are found within the areas you explore, with an almost point-and-click element in place as you interact with different objects in the environment. Sometimes you might find an item to use, sometimes you might find a clue, whilst other times you might just find a new means to interact with an object you’re carrying… either way, you typically have to interact with everything around you before you’re able to solve a puzzle. There are also occasions where you just have to be logical in your approach, especially when it comes to figuring out number-based puzzles which demand more clever-thinking as opposed to relying solely on clues, so there’s room for more traditional puzzle-solving too.

The puzzle design is solid, with a good variety of conundrums to unravel across your adventure. Whilst Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is rarely a difficult game, there were a few moments where I was left scratching my head as I tried to figure out what exactly I needed to do. Players who get especially stumped will be happy to see there’s a hint system in place, though the average player probably won’t have to resort to using it as long as they think outside of the box.

Another interesting element to the game’s puzzling are the Mind Maze and Prejudice Synapse mini-games. With the Mind Maze, you have to break down events that have occurred by selecting between different choices, with the most accurate answers required for success. It depends more on careful thinking and memory than luck, but for the most part it’s easy to figure out what you need to choose. Prejudice Synapse sees you having to defend yourself against criminal accusations, with the wrong choices seeing your life come to a swift end if you don’t fight for your innocence. Much like the Mind Maze, you’re offered multiple choices as to what you want to say, but these weren’t so obvious – there were plenty of times where I thought I was saying the right answer, only for it to be completely wrong. The result? Death. It could be a little annoying, especially with the lack of clarity, though some well placed checkpoints ensure that it never becomes a real problem.

Check out some screenshots down below:

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When not reading, solving puzzles, or arguing with your partner as to why you should live, players will be taking part in schmup action that’ll see them facing seemingly endless onslaughts of foes and bullets as they look to take down enemies. Yep, it’s a real change of pace to the slower and more methodical puzzle-solving antics of the game, but it’s a welcome addition that brought some bursts of quick-pace fun to the game. I’d be lying if I said that Yurukill: The Calumniation Games’ schmup sections did anything I hadn’t seen before in the genre (apart from the questions you have to answer mid-battle that can affect your performance), but their presence was still a highlight of the whole experience for me. Just be warned: they can drag out at times and can be pretty tricky, so don’t be afraid to drop the difficulty if you’re not too familiar with the genre. They’re certainly good fun though and add a lot to the overall gameplay experience.

Developer: G.Rev
Publisher: NIS America
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC
Website: https://yurukill.com/en/