Visual novels are exactly what they sound like — fiction that you can interact with, and to some degree control the fate of the characters. Their key components lie in their stories and their characters just like any novel you might pick up and read, however, the difference is the ability to choose what happens. Blue Rose, the studio White Cat’s first commercial release, attempts to emulate the success of other visual novels of recent memory, but disappoints because it’s largely a paint-by-numbers game that lacks any flare.
The game gets off to a strong start: Lena Ehrenfeldt, a templar of the Blue rose, and her companions are caught in the heat of battle with a dragon. After losing her comrades to the beast and failing to protect Lady Adale, an emissary from a distant land, Lena is left for dead near an unnamed village. When she awakes, she decides to uncover the truth about the attack, discover the mysteries hidden behind the village, and find her true calling in life. The game follows the basic otome structure by providing five bachelors for Lena to choose from: four males — Tobias, Gavin, Simon and Aran — and one female — Erin. The game offers 10 endings, two for each character, providing a good amount of replay value. However, in terms of content there isn’t a lot to get excited about.
The introduction of the game sets up an interesting turn of events but never capitalizes on it. Despite ancient lore about the Heart of the Mountain and the war between two opposing countries being thrown around, the plot never cares to explain the background behind the world of Blue Rose, merely touching upon events when it seems fit. I accept that romance is an integral part, but many of the game’s events set relationships in motion, or result in characters being present in the village; therefore, further elaboration would provide players with a deeper understanding of the characters. It feels like the story has been left unfinished, with many blanks that need filling in order to enhance the experience and bolster player interest, but White Cat has missed a mark here.
The game plays and feels like your basic visual novel, with lots of text to digest along the way. Most of your time will be spent talking to your potential partners. The dialogue gets dull very quickly, with Lena’s narration coming across as dull and dry at times. Much of the action is represented from her point-of-view and, as a result, should feel dynamic, but often ends up rather clinical and basic. In some scenes, the narration switches uncomfortably and suddenly from Lena to another character, which is jarring and creates a disjointed experience.
Choice is very limited in-game too; it’s always difficult to talk about gameplay with visual novels, but Blue Rose fails in even the most basic of visual novel standards of play. More often than not, the main decisions lie in picking who to talk to rather than responses. Any choices in character interaction merely changes a few lines of dialogue and really reduces the freedom I’ve often found with the genre. There are very few distinctions between the characters and even though different characters might accompany you to each area, the events are often the same. As a result, I progressively felt detached from the plot and disengaged from the characters and narrative.
Fortunately, presentation is one of Blue Rose’s strongest assets and it manages to create a world that looks pretty. The idyllic and rural fantasy setting stands out from the standard Japanese visual novels audiences are used to, and each area is bright and picturesque. Every character looks different and their portraits convey their personalities perfectly. All of the in-game art is hand-drawn, and there’s a refreshing clash of style in the watercolor-esque backgrounds and the anime-inspired character designs that creates a distinct flair it can call its own.
For the most part, Blue Rose’s character cast lacks anything unique. Each person Lena meets is the definition of their archetype — Tobias, for example, is the tsundere who’s sudden and unexpected change of heart towards Lena leads to his anger being explained as “I love you and must protect you.” Due to this, none of the relationships feel worthwhile or heartfelt, with many of the options and outcomes feeling like rushed and convenient ways to wrap up the story. There are attempts to knit together valid reasons as to why Lena falls in love with them, or vice versa, but they fall short of anything convincing.
All but Erin’s path follow this pattern. Lena and Erin’s romance is the standout relationship choice in the game — and not just because she offers the only same-sex relationship. Erin and Lena’s romance feels genuine, lead along by subtle hints and genuinely touching moments. Their blossoming relationship is dealt with sweetly and respectfully, and doesn’t feel like an extra addition just to get attention.
In the long haul, Blue Rose is a forgettable experience despite bringing some different ideas to the table. For a genre that already restricts control by reducing the gameplay, it needs a strong story, great characters and a degree of freedom and differentiation for each path, yet it falls short in all of these. With everything combined, it results in a lacklustre and disappointing attempt at something that could have been good if a little more care had been taken over the key ingredients.
