Yumeutsutsu Re:Master from KOGADO and DEGICA is a new girls-love visual novel on Nintendo Switch. Learn more about it in our Yumeutsutsu Re:Master review!
Yumeutsutsu Re:Master tells the story of sisters Kokori and Ai Otori. Ai moves to the city to join her sister Kokori at the video game studio where she works, leaving behind the town of Koenji to land in the majestic city of Tokyo. Ai is the older of the two, and one day she gets a message from the game company where her sister was working. The message? “Save your sister.” Ai loves her sister, even if their parents not getting along forced them to go their separate ways, only seeing each other once a year. The message made Ai rushed to Eureka Software, where she meets cheery Nana Tachinaba, writer Saki Mugendo, illustrator and keyframe artist Marie Mahler, company president Honoka Daigo, and vice president Banako, the company’s dog.
It turns out the company originally made a game called Nie, the Witch, and the End of the World, a video game that Kokori and Ai played many years ago. The team was currently remaking the game for a new generation, and when she arrives there to help out – with no previous experience in video game development – she finds out that her sister Kokoro now goes by the last name Yanagiya… and that she seems to be treating her like a stranger as if Kokoro has no recollection of her and their relationship. Ai figures that if she gets to know her new coworkers, and works hard on the game remake, she might be able to understand what happened to Kokoro and recover her sister.
Since Yumeutsutsu Re:Master is a visual novel, and with all voice-acting being in Japanese, there’s going to be a lot of reading in your future! Because of this, you can set the text dialogue speed and autoplay to on, so that you can experience the stories non-stop. You’ll be using the A button to make choices at different points of the game, and if you’re playing in Portable or Tabletop mode, or if you’re enjoying this visual novel on a Nintendo Switch Lite, you can also use the touchscreen. If you want to re-read any previously read text, you can press down to open the Message Log. If you want to skip any previously read text, you can do so with the R button.
It’s always hard to review a visual novel without spoiling things for players, but with the huge amount of content that Yumeutsutsu Re:Master has to offer, I think I can go a little bit further into talking about each of the characters in the game to give you a better idea of what you’re going to experience. Let’s start off with Ai Otori, the main character you’ll be playing as. She’s never had a job before, and she’s never really left her hometown – other than going on school trips one prefecture over – which means she’s an interesting mix of a meek and diligent person who, in the end, things she’s a bit too vanilla for her own good. She’s in a bit of a gloomy slump, even though those around her think she’s an interesting individual.
Kokoro Otori – now Yanagiya – used to be a very cheerful and friendly person who was always eager to learn more about the world around her. After moving and joining Eureka Software, something happened to her. Sure, she made the transition into adulthood, but there’s something that’s a bit off about her, which is even more apparent when she interacts with Ai. Gone is the caring and warm sister she used to see at least once a year, and she even told Ai three years ago to stop trying to contact her at all! She seems to be in a constant bad mood, probably due to the stress of working as a novice game director in such a big project.
Nana Tachibana is actually the first character you’ll get to interact with in Yumeutsutsu Re:Master. She’s a part-time worker at Eureka Software, and she’s in charge of some of the administrative activities, such as answering the phones or brewing some tea. She’s a voice actor who is trying to make ends meet by doing as many things as possible. The first time you meet her, she acts as the self-proclaimed Banana Maid – to which AI comments her golden hair does certainly resemble a bunch of bananas! She’s got a very upbeat and fun personality that is pretty out there, but there’s more to her than meets the eye.
Saki Mugendo is the lead narrative writer at the company. She’s a bit self-centered, usually not paying attention to what others are saying, thus focusing on doing things her own way. While she looks very young, she’s actually older than what her petite size will lead you to believe. In fact, she was actually the writer of the original version of Nie, the Witch, and the End of the World, making her a veteran member at Eureka Software. The staff refers to her as Tinysaurus because of her size and her overall behavior.
Marie Mahler is the illustrator and keyframe artist for the game, which means she’s got a big load of work to do for the remake! She’s a very straightforward individual with an unwavering conviction, who loves Japan and its culture. She dresses up in military clothing, which is her uniform, and gives us a glimpse into the type of person she is. She’s a sharp mind who is always ready to analyze a situation, making her an interesting route for players to take in this huge Yuri visual novel.
Honoka Daigo is the boss at Eureka Software. The president of the company is also a programmer and takes care of marketing so that the wheels keep on turning at all times. She’s definitely a very different character when compared to the rest of the staff at Eureka Software, making for some very interesting interactions with her. And let’s not forget vice president Banako! Banako is a St. Bernard that functions as the mascot of Eureka Software. She’s actually Honoka’s dog, but it’s up to Ai and the rest of the staff to take care of it.
Yumeutsutsu Re:Master is out now on Nintendo Switch with a $64.99 asking price. Don’t let the price tag keep you from getting this very enjoyable and extremely packed visual novel, since you’re going to be spending dozens of hours seeing everything the game has to offer, making it a retail-sized adventure with a matching retail price tag. There are a handful of romancing options, different story routes to take, and many endings to unlock.
Disclaimer
This Yumeutsutsu Re:Master review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by DEGICADEGICA.
