A Summer with the Shiba Inu is a new visual novel from Quill Game Studios and Ratalaika Games. Learn more in our A Summer with the Shiba Inu review!
In visual novel A Summer with the Shiba Inu from Ratalaika Games and Quill Game Studios, you will take control of one Syd the Shiba Inu, who finds herself back in Shiba Island after a ten-year absence. At first, you won’t know what drove her to leave the island, but as you progress through the game’s story and make choices at the different branching paths, you will start to put the pieces together and realize why things are what they are. Will you be able to help Syd overcome the demons of her past? You will get the help of an old friend along the way, but who knows if that will be enough!
If you’re new to the visual novel genre, then I do have to say that this genre is not for everyone. As the name suggests, games in the visual novel genre feature stories with thousands of words to read, with some of them featuring voice acting. Most of the time, said voice acting is in Japanese since recording all voices in English is too expensive and time-consuming for games that are in a niche genre. You, therefore, end up reading thousands and thousands of words as you go deeper into the story.
Also, if the game’s trailer and screenshots in this A Summer with the Shiba Inu review didn’t clue you in, the cast for the game is full of dogs that are wearing clothes and who act as if they were humans. This presents a series of obstacles for some gamers out there to enjoy A Summer with the Shiba Inu. If you’re not a fan of visual novels, then you’re certainly not going to like this game. If you’re more of a cat person than a dog person, then you’re definitely not going to like this game. If dogs wearing clothes and acting like humans just rubs you the wrong way, then you’re definitely not going to like this game.
The game features a full trophy list with a Platinum trophy. Since this is a visual novel, there are many trophies that will unlock as you progress through the game. The rest of the trophies will be split between how the choices take you down a particular story path, and how a series of choices will end up bringing you to a particular ending. There are three main endings for Syd, with more than ten different endings for other characters. Trophies will be split into fourteen Bronze, ten Silver, and six Gold trophies that will open the way for you to add one more Platinum trophy to your growing collection.
A Summer with the Shiba Inu is a fun visual novel with a canine twist on PlayStation 4. Sure, some of the design choices for the presentation do make this one look a bit weird and silly at times – with dogs flipped upside down as if they were walking on the ceiling, and others hovering over the floor – but that’s part of what makes this one stand out on Sony’s console. If you’re looking for a new visual novel – particularly one with a cast of dogs that is being published by a company that has a dog as its logo and mascot – then A Summer with the Shiba Inu, at its $9.99 asking price, is your choice.
Disclaimer
This A Summer with the Shiba Inu review is based on a PlayStation 4 copy provided by Ratalaika Games.
