Visual novel Norn9: Last Era from Idea Factory International, Otomate, and Aksys Games is ready for you on Nintendo Switch. Check out our Norn9: Last Era review!
Visual novel Norn9: Last Era from Idea Factory International, Otomate, and Aksys Games is ready for you on Nintendo Switch. But first, a bit of extra info on the game that precedes it. Norn9 is a visual novel that was originally released for the PlayStation Portable back in 2013. The game was later ported to the PlayStation Vita the following year as Norn9: Var Common for a Japan release, followed by a North American release in 2015. It was that year that Norn9: Last Era was released on PlayStation Vita in Japan.
Norn9: Last Era on Nintendo’s console is what’s known as a Fan Disc, which could basically be summarized as additional content for a game after a successful launch. It’s the first time the game has been made available in English – with voice acting in Japanese. This new journey begins with Prelude, which takes place a bit before the evens of Norn9: Var Commons, a game that Tracey got a chance to review on PlayStation Vita back in 2015. Once you’ve completed Prelude, you’ll be able to take on the next three parts in any desired order.
There’s Concerto, which could be considered the main mode for Norn9: Last Era, and it shows scenarios that follow the best endings of the previous game to expand on what the Norn9 universe has to offer. You can also play through Fugue, which allows you to take on an abridged version of the first game’s routes through the eyes of the love interests, offering a new twist on things, making it a good option for those of you who want to relieve the events from Norn9: Var Commons from a different perspective.
The last option for Norn9: Last Era is Fantasia. As its name suggests, it presents a series of what-if scenarios with the Norn members, which gives you some bonus content as you experience the banter between characters. Oh, and characters will be chibified, because why not? Thanks to all three options, you’ll get to experience tales that take place before Norn9: Var Commons, during the events of that game, as well as after.
If you’re new to the visual novel genre, then you should know that it’s a type of game in which you’ll get to experience stories of varying lengths as if you were reading a novel but presented through a visual medium… hence its name! Norn9: Var Commons was an Otome visual novel requiring dozens of hours to see everything that it had to offer. This is also the case for Norn9: Last Era, which means you’re certainly going to get a lot of bang for your buck! As mentioned before, the game features voice acting, which is always appreciated for visual novels, but, as has been the case for several games in the genre on Nintendo Switch, the characters speak in Japanese.
Norn9: Last Era is a fan disc for Norn9: Var Commons that gives us a prelude, followed by new stories set after the events of the previous game, a new take on the story from the previous game seen from the perspective of the love interests, as well as some what-if scenarios where characters are chibified, because why not? As we join heroines Koharu, Nanami, and Mikoto, we’ll have a new chance to get to know Kakeru, Ron, Heishi, Sakuya, Itsuki, Akito, Senri, Masamune, and Natsuhiko a little better. There’s also a quirky RPG-like mini-game for you to work your way through, in which you’ll earn tickets that can be exchanged for prizes. Norn9: Last Era is out on Nintendo Switch with a $49.99 price tag.
Disclaimer
This Norn9: Last Era review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by Aksys Games.
