Genso Manège from PQube, Mages, and Love and Art is a new Otome visual novel on Nintendo Switch. Learn more in our Genso Manège review!
Genso Manège from PQube, Mages, and Love and Art is a new Otome visual novel on Nintendo Switch. This adventure takes place in a reimagined take on France in a town located near the country’s eastern border. It’s known as Blancbourg, and it’s about to be the spot where the traveling amusement park La Foire du Rêve will begin its new season. Your name is Emma, and you’re about to embark on a journey of self-discovery as you begin to learn more about who you really are.
As she meets the people who are part of La Foire du Rêve, she learns of an important secret: everyone there is actually trapped, bound with magic that keeps them from leaving the company. You possess within you the power to set them free and will need to work at the amusement park to regain the magic needed to break the cycle. Your mind is not what it used to be after an accident robbed you of roughly ten years of memories. What will you end up finding? You’ll have to play the game to find out!
If you’re new to visual novels, games in this particular genre place a big focus on the story side of things. Some are very linear, while others offer some choices for you to make along the way that will lead toward different story branches and to potential romantic interests. Some games, as is the case for Genso Manège, feature voice acting for its characters, usually in Japanese. As for this particular game, as mentioned before, it’s an Otome visual novel. That means you’ll be taking on the role of a female protagonist who will have a chance to find love along the way.
This one can be played by using the Nintendo Switch Joy-Con or by taking advantage of the console’s touchscreen when playing in Tabletop or Portable Mode or when playing on a Nintendo Switch Lite console. When using the JoyCon, you’ll be able to change selections along the way by using the left or right analog sticks or the D-Pad, confirming your choice by pressing the A button. You can press the A button to switch from dialogue to dialogue, or you can press the Y button to activate Auto Mode.
You’ll be recovering your magical abilities in Genso Manège by taking part in a mini-game known as the Éveil System. This mini-game will have you collecting the stars that appear in random locations around the screen. You’ll do this either by using the left or right analog sticks if using physical inputs or by touching them on the screen. As you collect stars, they will start to fill up the gauge at the bottom of the screen. After this, a star-shaped outline will grow and shrink toward the star in Emma’s hands, and you’ll have to press the A button to complete the mini-game when the outline matches the star. The mini-game is not mandatory since you’ll have the option of skipping it after the first tutorial, which will give you an A rank for the mini-game in subsequent segments.
And who are the characters you’ll have a chance to grow closer to during your time with Genso Manège? They are Hugo, Serge, Crier, Lyon, Luciole, and Arnaud. Hugo is the Director of La Foire du Rêve. He’s a 25-year-old who is a king and well-mannered gentleman with a bit of a mischievous streak. Serge is Hugo’s right-hand man and the company’s accountant. He’s a 27-year-old who feels very cold and dry at times, but there’s certainly something underneath those layers. Crier is the main performer, even if he’s only 17! Deep down, he’s very caring and attentive, especially toward Emma, who has now joined the group.
Lyon is the costume-clad mascot for La Foire du Rêve, and he never takes off his costume… not even to eat! How old is he? What does he look like inside that costume? Maybe you’ll have a chance to find out if you go down his route! Luciole is the park’s reclusive mechanic. He’s a 21-year-old who’s not very talkative and who usually likes to spend all his time inside of his tent. The last one in the group is Arnaud, a 19-year-old journalist who happens to live in the same town as Emma. He’s, in fact, her childhood friend, so you probably have a good idea of how his story route will play.
Genso Manège is a new Otome visual novel that takes place in a reimagined take on France in a town located near the country’s eastern border. It’s known as Blancbourg, and it’s about to be the spot where the traveling amusement park La Foire du Rêve will begin its new season. Your name is Emma, and you’re about to embark on a journey of self-discovery as you begin to learn more about who you really are. As for bonus content, going into the Extras section will allow you to check out the CG Library section for the special images you’ll find during your time with the game, the Sound Library, the Clear List, as well as a spot labeled as Special, which I won’t be spoiling here! Genso Manège launches today on Nintendo Switch with a $49.99 price tag.
Disclaimer
This Genso Manège review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by PQube.
