Root Letter

Of course, you shouldn't expect action, because that's the one thing that this game lacks, but it provides plenty of fun and entertainment in other, more relaxed ways.

With five endings to aim for, amounting to around 50 hours of gameplay, Root Letter is great for anyone that loves a good mystery. Obviously it’s not action-packed – this is a visual novel after all – but just like a good book it keeps you on tenterhooks from beginning to end, eager to find out exactly what happened all those years ago and the implications it may have in the present day. Those looking for a Phoenix Wright-style experience on PS4 should look no further – Root Letter scratches the itch whilst also presenting a more compelling and mature story.

I was intrigued by Root Letter as soon as I saw it being compared to the Phoenix Wright games. As a visual novel that prides itself on its similarities to such an awesome series, how well does it live up to its promise?

Root Letter provides a fun and engaging experience for those that enjoy the mystery genre, pretty art, and interesting character development. There are misleading dialogue options and Max Mode is just strange. Overall this game is about experiencing the story that’s put in front of you and it does that in an engaging way.

When I was in junior high and high school, we sometimes developed penpal projects, where we would write physical letters to complete strangers across the world, sharing our experiences and cultures. By the time 1999 rolled around, the art of the letter was pretty much dead, and everyone turned to e-mail. In many ways, the friends we make on the Internet, especially the ones we never meet, are our modern-day penpals. Sometimes we are able to meet these penpals, but most often, we never do. √Root Letter is a story about such a penpal who wants to meet his correspondence comrade 15 years after th...

Less-discerning players with a tolerance for bad localizations, or maybe Matsue residents, will find a pleasant diversion in Root Letter, but for everyone else, it’s difficult to recommend, especially at its current price tag.

I play video games to have a good time. I’m sure you do, too. Even when we turn on something truly masochistic like Dark Souls or Super Meat Boy, we do so knowing that the uphill battle we struggle with will culminate in a satisfying, euphoric sense of accomplishment and joy. My laborious, 10-hour uphill battle with Root Letter ended in the hill giving way to a massive drop into a bottomless ravine, and as I fell through the ravine, I felt regret. I felt pain. I felt aggravation.

Root Letter is the first title in the Kadokawa Game Mystery series with contributions from key staff who worked on Konami’s LovePlus series, like character designer Mino Taro. When it was first announced, I was drawn in by the gorgeous art and knew I needed to play it. Other than its art, Root Letter also interested me with this line: