The Shell Part I: Inferno Reviews

Solid game after patching.

[h3][i]"Those who dont realize they're lonely are the most pitiful being out there"[/i][/h3] - Kuchiki Toko

I love this game and I love Toko. Thank you so much Shiravune and John Hooper for bringing this certified hood classic to steam

Note: I left the game paused to do other things so it's probably 1/3 of my play time, with all the endings. There were things I really, really liked about this game, and other smaller elements that were either silly or sort of offputting, which are mostly a product of the earlier VN conventions when this was first released (2008). I don't think there's a murder mystery game that's better at evoking the gruesome and grandiose nature of the David Fincher movie "Se7en" - the artwork and descriptions are no holds barred in this sense, and it's awesome. There's also a certain charm in the complicated butterfly effect the game's multiple choices and endings brings out, and while I agree with other reviews that the central mysteries make it easy to connect the dots, there are other more sinister secrets waiting to be discovered that legitimately gave me chills. As far as the annoying elements, you have to get the uncensored patch to get all the endings, including the "true" ending. And boy, does this game really go to town with the random H-scenes immediately before or after the aforementioned gross murders. I'm actually sort of neutral on this stylistic juxtaposition because it's interesting at a high level, but it's really silly when uncovering all the endings that our guy Reiji, who is otherwise a very solid VN main character, just can't seem to keep his pants on, over and over again. This re-release could've used a 999/Virtue's Last Reward style choice map, with paths hidden until you discover what's gated. Instead, someone who doesn't want to use a guide is up for an extremely daunting challenge to uncover everything. From what I understand the later two entries in this trilogy have streamlined branching paths, which is welcome news, because in this one there isn't a whole lot of shades between the actual endings in multiple cases. You should go into this game knowing it's a straight up tragedy. The butterfly effect is interesting here, but it probably still won't give you the strongest sense of closure once you find the true ending. There's a lot of wisdom in what the characters say on the ultimately limited nature of agency and the role of detectives in "stopping" crimes - in most cases they're just there to pick up the pieces and make the best of it going forward. For those patient enough to deal with its flaws, it's a strong overall recommendation.

Cartagra was really good. Kara no Shoujo is a whole new beast altogether. A true detective mystery, KnS is all about finding cruel ways to break the player, and color me broken. Terrifying and disturbing bad ends, shocking revelations, disgusting (but really good) gore make this game extremely memorable and unique. Coupled with Sugina Miki's classy, sexy art and MANYO's fantastic arrangements, KnS will leave you wont for nothing. KnS takes the premise of Cartagra and sends it through the roof, forcing my unfortunate soul to actually think and deduce, instead of just letting the story play out. This game really had my eroge-fried brain firing on all cylinders just to find the truth behind one choice. Another thing that really matters in this game are the choices, which have three sets, investigations, notebook deductions, and regular choices, ALL of which can dramatically affect the story/lead to horrifically awesome bad ends. Save a LOT. The consequence of being so cruel and unforgiving (wtf Innocent Grey) is that it takes a lot of loading and skipping, and endless frustration, which is my only real complaint with the game. I loved the story, the substories, setting, BGs, sprites, CGs, this game is really tastefully done, even the gore. The mystery was difficult to figure out and had me second guessing, but not so difficult that it became ridiculous. I can say that there were no asspulls! The characters genuinely all made me feel for them, even if this game is quite evil sometimes... KnS is best entered completely blind after having read Cartagra, so I can't say too much more. I am seriously hyped to read Part 2 and 3.

It is truly a great game. As the prologue states, those who enter here shall abandon all hope. This game creates a strong atmosphere, filled with the despair of death, and telling a desolate tragedy with delicate language. Please note that this is the censored version, without sexual or gory scenes. I recommend downloading the patch to experience the full content.

A great visual novel. It has a gripping story and pretty compelling characters. Be warned though, the story is pretty depressing. Lots of deaths and the true end is ....

This story is so twisted, I love it. The game itself is really beautiful, the art is very lovely (and gory at times), while the music is atmospheric and with a great variety. The overall production is therefore very satisfying, including the UI (I wish all VNs had the possibility to instantly skip to the next unread text). Also I really enjoyed the setting and atmosphere, all of it is just very hauntingly captivating! Now the "gameplay" is honestly quite difficult, I'm certain I'd never be able to find out the specific choice combinations for even half of the endings without a guide, but I quite like that complexity actually, it feels very fitting for this game lol. The story itself is amazing. It's really grotesque and insane, nearly every reveal of the mysteries made me gasp XD. I really liked the way the mystery got handled, especially with the several endings it was fun to receive new information that provided aspects for the whole picture. I highly appreciate the creativity that went into the plot. Also I enjoyed the characters a lot, I found most of them to be quite likable and I enjoyed their writing. I love how the characters aren't portrayed to be purely good or bad but have more depth instead. I also love that the story isn't just gruesome and unsettling but additionally quite depressing on top of that. I suppose I wasn't a huge fan of the true ending (though it seems rather fitting as an allusion for the second part) and some aspects of the plot felt too unrealistic to be taken seriously by me, but besides that I barely have complaints. Altogether I really like messed-up stories like this one and am looking forward to play the other parts!

Though not as good as some make it to be, it's a nice character study stuck in a somewhat confusing mistery which, though it does coalesce somewhat, feels lacking in both setups and payoffs (also the killer is absurdly easy to figure out) It's also (though only in restrospect, considering the game was originally a stand alone narrative (or a sequel of some sort, but Cartagra isn't on steam and the connections are faint)) the gate to a really good trilogy of edgy 1950's murder mistery's, of which it is the weakest link. Also like 80% of the game isn't accessible without a patch.

Absolute masterpiece. Having played the original MangaGamer translation five years ago, I decided to replay this VN via this new remaster to refresh myself on the plot before tackling the third game recently translated. In nearly all regards, this remaster is the superior product, as much as the original holds dear to my heart. It contains a bit more content not found in the original; the CGs are touched up; frustrating aspects of the original's gameplay have been fixed and more quality-of-life changes have been ported over from the next two games. The protagonist, Reiji, is also voiced when he was not in the original. My only gripe with the remaster is the translation itself. Shiravune has localized the dialogue much more for a Western audience which is not inherently a bad thing—it is mostly a matter of preference and not enough to derail one's understanding of the plot and make this remaster worth less than the original. The plot of Kara no Shoujo (now localized as The Shell) can get very convoluted at times. Frequently, as you play through the story, you may think you are getting close to an answer, only for the game to show another sequence which only gives you more questions. By the third-quarter of the game, it is reasonable to feel a bit frustrated at needing to keep track of so many unanswered plot points. But, as you reach the game's eventual end and go through the various routes, you will discover how everything is connected and you will have most of your questions answered—whatever questions are left will likely be answered in the sequels. Kara no Shoujo perhaps has more "gameplay" than most other VNs, and this game can be really goddamn hard. You are expected to be super attentive to details and keep track of all bits of evidence you come across; not doing so will lead you to one of the multiple bad ends—and you will absolutely get many of them. In order to beat the game, you will most likely need a guide, as at multiple points in the course of the game you will need to do things in a specific order, click on things multiple times, or click on a pixel-perfect spot during one of your investigations. Though, it is HIGHLY recommended to go into your first playthrough completely blind; if you reach a bad end, try loading saves (do save often) and pick different choices or do an investigation differently/more thoroughly. Also, this game has sex—lots of it. The base Steam version will come censored; much of the content is cut out entirely if not heavily edited. A restoration patch can be found on Shiravune's website or on VNDB which restores the original content. Frankly, this game could be an amazing story even without the sex; if anything, the H-scenes can feel at times out of place and jarring as it disturbs the flow and tone of the plot. However, it is the way the developers intended the game to be, so I do recommend playing the game with the patch installed. Kara no Shoujo is an amazing story. It is a gory, visceral and depressing experience, but in its roughly 25 to 30 hour runtime, you will encounter the themes of obsession, madness, acceptance and forgiveness. The most depraved and depressing segments of the game are only matched by the great, lighthearted moments of banter between the amazing cast of characters. The vibrant characters, setting of postwar Japan, beautiful (and harrowing) artwork and wonderfully composed music all harmonize together to create a unique vibe that few other games can replicate. I cannot overstate how much I love this game. It is absolutely a visual novel you should play (if you can stomach the gore and sex).