Yurukill: The Calumniation Games review – a story backed by shooting

We’ve been having a lot of trouble here lately. Game developers have stopped sticking to rigid conventions and are merging different genres together. So we have a stream of FPS with RPG elements, RPG with simulation elements, survival strategies, strategic TPS and the like. But today we’re going to look at a completely crazy combination of genres. Visual novel, adventure and crazy shooter. Paradoxically, if experienced developers who have already achieved a lot in their field take on the creation of such a mix, you can create a really exciting and exciting game.

• Platform: Nintendo Switch (Revised), PlayStation5, PlayStation 4, PC (Steam)
• Publication date: April 28 (Japan), July 5 (US), July 8, 2022 (EU)
• Producer: IzanagiGames, G.rev
• Distribution: NIS America
• Genre: visual novel shoot ’em
• Czech localization: Not
• Multiplayer: Not
• Data to download: 5.5 GB
• Game time: 25 hours
• Availability: 12+
• Sales version: box/digital
• Price: 1599 CZK

I’m sorry, but I’ll probably kill you

The Japanese often try to create phrases by combining several words, and the title Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is a perfect example of this. The term “yurukill” is actually a combination of the Japanese term “forgiveness” or “forgiveness” and the famous English term “murder” (so we’re back to what I mentioned above, the seemingly incompatible pairing). And that’s how the whole game actually works.

The plot of Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is divided into several parts, where the prisoners are assigned their executioner, and you, as a convicted offender, have to try to clear the charges. For example, the first character is the mass murderer Sengoku Shunju, convicted of carrying out a bombing in an apartment building, in which he killed 21 people. He himself denies his guilt, and is taken from his cell to the crazy Yurukill Land theme park. It is here that he meets five other prisoners (Prisoners), convicted of various crimes, and in order to prove his innocence, he must survive the Eurequille Games.

Because the two are in constant contact, it’s a pretty wild ride that can be compared to a roller coaster thanks to the various twists and turns.

Yurukill Games is a collection of a whole series of challenges that you will be gradually presented with a completely insane Binko with a fox mask on his face. And to top it all off, each prisoner is literally connected to his own personal executioner, the Executioner, who is always connected in some way to the crime of which the prisoner is accused and convicted. In the case of Sengoku, his executioner is Rina Azami, the sole survivor of the explosion allegedly caused by Sengoku. And the executioner has a remote control in his hand, with which he can kill his “partner” at any time. The second option is to convince the executioner and hear his saving “pardon” at the end.

So the goal is absolutely clear. Either you have enough evidence, then you win and go free, on the other hand, the executioner can get his wish, which could mean simple revenge, or maybe getting money for the executioner function. Because the two are in constant contact, it’s a pretty wild ride that can be compared to a roller coaster thanks to the various twists and turns.

Bet on details

Similarly, the graphical side of Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is absolutely insane, whether it’s a visual novel or a U shooter. The characters were created by manga artist Hiro Kiyohara, which is pretty obvious from their looks. They are a little static, but you will find a lot of detail on them. The character who is currently speaking is emphasized in a somewhat unusual way, and the point is not just to put the rest behind, but that the speaker is pushed more to the fore and a stylish frame lights up around him. And by its color, you can tell what emotions he is going through right now. Also, the framing is strictly specific to some of the characters, which you’ll especially notice with the guide Binko, who has a red torii gate around him.

Similarly, the graphical side of Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is absolutely insane, whether it’s a visual novel or a shooter.

And just like looking at the appearance of the characters, it’s just as nice to listen to them. Voice actors such as Saori Hayami (Sword Art Online, Seraph of the End, Gantz: 0, etc.), Ayane Sakura (My Hero Academia, Psycho-Pass, etc.), Takuya Eguchi (Demon Slayer, Detective Conan, Spy x Family, etc.) or Tomozaku Sugita (Attack on Titan, Gintama, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, The Seven Deadly Sins, etc.). But Yu Kobayashi (Gintama, Yu-NO, Senran Kagura, Bakano, etc.) as Binky is unforgettable. Her ability to move from a bewitching female voice that melts all men’s hearts, to a rough and deep menacing tone that sends chills down the back, is simply luxurious. Of course, someone will argue that the appearance and voice of the actors are a little exaggerated, but this is just part of the Japanese games.

Not without history

There are several things in Yurukill: The Calumniation Games, but the main one is the story of Homura Kawamoto, which absorbs and maintains the excessive energy of the situation and the crazy theme park. Unfortunately, the game is rather short, which is also helped by the very good compilation of the individual chapters, the alternation of reading sequences, and the solution of small logic puzzles. Some may confuse you, but if you speak English well, you won’t have too much trouble with them. There is a lot of text, and since the details matter, you should not skip it.

You’ll play as each Prisoner/Executioner pair in turn (although in one case the accused are twins), and each of the Eurekill Land attractions is dedicated to the accused. Each “attraction” is actually a multi-level quest-style puzzle, packed with dialogue and mostly clues to solve puzzles and prove your innocence. The difficulty of the puzzles ranges from simple logic and math problems to decoding patterns and almost finding the hidden pixels of objects.

And while you’re trying it all out, it’s best to put the Switch handheld and grab a gamepad for the other half. As I mentioned several times, Yurukill: The Calumniation Games is an action shooting game. Also, the people at G.Rev are responsible for this part of the game, and they probably don’t even need to be introduced. After each adventure part, prisoners and executioners are connected to virtual reality, where they will have to fight in the final battle for their innocence.

Get your triggers ready!

The accused must fly through the mental protection of the executioners with his fighters and fight his way to the evidence they found in the previous part and convince the executioner of his innocence. Sounds weird, but it works surprisingly well, from quick tests where correct answers give you the appropriate number of lives, to destroying your executioner’s psychic defenses. In addition, the natural interaction between the characters continues to work here, without reducing the pace of the shooter. Each playable character has a slightly different type of fighter, such as side cannons or laser drones circling the ship.

I’m going to repeat myself, but it’s really fun to change the way you play Yurukill: The Calumniation Games, where crazy plot twists turn into combat, and when the story finally ends, you can go into Score Attack mode, choose any playable character and defeat your own score or climb the online leaderboard.

Thanks to NIS America for Yurukill: The Calumniation Games.