Return to Shironagasu Island (Mystery Adventure Game): Introduction, Review & Spoiler Summary

Preface

I purchased and played the doujin game "Return to Shironagasu Island," which had been getting a lot of attention on several review sites.
This work was produced by the circle "Tabi no Michi" and the author is Hyogo Onimushi.
Since digital downloads weren't available at the time, I ordered the game itself through mail order.

The reason I decided to buy it was,Introduction article for "Mogura Games"and,Official website for this workThe main reason I chose them was that I saw their music video and it really appealed to my taste.

The last time I bought an indie adventure game outside of digital download was over 15 years ago, when a friend enthusiastically recommended "Higurashi When They Cry" (Onikakushi Arc) to me, and I bought it.
I felt glad I bought it back then, and I feel that way very strongly again this time.
This time, I'd like to write an introduction and my thoughts on this work.

Game Overview

The game itself is a fairly standard adventure game where you read through text and choose options.
I didn't time it precisely, but it took me around 4 to 5 hours to complete the game.
A group of invited guests gather at a mansion on a remote island, where a murder takes place.
The goal is to uncover the culprit, the motives and mysteries surrounding the invited guests, and the grand mystery of "Shironagasu Island."

Occasionally, there are exploration modes where you click on the screen to advance your investigation.
The game progresses by repeatedly investigating different locations.

Also, there are times when you have to make choices or solve puzzles with time limits.
It's not particularly difficult, so it's very user-friendly.
However, making a mistake can lead to a bad ending, so it's a good idea to save frequently.

The eerie atmosphere of Shironagasu Island and the unsettling, ominous atmosphere that makes you feel like something bad is about to happen create a considerable sense of tension.
As indicated by the R15 age restriction, there are depictions of corpses, so keep in mind that there are grotesque and horror scenes.
However, with its mysteries, horror, and emotional moments, it's a work that allows you to become completely engrossed, as if you were participating in a feature-length film.

Review (no spoilers)

As an adventure game, it was a very enjoyable title.
The narrative is entirely composed of character monologues, making it a more lighthearted and enjoyable read than a typical novel.
The story unfolded at a very good pace, and I experienced almost no stress while reading it.
I liked that it wasn't just a simple mystery, but also had a hard-boiled feel to it.
ニューヨークで私立探偵を営んでいる人間が主人公だからこそ、違和感はありません。

When I read mysteries, I often find myself dissatisfied with the actions of the main characters.
However, Ikeda Sen, the protagonist of this work, acts calmly and cautiously, so there wasn't any particular stress from thinking, "Why would he act like that!?"
The way the plot twists were laid out and the tricks used in the crime were unique and interesting.

Another thing I personally liked was that the reasons for the bad ending were quite convincing.
Instead of being left to chance and presented with unfair choices, reading the subsequent events for both the incorrect and correct options explains the reasons behind those outcomes.
I appreciated the fair play spirit in the way the game provided clues beforehand to help players deduce the outcome, especially when the choices directly led to a bad ending.

If you can play a game like this for 500 yen, I think it's a great deal.
If you're even slightly interested, why not buy it and think of it as the cost of a cup of coffee at a coffee shop?

Review (contains spoilers)

This section will focus on my impressions of the characters and will include spoilers.

: Ikeda
He gave the impression of being a reliable protagonist.
As a player myself, I had a sense of reassurance that he would somehow manage to do something about it.
This character would be perfect as the lead in a Hollywood movie.
Despite everything, the bond of trust between Neneko and the protagonist is strong, and I would love to read more works featuring this duo.

: Neneko
On the eerie Blue Whale Island, he was a comforting character who lightened the mood.
At the same time, he was also a reliable and convenient character to have as a trump card.
In fact, if it weren't for Neneko, no one would have made it back alive.
I was also moved by this film as a coming-of-age story for a timid girl.

: Akira
She's a tsundere-type young lady.
Since he was targeted for assassination early on, he could be ruled out as a suspect, making him a character you could interact with without worry.

Giselle
He was a character who could easily be described as the unsung hero.
The final deduction process is almost like an elimination process, so the selection itself isn't difficult.

:reel
If Neneko was my intellectual partner, then this character was my partner in terms of action.
Personally, I prefer it when they show their true nature.
It's truly regrettable that it didn't survive.
However, thanks to her, it ultimately led to the rescue by helicopter, so her contribution is second only to Neneko's.
His observational skills in defusing the bomb were truly godlike.

: Aurora
In the first half, she acted as if she was the only one who knew the future, so I speculated that maybe she was the only one stuck in a time loop.
It wasn't exactly right, but it played a good role in creating anxiety about the early developments of the story.
The fact that no one knew who Aurora was gave me chills.
He doesn't appear as often in the second half, which is a bit disappointing, but I like his relationship with Giselle.

My heart almost stopped when I saw her on the way up to Lord Raymond's room in the elevator.

Jacob
Surprisingly, I didn't dislike this type of character at all.
I like it when characters like this become reliable allies in the later stages of the story.That wasn't the case.

Thomas
From his appearance alone, he gave off the vibe that he was up to something bad.
インパクトのある殺害方法で、ストーリーとしてはここから盛り上がり、面白くなってきました。

Alex
They seemed quite suspicious, but in the end, they weren't enemies.
Chest that doesn't require disguiseI think it's perfectly reasonable to be angry about being called that.

: Abby
Although I didn't have many scenes, I felt a little melancholic at the end.
If there had been a scene where Ikeda and Reel fought together, I might have been able to empathize with the character more.

: Vincent
Although she was a fairly straightforward enemy, like Abby, she didn't have much screen time until the latter half of the story.
Since the backstories of the enemy characters aren't explored much, the ending felt surprisingly anticlimactic.
Stories that involve "even the enemy has sad circumstances" don't leave a very good feeling after reading, so this kind of straightforward story was much better.

About the story
I was relieved to find that the game was quite different from what I had inferred from the title and trailers before playing.
In the PV, there's a scene where Neneko cries and says, "He killed everyone," so I was expecting a scenario where everyone except Neneko gets killed (including Ikeda, of course).
And then, I imagined a story where Neneko returns to Shironagasu Island once again to solve all the mysteries...
If things had unfolded like that, everyone would have died, so I'm glad my fantasy was wrong.

The main meaning of the title is,Aurora's heart has returned to the island.I think it means (even though they'll escape soon).
Perhaps,Ikeda has returned to the island from the virtual world.or,Neneko returned to the island from Giselle's spirit.It may also include that meaning.

関連書籍: シロナガス島への帰還 上(Amazon)

関連書籍: シロナガス島への帰還 下(Amazon)