Since I'm creating a new visual novel (Wicked Willow, if you haven't already checked it out, please go do so!) I thought I'd give my thoughts on the most common tropes of the medium, its strengths and weaknesses, and how Wicked Willow will be different.
Visual Novel Common Themes
Newcomers to the genre will immediately notice that Visual Novels tend to have a lot in common with anime (for more on this, watch this excellent video on what VNs and Indie Comics can learn from each other.)
VNs, beyond just sharing a Japanese-inspired artstyle, are also often about high school teens, have slice of life presentations, and tend to focus on a small main cast. Very few visual novels tend to have complex plot branches, those that do often have a "puzzle" feel where your "goal" is to find the right sequence of what to say. This is most prevalent in "dating sims" where dialogue trees and affection meters turn love into a puzzle to solve.
Wicked Willow will be a departure from all of these trends. It has a more Western art style, though the artist, MaterArsenic, is from Uruguay. It has a college, rather than high school setting, which is a deceptively large shift. It does not have a slice of life feel, instead it will have a dark, serious story which explores painful emotions and complex moral dilemmas. Wicked Willow does not contain stat meters or puzzle conversations. Instead, it has a complex multi-path plot where every choice can feel impactful and valid. And no, Wicked Willow is not a dating sim. Love is something that develops naturally, over time.
Yuri Storytelling Tropes
Since there will be several queer female characters in Wicked Willow, I wanted to briefly talk about some of the tropes of Yuri as a genre. Yuri generally means lesbian content in anime, manga, or visual novels. I like the genre, but it does have a few tropes that I try to avoid.
One of the common themes is the "interfering male." Often, a relationship's only threat is that of a homophobic male authority figure or a jealous boyfriend or would-be boyfriend. Placing the conflict in the story onto a male character with no redeeming traits feels lazy and unsatisfying to me. Another issue is having the lesbian elements be all subtext, a close friendship with innuendo but no actual romantic content. Content like this is sometimes called "queerbaiting."
Wicked Willow will not place the conflict onto the shoulders of villains. Instead, there will be no villains - only different characters with different perspectives, with whom you can agree or disagree (but you can't make everyone happy.) And the LGBT aspects of the story will not be subtextual. Instead, they will take center stage, as the characters navigate the complex pitfalls arising from their identities, their magic powers, and challenges of the early 90s.
Creating Meaning in Interactivity
The interactive experiences of most visual novels either act as puzzles (see above) or merely as window dressing to the (mostly) linear story. Even in games that have really great interactivity, the player's ownership of the consequences of their actions is limited.
For example, in Life is Strange, the interactive moments are both puzzles and a way to experience Max's powers firsthand. They are a part of storytelling. But they don't really give a player a sense of ownership of the story. Most of the choices don't have any impact at all - actually, just one choice at the very end decides everything. So there's little meaning in that part of the game, and for me, no replay value.
I liked the storytelling of Life is Strange, and I think the way they presented the interactive moments as form of immersion was very clever. But in Wicked Willow, I want to create a story where meaning arises from the player's choices. Each time Willow has a choice for how to use her powers, it will profoundly alter her world and her place in it. And the player has to take ownership of her actions (or inactions) and the consequences that arise. This branching story, along with a mystery that slowly is revealed the more paths you play, will (hopefully) create a more meaningful experience.
What are your thoughts? What story elements are you most interested in seeing in Wicked Willow? Let me know!
Visual Novel Common Themes
Newcomers to the genre will immediately notice that Visual Novels tend to have a lot in common with anime (for more on this, watch this excellent video on what VNs and Indie Comics can learn from each other.)
VNs, beyond just sharing a Japanese-inspired artstyle, are also often about high school teens, have slice of life presentations, and tend to focus on a small main cast. Very few visual novels tend to have complex plot branches, those that do often have a "puzzle" feel where your "goal" is to find the right sequence of what to say. This is most prevalent in "dating sims" where dialogue trees and affection meters turn love into a puzzle to solve.
Wicked Willow will be a departure from all of these trends. It has a more Western art style, though the artist, MaterArsenic, is from Uruguay. It has a college, rather than high school setting, which is a deceptively large shift. It does not have a slice of life feel, instead it will have a dark, serious story which explores painful emotions and complex moral dilemmas. Wicked Willow does not contain stat meters or puzzle conversations. Instead, it has a complex multi-path plot where every choice can feel impactful and valid. And no, Wicked Willow is not a dating sim. Love is something that develops naturally, over time.
Yuri Storytelling Tropes
Since there will be several queer female characters in Wicked Willow, I wanted to briefly talk about some of the tropes of Yuri as a genre. Yuri generally means lesbian content in anime, manga, or visual novels. I like the genre, but it does have a few tropes that I try to avoid.
One of the common themes is the "interfering male." Often, a relationship's only threat is that of a homophobic male authority figure or a jealous boyfriend or would-be boyfriend. Placing the conflict in the story onto a male character with no redeeming traits feels lazy and unsatisfying to me. Another issue is having the lesbian elements be all subtext, a close friendship with innuendo but no actual romantic content. Content like this is sometimes called "queerbaiting."
Wicked Willow will not place the conflict onto the shoulders of villains. Instead, there will be no villains - only different characters with different perspectives, with whom you can agree or disagree (but you can't make everyone happy.) And the LGBT aspects of the story will not be subtextual. Instead, they will take center stage, as the characters navigate the complex pitfalls arising from their identities, their magic powers, and challenges of the early 90s.
Creating Meaning in Interactivity
The interactive experiences of most visual novels either act as puzzles (see above) or merely as window dressing to the (mostly) linear story. Even in games that have really great interactivity, the player's ownership of the consequences of their actions is limited.
For example, in Life is Strange, the interactive moments are both puzzles and a way to experience Max's powers firsthand. They are a part of storytelling. But they don't really give a player a sense of ownership of the story. Most of the choices don't have any impact at all - actually, just one choice at the very end decides everything. So there's little meaning in that part of the game, and for me, no replay value.
I liked the storytelling of Life is Strange, and I think the way they presented the interactive moments as form of immersion was very clever. But in Wicked Willow, I want to create a story where meaning arises from the player's choices. Each time Willow has a choice for how to use her powers, it will profoundly alter her world and her place in it. And the player has to take ownership of her actions (or inactions) and the consequences that arise. This branching story, along with a mystery that slowly is revealed the more paths you play, will (hopefully) create a more meaningful experience.
What are your thoughts? What story elements are you most interested in seeing in Wicked Willow? Let me know!
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