Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo Review

Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo is one of those visual novels that understands what makes the format work. I’ve played a few that only focus on making two choices and with no alternative gameplay mechanics, so I was actually glad to find one with a point-and-click puzzle system. But how does it actually hold up? Well, let’s dive in.

Without going into too much detail about the plot, let’s begin with the basics. Our protagonist is believed to be one Zena Yugamizora, who awakens in the sewers with the company of a young man, Soto Ochibana. The two are high-schoolers, supposedly, who go to the same school, and they need to get out of the sewers before they find themselves drowned. It’s when they escape that they notice that things are… weird.

Upon escaping through the manhole, they find themselves in the centre of Shibuya’s Scramble Crossing. Accepting that what just happened was incredibly strange, they go their separate ways, with Zena adamant that she should return home to her mother. However, before she can reach the station, a siren blares in her head, causing an agonising pain. She also meets a bizarre cat-looking mascot named Spectre, who tells her that she needs to stay there.

This, of course, is not Shibuya. Instead, it’s Noise Scramble City, a place where people can live in peace from their past trauma and sadness. After attempting to leave again, the crowd chases her, and she is once more reunited with Soto. It’s here that Soto also introduces the other characters: Hiyori Endo, Itsuki Ozuki, Honoka Kirishima, and Kaito Shimizu.

Each character has their own unique design, with colour schemes, expressions, and mannerisms. You would think that would be the standard expectation of visual novels, but you would be wrong. I never struggled with who was talking and when, as each one has their own specific kind of dialogue that would be unusual if spoken by another character. I’m going to be honest; it was really great to have unique characterisation after playing other visual novels.

With each character wanting to find their way out, they all have one thing in common: none can really remember specific memories. While Zena doesn’t remember much, she remembers her mother, and once more, attempts to escape, where we get a beautifully animated cutscene, where her head explodes.

Yes, dear reader. I was wrong about who the protagonist was, as I find myself returning to Soto Ochibana and following his story. Soto witnesses the head explosion, rightfully traumatised by what he’s seen, and returns to find the others. Informing them of what happened, the need to escape is clearer, but the crowds around them are restless and go after them. It’s here, they’re separated, and Soto has to make a choice: Karaoke Rooms or the Arcade. Depending on the one you choose, you’ll find yourself following a different character’s memories, and it’s up to you to then unlock their Noise.

Noise is the name of the memories that they must uncover. To do this, you need to solve the puzzles around the room and identify each item. I can’t deny that it was interesting seeing all the different ones. However, for those who aren’t good at memory and logic challenges? You’re in for a bad time.

That is why I’m glad that there’s a helpful guide on the Steam page which you can access from the Help menu. It’s an odd in-between because, if you keep the Guide on, they are too simple, but if the Guide is off? Then confusion will reign supreme.

I admit that the puzzles were difficult for me, especially when unlocking Noise, as you’ll be met with cutscenes that will identify the next step. You can often do them by 1) not overthinking, or 2) overthinking everything you have ever known. If you do this, it's not a problem. The issue is that with some challenges, they will return later in the game, and you’ll need to remember everything from each ending you’ve already obtained. After all, you can find each ending with a handy flowchart. It’s nice, simple, and you can always skip dialogue that you’ve already read.

In terms of storyline, there’s a lot going on. Each character has endured significant trauma, and there’s a reason the game comes with a warning to take breaks. I even heeded those warnings, mostly because there are some really dark themes involved. These include sexual assault, suicide, drugs, toxic relationships, and, honestly, this is just scraping the surface. Yet somehow, these topics are handled surprisingly delicately. While some storylines feel… oddly convoluted (Hiyori and Zena’s specifically), there are others that feel incredibly realistic.

Despite some stories feeling like they came out of a dark soap opera (think, EastEnders), I found that they were compelling. After getting each storyline, you have the chance to unlock the True Ending. Now, I’m not going to explain anything about the True Ending, but this is essential to learning about Noise Scramble City and Soto’s past with his childhood friend, Rin. It will completely change your perception of the game, and it’s just… it makes a lot more sense, especially in terms of the logic puzzles.

When it comes to it, I found that the story of Type-NOISE: Shonen Shojo was the most compelling. Admittedly, there were some translation issues every now and then, but these have been acknowledged and updated by the developers. So, they had already started fixing these while I was writing this review. Personally, some of the puzzles did feel like they were either too simple or too convoluted, and the artwork really stood out. While the music wasn’t necessarily unique, and the story itself has been tempered with before, it offered a unique take that I struggled to not enjoy.

Overall, if you don’t usually like visual novels due to the lack of gameplay elements, you might enjoy this. There’s even a mini-game that is just like the Ace Attorney games, as well as Dead by Daylight references. While some puzzles are challenging, I’d say that it entirely depends on how good you are at them, and I sadly learned that I was not.