GAME IMPRESSIONS | "Root Double: Before Crime * After Days"
WRITER'S NOTE: While I intend to do a full review later on Root Double: Before Crime * After Days, this will be an impressions piece that covers what I've experienced thus far with the Switch version.
Root Double should not be confused with Root Letter or its follow-up title. It is a separate story all on its own. The setting is placed in the near-future of 2030 in a fictional Japanese city, with the main area being a Nuclear research lab. You can play one of two scenarios, where each rote is under the role of a different character. The third route unlocks once the two scenarios are complete, with the final route unlocked after completing the second.
The game is pretty interesting for a visual novel. Unlike most titles in the genre, where you have to make choices to advance to various branches to reach different endings, Root Double doesn't have you do that. Instead, you can alter the values of your impressions of characters to each other and the protagonist. It will let you know when these values can be changed to either alter the direction of the ending the game takes, or at least alter dialogue interactions with characters.
While most of the endings are just premature bad endings, they are worth seeing. Just be sure to save early and save often, and make multiple save files. There is a chapter selection, so going back to an earlier point is at least easy enough though. The writing has been pretty fun so far, and the characters have an interesting design. The soundtrack also punches really well too. I'm looking forward to doing a proper review once I have more time on hand to give it the write-up it deserves.
Right now though, if I were to give it a score, I'd sit it at an eight out of ten. Be on the lookout for my full review of Root Double: Before Crime * After Days hopefully soon.
Promotional consideration provided by Sekai Project.
Eric Kelly is a freelance writer and has a Patreon that you can support them on here.
