Normal Me and Abnormal Friends ~ RIEview
Visual novels are a good way of reading stories with good art and minimal to no complex plays in order to access the stories. Normal Me and Abnormal Friends is a standard visual novel that reflects the first generation of visual novels, when compared to previously reviewed games like ‘7 Years from Now’ and ‘Ayakashi: Romance Reborn’.
Game Plot
You play as the protagonist, Hajime, who just transferred to a new school. Deciding it’s time for a fresh start, Hajime decides to join a club. What he expected versus the reality became the start of a soul-searching journey of what it means to be a human – Literally and figuratively!
Verdict (5/5)
This is a fantasy, slice-of-life story that is free to read. While it is a one-shot story, there is a special edition which is similar to an epilogue, as well as an extra edition. The extra edition is the only story that will be unlocked upon purchase – similar to the additional side stories in ‘7 Years from Now’. Note that because it’s translated from Japanese, the translation can be a bit wonky, which isn’t too much of a problem as the contents are still understandable.
Character Diversity & Personality
There are 3 other main characters aside from our protagonist: Isamu, Mari, and Inori. These 3 characters are not human, and as such they require Hajime to teach them how to be human enough to survive high school. While Hajime is human (no plot twist here sorry), he is an introvert by nature. So what we get is almost constant comical interactions between non-humans and Hajime, which is a refreshing take instead of the typical snobbish fantasy beings and horrible humans trope. Well, technically the trope is sort of implied here, but because our protagonist is none other than Hajime, things tend not to end up as what they should be.
Verdict (5/5)
While I do love each individual, it’s the interactions that actually exemplify the characters. The writers have done a good job showcasing their flaws and strengths in the short plotline.
Game & CG Art
An anime art style that is unsurprising, given that the game is made by Japanese developers. There are a few CG art, however the game doesn’t have a separate gallery for players to view and/or save unlocked illustrations.
Verdict (4.5/5)
Not as high quality like those released by Voltage Inc., but ‘Normal Me and Abnormal Friends’ do have the hand-drawn feel to them.
Game Mechanics
As a visual novel, there is only continuous tapping to move onto the next line of the conversation. Occasionally there will be a choice, where depending on your decision you will have different outcomes. Note that all choices can be replayed, where you begin the replay highly dependent on whether you watched an ad or no. If you watch an ad, you can replay the particular scene exactly at the point of the choice. Otherwise you will have to begin from the start of the scene.
Verdict (5/5)
Given that the game is free, you may as well watch some ads to support the developers. I exceptionally love the function to read all possible choices, unlike some games where if you want to read what happens with a particular choice, you have to start all over from chapter 1 (even if you just want to make a different choice in chapter 3) or no option to do so (because the choices are locked in and your path in the story set in stone).
In-Game Events
N/A
Normal Me and Abnormal Friends is one of my top highly recommended visual novel games. As a visual novel, the story is the main focus. Some visual novel work well with some form of challenging puzzle (i.e. Tasokare Hotel), and others attempt to give players something to do by giving players the freedom (albeit controlled) to explore (i.e. Bear’s Restaurant, 7 Years from Now). Perhaps because of the genre, Normal Me and Abnormal Friends have done well by staying true to the basics – just reading and making choices at the right time.
So if you’re looking for a casual visual novel, look no further than Normal Me and Abnormal Friends.
Happy Gaming!
~ RieRie
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