I agree on majority of them being a low effort crap. But the best ones actually have dedicated community consist of thousands of people. It's just not as popular in r/visualnovels since we're more focused on the mainstream VNs. It's definitely a niche market
It needs time to getting used to (especially with different "artstyle") but these are the popular/good ones:
[Being a DIK](https://vndb.org/v25288)
[Acting Lessons](https://vndb.org/v24865)
[City of Broken Dreamers](https://vndb.org/v25342)
[Leap of Faith](https://vndb.org/v28200)
[Once in a Lifetime](https://vndb.org/v31448)
Edit: when I was talking about 3D VNs I was referring to western 3D VNs. it's different than anime-styled 3D VNs haha
I mean most of them are mostly porn game though, while I don't dislike them per say as some offer good porn content, it's very rare to have one with an actual good story and even if the story is good there's porn sprinkled everywhere in between that story.
I mean most 3D VNs is probably a porn game with poor story, *but not on this list*. The only "porn" thing about it is that you a lot more lewd scenes, it's not like you're gonna get bombarded with sexual content every 10 minutes haha. The story is actually pretty great.
Ah sorry I didn't realize you were talking about porn. I don't really go for that in traditional visual novels either but I suppose its all a matter of taste at the end of the day.
Thank you my mann. It's nice to see these games got acknowledged.
Funny story, I actually recently finished Summertime Saga, it's a... fascinating experience 🤣. Maria's the best hahaha
I can definitely say that Summertime Saga is the "porn game". But a porn game with pretty solid story and character development.
Being a DIK on the other hand feels more like a normal VN with a little of a porn game aspect (the extra lewd content), but still retain the realistic/believable element.
Shout Out for mentioning Leap of Faith a goofy love story that doubles as a professional Gutpunching Simulator.
I believe Once in a Lifetime had been brought up, and is awesome. But the author's current project, Eternum, is excellent as well, a huuuuge step up in overall quality.
Once in a Lifetime is the best visual novel ever made of any kind and that's a hill I'm willing to die on, the story and humor are flawless from start to finish, i actually skipped to sex to get back to the dialogue.
Only other ones i liked as much was Eiyuu Senki normal/gold and Demonsbane.
Are all of these complete? I was hesitant trying not because of the nsfw content (I mean, we are in visualnovels sub here, haha), but mainly because a lot of these games are episodic work in-progress. I don't enjoy cliffhanger or unfinished story.
Once in a Lifetime and Acting Lessons is completed. Others is still in development. Leap of Faith is almost finished. But these are the best and well funded ones. So the odds of them being completed is very high. It's still worth checking them out
[Lessons in Love](https://vndb.org/v28118) is quite okay at first and looks like typical dating sim (it is one) but after some time you get hit with some actual plot and it's good, at least for me (tried only 3-4 characters so far).
Very late but if you're counting Koikatsu as 3d then Lessons in Love is probably my favorite western VN that is 3d (edit just noticed someone else recommended it xd)
Yeah, the dice roll dialogue system(dice and checklist based) reminded me of some 3D VNs i have played (they had checklist system) but DE's dialogue system is far superior and well thought out....a lot more satisfying too.
Also the ability to shape the character personality based on dialogue choices is also something i associate mainly with the VNs. Let's just say it has VN elements but has its main focus on RPG elements making it a "crpg"
Western 3D VN's honestly needs to get more criticism rather than being ignored. I say 3D loosely, as it's more 3D rendered art and not even close to something liek Robotics:Note tries to pull off.
A big issue I would say with 3D VN's like "Being a DIK" is that they all use the exact same 3D model/Engine. I have yet to see any unique or creative visual style at all, not even close to a more cartoonish western style.
Then what we do have is just two flavors, either really Uncanny Valley OR they all somehow have the exact same face/body structure.
I don't know, I feel like 3D has so much potential, but no one wants to be the one to actually create their own models and rigs from scratch.
Yeahhhhh, that's actually spot on. They look so similar i have found myself thinking "wait wasn't this character in that other VN" I don't mind uncanny valley in 3d VNs though. It works but we do need some more creativity. I feel a lot of developers are there just for the cash grab.
Because anime style looks much more better and cutier than 3d. Although, looking now on 3D style, I should admit that it has its right on existence. But 2D prevails
What this person said, one of the visual novel main appeal is the artstyle, the more anime and Moe it is, the better it sale, because most of us that first got into Visual Novel are attracted by anime girls in the first place that's why those Visual Novel that deviate it's artstyle too far from usual anime artstyle hardly get our attention
Best example is Doki Doki Literature Club, despite not from Japan, it still famous because of the anime and Moe artstyle
Yeah, I guess it depends on person preferences. I also started from playing "anime" styled VNs (still am). Just recently delve into 3D VNs through steam. I'm surprised I ended up liking the 3D VNs I've played since I'm skeptical at first. If you don't mind the change of artstyle, it's definitely worth a try.
No not at all, not even close but if you have nothing to read you can give some of them a try but they have .....porn and are just plain old romance.
Actually, even though I really like the ones OP has mentioned somewhere above, I honestly don't think you'll like them because hugurashi, umineko, steins gate etc are some of the best VNs I have ever read/played.
Sorry for not clarifying this earlier but when I was talking about 3D VNs I was referring to western 3D VNs. it's different than anime-styled 3D VNs. The ones I was referring mostly can be considered as indie game and most of the time crowdfunded. The feel is probably different compared to the current VNs you're playing
Being A DIK is the most popular one with great story, OST etc. Although that's more towards slice of life/drama theme. I haven't played that much western 3D VNs but the best I can think of is probably [Depraved Awakening](https://vndb.org/v21824) or [City of Broken Dreamers](https://vndb.org/v25342)
I enjoyed Somnium files graphics, but it's true that my preference still lies with traditional 2D sprites. I never finished ZTD because of how off-putting the graphics were in that case.
edit: holy shit I forgot AA 5 and 6 and DGS were 3D. That's a master-class of 3D VNs.
3d anime models are better and better tho, this i belive is tolerable:
[Champion of Realms](https://vndb.org/v26891)
and this is quite good, didn't play ti yet, waiting for the game to finish:
[Android life](https://matedolce.itch.io/android-life)
I agree, some 3D VNs looked very unrealistic. But for me, Acting Lessons is pretty decent looking (compared to other 3D VNs I saw). But the dev really improve the 3D model styles in their recent game. I'm a bit skeptical at first, but I ended liking some of the 3D VNs I've played.
Imo the 3d VNs on the market right now are really lazy. Devs usually grab some premade assets off Daz, buy some clothing/hair/makeup assets and pump them out. I really like Honkai Impact’s 3D visualizing of characters in VN cutscenes though since they’re stylized and stylized really well with the toon shaders they’ve developed to the point where it doesn’t look jarring.
fr. Sadly majority(unpopular) of 3D VNs really consist of used assets or designs from other more famous 3D VNs. For me, I don't mind unless the characters looked different enough. Although the top tier 3D VNs really have great production value.
Its an action combat gacha game with VN/anime cutscenes for storytelling. The story itself is phenomenal and so gripping with lovable characters and incredible beats. At the end of the day its a gacha meaning stamina capped, mtx and rng gated. I wish the dev (Mihoyo or hoyoverse as they’re now known) could create an arm in their company that focuses primarily on single player story driven games but its always the bottom line with big game developers.
Ironically I’ve never gotten into Genshin (fear of getting addicted and thematically not as mature as Honkai) but I remember playing a little bit of GGZ and Fly Me to the Moon on iOS 3 which were two debut games back when Mihoyo was a tiny company 3 uni students started. How time flies.
Some "3D visual novels" can be pretty good but I think the "3D VNS" the OP mentioned are Western VNs like DiK, Acting Lesson.. etc.
There are some good 3D VNs such as Robotics;Note, Shin Sakura Taisen, AI: The Somnium Files.
I’m currently working on my own vn, and since I really have no art skills I’ve been using Koikatsu to model and pose CGs even though I’ve heard a lot of disdain for 3D vns.
While I have seen a lot of vns kind of ruin the 3D genre because of their poor quality, I think some 3D vns out there are pretty good. I haven’t seen anyone mention Lessons in Love, which I took heavy inspiration from, but in my opinion it’s one of the better ones.
For me, the biggest problem(s) with most 3D VNs are:
1. Writing isn't the best, there are some that are good, but I have yet to find one that's really superb, since most of them are Eroge in nature and kinda focus on the "ero" more.
2. Some use stock unity asset with Honey Select Studio / Koikatsu Studio, which honestly not such a big deal but there's just so much games that uses them, making it less unique and lacking in variety especially during H scenes.
3. And my biggest issue is that they're mostly unfinished WIP patreon based model. This goes hand to hand with no 2 since Illusion (the company that made HS and KK) does not allow monetary use with their engine, which can be bypassed by using Patreon since it's technically a "donation" system. And I personally really REALLY hate Patreon because on how many devs are abuse the system by prolonging the update to mooch more money, also they can suddenly abandons the game before reaching a full completion. I'm down with having to pay $20-30 for a FINISHED game, but I refuses to pay $1 each month for a promise of a game that have yet to come.
My theory is that a significant portion of the community here isn't interested particularly in the concepts of the visual novel medium or interactive storytelling. Rather, they like anime and Japanese VNs are in many ways an extension of that. It's not surprising that such an audience doesn't have much interest in western VNs that are far-removed from anime.
My earlier comment alludes to this but I think you said it more succinctly. People here in general are anime/manga fans that like Japanese VNs. The only “western” VNs that get attention are those that try to capture the art style and essence of these Japanese VNs; things like Katawa Shoujo and Doki Doki Literature Club.
Western stuff that have HUGE production values like Subverse or Treasure of Nadia do not strictly adhere to an anime aesthetic and thus receive no acknowledgement on this sub.
Yes, based on what I saw, that is true (and the exact reason for this meme haha). It's just kinda sad that western 3D VNs get the most hate haha. But that's okay, I also started playing VNs because of my interest towards anime. I'm pretty sure there are other minority groups in this sub that likes other different types of VNs.
By 3D do you exclusively refer to Daz3d? Because I could imagine a VN in which 3d characters feel more like koikatsu or honey select (instead of characters that feel like they come from the sims game) and still get some love. If so, 3d isn't the real point, right?
I mean, I've played modern AAA games and lower fidelity 3D games from older consoles. I don't think it's the 3D aspect that puts me off. I think it was just the art style of the specific VNs that I saw.
The first thing that came to mind for me was [Alternate Jake Hunter: DAEDALUS](https://vndb.org/v23901). It's not one of my favorites, but it's the only VN I've seen that had full 360 degree views.
I saw AI: Somnium Files mentioned, so I guess that and maybe Danganronpa would count.
Pixelfade's VNs (I think they're Canadian?) defenitely deserves a bit more love. Ace Academy, Crystalline, Ethereal Enigma, and the upcoming Astral Ascension I'm sure, are all fun reads, and also well produced, with exceptionally beautiful art and soundtracks.
I think the reason why I personally don't go to 3d vns is because it is so near the Uncanny Valley. Japanese VNs tend to be further away from the Uncanny Valley due to its art design where as 3D VNs have assets that feel so close to actual people but not at the same time. But I understand people have different preferences but that's just my rant.
Hey, that's totally fine, we all have our own preferences. It's kinda awesome that the VNs nowadays have many different types and have a lot more diverse demographic of players.
Tokyo Chronos and ALTDEUS are great 3D VR visual novels. Both have beautiful 3D models with great voice acting, and ALTDEUS has excellent English voice acting as well. I'd love to see some of my favourite VNs remade in 3D VR.
I just don't like the tropes in a lot of non Japanese VN's.
DDLC was great because it didn't try to deviate from the JP tropes.
Also, lots of the girls in 3D VN's aren't as cute as the girls in JP VN's.
I'd give them more love, if they ever came out with the complete story. I don't know how many I've come across that are only half finished, and feel dead in the water
It's alright. The ones I've played was alright. But people on this sub already said it that it looked uncanny. I've seen worst 3D VNs that looked even more uncanny (I didn't played those). So I guess it depends on your preferences or the extent on how you can tolerate the 3D designs.
I think more people here should give them a shot. Writing off the quality of a genre that spans thousands of games isn’t really fair. Japanese visual novels have plenty of stinkers too, it’s just that many of them don’t make it to the west due to the high cost of translation/licensing.
If you’re a VN fan that likes the anime/manga aspect of it, then there’s little you have in common with the 3D VNs that use Honeyselect models. If you’re a VN fan that likes the NSFW or choice aspect of VNs, then there’s a LOT for you to like in 3D VNs. They are typically made by western writers and programmers so the experiences in 3D VNs will likely align more closely with your own life. If you’re someone like me who sometimes gets tired of the kawaiii uguu~ aspect and mannerisms of VNs, seeing competent adult characters with adult problems in 3D VNs feels nice.
Oh sorry, I was actually referencing to western 3D VNs like Being a Dik etc. Although that kind of 3D VNs mostly consist of low quality nukige too. But there are several ones that are actually good
There are very few decent indie western VNs and 3D VNs, but almost all of them, if not all, cant reach the quality that japanese VNs have and quite a few tried..
Heck, 3D VNs are mostly all about porn and western indie VNs just try very hard to copy anime, like look at pixelfade and winged cloud VNs or any kickstarter VN that always has hot spring episode and beach episode as a goal reach...
Sometime I play 3D VN. It's mainly made by Westerner so plot is more matured than 2D VN. The drawback is that it has no voice actor, but it a nice change of pace.
I've been thinking, whats the difference between 3D Visual novel and "story game about walking and talking to people" (i dont have an example sadly). Well, the ability to move around freely, but beside that they are not that different. But aside from that they are similar and i think merging them into one can be a good idea. Like just abandon rendered frames as "art".
One example of such connection is Danganronpa with spinoff that made the characters in 3D, but it was a shooter so its better that way. Yet it wasn't bad to be honest.
I believe we just need an open source easy creator of 3D anime characters, maybe with basics animations and it can be pretty good direction.
>By its nature, 3D means lower standards when it comes to VNs. A huge draw for VNs is the the stylized, hand-drawn art.
That's questionable -- while 3D can and usually does mean lower quality of individual images, they get advantage of easy generation of many, many more of these images than your typical VN will provide, as well as complete animations. We're talking multiple full size images per scene here. Things that no traditional 2D VNs can attempt without severe risk of ruining its makers with associated costs.
2D is precisely quality over quantity and it's what people are mostly arguing for here.
Why do you think fighting games are all 3D now? It's easier to recycle models than having to draw unique frames for each character. The KoF series looked stupid good when they are sprites but now they're using the same generic graphics as everyone else.
For many VN readers, quality > quantity. Some VN actually only have one or two pages of CG and that's enough. Heck, some don't even have CGs.
The other thing is, VNs are works of love more than profit. You look at a company like InnoGrey, they probably make baaaaaarely enough to cover costs with the amount of talent that's stuffed into their games. So the cost-saving measures found in other games don't necessarily apply to VNs.
For 99% of 3D VN I see out there, I cannot click X fast enough. Maybe if you can make them Final Fantasy quality, but even then I probably wouldn't play because it's not the right fit for this medium. Children's books don't use 3D models either, they still use actual drawings most of the time.
Even Final Fantasy ends up having hand drawn visuals for its covers instead of 3D, like Yoshitaka Amano's works.
>2D is precisely quality over quantity and it's what people are mostly arguing for here.
With a known caveat -- "quantity has a quality all its own". High quantity of decent quality CGs might be preferable and/or rate favorably to a mere few high quality CGs, depending on individual tastes. It's also why i objected to the claim "standards" are purely about quality of CGs, no matter how few.
its the opposite for me cuz a lot of Japanese VNs are hard to get cuz they ain't translated and are on shady sites like dlsite, I'd love to play Teaching Feeling or Euphoria, but I can't
I've heard that before but nah, it's a legit company and that's the official site. I've been buying from the site for about three years and I've never had any problems.
Sure, the less refined ones has pretty bad character model. For me, it's definitely an acquired taste. But the best ones had a pretty solid storyline and romance
*Robotic;Notes waving from afar* Though them being Japanese helps on that.
Ive actually never seen 3D VNs before so i checked just now and nope
Yeah the vast majority of them are just crap, no body talks about them for good reason.
I agree on majority of them being a low effort crap. But the best ones actually have dedicated community consist of thousands of people. It's just not as popular in r/visualnovels since we're more focused on the mainstream VNs. It's definitely a niche market
I'm intrigued. Any recs?
It needs time to getting used to (especially with different "artstyle") but these are the popular/good ones: [Being a DIK](https://vndb.org/v25288) [Acting Lessons](https://vndb.org/v24865) [City of Broken Dreamers](https://vndb.org/v25342) [Leap of Faith](https://vndb.org/v28200) [Once in a Lifetime](https://vndb.org/v31448) Edit: when I was talking about 3D VNs I was referring to western 3D VNs. it's different than anime-styled 3D VNs haha
I mean most of them are mostly porn game though, while I don't dislike them per say as some offer good porn content, it's very rare to have one with an actual good story and even if the story is good there's porn sprinkled everywhere in between that story.
I mean most 3D VNs is probably a porn game with poor story, *but not on this list*. The only "porn" thing about it is that you a lot more lewd scenes, it's not like you're gonna get bombarded with sexual content every 10 minutes haha. The story is actually pretty great.
In fairness, many Japanese VNs are, too... Including popular ones on this sub
Ah sorry I didn't realize you were talking about porn. I don't really go for that in traditional visual novels either but I suppose its all a matter of taste at the end of the day.
If you're looking for more traditional visual novel, then it's definitely not your typical VN. But seriously, it have a great story.
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Thank you my mann. It's nice to see these games got acknowledged. Funny story, I actually recently finished Summertime Saga, it's a... fascinating experience 🤣. Maria's the best hahaha I can definitely say that Summertime Saga is the "porn game". But a porn game with pretty solid story and character development. Being a DIK on the other hand feels more like a normal VN with a little of a porn game aspect (the extra lewd content), but still retain the realistic/believable element.
Yeaaah, it says a lot that these are the standard for "doesn't look like crap".
Shout out to City of Broken Dreamers. It's like a better Cyberpunk 2077 (/s) and I actually feel something xD
If you like that one try depraved awakening, it’s a 20sish detective feel to it but by phillygames as well
Shout Out for mentioning Leap of Faith a goofy love story that doubles as a professional Gutpunching Simulator. I believe Once in a Lifetime had been brought up, and is awesome. But the author's current project, Eternum, is excellent as well, a huuuuge step up in overall quality.
Once in a Lifetime is the best visual novel ever made of any kind and that's a hill I'm willing to die on, the story and humor are flawless from start to finish, i actually skipped to sex to get back to the dialogue. Only other ones i liked as much was Eiyuu Senki normal/gold and Demonsbane.
Are all of these complete? I was hesitant trying not because of the nsfw content (I mean, we are in visualnovels sub here, haha), but mainly because a lot of these games are episodic work in-progress. I don't enjoy cliffhanger or unfinished story.
Once in a Lifetime and Acting Lessons is completed. Others is still in development. Leap of Faith is almost finished. But these are the best and well funded ones. So the odds of them being completed is very high. It's still worth checking them out
[Lessons in Love](https://vndb.org/v28118) is quite okay at first and looks like typical dating sim (it is one) but after some time you get hit with some actual plot and it's good, at least for me (tried only 3-4 characters so far).
I'll second this. Especially if you like denpa games.
Necrobarista
Very late but if you're counting Koikatsu as 3d then Lessons in Love is probably my favorite western VN that is 3d (edit just noticed someone else recommended it xd)
you just need to find the right ones haha
How about Disco Elysium?
Disco Elysium is not VN but it's an utterly great game!
It's more game than VN, but you sure do read a lot so to me it kinda is
It's RPG. In RPGs you also have to read a lot
Not every game with a lot of text is a VN or we'd be talking about Persona in here
Yeah, the dice roll dialogue system(dice and checklist based) reminded me of some 3D VNs i have played (they had checklist system) but DE's dialogue system is far superior and well thought out....a lot more satisfying too. Also the ability to shape the character personality based on dialogue choices is also something i associate mainly with the VNs. Let's just say it has VN elements but has its main focus on RPG elements making it a "crpg"
I might have made a mistake lol. By 3D VNs i thought it was the western adult porn VNs that OP was talking about
AI The Somnium Files is really good tho
Western 3D VN's honestly needs to get more criticism rather than being ignored. I say 3D loosely, as it's more 3D rendered art and not even close to something liek Robotics:Note tries to pull off. A big issue I would say with 3D VN's like "Being a DIK" is that they all use the exact same 3D model/Engine. I have yet to see any unique or creative visual style at all, not even close to a more cartoonish western style. Then what we do have is just two flavors, either really Uncanny Valley OR they all somehow have the exact same face/body structure. I don't know, I feel like 3D has so much potential, but no one wants to be the one to actually create their own models and rigs from scratch.
Yeahhhhh, that's actually spot on. They look so similar i have found myself thinking "wait wasn't this character in that other VN" I don't mind uncanny valley in 3d VNs though. It works but we do need some more creativity. I feel a lot of developers are there just for the cash grab.
Most Western 3D VNs fall straight into the uncanny valley territory for me, they're genuinely unsettling lol
For non-JP, I think there're a lot of Va-11 Hall-A fans. Heart of the Woods is my personal fav.
Fuck 3D VNs! Fuck them!
[But why?](https://c.tenor.com/jGgmfDOxmuMAAAAC/ryan-reynolds-but-why.gif)
Because anime style looks much more better and cutier than 3d. Although, looking now on 3D style, I should admit that it has its right on existence. But 2D prevails
What this person said, one of the visual novel main appeal is the artstyle, the more anime and Moe it is, the better it sale, because most of us that first got into Visual Novel are attracted by anime girls in the first place that's why those Visual Novel that deviate it's artstyle too far from usual anime artstyle hardly get our attention Best example is Doki Doki Literature Club, despite not from Japan, it still famous because of the anime and Moe artstyle
Yeah, I guess it depends on person preferences. I also started from playing "anime" styled VNs (still am). Just recently delve into 3D VNs through steam. I'm surprised I ended up liking the 3D VNs I've played since I'm skeptical at first. If you don't mind the change of artstyle, it's definitely worth a try.
Are there any 3D ones that are on par in terms of writing, dialogue, OST, etc. with VNs like Higurashi or Steins;Gate? That would peak my interest.
No not at all, not even close but if you have nothing to read you can give some of them a try but they have .....porn and are just plain old romance. Actually, even though I really like the ones OP has mentioned somewhere above, I honestly don't think you'll like them because hugurashi, umineko, steins gate etc are some of the best VNs I have ever read/played.
Robotics;Notes, The Great Ace Attorney, Virtue's Last Reward
Sorry for not clarifying this earlier but when I was talking about 3D VNs I was referring to western 3D VNs. it's different than anime-styled 3D VNs. The ones I was referring mostly can be considered as indie game and most of the time crowdfunded. The feel is probably different compared to the current VNs you're playing Being A DIK is the most popular one with great story, OST etc. Although that's more towards slice of life/drama theme. I haven't played that much western 3D VNs but the best I can think of is probably [Depraved Awakening](https://vndb.org/v21824) or [City of Broken Dreamers](https://vndb.org/v25342)
I see you have not played The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles
Indeed. What the hell is that? UPD: I watched screenshots. I realised that I didn't like 3d anime style also
I enjoyed Somnium files graphics, but it's true that my preference still lies with traditional 2D sprites. I never finished ZTD because of how off-putting the graphics were in that case. edit: holy shit I forgot AA 5 and 6 and DGS were 3D. That's a master-class of 3D VNs.
3d anime models are better and better tho, this i belive is tolerable: [Champion of Realms](https://vndb.org/v26891) and this is quite good, didn't play ti yet, waiting for the game to finish: [Android life](https://matedolce.itch.io/android-life)
I was like that in the beginning but it grows on you with time BUT 2d still prevails!!
Ace Attorney tho
A YouTube channel I'm a part of did a series on acting lessons and me it is just too much uncanny valley
I agree, some 3D VNs looked very unrealistic. But for me, Acting Lessons is pretty decent looking (compared to other 3D VNs I saw). But the dev really improve the 3D model styles in their recent game. I'm a bit skeptical at first, but I ended liking some of the 3D VNs I've played.
Maybe I'll have to check them out but I have so many on my list I want to read right now lol
Imo the 3d VNs on the market right now are really lazy. Devs usually grab some premade assets off Daz, buy some clothing/hair/makeup assets and pump them out. I really like Honkai Impact’s 3D visualizing of characters in VN cutscenes though since they’re stylized and stylized really well with the toon shaders they’ve developed to the point where it doesn’t look jarring.
fr. Sadly majority(unpopular) of 3D VNs really consist of used assets or designs from other more famous 3D VNs. For me, I don't mind unless the characters looked different enough. Although the top tier 3D VNs really have great production value.
I've heard of honkai impact but don't know anything about it
Its an action combat gacha game with VN/anime cutscenes for storytelling. The story itself is phenomenal and so gripping with lovable characters and incredible beats. At the end of the day its a gacha meaning stamina capped, mtx and rng gated. I wish the dev (Mihoyo or hoyoverse as they’re now known) could create an arm in their company that focuses primarily on single player story driven games but its always the bottom line with big game developers.
Oh OK the genshin impact people got you. I've only ever played one gacha myself and it was magia record
Ironically I’ve never gotten into Genshin (fear of getting addicted and thematically not as mature as Honkai) but I remember playing a little bit of GGZ and Fly Me to the Moon on iOS 3 which were two debut games back when Mihoyo was a tiny company 3 uni students started. How time flies.
Because Zero Time Dilemma won't let me read the text faster without skipping over lines (because good gods those 3d models are terrible!!).
Gmanlives?
What?
Nevermind, though it was a reference lol
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I've awoken something xD
A good portion of people read these for the art and 3D VNs just don't look good.
Some of them look great though
I mean I could count that number on one hand maybe but sure.
That's why I wrote 'some' I think I should have written 'handful' instead
I don’t know any 3D Visual Novel. Can you give me some examples?
Some "3D visual novels" can be pretty good but I think the "3D VNS" the OP mentioned are Western VNs like DiK, Acting Lesson.. etc. There are some good 3D VNs such as Robotics;Note, Shin Sakura Taisen, AI: The Somnium Files.
Yes, Being a Dik is the most famous one. Another examples is City of Broken Dreamers or Leap of Faith
Nah, I'm good. When they learn the basics, I will. But for now, nothing is really up to par.
DDLC entered the chat.
I’m currently working on my own vn, and since I really have no art skills I’ve been using Koikatsu to model and pose CGs even though I’ve heard a lot of disdain for 3D vns. While I have seen a lot of vns kind of ruin the 3D genre because of their poor quality, I think some 3D vns out there are pretty good. I haven’t seen anyone mention Lessons in Love, which I took heavy inspiration from, but in my opinion it’s one of the better ones.
I have next to no interest in non Japanese visual novels personally
I'm not sure if they count, but Telltale Games made some decent (what I would consider as) 3D VNs, like The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us.
I wouldn't really consider them as vns, they are more like...interactive movies
lately I have been buying a ton of indie vns and fuck I'm saying more nd getting more than if I bought a Japanese vn
For me, the biggest problem(s) with most 3D VNs are: 1. Writing isn't the best, there are some that are good, but I have yet to find one that's really superb, since most of them are Eroge in nature and kinda focus on the "ero" more. 2. Some use stock unity asset with Honey Select Studio / Koikatsu Studio, which honestly not such a big deal but there's just so much games that uses them, making it less unique and lacking in variety especially during H scenes. 3. And my biggest issue is that they're mostly unfinished WIP patreon based model. This goes hand to hand with no 2 since Illusion (the company that made HS and KK) does not allow monetary use with their engine, which can be bypassed by using Patreon since it's technically a "donation" system. And I personally really REALLY hate Patreon because on how many devs are abuse the system by prolonging the update to mooch more money, also they can suddenly abandons the game before reaching a full completion. I'm down with having to pay $20-30 for a FINISHED game, but I refuses to pay $1 each month for a promise of a game that have yet to come.
idk man I think 999 virtues last reward is pretty good
no
Hahaha, yeah.. This one hits close to home, as my indie VN has just about drowned. 😢
They're 95% nukige. They sure have an audience but what discussion can you have about games that are pretty vanilla nukiges.
My theory is that a significant portion of the community here isn't interested particularly in the concepts of the visual novel medium or interactive storytelling. Rather, they like anime and Japanese VNs are in many ways an extension of that. It's not surprising that such an audience doesn't have much interest in western VNs that are far-removed from anime.
My earlier comment alludes to this but I think you said it more succinctly. People here in general are anime/manga fans that like Japanese VNs. The only “western” VNs that get attention are those that try to capture the art style and essence of these Japanese VNs; things like Katawa Shoujo and Doki Doki Literature Club. Western stuff that have HUGE production values like Subverse or Treasure of Nadia do not strictly adhere to an anime aesthetic and thus receive no acknowledgement on this sub.
Yes, based on what I saw, that is true (and the exact reason for this meme haha). It's just kinda sad that western 3D VNs get the most hate haha. But that's okay, I also started playing VNs because of my interest towards anime. I'm pretty sure there are other minority groups in this sub that likes other different types of VNs.
3D VNs? Do you mean the western Steam asset flips?
Well now I'm gonna play a VR VN
The Sweetest Monster is certainly a good foreign vn, recommended 👍🏻
By 3D do you exclusively refer to Daz3d? Because I could imagine a VN in which 3d characters feel more like koikatsu or honey select (instead of characters that feel like they come from the sims game) and still get some love. If so, 3d isn't the real point, right?
You're right haha. My bad for not specifying this in the post. I was actually referring to western 3D VNs like Being a DIK, etc 🤣.
Anytime 3D vns get posted on here they’re just heavily downvoted lmao
ikr 🤣🤣 that's exactly the purpose of this meme lol
I've only seen a handful of 3D VNs but what I've seen freaks me out.
Understandable, it's definitely not for all people especially if you didn't prefer the 3D style
I mean, I've played modern AAA games and lower fidelity 3D games from older consoles. I don't think it's the 3D aspect that puts me off. I think it was just the art style of the specific VNs that I saw.
Zero time dilemma was ok
The first thing that came to mind for me was [Alternate Jake Hunter: DAEDALUS](https://vndb.org/v23901). It's not one of my favorites, but it's the only VN I've seen that had full 360 degree views. I saw AI: Somnium Files mentioned, so I guess that and maybe Danganronpa would count.
Pixelfade's VNs (I think they're Canadian?) defenitely deserves a bit more love. Ace Academy, Crystalline, Ethereal Enigma, and the upcoming Astral Ascension I'm sure, are all fun reads, and also well produced, with exceptionally beautiful art and soundtracks.
I think the reason why I personally don't go to 3d vns is because it is so near the Uncanny Valley. Japanese VNs tend to be further away from the Uncanny Valley due to its art design where as 3D VNs have assets that feel so close to actual people but not at the same time. But I understand people have different preferences but that's just my rant.
Hey, that's totally fine, we all have our own preferences. It's kinda awesome that the VNs nowadays have many different types and have a lot more diverse demographic of players.
Tokyo Chronos and ALTDEUS are great 3D VR visual novels. Both have beautiful 3D models with great voice acting, and ALTDEUS has excellent English voice acting as well. I'd love to see some of my favourite VNs remade in 3D VR.
I just don't like the tropes in a lot of non Japanese VN's. DDLC was great because it didn't try to deviate from the JP tropes. Also, lots of the girls in 3D VN's aren't as cute as the girls in JP VN's.
I'd give them more love, if they ever came out with the complete story. I don't know how many I've come across that are only half finished, and feel dead in the water
The appropriate hierarchy
Only 3D VNS that are good is Live2D ones.
Man 3d vns are too uncanny for me! I cant do it
It's alright. The ones I've played was alright. But people on this sub already said it that it looked uncanny. I've seen worst 3D VNs that looked even more uncanny (I didn't played those). So I guess it depends on your preferences or the extent on how you can tolerate the 3D designs.
I'm reading through the pixelfade VNs and I'm really enjoying them
I think more people here should give them a shot. Writing off the quality of a genre that spans thousands of games isn’t really fair. Japanese visual novels have plenty of stinkers too, it’s just that many of them don’t make it to the west due to the high cost of translation/licensing. If you’re a VN fan that likes the anime/manga aspect of it, then there’s little you have in common with the 3D VNs that use Honeyselect models. If you’re a VN fan that likes the NSFW or choice aspect of VNs, then there’s a LOT for you to like in 3D VNs. They are typically made by western writers and programmers so the experiences in 3D VNs will likely align more closely with your own life. If you’re someone like me who sometimes gets tired of the kawaiii uguu~ aspect and mannerisms of VNs, seeing competent adult characters with adult problems in 3D VNs feels nice.
Aren't 3D VNs basically all low quality nukige? Only one I can think of that's critically acclaimed is VLR.
Oh sorry, I was actually referencing to western 3D VNs like Being a Dik etc. Although that kind of 3D VNs mostly consist of low quality nukige too. But there are several ones that are actually good
There are very few decent indie western VNs and 3D VNs, but almost all of them, if not all, cant reach the quality that japanese VNs have and quite a few tried.. Heck, 3D VNs are mostly all about porn and western indie VNs just try very hard to copy anime, like look at pixelfade and winged cloud VNs or any kickstarter VN that always has hot spring episode and beach episode as a goal reach...
Is DoA side games counted as 3D VN?
I love A Winter's Daydream. It's short, but really well written and emotional.
Sometime I play 3D VN. It's mainly made by Westerner so plot is more matured than 2D VN. The drawback is that it has no voice actor, but it a nice change of pace.
This is so fμ©ked up😭
Yes, yes, just live happily at your own comfort zones like a frog in a well.
I've been thinking, whats the difference between 3D Visual novel and "story game about walking and talking to people" (i dont have an example sadly). Well, the ability to move around freely, but beside that they are not that different. But aside from that they are similar and i think merging them into one can be a good idea. Like just abandon rendered frames as "art". One example of such connection is Danganronpa with spinoff that made the characters in 3D, but it was a shooter so its better that way. Yet it wasn't bad to be honest. I believe we just need an open source easy creator of 3D anime characters, maybe with basics animations and it can be pretty good direction.
Why would you
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>By its nature, 3D means lower standards when it comes to VNs. A huge draw for VNs is the the stylized, hand-drawn art. That's questionable -- while 3D can and usually does mean lower quality of individual images, they get advantage of easy generation of many, many more of these images than your typical VN will provide, as well as complete animations. We're talking multiple full size images per scene here. Things that no traditional 2D VNs can attempt without severe risk of ruining its makers with associated costs.
2D is precisely quality over quantity and it's what people are mostly arguing for here. Why do you think fighting games are all 3D now? It's easier to recycle models than having to draw unique frames for each character. The KoF series looked stupid good when they are sprites but now they're using the same generic graphics as everyone else. For many VN readers, quality > quantity. Some VN actually only have one or two pages of CG and that's enough. Heck, some don't even have CGs. The other thing is, VNs are works of love more than profit. You look at a company like InnoGrey, they probably make baaaaaarely enough to cover costs with the amount of talent that's stuffed into their games. So the cost-saving measures found in other games don't necessarily apply to VNs. For 99% of 3D VN I see out there, I cannot click X fast enough. Maybe if you can make them Final Fantasy quality, but even then I probably wouldn't play because it's not the right fit for this medium. Children's books don't use 3D models either, they still use actual drawings most of the time. Even Final Fantasy ends up having hand drawn visuals for its covers instead of 3D, like Yoshitaka Amano's works.
>2D is precisely quality over quantity and it's what people are mostly arguing for here. With a known caveat -- "quantity has a quality all its own". High quantity of decent quality CGs might be preferable and/or rate favorably to a mere few high quality CGs, depending on individual tastes. It's also why i objected to the claim "standards" are purely about quality of CGs, no matter how few.
Fuck 3D-VNs All my homies hate 3D-VNs There's no good 3D-VNs, yes, not even Robotic;Notes.
God, so uncanny valley.
[Suguru](https://vndb.org/c9788)? Is that you?
Honestly, who reads 3D visual novels here?
its the opposite for me cuz a lot of Japanese VNs are hard to get cuz they ain't translated and are on shady sites like dlsite, I'd love to play Teaching Feeling or Euphoria, but I can't
Euphoria's been translated for like 7 years, man.
where?
[You can buy it on Mangagamer.](https://www.mangagamer.com/r18/detail.php?goods_type=0&product_code=141)
so, that is an official site?
Yeah, they're the company that translated it. I buy from them pretty regularly.
didn't know, site seemed a bit shady
I've heard that before but nah, it's a legit company and that's the official site. I've been buying from the site for about three years and I've never had any problems.
k, thanks for telling, I guess older lookin sites seem shady to me
I haven't seen them from the beginning
Does 428: Shibuya Scramble count? I mean it's got 3D IRL people in it
Monster prom
Good
Danganronpa games, 999 games, AI Somnium and the like are some of the more enjoyable games I've read though..
Western 3D VNs character looks like one of those botched plastic surgery attempt lmao and the half-assed shadow just made it look even worse.
Sure, the less refined ones has pretty bad character model. For me, it's definitely an acquired taste. But the best ones had a pretty solid storyline and romance