【Key Work】 A near future where “AR” has come to color all of life. Appearing before a lonely investigator was a girl who was supposed to have passed away 14 years ago. The world you see, the world you feel. Which is real? Kousai Toshi, where fant

Just by seeing the line “Heaven is a fiction.” before starting the game, I felt that “this won't end as an ordinary story.” “Kousai Toshi” does not betray that impression and quietly draws the player into a near-future world. While a society where AR technology has become daily life itself looks convenient and beautiful, the boundary with reality is somehow ambiguous, giving a strange sense of discomfort. The development in which the event of reuniting with a girl who was supposed to have lost her life 14 years ago in that world eventually leads to a major incident makes you so curious about what lies ahead once you start reading that your hands won't stop turning the pages. Despite being a work depicting the future, the way it carefully depicts human hearts and bonds felt like the unique appeal of this work.

When it comes to sci-fi works, some people might have the impression that there are many difficult settings and technical terms, but “Kousai Toshi” does not rely solely on such elements. While there is a sense of tension as they chase cases and approach the truth, the way the protagonist, Shion Kuraki, and Momoka gradually shorten the distance between them is depicted very warmly. Because the fun as a suspense and the gentleness generated by connections between people are depicted in an exquisite balance, while being surprised by the truths revealed one after another, you naturally empathize with the characters' emotions. As the story progresses, not only the secrets of the world but also the thoughts each of them harbors gradually become visible, so a deep lingering feeling is likely to remain in your heart after you finish reading.

No matter how excellent a scenario is, if the direction supporting it is weak, the emotion will be halved. However, this work is unrelated to such worries. With full voice acting including the protagonist, the emotions of the characters are finely expressed, and beautiful graphics and impressive music vividly color the atmosphere of each scene. Natural acting by a talented voice cast further enhances the sense of immersion into the story, and from quiet conversations to tense scenes, the atmosphere of each is firmly transmitted. I thought it was a work where you can experience the luxurious feeling of enjoying the fun of reading a novel and the realism of watching a movie at the same time.

Since the Nintendo Switch version supports Full HD resolution, if you play on a large screen, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the near-future city and delicate character illustrations in high-definition images. On the other hand, it also supports handheld mode and Nintendo Switch Lite, as well as touch screen controls, so you can deeply immerse yourself in the story at home, or read through it little by little while on the go. Because care has been thoroughly taken so that you can enjoy it comfortably regardless of your play style, even first-time visual novel players will be able to enter the world of the work naturally.

“Kousai Toshi” is a sci-fi work depicting a world with advanced future technology, yet it is a work that makes you feel that what it truly wants to convey is the human heart. Not to mention the fun of chasing the truth hidden behind a grand incident, the gentleness and sadness woven by the characters give warmth to the entire story. Beautiful visuals, moving music, passionate acting by a talented voice cast, and a scenario from which you cannot take your eyes off until the very end become one, drawing you deeper into the world of the work the more you read. If you are looking for a work that shakes your heart with the power of the story itself rather than flashy action, “Kousai Toshi” is surely a title you would want to pick up.