Code: Realize Future Blessings is a game I never thought I would play. This game is an Otome game, a dating sim for girls. I’m a lover of visual novels, but this is new territory. I was surprised by how good this game was, and the story was rather interesting as well. It just goes to show you shouldn’t judge anything by its cover. Now Future Blessings is a sequel to a previous entry. But, it gives enough information, so that the player isn’t lost. This game wants its players to enjoy it, so the developers went out of their way to make it user friendly. The story does offer up quite a lusty world for the player to explore, and that is a good thing for an Otome game.
This game, surprisingly enough, takes place in Victorian London. The player assumes the role of a young woman who they can name whatever they like. As a young woman in such a wondrous time, she can have some interesting hobbies. This young girl has met some pretty fantastic people and has picked up a thing or two from them. The characters in this game are from history or fiction. It’s a blend of both sides of the coin. I enjoy that the main character can interact with such interesting characters. Coming off of Persona 5 Royal, I chose to play through Arsene Lupin’s story first. As the box art depicts them together, I figured it would be the best choice.
The game does speak of past events and tells us that Arsene saved the main character. So it only makes sense that she would most likely end up paired with him. Though players can pair her up with any of the characters and see how her story changes. It is nice to select a chapter and know that the main character will end up with who the player initially chose. The stories are all detailed and tell great stories on their own. I was surprised at the amount of detail put into the stories. I felt connected to all of the characters and felt like I was involved in the stories. The characters are all so lifelike, and even if they are fantastical, they seem real. The characters are all unique and have vivid backstories and thoughts. The player gets to know them by playing through all of the stories. Maybe the player will like Arsene at the beginning, but their opinion could change. The characters are also all quite athletic, and there is a good amount of fighting that goes on. It’s no surprise because Arsene Lupin was a thief.
There are a few other stories the player can go through. These stories are lead by another character but still involve the main character. The most intriguing one to me was the Herlock Sholmes chapter. It even has Jack the Ripper in it. The potential for a clash between them was too much for me to bear. It’s nice to play through these stories; as they flush out the world and show different stories that might have been. There are two other stories, one led by Finis and another about Arsene’s gang.
The Herlock Sholmes chapter was a highlight for me. It felt like it was less about romance and more about taking down evil. Though I do enjoy all of the story-telling, the game throws at the player. Future Blessings is quite the read, so get ready for a lot of wordplay. Now, I don’t read as much as I once did, but I find Visual Novels to be quite the treat. There is also solid voice acting in this game. It might not have an English dub, but the story speaks for itself. I appreciate the Japanese dub even if I don’t always listen to it. I do enjoy just reading along since I can’t hear it in my native language. The story is exciting, so I don’t need to worry about if I can hear the voices in English. Though since the game does take place in Europe, a dub probably would have made it more authentic.
Code: Realize Future Blessings is a great visual novel, even if I wasn’t the target audience. It was interesting to play through a game like this and see a different side of visual novels. The characters are as remarkable as the story and world. The art is exquisite, and the game makes the player think. Even if the player isn’t a girl, if they like visual novels, they might just like this. Victorian London is full of eligible bachelors, and evil will the player help our heroine find love?
Disclaimer: A review key was provided