Reminiscence in the Night Review

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Fast Facts

Visual escapism via visual storytelling

The type of games that I have always found to be hit-and-miss is those that are described as point-and-click stories, also known as visual novels. However, when I saw my favourite developer Ratalaika Games, had been involved in creating Reminiscence in the Night, and it had been released on the Switch, I thought I would get off my high horse, broaden my outlook, and give this game a fresh overview. Check out how I got on during my playthrough and how this game compares on the switch to the other platforms Rapid Reviews has reviewed it on.

Forgotten memories

For those who are unfamiliar with the game, the story is about someone who has awoken one day to find they have no memory. No memory of absolutely anything. The aim of the game, as told through a point-and-click visual story, is to try and figure out what has happened and who you are. Usually, with most novels like this, once you have finished the story, there is little gameplay in them after. However, Reminiscence in the Night provides a few different endings, meaning you may not be finished with the game too early.

Your progress through the game depends on your interactions with various objects. For example, by clicking on different items, your character will interact, revealing secrets, all of which are eventually pieced together to portray your life story. Despite minimal rooms and few items to discover, the variety of information collated exceeds expectations.

Reminiscence of the Night Switch Style

Now, as mentioned earlier, we have previously seen this game reviewed on Rapid Reviews for different platforms. So, without repeating my fellow writers, it is best if we take the time to explore how this game feels on the Switch.

The Switch is known for offering the ultimate cosy gaming experience. Both handheld and via the docking station, it offers a wholesome dive into multiple worlds. What I really love about the Switch is that it doesn’t matter what the graphic style of the game is; it still produces beautiful animations. Reminiscence in the Night is a great example. The game’s visuals are average and clearly not the driving factor of the game. However, with the Switch, we see the deep purple aesthetic flood the screen, surrounded by the shadowing objects that create our memories. The window oozes dazzling daylight as the two rooms create a wonderfully haunting atmosphere.

Sadly, Reminiscence in the Night does not play too great on the Nintendo Switch. The gameplay felt like I was trying to manoeuvre a tortoise on a lead. It is slow yet steady. We get to our end goal and are able to select the correct inanimate objects, but the progress of moving around the darkened landscape feels stodgy and disorientating. Despite the Nintendo Switch being my go-to console for visual novels, if I were given the option to play again, the switch would not be my first choice for this specific game.

Conclusion

Generally speaking, this game provides little extra to the Nintendo catalogue of games. It looks outstanding graphically, but I imagine this to be a game much more suited to a computer. Reminiscence in the Night is a fun game, but it doesn’t stand out for me on this console. I am once again pleased with the work of Rataliaka games, but unfortunately, not all games work as well on the Switch!

Rapid Reviews Rating

2.5 out of 5

2.5