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Early Reviews Find "Shuten Order" Dazzling in Style, Uneven in Its Genre-Hopping Ambition

Early reviews highlight standout style alongside undercooked mechanics.

Overview

  • Kazutaka Kodaka’s new visual novel with developer Neilo centers on a resurrected cult founder ordered to uncover, elicit a confession from, and execute their killer within days.
  • Five minister-focused routes each adopt a different format—stealth labyrinths, school romance, death-game escape, investigation, and a multi-perspective narrative—at roughly 10 hours per path.
  • Critics commend the bold color palette, memorable music, and assured Japanese voice work, with visuals noted as especially striking on Nintendo Switch OLED.
  • Assessments describe the gameplay mix as underbaked or overcomplicated, citing uneven route quality, shallow mechanics, and pacing problems including end-of-route info dumps.
  • The consensus positions the game as a recommendation for players prioritizing distinctive storytelling and audiovisual design over tightly polished systems or brisk pacing.