Adventure Corner ~ 9 R.I.P.

Welcome to Adventure Corner, a column where members of the RPGamer staff can give their thoughts, impressions, and pseudo-reviews for various adventure titles that don’t come under our usual coverage. Adventure Corner is aimed at delivering opinions on a wide range of titles including visual novels, point-and-click adventures, investigative mysteries, and so forth.

In this edition of the column, we take a look at Idea Factory International’s 9 R.I.P. on Nintendo Switch.

9 R.I.P.

Otomate is no stranger to games that feature gods and spirits in romantic scenarios. Romancing these supernatural beings and having relations with them are normal in fiction. Who doesn’t want to be a cute girl who gets transported around different spirit realms only to meet some unique hunks? 9 R.I.P. is an interesting experience for otome fans, offering a darker visual aesthetic with mostly bittersweet romances. Like most otome games, the player’s mileage will vary in terms of quality storytelling, and thankfully 9 R.I.P. does a mostly good job of bringing these swoony romances to life.

Players take on the role of Misa, a girl who lives in a cursed town where people are supposedly spirited away. During the autumn of Misa’s second year of high school, her best friend tells her of this curse, creating some additional stress for the heroine. Shortly after, an ominous voice reaches out to her and leads her into the darkness. Misa meets different individuals in these other realms who offer her glimpses into her future. From a man trapped in a mirror to another reliving the first day of his life all over again, some interesting bachelors are waiting for Misa to smooch.

Unlike a lot of other otome games, not all the bachelors are available right off the bat. Players have to work through different realms before other ones will unlock. Misa starts in the “School Ghost Stories” chapter, with the only dating options being Kureha or Hibiki. Once those stories are completed, the next realm, “Urban Legends” will unlock, and so forth. With four different realms to explore, eight different love interests, and a special ninth if all other routes are completed, there are a lot of stories to uncover.

I’m looking at the man in the mirror…

Unfortunately, this is where some of the narratives fall apart. Not all of the nine stories feel equal in terms of payoff. Characters such as Sena, a young man dying of an incurable illness, have a route that starts romantic and sweet but ends with one of the most unsatisfying, messy, and rushed story arcs. On the other hand, a character like Koharu, who is a grumpy spirit chef with a hard exterior but secretly a gummy bear on the inside, has a very satisfying story arc throughout, one with some surprisingly tender moments. All routes feel like they will work for different players, depending on which character archetype one resonates with, such as the lone wolf or the bad boy.

The game explores some interesting themes, such as loss, grief, and even stalking. While many of these darker themes are explored, not every story handles them well. Having a murderous spirit who actually isn’t scary or wants to commit murder is humourous, but it also weirdly defeats the purpose of that character being the “murder spirit.” Some characters are so one-note in their interests and mannerisms that they, unfortunately, can get a bit grating. While many of the stories add nice layers to most of the love interests, there is some awkward storytelling where the overall struggles and courtship of Misa just don’t entirely land (I’m looking at you, Seiya!).

Misa is a fine enough protagonist, though she’s mostly limited to having a crazy sweet tooth and a ton of stress. She’s likable and comes across as fairly cute, and unlike other otome heroines, she has a lot of agency throughout the story, which is appreciated. Of the love interests, my personal favourite route was Koyo’s, as he and Misa had some really lovely chemistry throughout, and the stakes for them being together were surprisingly high. Romantically, Koyo is a full package, with a swoon-worthy design and voice that will have any player fanning themselves.

Koyo is the sweetest boy of all. No contest!

The localization is good, though it reads a bit dry. There’s the odd typo or two, but nothing to detract from the overall experience. The overall UI is mostly fine, though the colour palette choice makes it difficult to see when confirming options like loading or saving one’s game, but otherwise presents very clean and clear when the player needs to make a decision. There is the option for auto-text, being able to skip read text and even rewind. Standard options exist for auto-text, being able to skip previously read text, and even rewind. Players can also replay memories they have acquired, as well as receive special voiced messages from their love interests. These are nice extras for those who wish to dig deeper into the game. Every character has a Heavenly (Best) Ending, a Godly (Good) Ending, and multiple bad endings, which provide a lot of replay value.

Visually, the art style for all of the characters is stunning, while the CG still art does an amazing job of showing just how swoon-worthy the love interests can be. While the scenes aren’t steamy, there’s definitely some implied spiciness, which is appreciated. All the voice work is in Japanese, and the actors do a great job portraying their characters. Sadly, the heroine isn’t voiced, which is a bit of a missed opportunity, but does not fully undermine the experience.

While I enjoyed my time with 9 R.I.P., I wish it had leaned more into the horror genre Given the strangeness of the game’s story, its bachelors, and its overall visual aesthetic, the game’s mostly tame approach is a bit disappointing. While the title is correct in terms of our haunted hunks, I think it could have gone even harder on darker story elements so the stakes feel a bit more urgent. That being said, I happily recommend 9 R.I.P. to anyone who loves a good, slow storytelling burn with bittersweet endings. While the game can easily clock in at over thirty hours, there’s a lot to explore, and most of the journey is worth taking.

Disclosure: This article is based on a free copy of the game provided by the publisher.