Play this gruesome Japanese horror visual novel this Halloween

digitaltrends.com:

I’ve always been enamored with Japanese horror.

Its psychological focus frightens me more than Western interpretations of horror, which tend to focus more on violence and physicality horror. While games like Silent Hill 2 and Resident Evil 4 emphasize action gameplay, visual novels are also a great way to deliver scary horror stories. It’s akin to reading a scary book.

The genre originated in Japan and has immense popularity. Visual novels bear similarities to manga, which also has its roots in the country, so it’s no surprise that video game developers have used visual novels as another medium for its unique brand of horror.

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However, reading mountains and mountains of text can turn away players. But one game this year, Spirit Hunter: Death Mark II, avoids these visual novel pitfalls by the developers sprinkling in some light classic RPG elements. It’s a story worth experiencing if you’re looking for a brisk adventure to close out October on Halloween.

Spooky school

Schools are a staple setting in Japanese horror stories, and Death Mark II’s detective protagonist Kazuo Yashiki is hired as a teacher to investigate why students have gone missing and track down any paranormal abnormalities. Eventually, Kazuo learns about a strange creature called The Departed, who seems to be responsible for these disappearances. In an effort to find out its identity, Kazuo has to learn more about the school’s dark past.

What makes the Spirit Hunter series such a great experience is that it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Like its predecessors, Spirit Hunter: Death Mark and Spirit Hunter NG, Death Mark II clocks in at about 15 hours across seven chapters. It’s a well-paced story filled with plenty of plot twists that’ll keep you going even if you’re scared to death.

Death Mark II is also enhanced by its fantastic art direction. While the 2D character portraits are static stills, much of the