Argumentum ad culpam

Argumentum ad culpam is a gothic visual novel set in a really strange world filled with magic, supernatural beings and constant suffering. We play as a wizard whose magical power is starting to disappear, only to discover that the Duke who gave us that power is now little more than an empty shell. From there, we get pulled into a conflict between powerful beings who all have their own plans for what happens next. The story is easily the strongest part for us. The world is dark and bizarre, and the characters are written in a way that makes their conversations feel more like arguments between people with completely different ideas of what is right. Morality is not really presented as something simple here. We are constantly deciding which side makes the most sense for us and what we are willing to do to survive. The battle of wits system is what makes the game stand out from a normal visual novel. Instead of just choosing dialogue options and watching the story continue, we have to take part in arguments where our reasoning can affect what happens. These encounters can decide the fate of the characters involved, so our choices actually have some weight rather than just changing a few lines of dialogue. I also like how dangerous the choices can be. Characters can actually die as a result of the battles, including the wizard we play as, so there is a real reason to think about what we are saying. There are 13 meaningful endings as well, which gives us a good reason to go back and make different decisions after finishing a first playthrough. The presentation fits the story really well. The gothic artwork, strange supernatural designs and darker atmosphere make the world feel uncomfortable in a good way. The music is another highlight, with more than 10 live piano tracks that give the game a much more serious and dramatic feeling than we might expect from a small visual novel. The biggest problem is that the writing can be difficult to follow at times. There are a lot of strange concepts, supernatural characters and complicated arguments being introduced, and the English translation has had some problems according to the developers themselves. Some lines can feel awkward or unclear, which makes certain parts harder to understand than they should be. The other weakness is that the gameplay is very limited outside of the conversations and battles of wits. We are mostly reading, making decisions and watching the story develop, so anyone looking for traditional RPG combat or exploration is not going to find much here. The battle system is interesting, but there are only so many things we can do with it before the visual novel structure starts to feel repetitive. Overall, Argumentum ad culpam is a really unusual visual novel with a strong gothic atmosphere and an interesting idea behind its choices. The battle of wits gives the story more interaction than a standard visual novel, while the multiple endings and character deaths make our decisions feel important. The translation problems and very text heavy design hold it back a little, but the strange world and darker story make it worth checking out if we enjoy unusual visual novels. Rating: 6.9/10