This is going to be a mix of me reviewing Cartagra’s original main story, what’s been added in the HD remake, and the restrictions for the Steam version specifically.
[h1]Main Story Thoughts[/h1]
Cartagra was Innocent Grey’s debut visual novel, the same studio behind the Kara no Shoujo (KnS) trilogy. I wouldn’t call it bad, but it’s a clear downgrade from KnS. It’s very much a product of its time, written by a different scenario writter, which shows. On paper, it should feel similar to KnS: a bleak, gritty murder mystery set in wintertime 1950s Ueno, Japan. In practice, it has too many flaws for me to recommend it without hesitation, even to people who just want context on the Cartagra characters who cameo in the Kara no Shoujo trilogy.
One big positive is its length. At around 15-20 hours, it’s much shorter than the KnS games and uses a traditional choice system instead of having required detective gameplay when investigating rooms and dead bodies. If you dislike gameplay interruptions, you may prefer this title. I also appreciated that Shugo interacts more with adult characters compared to KnS1’s heavy high-school focus, though Cartagra still has a few questionably included high-schooler characters.
The game nails a mature, depressing atmosphere with fittingly serious music. Shugo, a private detective, investigates brutal murders, and uncovers deep, layered character motivations with some interesting reveals. Those mysteries are ultimately what make me lean slightly toward recommending this VN.
Unfortunately, everything surrounding the mystery is what brings down Cartagra as a whole to me.
Shugo is supposed to be this capable war-veteran detective, yet he frequently relies on others to do the important work.
Toji (easily the best girl) handles most of the action scenes, and even some of the mysteries, which is cool but makes you question the point of Shugo’s war-vet backstory.
On the mystery side, his eccentric and extremely annoying little sister Nana often figures out major twists long before Shugo does and explains them to him in a condescending manner. Her stuck-up personality, treating the murders as a fun game, and uncomfortable open lust towards her older brother make her incredibly grating.
It’s frustrating watching the protagonist of a mystery story be low-key incompetent AND generally feel sidelined.
Beyond those 3 characters, most of the characters are relatively forgettable.
Kazuna, the main heroine and sister of Yura, the missing girl who is the catalyst for the story, is decently likable but surprisingly underdeveloped outside of a few reveals. Her romance was OK I guess?
Shugo stays at a brothel as a "home base" for his investigation since he lacks money, essentially being a freeloader. However, this setting mostly serves as a way to add pseudo-nukige elements. The women who should be charging money for their services, offer him sex free of charge, implying because he’s so “attractive” or something. These scenes feel like unnecessary filler and a product of its time when H-scenes had to be forced in too much in plot-heavy VNs.
It says something when even best girl Toji has a scene where she can offer her body to "comfort" Shugo while he’s already in a relationship. The fact that Shugo can also potentially have H scenes with two high schoolers, when he is likely in his late 20s/early 30s, adds to the psuedo-nukige frustrations.
The antagonists/villains are mostly passable, with only one having any actual depth. The rest are typical mustache-twirling villains once exposed.
In the end, Cartagra is a barely passable mystery story, brought down by forgettable/unlikable characters and other annoyances.
[h1]Cartagra HD Additions[/h1]
The HD remake brings major quality-of-life and presentation upgrades. Shugo receives full voice acting (he was only voiced in a few specific scenes originally), which helps me empathize with him a little more in certain scenes. Sprites and CGs have been properly redrawn for HD, definitely much better than the average lazy "AI upscale" for many VN remakes. The soundtrack is also remastered with rich instrumentation similar to KnS3.
The core main story remains almost entirely unchanged.
The big additions are either new or expanded endings, which are short ~15 minute side routes where Shugo romances other heroines that aren't Kazuna:
* Hatsune’s existing side route gains a few extra scenes and new CGs
* Rin gets an entirely new side route that’s kinda cute for what it is
* Takako’s original bad ending now has a "good" end alternative
* Toji’s existing side route is expanded slightly with some nice CGs and even a nod to her Kara no Shoujo 2+3 Appearances
Koyuki/Seri and Nana routes were not updated and remain bad ends (good decision, imo).
[h1]True Route After Stories HD[/h1]
The final endings are the ones related to the true route: “Sacrament: Snow Camellia” (aka Kazuna After) and “Sacrament: White Clover.” (aka Yura After) You can unlock one of these after stories based on the last two choices in the main true route.
These are basically HD remasters of two after-stories from an older VN "Nagomibako: Innocent Grey Fandisc". Both routes are around half an hour each, with three endings per route and a clear best ending. The Kazuna-focused one is explicitly called the true ending and the only I kinda liked.
The Yura route is one I wanted to like more, but things happen a bit too quickly and I wasn’t a fan of how fast Kazuna was "cucked" for it.
The HD-specific additions are a short cinematic opening cutscene and some extra epilogue scenes (about five minutes total each). Snow Camellia especially feels like the epilogue that should have been in the original Cartagra VN, with some minor connections to KnS1. I’d only recommend reading this true ending, unless you really felt bad for Yura and/or really wanted a better ending for her.
[h1]Steam Version Restrictions[/h1]
Unlike the many eroge they've released on Steam, MangaGamer was NOT able to include an official 18+ patch for Cartagra HD. The Steam release is based on the Switch port, so all explicit H-content is unavailable in English. This understandably upset many fans, especially the ones who care about CENSORSHIP.
Personally, I don’t think the lack of a patch ruins the game. Cartagra’s H-scenes were standard eroge fluff that the story never needed. If you’re in it purely for the narrative and tend to skip H scenes anyway, you’re not missing anything important. Violence and dead bodies remain (mostly) uncensored. Some lewd CGs with adult women are kept intact, just either zoomed in and/or with nipples covered. School uniform sprites were apparently changed, but I didn't even notice.
It’s still lame that no patch option was provided, especially since Innocent Grey allowed patches for the KnS games. Thankfully a fan restoration patch is in development, but if you just care about the story, the core experience is well preserved even without an 18+ patch.
[h1]Is Cartagra HD on Steam Worth It?[/h1]
It’s a close call, but I slightly lean toward yes. The story is flawed and inconsistent compared to the KnS trilogy, yet it has enough strong moments, particularly the core mysteries, to make it worth reading. The HD remake’s beautiful redrawn art (which arguably looks better than KnS), full voice acting for Shugo, and the new side endings help tip it into a slight positive recommendation. The Sacrament After Story endings are a nice bonus for the true heroines, but are ultimately optional.
If you can overlook the lack of an official H-patch and accept the game’s other flaws, this HD Remake is a solid way to experience Cartagra’s dark, atmospheric, psychological murder mystery.
I will maintain it's NOT necessary to read Cartagra before the Kara no Shoujo series though. If what I complained about bothers you, you can easily skip to the THE SHELL trilogy if you want an, in my opinion, much better murder mystery series.
Branching choices