[h1]Plenty of puzzles amidst a conspiracy await you... :o[/h1]
[h2]Introduction[/h2]
[i]Chains of Judgment[/i] is a point-and-click, puzzle-heavy visual novel developed and published by ChaniMK. You're Ralph, a homicide detective with an exemplary record who's worked at the police force for many years. Ralph and his partner, Nathan, have worked together for a few years now, being in perfect synchronicity as they solve cases. However, they stumble upon their strangest case yet in which the victim is found to be bound in chains with a strange Biblical reference marking on their arm. Shortly after this case, Nathan suddenly disappears but more victims with the same M.O. appear. With the cases piling up, Ralph is assigned a new partner, Tyler, who initially appears way too laid-back for Ralph's liking. Still, can Ralph solve these series of murders and bring the killer to justice, or is there more than appears at first glance?
With the gameplay, choices appear throughout the story, and depending on the ones made, they can lead to several bad endings. The story itself is fairly linear, as there are no branching paths (other than the ones leading to bad ends) and one good/true ending. Also, lots of various puzzles are presented, ranging from navigating a maze to figuring out the code for a security box. Some CGs are present as well as a varied soundtrack and partial English voice acting. Several Steam achievements are present, but they won't count towards a user's global total until the game is out of "profile features limited".
[h2]Review[/h2]
I've been meaning to catch up on ChaniMK's visual novels, especially since I've enjoyed the ones I read in the past. Before I get into the heart of my review, I just want to say that this is one of those VNs that I really should have gotten around to sooner. :o
[h3]Story and Gameplay[/h3]
The story starts off on a somewhat exciting note as Ralph and Nathan are investigating a crime scene, thus being the first case in the game. I enjoyed watching their dynamic relationship, and it's obvious that they get along very well, despite that Ralph is known for his cold demeanor. Still, Nathan cares about him and worries about his health, making sure that he eats well and whatnot. It's especially interesting when later on, Nathan disappears and Ralph ends up with Tyler as his replacement partner. Right from the start, Ralph dislikes Tyler's laid-back, no-care-in-the-world attitude. However, Ralph warms up to Tyler, and Tyler slowly changes his habits, becoming a hardworking detective. For those who are familiar with ChaniMK's works, I should note that this one is quite unique in that there's no yaoi romance (although there are a couple of funny teasers that deceptively hint at it). Even though I was expecting romance, I was pleasantly surprised that [i]Chains of Judgment[/i] focuses more on a story, and boy, is it quite the doozy. Initially, it appears as though Ralph has to solve a string of serial murders, committed by the Chain Killer. However, as disclosed in the title of my review, there's way more going on and a major conspiracy is unfolded. It takes ingenious thinking to unmask the ultimate villain and bring about true justice.
As for the gameplay, some choices affect whether Ralph gets on a bad ending, which happens pretty quickly, while other choices, mainly during investigations, help to uncover more info about the cases. Still, a huge part is the puzzles, and there are a wide variety of them. I found most of the puzzles to be doable as long as you're able to think through them logically. There were only a couple that can be difficult to figure out, and especially for those who aren't puzzle fans, more puzzles might be daunting. Even though hints are provided to help solve puzzles, I think that a skip function would be a good idea.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3753299309
Wrapping things up, all of the Steam achievements are obtainable although they may require multiple playthroughs. However, if you save at just the right moments, you can save time on cleaning up achievements, and fortunately, there is a skip function for already read text.
[h3]Art and Music[/h3]
The art style is the same as in ChaniMK's other VNs. The backgrounds and sprites are drawn more on the simpler side but give enough detail. The combination of colors is just right, and there are CGs. Unfortunately, no CG gallery is present to view them, which I tend to like in VNs.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3753299040
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3753299171
In regards to the music, there's a nice variety of tracks, with the majority of them having that mystery detective vibe going on. All the tracks are instrumental, and they're pleasant to listen to. As mentioned earlier, partial English voice acting is present, which I found to be a nice surprise, as I don't recall there being voice acting in ChaniMK's earlier VNs. The voices bring the characters to life, and I especially found Ralph's, Nathan's, and Tyler's voices very fitting.
[h2]Conclusion[/h2]
Would I recommend [i]Chains of Judgment[/i]? If you're a visual novel fan and you're looking for a short story that is great at diving into the mystery detective genre, you're ok with some scenes (whether illustrated or narrated) that depict blood and sensitive topics, and/or you're looking for a game with fairly obtainable Steam achievements, then it's worth a try. Be prepared, though, that this game doesn't have romance, so it's more story-driven. At the asking price, it might depend on whether you're good at solving puzzles, but of course, you can wait for a sale (and there's a great one at the time I'm writing this review XD), and it's totally worth it then.
Finally, I'd like to thank ChaniMK for the review key. I definitely should have gotten around to this VN earlier, but the wait feels worth it, and I always enjoy a good mystery. ^^
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