Ok, so this is a big deal. But the question is, why? I'm sure many of you out there will look at this and go "what the heck is that and why should I care?" Well... That's because THIS game is something that would go on to change the world -- or at least, greatly influence a lot of future entertainment media. More so in Japan, but its effects are felt world wide as well. Why is that? Well....
You see, Witch on the Holy Night is the original novel written by Kinoko Nasu. The novel itself actually didn't go anywhere at first, but it set the groundwork for everything Nasu would go on to create. After founding Type-Moon with his friend, the two would go on to create multiple entries in what would become known as the "Nasuverse" by fans. While Garden of Sinners would become the "first" entry in the series (which was a web novel), Type-Moon as a company would eventually create the visual novel Tsukihime. This VN would go on to gain popularity, spin off into the fighting game series Melty Blood (which in return eventually spun off Under Night), and later on Type-Moon would release their first commercial work -- Fate/Stay Night. The Fate series would then go on to become a huge inspiration, and ultimately shape a lot of different works. Believe it or not -- if you're into gaming and you're reading this post... There's a very high chance you've seen or played something that connects back to the series somehow. Looking back at my recent posts, you've got Kingdom Hearts right there. How was KH inspired by Fate? Well... It's pretty obvious honestly, but I'll just leave it at that.
Anyway, despite not being initially released, Witch on the Holy Night would eventually come out in visual novel form as well, but of course it was released in Japan only... That is until the brand new remake!
Not only is this release the definitive version of the original start of the series, it is also the first time a Type-Moon visual novel has been officially released in the US. Previously we received the text heavy RPG Fate/Extra (but not it's follow up), and the hack n slash Extella games that spun off from it. Fate/Unlimited Codes was a fighting game based off of Stay Night, and we also later received one of the later Melty Bloods, as well as the latest Melty Blood release. Other than these games, and the popular mobile game Fate/Grand Order -- the rest of the series has remained Japanese exclusive. Honestly the only reason us western fans can even keep up with most of the series, is because of the anime adaptations, and the fan translations. So the fact that this even got released in English officially is pretty shocking on it's own! Of course, that means there's hope for more in the future as well (fingers crossed for an official Stay Night translation), but for now I'm sure a lot of fans are just happy this one came out.
As for those of you who are wondering how this game is connected to the other parts of the series... Well...
Without spoilers, and with my current knowledge of the story (obviously I haven't finished it yet)... The game follows a girl named "Aoko Aozaki." Aoko is the sister to Touko Aozaki. Touko herself is a major character in The Garden of Sinners (which was released as a movie series and can be watched on Crunchyroll), and both characters do continue to appear throughout the series going forward. Touko's glasses play a key role in Tsukihime where Aoko passes them onto a young Shiki to block his mystic eyes. These same glasses are later used for the same purpose in the main Fate series (although given to a different character), and Touko is mentioned in Fate/Zero, and plays a role in Fate/Stay Night as well. Both characters also appear in Extra as well, but that's a little bit of a different case.
To put it simply... Characters (and themes/ideas) setup in this game, are important to the overall story, so it's really something Fate fans won't want to miss out on. Yes, it's not Fate, but it's the beginning of what we eventually came to know and love. If you're into the series at all -- I strongly recommend checking this one out.
That being said... I'm going to stop rambling on and get back to my game!
