There was once a time when visual novels rarely received localizations. While a lucky few managed to break through to the West—such as the Ace Attorney series—most English-speaking fans were left in the dark. Although anime adaptations sometimes held us over, the vast majority of these games remained just out of reach, leaving us all hoping and dreaming for the day they would receive an official translation.
Fortunately, those days are long gone. As anime continues to grow in popularity, its video game counterparts have followed suit. Today, nearly every major release is accessible in the West, and the market is flooded with countless smaller titles dreaming of someday making it big. With so much saturation, these titles really need to stand out, but unfortunately, many fail to do so. Sadly, DUSK INDEX: GION is one of them.
Developed by Cherrymochi, the team behind the acclaimed cult hit Tokyo Dark, DUSK INDEX: GION is a science-fiction visual novel set in an alternate 2006 where virtual worlds and AR technology have taken over. Protagonist Daiki Katsuki avoids such technology like the plague, but when he gets caught up in a murder mystery, he is forced to rely on Rio Quinn—a genius who refuses to leave the safety of cyberspace—for help.
Because the murder is strangely similar to one that took place a century ago, the two enter the Echoes of Kyoto, an AR reconstruction of that time period, hoping to get to the bottom of it. Is the murderer a copycat, or is something deeper going on? This question lies at the center of the entire investigation as the story flips between the two time periods. It is an interesting premise, to say the least, and in theory, it should make for a great whodunit; however, the way the game handles the execution ultimately brings it down a notch.
An Interesting Premise:
One of the best aspects of DUSK INDEX: GION is its setting and the ideas brought forth because of it. This is a world where everyone makes use of AR technology, while our main protagonist, Katsuki, refuses to use anything outside of the bare minimum. He dislikes relying on his AI assistant and refuses to enter the AR reconstructions that are now all the rage. Rather than looking up information online, he goes to a physical library, which is one of the few places he can truly feel at ease. Initially, it comes off as Katsuki simply not wanting to get with the times and longing for simpler days; however, once the truth is eventually revealed, one can't help but sympathize with him. The horrifying reality behind his choice is one of the more standout moments the title has to offer, but it isn't fully capitalized on once it comes to light.
The same can be said for his partner, Quinn, who is the exact opposite of Katsuki. She refuses to leave her home and instead travels everywhere digitally. This forces Katsuki to step into the AR world just to see her, keeping them from directly interacting in person. She too has reasons for being this way, but she must make compromises when the situation calls for it. Both protagonists in the modern era force each other out of their comfort zones, and it is fun to see their relationship develop.
Unfortunately, the historical duo isn't quite as fleshed out. Detective Masayoshi Nagahama and the geisha Saki take center stage in 1906, as they investigate the first strange death. Despite their very different backgrounds, we get to see their relationship develop over time, which eventually leads to a major murder. Although they are long deceased in Katsuki and Quinn's era, the four protagonists are able to converse by using the Echoes of Kyoto, and this strange cross-era partnership ultimately becomes the key to solving the case.
In addition to the main cast, DUSK INDEX: GION brings up a thought-provoking idea regarding what constitutes the human soul. With people giving up their physical bodies to embrace a life entirely in the virtual world, it asks the question: are they truly alive? Is that digital representation actually them, or is it just a copy made up of ones and zeros? This concept plays a large role in the overall plot, and some of the side tangents regarding digital consciousness are actually more captivating than the core murder mystery itself. It is one of the distinct ways the game manages to stand out, even if it eventually struggles to hold onto that momentum.
A Lot of Words to Say Nothing:
Perhaps just like this review, DUSK INDEX: GION's biggest problem is that it spends too much time over-explaining points, often devolving into non-stop rambling during internal monologues. Characters frequently re-explain the same concepts, followed by intermissions that yet again touch on what the reader just learned. Rather than reinforcing the information, it encourages your eyes to glaze over as you wait for the characters to finally move on. To add to this issue, instead of naturally introducing plot points throughout the narrative, the game prefers to info-dump out of nowhere and discuss everything at once.
Schrödinger's Cat is a concept that will be very familiar to anyone who has read other science-fiction visual novels, as is the idea of multiple timelines. But why take so much time to discuss both back-to-back alongside multiple other theories? Even though the game is completely linear and lacks any real choices, this particular moment becomes a checklist where players must click through every single option just to move forward. It feels forced and abruptly points the story in a new direction without proper buildup. Or, in some cases, there was no real reason to bring a theory up to begin with—something that happens quite a bit.
Unfortunately, alongside the long-winded nature of the script, the translation itself is a bit rough. Having played a pre-release build of the game, I was informed of potential translation issues before going in; however, returning to it months later, I found that they remained unaddressed. It is not completely terrible, and readers will easily be able to follow along, but the voice acting does not always match up with the written dialogue, and the English text can feel a bit too literal. It is an issue that many smaller visual novels suffer from, but that does not mean this one deserves a free pass—especially when some lines are not translated at all and are seemingly skipped over entirely.
The Inconsistent Art and Voice Acting:
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the game comes from the artwork and voice acting. Both elements are actually handled very well—when the developers want them to be.
The character portraits, backgrounds, and CGs are all great to look at, displaying a generally solid art direction across the entire title. Because they look so good, it is a bit of a letdown that they are completely static. While there are variations for different facial expressions, there is no lip movement whatsoever, and characters generally stay in the same pose. This is nothing new for the genre, but it would have been nice to see at least some additional work put in. On the other hand, even minor characters have full character art rather than just being off-screen voices, which is a welcome touch.
However, it is the voice work where things truly feel off, and unless you completely mute the audio, it is impossible not to notice. While the main protagonists feature full voice acting with great performances across the board, basically every other character in the game is completely silent. There are times when multiple characters will be speaking to each other in total silence, only for a random line of spoken dialogue to be thrown in because one of our leads finally has something to say. It ends up being really jarring and inconsistent, especially since even "major side characters" are denied a voice while, strangely, a few others receive one. While it is understandable that the studio most likely had to make cuts to stick within their budget, the execution could have been handled a lot better.
DUSK INDEX is Simply... Average...
Despite its extremely rough edges, DUSK INDEX: GION isn't a complete loss. Again, the setting and the topics brought forth are entertaining, and the narrative even touches on sensitive subjects such as generative AI. There are a few other surprisingly dark moments as well, but discussing these any further would take away the only reasons to even consider playing in the first place. The biggest mystery of all is actually left open, however, paving the way for a possible sequel that might not even come to be. Outside of this, the game's artwork, soundtrack, and voice acting—or at least the voice acting it does have—are top-notch and help make the experience a little more enjoyable.
The game is also relatively short, clocking in around six hours depending on your reading speed, so it isn't a massive time investment—even with its long-winded monologues and habit of over-explaining things. Because of this shorter length, I can partly recommend the title to those who are at least somewhat interested in the central mystery and the serious topics on display. On the other hand, there are many other titles out there that handle similar concepts in a much better way. That doesn't mean the game is bad by any means; rather, it is simply average. It is a completely average game that had the potential to be so much more.
With that being said...
Should you play it?
DUSK INDEX: GION is a disappointing visual novel with a very interesting premise. The long-winded monologues, inconsistent lack of voice acting, poor translation, and underdeveloped main plot hold it back, while the art style, setting, and general themes tackled during its story are fantastic. It is frustrating because there is plenty to love here, but every step forward also comes with a step back. The end result is an average title that could have been so much more, though some might still enjoy it for what it is.
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