Ever 17 by developer MAGES. and publisher Spike Chunsoft US—Nintendo Switch review written by Natashawith a copy provided by the publisher.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
I've got a good one for ya! An awkward teen, an amnesiac kid, a grumpy Lolita, a bratty child (not really), a hacker, an oblivious employee and an AI walk into an underwater bio-dome---
Imma' stop your joke right there.
Why?
Cuz', I'm gunna write it better. Duh!
~
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Immerse yourself in LeMU
We welcome you to our artificial island water park that will bring you a lifetime experience that you will never forget. Enjoy our ocean-top theme park for the first part of your tri¶, then move down into our underwater bio-structure that will finish off your day in relaxation and comfort. There's much to expl¤re 51 meters under the$ea. View the m@rine life up close and pe®sonal, take a ride in one of our mini submarines or fill your bellies at our man¥themed restaurants.Ät LeMU, thÊre'sÑever a dÜll moment. Yo#'re perfe¢tly sa%e ^n ou* han`s...
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A Group a Little Wet Behind the Ears
I was surprised to see that all the characters in Ever 17 were voiced at the start of the game, but as I continued further into the storyline the game has two separate points of view and depending on your choices you either play through one characters story or the other. They certainly didn't shy away from this colourful cast. How bout an introduction?
Takeshi Kuranari
Takeshi is one of our “Two-Choice” protagonists: a college student who decided to tag along with his friends to explore the wondrous water theme park, LeMU. After being separated on the ride down to the underwater facility, Takeshi creates a small incident that accidentally points him to being a bully. In order to clear this mix up, he agrees to help aid the situation only to find himself far into the medical branch of this dome. Too far away to escape the on-coming chaos that is about to unfold.
Kid
A young teenager and the other “Two-Choice” protagonist, who seems to have lost his memory. The only thing he seems to remember is chasing after a girl. His confusion makes him an easy target for those looking to take advantage of him, and he finds himself colliding with Takeshi and injuring himself in the process. As he is examined in the medical wing of the dome, chaos breaks out and he is locked in behind sealed doors. Confused and afraid, he must depend on his instinct to guide him through this underwater hellscape.
You Tanaka
A part-timer who works at LeMU during her summer break. She helps guests around the establishment and doubles as first aid assistance. She was the one who accused Takeshi of setting up poor Kid. She is head strong and tends to be the one to always diffuse a situation. As she tries to keep the group from panicking she battles with not only her entrapment, but an unknown disease that's slowly killing her.
Sora Akanegasaki
At first she seems like your typical tour guide, but it isn't long until you find out that this individual is different from the rest of the group. With the help of some advanced technical devices that are given to every guest at the park. You are greeted by this lovely AI. She is in charge of looking after LeMU's underwater structure. A super computer with a body. Even though Sora isn't tangible, she has eyes and ears on the whole building.
Coco Yagami
This spirited individual has dreamed of visiting the underwater theme park for some time. With her trusted pet dog, Pipi, they run into Takeshi on their way down into the bio-dome. Together she gets caught up in all the madness that takes place and is another victim trapped in this metallic prison. She does her best to cheer up anyone feeling down with a good joke here and there, but let's not forget that she's just as scared as the rest.
A Nostalgic Feeling
My first initial though on Ever 17 was how much this game brings me back to late 90's, early 2000's, anime vibes. The music and characters certainly fit the atmosphere. Considering I didn't play through my first Visual Novel type game until the 3DS, it was a nice change of pace to view this type of genre from an earlier time.
With obvious outdated visual and sounds, the story telling was surprisingly strong and compelling, keeping me interested enough to know what's going to happen next.
A Story Adrift
Overall, Ever 17: The Out of Infinity, was a charming change to my usual romance centered story telling. The further I got the crazier the game turned into. It definitely doesn't cut short on surprises and unpredictability. If you're looking for something to kick your nostalgia into overdrive, I highly recommend giving this game a try. I'm happy to give this game a rating of 8 out of 10!
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Score: 8 / 10
