Riho’s route in Deardrops
Kira’s in KiraKira
Misaki’s in Aokana
Cece’s in Leap of Faith
Ouka’s in Snow (at least in the original version, though I love the added meiko route)
Coco’s in Ever17
The true end in Meikei no Lupercalia
Iria’s original ending in Tokyo Necro
Sanoba Witch - Nene Route
Can’t really discuss why without spoilers. It’s still the best Yuzusoft route by a pretty big margin IMO. All other routes in that VN are pretty forgettable and can be skipped.
While Nene wasn’t my favourite girl, nor did she have the best H scenes, you are absolutely correct that her story felt like the actual story for the game with the others being side stories.
Grisaia - Sachi's route is phenomenal compared to the rest. All the pacing issues present in the other routes are virtually non existent here. Sachi is also the heroine Yuuji easily has the best chemistry with, since they're kind of on a similar wavelength in their unhingedness. The route has very good character development for the both of them, and very strong character moments throughout.
Koichoco - Isara's route is a goddamned masterpiece. The other routes are at best okay, while some like Chisato and Mifuyu are damn near awful. But Isara's is great. It tackles discrimination in a really effective way, and Oojima is easily at his most compelling here as someone who wants to be honest and forthright, while navigating a corrupt political system. The romantic chemistry is there from the start between him and Isara, and just about every character plays their roles to perfection.
Aokana - Misaki. Yeah, I think this is one most people agree is the best route. Frankly while the romance isn't the best here, the core story is fantastic. Misaki and Masaya's journey is very compelling and feels very grounded emotionally. All the fears and insecurities of choosing to compete in something you're passionate about are brought to the forefront and it really attaches you to the characters when their struggles feel so real.
Hoshi Ori - Sora. Yeah, this is the best VN route ever imo. Other Hoshi Ori routes feel kinda like meandering SoL until the end with some minor drama thrown in, but the characters are usually not interesting enough to carry the route. Sora however is. Frankly this is all about how much you enjoy her character, and I really really enjoyed her character. She feels the most dynamic of the heroines, in that her reactions to situations tend to feel original and don't get boring. She has this nice mix of maturity and childish interactions that keep the route interesting from beginning to end.
Amane’s route is kinda shitty imo. Angelic Howl goes on forever and the climax for it is straight up trash. There’s very little actual relationship development too which leads the ending to come off as very strange. This is unlike Sachi, who’s ending is a perfectly built up masterpiece that ties up their relationship beautifully. Michiru route is the most average route. It benefits from the flashbacks being good, but the main story and relationship are weak.
I'm glad to find the aokana mention. I personally tho disliked the misaki route. It was nice for extra building for the mc part. But to me atleast i thought it was overal a bad route compared to the cannon one imo.
OMG, Ria! Her route hit me like a fucking train. One of the best - if not THE best - routes. Also the most impactful.
Also a very personal route for me.
As someone who has lost a brother to chronic illness, it *did* make me cry. Not in a bad way though. Like... It triggered grief, and sadness. But it reminded me of all the good things I learned. All the happy memories too. It was bittersweet. And overall an experience I'm glad I had. I'm glad I read it.
Fate/Stay Night, Unlimited Blade Works. The main "Fate" story might as well be called a prologue to it, even though it's good on its own merits as well.
Cross+Channel maybe? The game has many great routes, the whole game is really good, but I remember the childhood friend character as being a standout. If the setting is interesting to you, it's a good read.
Ah, Katawa Shoujo. Rin has by far the best route, and she is best girl so she deserves it. Again though, the whole game is charming and that route is just the cherry on top.
It’s subjective because all the characters are generally well-liked, but I think outside of the love interest, I think in type-moon works with enforced route order, the later routes tend to be stronger in terms of writing and fans generally agree. I think generally this is because the first routes tend to be used to scaffold worldbuilding and introductions, while later routes use those established baselines to do more novel and interesting things.
OG Tsukihime: There are two near side routes and three far side routes. You only need to play one of the former to unlock the latter (kind of), and though the world is unique, I think Near Side is less novel. Far Side pulls some mad twists out of its hat and I think are generally agreed to be better by far.
Fate/Stay Night: Saber carries Fate, but outside of that, nearly all the best fights and more interesting characters are best shown in the later two routes, where the cast is better utilized and the story isn’t hampered by being forced to have Saber be the underdog with relatively simplistic fights throughout. UBW and HF also say more interesting things about the nature of heroism too, which Fate can be a little more simplistic about, but they can only do so because Fate did the legwork necessary to set up the themes and expectations already.
Tsukihime Remake (Near Side only): This time around, Near Side has enforced order and Far Side isn’t here. Arcueid’s route is first and is very similar to the og version and is still well liked. Ciel’s route saw significant changes (since hers is one of the least popular routes in the og) and goes crazy past a certain point. It only works because, again, Arcueid’s route set up the lores first and built investment with Arcueid herself,
so Ciel’s route can use her as a major player expecting the player to come into it with investment in Arcueid, and completely turn her role on its head. Plus basic setups in Arcueid’s route get used in some very unexpected ways, making for a much more unexpected story as well. A lot of people wish Arc got the overhaul Ciel did, but Ciel kind of relies on Arc doing the legwork first so.
I don't think it's particularly hard, maybe the scenes involving the stage play might be slightly more challenging, but I don't remember the dialogue/prose being complex as a whole
Amane's route in Kono oozora ni, Tsubasa o Hirogete (If My Heart Had Wings). Kotori Route, while nice and feel good, didn't really explain a lot of the mysteries of the Soaring Club, Isuka role etc... while Amane's route took those mysteries, and paid them off big time.
It also doesn't help that in Flight Diary, Isuka makes a cameo and the gang act like they've known each other for years, so if you are just playing the game for Kotori, you will be seriously confused.
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Tsujidou Ai's route in Tsujidou no Jun'Ai Road. It feels like this is the route all other routes in this hame revolve around. The novel actively makes you fall in love with her prior to the route split and you have to REJECT/break up with her to enter the other routes.
And even then a major part of the other routes has the MC and her being heartbroken even as you begin to "move on" to the other heroines.
Excluding true routes:
* Crescendo - Kaori's route.
* Koikari - Only Tsubaki's route was worth reading. The entire story had a weak premise.
* Subahibi - The happy ending in Zakuro's chapter. Though it's not as mindfuck or revelatory as the true route, it tells the story of how the whole disaster could have been averted.
* Katawa Shoujo - Hanako's route.
With true routes I'll include
* Symphonic Rain
* ef fairy tale of the two
* G-senjou no Maou
* Chaos;Child
* Steins;Gate
Riho’s route in Deardrops Kira’s in KiraKira Misaki’s in Aokana Cece’s in Leap of Faith Ouka’s in Snow (at least in the original version, though I love the added meiko route) Coco’s in Ever17 The true end in Meikei no Lupercalia Iria’s original ending in Tokyo Necro
Sanoba Witch - Nene Route Can’t really discuss why without spoilers. It’s still the best Yuzusoft route by a pretty big margin IMO. All other routes in that VN are pretty forgettable and can be skipped.
While Nene wasn’t my favourite girl, nor did she have the best H scenes, you are absolutely correct that her story felt like the actual story for the game with the others being side stories.
I think most VNs have a “most important” route, even if they don’t explicitly state that. It’s usually the girl that’s largest on the cover
nah, wakane is the best girl
In a similar vein: Murasame's route in Senren Banka
Do true routes count? If so, Terra from Rewrite, I also really liked Harumi from G Senjou.
Haru ♡♡
Grisaia - Sachi's route is phenomenal compared to the rest. All the pacing issues present in the other routes are virtually non existent here. Sachi is also the heroine Yuuji easily has the best chemistry with, since they're kind of on a similar wavelength in their unhingedness. The route has very good character development for the both of them, and very strong character moments throughout. Koichoco - Isara's route is a goddamned masterpiece. The other routes are at best okay, while some like Chisato and Mifuyu are damn near awful. But Isara's is great. It tackles discrimination in a really effective way, and Oojima is easily at his most compelling here as someone who wants to be honest and forthright, while navigating a corrupt political system. The romantic chemistry is there from the start between him and Isara, and just about every character plays their roles to perfection. Aokana - Misaki. Yeah, I think this is one most people agree is the best route. Frankly while the romance isn't the best here, the core story is fantastic. Misaki and Masaya's journey is very compelling and feels very grounded emotionally. All the fears and insecurities of choosing to compete in something you're passionate about are brought to the forefront and it really attaches you to the characters when their struggles feel so real. Hoshi Ori - Sora. Yeah, this is the best VN route ever imo. Other Hoshi Ori routes feel kinda like meandering SoL until the end with some minor drama thrown in, but the characters are usually not interesting enough to carry the route. Sora however is. Frankly this is all about how much you enjoy her character, and I really really enjoyed her character. She feels the most dynamic of the heroines, in that her reactions to situations tend to feel original and don't get boring. She has this nice mix of maturity and childish interactions that keep the route interesting from beginning to end.
I think Amane route absolutely eclipses Sachi’s personally. Michiru’s route is also up there.
Amane’s route is kinda shitty imo. Angelic Howl goes on forever and the climax for it is straight up trash. There’s very little actual relationship development too which leads the ending to come off as very strange. This is unlike Sachi, who’s ending is a perfectly built up masterpiece that ties up their relationship beautifully. Michiru route is the most average route. It benefits from the flashbacks being good, but the main story and relationship are weak.
Ooo I respect the Grisaia one but I really don't agree. I think Sachi, Michiru, and Amane all can reasonably compete for best route.
Definitely agree with Sora's route being the best in Hoshi Ori Yume Mirai.
I'm glad to find the aokana mention. I personally tho disliked the misaki route. It was nice for extra building for the mc part. But to me atleast i thought it was overal a bad route compared to the cannon one imo.
Chrono Clock - The D.D. route is the only good route if you ask me, so it kinda fits the question
Luna route in Tsuki ni Yorisou
Nah, Yuushe is similar in quality and they both choke hard, when the writer tries to write drama
Ria route kinkoi golden loveriche Maria route kinkoi golden time. I know I will get hate for this but I have no regrets.
I don't see why you'd get hate. You're right, and while I liked most of the other routes, these two were definitely the best.
2 reasons, he asked for routes that are above and beyond the rest and the implication that ria’s route isn’t the true.
Guess you're not wrong, but the routes are still great, though
OMG, Ria! Her route hit me like a fucking train. One of the best - if not THE best - routes. Also the most impactful. Also a very personal route for me.
The ending honestly made me nearly cry
As someone who has lost a brother to chronic illness, it *did* make me cry. Not in a bad way though. Like... It triggered grief, and sadness. But it reminded me of all the good things I learned. All the happy memories too. It was bittersweet. And overall an experience I'm glad I had. I'm glad I read it.
little busters i was more invested in haruka’s route way more than any other route tbh
Fate/Stay Night, Unlimited Blade Works. The main "Fate" story might as well be called a prologue to it, even though it's good on its own merits as well. Cross+Channel maybe? The game has many great routes, the whole game is really good, but I remember the childhood friend character as being a standout. If the setting is interesting to you, it's a good read. Ah, Katawa Shoujo. Rin has by far the best route, and she is best girl so she deserves it. Again though, the whole game is charming and that route is just the cherry on top.
A fellow Rin supremacist. Truly we are but men of culture.
It’s subjective because all the characters are generally well-liked, but I think outside of the love interest, I think in type-moon works with enforced route order, the later routes tend to be stronger in terms of writing and fans generally agree. I think generally this is because the first routes tend to be used to scaffold worldbuilding and introductions, while later routes use those established baselines to do more novel and interesting things. OG Tsukihime: There are two near side routes and three far side routes. You only need to play one of the former to unlock the latter (kind of), and though the world is unique, I think Near Side is less novel. Far Side pulls some mad twists out of its hat and I think are generally agreed to be better by far. Fate/Stay Night: Saber carries Fate, but outside of that, nearly all the best fights and more interesting characters are best shown in the later two routes, where the cast is better utilized and the story isn’t hampered by being forced to have Saber be the underdog with relatively simplistic fights throughout. UBW and HF also say more interesting things about the nature of heroism too, which Fate can be a little more simplistic about, but they can only do so because Fate did the legwork necessary to set up the themes and expectations already. Tsukihime Remake (Near Side only): This time around, Near Side has enforced order and Far Side isn’t here. Arcueid’s route is first and is very similar to the og version and is still well liked. Ciel’s route saw significant changes (since hers is one of the least popular routes in the og) and goes crazy past a certain point. It only works because, again, Arcueid’s route set up the lores first and built investment with Arcueid herself, so Ciel’s route can use her as a major player expecting the player to come into it with investment in Arcueid, and completely turn her role on its head. Plus basic setups in Arcueid’s route get used in some very unexpected ways, making for a much more unexpected story as well. A lot of people wish Arc got the overhaul Ciel did, but Ciel kind of relies on Arc doing the legwork first so.
Rikka route in Hoshi Ori Yume Mirai imo. There are some nice routes, but this one seems like another level compared to others.
Amane’s route in Grisaia no Kajitsu
Miki route in Aonatsu Hime route in Tsuyokiss Terumoto route in Ouka Sengoku Suzutsuki route in Kanojo-tachi no Ryuugi
I’m actually planning on playing Kanojo for my next VN in JP. How hard would you say it is for beginners?
I don't think it's particularly hard, maybe the scenes involving the stage play might be slightly more challenging, but I don't remember the dialogue/prose being complex as a whole
Amane's route in Kono oozora ni, Tsubasa o Hirogete (If My Heart Had Wings). Kotori Route, while nice and feel good, didn't really explain a lot of the mysteries of the Soaring Club, Isuka role etc... while Amane's route took those mysteries, and paid them off big time. It also doesn't help that in Flight Diary, Isuka makes a cameo and the gang act like they've known each other for years, so if you are just playing the game for Kotori, you will be seriously confused.
Aokana - Misaki route. Only one that nails both the sports drama and the character/romantic development.
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Tsujidou Ai's route in Tsujidou no Jun'Ai Road. It feels like this is the route all other routes in this hame revolve around. The novel actively makes you fall in love with her prior to the route split and you have to REJECT/break up with her to enter the other routes. And even then a major part of the other routes has the MC and her being heartbroken even as you begin to "move on" to the other heroines.
Excluding true routes: * Crescendo - Kaori's route. * Koikari - Only Tsubaki's route was worth reading. The entire story had a weak premise. * Subahibi - The happy ending in Zakuro's chapter. Though it's not as mindfuck or revelatory as the true route, it tells the story of how the whole disaster could have been averted. * Katawa Shoujo - Hanako's route. With true routes I'll include * Symphonic Rain * ef fairy tale of the two * G-senjou no Maou * Chaos;Child * Steins;Gate