9 R.I.P. review

Although otome can be thoroughly enjoyable experiences, they are often fairly predictable. But that’s not the case with Otomate’s 9 R.I.P. The visual novel is a refreshingly capricious experience, sinuously shifting between horror, romance, and comedy. Sure, the swings in tone can be sudden, and in some infrequent instances, disorienting. But that kind of erraticism can also be invigorating, with the novel’s four main routes (technically worlds) shunning the usual repetitive narrative structure.

Enjoyably, 9 R.I.P. avoids the generic protagonist syndrome – another common otome ailment. Intelligent and affable, Misa Isshiki is the typical second-year student found in most novels. Much of her personality is established in the interactions with her supernatural-obsessed bestie, Sayaka Hida. But she’s also deeply conflicted about her future, revealing the kind of vulnerability that’s frequent in folktales and their modern equivalent – the horror genre.

The Danger of Indecision

Misa’s protective mother wants her to follow her late father’s career path and study medicine at Seigan University. But her older sister faced the same influence and went onto becoming a successful merchandiser. For 9 R.I.P., Misa’s uncertainty is the catalyst that opens up the gateway to the supernatural world. As Sayaka cautioned her, “confused people or those struggling are more likely to get spirited away”. But here’s the distinctive thing: across each route, Misa becomes the one in control. This distinguishes her from many of her more passive otome peers.

An early branching decision in 9 R.I.P. breaks the story into four different routes. These main routes are split even further, with two love interests in each path. On my first play through, Sayaka’s retelling of an urban legend about a sword-wielding amnesiac allowed me to meet the supposed slaughterer. Alternatively, I could have nuzzled up to Hibiki, a mirror ghost who pulls in unsuspecting humans. While the later route got a bit edgy with its volatile husbando, largely tragedy overshadowed terror.

As Expected, Hell Has a Corporate Presence

Another playthrough found Misa undergoing an exorcism. Surprisingly, the result wasn’t dread but slice-of-life antics with either a Guardian Spirit or a saucy specter with tsundere leanings. Expecting light banter from the rest of the game, Misa’s meeting with an incubus named Minami as well as a high-ranking official in Hell wasn’t anticipated. The former flirted with ominousness while the latter cleverly mingled romance and satire. But I thought the best routes were based on the urban legends popular in Misa’s town. Here, a helpful ghost and a dead idol delivered some feel-good vibes sprinkled with the odd jump scare and the occasional hint of bittersweetness.

Beyond the sporadic jolt, 9 R.I.P. has several other strengths. Largely, it keeps its routes succinct, prohibiting lethargy from setting in. Occasionally, the romanceable characters make appearances in other paths, providing some additional exposition and generating a sense of fullness as you approach your ninth and final route. However, one critical omission is a chart showing key decisions and branching paths. Given the nine love interests, affection choices, key decisions, map movements, and selections that can affect Misa’s insanity level, there’s a lot to keep track of.

Conclusion

Matching the volatility found in some of the game’s routes, 9 R.I.P. makes some notable visual choices. Arguably the highlight is the occasional shift toward a split-screen, revealing the text messaging on Misa’s phone or picture-in-pictures in the corners. The variable visual style helps make up for the minimal number of CGs. Yuuya’s (Cupid Parasite) character design expresses just as much about each love interest as dialog can. As such, you’ll likely wish there was a bit more to fawn over.

9 R.I.P. was played on Switch with review code provided by the publisher.