Root Letter

Release Date: June 16, 2016

Adventure, thriller, detective, visual novel, singleplayer

6.6

OpenCritic

79%

Steam

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An adventure game/visual novel developed by Kadokawa Games. The action of Root Letter takes place in present-day Japan, with players taking control of a thirty-something man who discovers long forgotten letters that he had exchanged fifteen years ago with a penfriend named Aya Fumino. Her last letter contains a murder confession, and states that she has to atone for her sin. After that, she suddenly broke off all contact.

Plot
Mechanics
Technical Aspects

Root Letter for PS4, PC and PSV is an adventure game/visual novel stylized as a detective game, similar to series such as Danganronpa or Ace Attorney. The game was developed by Kadokawa Games, a Japanese Company that is a part of Kadokawa – a large publishing conglomerate, responsible for many movies, anime, music, games, etc. Root Letter is the first installment of detective game series announced by the team, which is comprised of former Konami employees.

Plot

The action of Root Letter takes place in present-day Japan. Our hero, who is in his thirties, discovers long forgotten letters which he exchanged fifteen years ago with a penfriend named Aya Fumino. Her last letter contained a confession stating she killed a man, and has to atone for her sin. Despite the fifteen years that have passed without any answers, the protagonist decides to solve the mystery behind the vague letter, and find Aya. He travels to Matsue, in Shimane prefecture, to find her school buddies who were mentioned in some of the letters hoping that they can lead him to the woman. To his surprise, it turns out that his penfriend had died in a house fire that happened ten years before they have exchanged the first letter.

Depending on our decisions, we can unlock five endings which drastically alter the conclusion of the main plot.

Mechanics

Root Letter for PS4, PC and PSV is similar to classic two-dimensional virtual novels, but players have more opportunities to interact, and influence the course of the gameplay (similarly to, for example, Danganronpa series). The story is divided into chapters, and each one is connected to one of the letters received fifteen years ago. The players can visit different locations in Matsue and its vicinity, talking to individuals mentioned by Fumino, and those who have some knowledge regarding her disappearance/death. Sometimes, we are asked to make a decision which influences the course of the given dialogue. When we find a person concealing certain important facts, we are taken to a minigame in which we apply pressure, and utilize evidence found during our investigation.

Technical Aspects

The authors of Root Letter used real locations found in Matsue and Shimane Prefecture, cooperating with local authorities to realistically portray various tourist attractions of the region. The illustrations and character designs were created by Mino Taro, famous for Love Plus, a dating series for Nintendo DS, and for his work on Exist Archive.

Last updated on December 12, 2016

Videos and Screens

6.6

OpenCritic Rating

Game is Recomended by 28% of Critics. There are 27 Critic Reviews.

OpenCritic

DarkZero: 6 / 10 by Dominic Sheard

As the first entry in Kadokawa Game’s attempt at a visual novel mystery, Root Letter does succeed in bringing a engrossing story that manages to throw in a few captivating revelations throughout its short tale.

Full Review

TechRaptor: 6.5 / 10 by Alexandria Taberski

Root Letter provides a fun and engaging experience for those that enjoy the mystery genre, pretty art, and interesting character development. There are misleading dialogue options and Max Mode is just strange. Overall this game is about experiencing the story that’s put in front of you and it does that in an engaging way.

Full Review

God is a Geek: 8.5 / 10 by Mikhail Madnani

Root Letter is a great visual novel with superb production values that’s only held back by some localisation issues but excels in atmosphere and one that will remain with you for a long time.

Full Review

79%