Developer: Shueisha Games
Platforms: PC (Reviewed), PS5, Switch
Genre: Adventure
Publisher: Hakababunko
Urban Myth Dissolution Center is a narrative-driven game that blends detective mechanics based on a paranormal theme. This game was developed by Hakababunk and published by Shueisha Games. This review was done on Windows, but the game is also available for PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. Urban Myth Dissolution Center is a single-player game where you play as a girl named Azami, who has clairvoyance. Azami ends up becoming an investigator for a centre in order to earn a wage and repair the costs of the chair.
Urban Myth Dissolution Center is a story-told interactive game with six episodes to complete. The game starts with a girl who can see ‘ghosts’ and ends up at a research centre that can supposedly cure her. One thing leads to another, which brings Azami to work the case alongside her partner, Jasmine, in order to pay off her debt.Â
The game is played out quite interestingly, where each character consists of a different case. Cases can be something as close to a haunted apartment as a box that can curse everyone who comes in contact with it. Beyond the split between the six cases, it was interesting to see how all the cases that Azami solved were intertwined with one another to bring about something unexpected.Â
Urban Myth Dissolution Center has a unique pixel art style that both showcases the simplicity of the art style and also encompasses the details of each pixel created. The main colour pallet is blue but also has vivid red contrasts to showcase the impact of visuals and expressions. The art style for the game is amazing, as character sprites are detailed to accompany their dialogue and work well with flawless animations. The muted colour palette enhances the game’s eerie atmosphere. The visual design is complemented with a haunting soundtrack that makes the game extremely immersive. The music gets intensified during moments of suspense and has subtle music during the investigating parts. Allowing the player to be fully immersed in the world of the game and heightening the emotional impact of the game on the player.
I found Urban Myth Dissolution Center to be a fun game that you can easily get into with a compelling story. The game is as simple as point and click, with a great amount of time spent on understanding the narrative and different points of the characters. Characters you meet throughout the game can be quirky, but each makes for a unique experience. Players are able to navigate the 2D world by interacting with objects, gathering clues and being able to converse with the diverse character range. Azami’s clairvoyance allows her to investigate these mysterious cases and witness the echoes of past events while uncovering hidden details that are essential to solving each case.
The game was a decently lengthened game where the six episodes can estimate to 2 hours or more of gameplay time. Rather than keeping the main focus the same throughout the game, I liked how different paranormal activities were introduced, which made the story much more exciting to solve. However, some parts of the game were much slower, which can make sense with a detective-led game, but I believe some instances did not need to be dragged out completely. A majority of the game is very much a visual novel, which does its part and keeps the player entertained. The inclusion of little puzzles breaks the pace of the game, which was enjoyable as their difficulties were not too bad. Urban Myth Dissolution Center is definitely worth checking out, as the story and visuals are extremely compelling. The story will give players twists and turns they did not expect, and more lore can be explored for those interested.Â
If you are looking for a narrative drive game that focuses on solving the mysteries behind an occult-led world, then this game is just for you. Urban Myth Dissolution Center has crisp, stunning pixel-sprite-like visuals and complementary tones of colours to give a minimalistic yet impactful punch. The game has an atmosphere with its dark-themed Japanese soundtrack that keeps the player on their feet. Play as Azami and uncover the weird truths that are behind all these outworldly cases. Be sure to check out Urban Myth Dissolution Center!
Overall: 8/10
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