When it comes to video game genres, visual novels can be somewhat niche, as the last thing some gamers want to do to decompress is read. As time has gone on, though, series like Emily is Away have proven that these titles are more than just video game literature.
And with the newly announced release date of the next game in the series, Emily is Away <3, now is the perfect time to discuss why exactly these games are so good. These are three reasons why the Emily is Away games are more than just visual novels.
Nostalgia
The main draw of the Emily is Away series is how it plays on the nostalgia of growing up through the rise of the internet. Each game allows players to relive times where AIM and Facebook were new and dominated everyone’s social lives.
Experiencing these sights, sounds, and interactions again for the first time is a pleasant stroll down memory lane, invoking fond memories of what it was like to be young again with things like Away Messages. Just hearing the door opening and closing sounds just makes me want to go to AOL and log into my Jonnysunamy account (yes, I didn’t know how to spell Tsunami).
Heck, even if you didn’t grow up as a teen during this time period, Emily is Away does a great job at conveying what is was like, thanks to the way it builds its world.
