NOTE: This review is SPOILER FREE.

Release Date: May 25, 2018 (North America)
Developers:  Toybox Inc, Otomate
Publishers:  Aksys Games
Platforms:  PS Vita
ESRB Rating: T (Teen)

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Walkthroughs:

Hino Kagutsuchi
Isora Amari
Toa Kushinada
Sosuke Tatehira
Yuzuki Murakumo
True Route & Final Character

Read the game’s synopsis here.

As the second title released by Aksys Games for their Summer of Mystery Promotion, 7’scarlet offers one gripping mystery-solving gameplay amplified with a cute touch of romance.

ART

One of the things I really enjoyed while playing 7’scarlet was the game’s astonishing BG images. It’s just so pretty! ( ´ ▽ ` ). The game’s artist was non-other than, Kurahana Chinatsu an illustrator who’s also famous for her other popular works such as the character designs for Uta no Prince-Sama, Lamento (Beyond the Void), and Togainu no Chi. 

SOUNDTRACK AND VOICE ACTING

7’Scarlet has two opening themes, “World’s End Syndrome” and “LOVESICK”, you can unlock the latter after finishing a certain route in the game. The BGMs are good too, some are rather simple but very fitting for the game’s setting and transitions. Heck, I ended up buying the whole 7’scarlet soundtrack on iTunes.

One track that  absolutely gave me the feels was the song called “Starry”. You can listen to it below:

Voice Acting

Nobunaga Shimazaki “Hino“ – Napoleon (Ikevamp), Kurogane Naoto (BlazBlue), Mitsuhide (Sengoku Nightblood)

Tetsuya Kakihara “Isora“ – Shin (Amnesia), Victor Frankenstein (Code Realize), Karasuba (Pyschedelica BB), Toki Tanba (Charming Empire)

Shotaro Morikubo “Toa“ – Impey (Code Realize), Reiji (Uta no Prince-sama), Okita (Hakuoki)

Chiharu Sawashiro “Sosuke“ – Shila (Snow White and the Red hair), Hero (Caligula Effect)

Shinichirou Miki “Yuzuki“ – Hijikata (Hakuoki), Nesso Galland (Black Wolves Saga), Bucket-Sensei (Bad Apple Wars)

Sanae Kobayashi “Yuki“ – Sara Nome (Macross Zero), Nagisa (Maid Sama)

Hiroki Yasumoto “Mr. Karasuma“ – Azrael (BlazBlue), Nidai Nekomaru (Danganropa V3), Hyuga (KLAP)

Hiroki Takahashi “Kagura Tsukuyomi“ – Rayne (Neo Angelique Abyss), Otohiko (Kamisama Kiss), Koujaku (DRAMAtical Murder)

Daisuke Kishio “Yasu“ – Azusa (Diabolik Lovers), Mizushima Arata (Kiniro no Corda: Bluesky), Kuzuryuu (Danganropa V3)

Chiwa Saito “Yua“ – Aoi Asahina (Danganropa V3), Taokaka (BlazBlue), Domina (Period Cube), Fate (Caster)

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MAIN CHARACTERS (SPOILER FREE)

Recommended play order:

1)Hino
2)Isora
3)Toa – only unlocks after finishing Hino and Isora’s good ending
4)Sosuke – only unlocks after finishing Toa’s good ending
5)Yuzuki – only unlocks after finishing all of the character’s good ending

Hino Kagutsuchi

• Childhood friend
• Sporty
• Dork

Hino’s story was cute. Although it had very few spoilers regarding the game’s overarching plot, his route did a great job catering as “build-up” for the oncoming mysteries you’ll get to unravel in the latter part of the game. Hino was also an amusing character. I enjoyed the fact that he was physically a jock on the outside but covertly the biggest dork on the inside (the guy fangirls on ‘kawaii’ things! lol). His romance was a bit more of the generic childhood-friend trope, which I’m not really a big fan of. His route wasn’t my favorite, but it was definitely a good start for this game.

Isora Amari

• Best Chef
• Hot tempered
• Yandere

Just like Hino’s route, Isora’s route offers very few spoilers of the game’s underlying plot. It was, however, written well enough to create a very mysterious atmosphere of the town, Okunezato. Isora’s character was also deeper than I expected and I wished the writers expounded more on the depth of his ‘actions’ (e.g. his hot tempers) rather than just throwing it out there for no reason. In terms of creepy-ness, this route definitely delivers this for sure! (lol). Oddly enough, because of Isora’s “questionable” personality, I think I’ve actually enjoyed this route more than I expected. ahah His romance, on the other hand, may not suit everyone’s taste.  ┐(︶▽︶)┌

Toa Kushinada

• Cat mom
• Colorblind
• such a sweet boi!

I started playing Toa’s route with very low expectations from a character who’s generically weird and clumsy to a fault. I thought to myself: “Eh, he’s not my type…” but  H O L Y  C O W! How the tables turned!

Toa’s route is essentially the epitome of 7’scarlet’s gloriousness… If you’re looking forward to a storyline that catches you off guard, Toa’s character’s arc takes the cake! I couldn’t talk more about his story without going into spoiler territory so I’ll leave it at this: Toa was such a great character and he deserves all the love in the world! Best boy! This route was truly unforgettable. (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ

Sosuke Tatehira

• Neat freak!
• Best Doctor
• OC!

If there was one route that got me at the edge of my seat in 7’scarlet ~ it was definitely Sosuke’s. His story started very light but surprisingly escalated into a series of suspenseful train of events. His route also introduced a more definitive and deeper story regarding the mysteries surrounding the town of Okunezato.

I like that while his story was overwhelmingly intense, the romance of this route never took a back seat. His relationship with the heroine felt genuinely real and I love both of their character developments. I also loved the fact that Sosuke was such a neat freak and becomes very obsessive-compulsive about something so silly such as a goldfish scooping game! (rofl)

Yuzuki Murakumo

• Intense boss
• Tsundere

While the suspense was building up in Sosuke’s previous route, Yuzuki’s story, on the other hand, was a powerhouse of everything (thrill, drama, a few action-packed scenes, and some romantic fluffs) …And although it happened so fast, all at the same time, I was so happy that the events picked up pretty well and didn’t come out too forced nor too overwhelming with information.

I personally love Yuzuki’s character in general. He is cold and irritable on the outside but inside his icy personality is one very warm, fluffy husbando!  His story was probably the most compelling one as far as solving the mysteries of Okunezato.

Ichiko Hanamaki (You)

• amnesiac heroine (explained in ??? ‘s route)
• hates strawberries (explained in ??? ‘s route)
• can’t swim (explained in ??? ‘s route)

Despite the main protagonist’s naivety and recklessness to a point where you’d clearly have to question this heroine’s sense of danger (rofl),  Ichiko Hanamaki had a couple of good points up her sleeve such as her strong will and determination to look for her disappeared older brother, in spite of being absolutely clueless on where to begin. Another enjoyable aspect was how this heroine sometimes gets shamelessly clumsy in declaring her love for the gentleman of her liking. She had a couple of funny moments that got me all “lol guuurl, wtf ” ~ she’s definitely not the best MC all around (nor even close) but she was a fun protagonist regardless.

And it gets better…
So the story doesn’t really end there. After finishing Hino, Isora, Toa, Sosuke, and Yuzuki’s route. Two more routes unlock in this game.

Who is the culprit?
Another factor why this game was so entertaining to me was that it reminded me of playing Mafiascum.

As someone who’s been playing mafiascum online for a long time, the game’s conclusion was somewhat predictable but I’ve got to admit, it was one gripping read and the “True Ending” was painfully heartbreaking.

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TRAILER

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OVERALL THOUGHTS?

7’Scarlet is a very well written mystery-themed visual novel. While the story was so simple, the events were paced so well that every chapter you unlock kept the suspense spellbinding enough to keep you going. Truth be told, I did not expect I’d get so attached to this game. It’s really one compelling read. I couldn’t get over it for maybe a week (laughs).

The animation and movie clips of 7’scarlet made this game more entertaining. Though without it, the game still excels as one of the better otome visual novels that were localized this year (story-wise). I guess my only gripe was that some of the main characters lacked development and I believe, there were a few instances where some scenes seemed a little shoehorned. I also wished they did more with the last secret route as the ending felt rushed and lacking. (shrug) Nonetheless, completing 7’Scarlet was an enjoyable and unforgettable experience, and I have no regrets purchasing the game at its full price.

This game is by no means, a dating sim. That said, I do believe that you have to get invested with the mystery plotline to enjoy 7’scarlet best.

Do I recommend this game? YES
With its unforgettable story that will rob you of words, I feel like this game deserves some degree of recognition. Really. If you fancy a visual novel where you get to solve urban legend cases while dating a few mysterious and handsome ikemens, 7’scarlet is the perfect game to pick up!