Technical Information

Developer: KADOKAWA GAMES
Publisher: PQube Limited
Release Date: September 3, 2019

Root Letter: Last Answer is a visual novel with a very interesting storyline, which uses actors and photographs of real locations to build its narrative. This version is a remake of Root Letter, which previously used only illustrations.

While going through your belongings, you remember that 15 years ago you used to exchange letters with a girl named Aya Fumino… but why did you stop talking to each other?
That’s when you realize there was one last letter you received that you never read… and in it, Aya said she had killed someone.
You then decide to travel to the city where she lives to investigate and uncover what really happened.

Final Thoughts – Analyzing the Game as a Whole

Graphics and UI

The game uses real actors and real locations to tell its story, making it almost a live-action visual novel. However, if you’re not into this visual style, you can switch to illustrations instead.
I really liked the actors’ characterization, it closely resembles the illustrations from the game’s first version.

The illustrations and animations are wonderful and a pleasure to watch.

It’s quite uncommon for visual novels to have complicated or hard-to-understand menus. Root Letter: Last Answer did an excellent job with its interface, making it easy to understand.

You can review past dialogues and see descriptions of each collected item, which helps a lot during moments when you might feel a bit lost.

Soundtrack and Sound Effects

The sound design creates excellent atmosphere, so much so that some of the songs got stuck in my head and I’ll probably never forget them.
The characters are very well voice-acted, bringing even more immersion and emotional connection for the player.
All voices are in Japanese, and you can also choose which voice will narrate the game.

The photographed locations really exist and are from a city called Matsue, in Japan.

Gameplay

The game blends elements of point-and-click gameplay and is practically identical to Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. And when I say identical, I’m really not exaggerating! Even the magnifying glass used to explore the environment is the same.
You collect evidence and objects, which can be used at key moments in the game.

The story is very well developed, with straightforward dialogues and no unnecessary padding. The game isn’t tiring, but it does have some sections that aren’t very intuitive, which may cause the player to get stuck.

With each chapter I completed, I became even more curious to find out how it would end. And get ready, there are five different endings, each creepier than the last.
The route I ended up taking felt quite disturbing, and I admit it gave me a bit of a scare in the end. I felt very tense—the game managed to really mess with my emotions, since you spend most of the game without knowing what’s actually going on, until you’re hit with a major plot twist.

If you enjoy well-crafted stories, don’t think twice before starting this one.

Replayability and Game Retention

After finishing the game for the first time, you unlock other routes as well as extra content.
At the exact moment I’m writing this review, I’ve only completed one ending. I couldn’t help myself and looked up a walkthrough to see how to get the others. I know this ruins the experience for many people, but I really want to make the right choices to see the other outcomes (which I’ve already read about and know how they go hahaha).
Each ending is very different from the others, and I found that extremely creative.