Driftwood The Visual Novel

Although high school can be tough on children, it is pretty much a breeze when you compare it to what comes after and how stressful it can be to make a living on your own. However, there are many lessons one usually learns during that period in their life, some of which come in handy for years to come. Romance is also something that blossoms during that period, at least for some.

Driftwood The Visual Novel is a story-driven experience in which you get to listen to the story of Marcus, a high school junior who’s trying to figure out his life after a series of unusual events. The novel is interactive as well, which means that you are allowed to make choices in order to steer the story in the desired direction and reach one of multiple possible endings.

As such, the story starts when Marcus is involved in a traumatic accident and he suffers from long-lasting damage. He was also with a girl at the time of the accident, which causes a bit of an awkward relationship with her. Not only that, but his parents decide to move him to a new boarding school in a new city, where he must start anew and make new friends.

Since the game is all about the story and the choices you are allowed to make along the way, it’s quite the bummer that the plot is so weak and predictable. Hence, it’s essentially a dating sim that allows you to choose one of multiple partners. Granted, every girl has some kind of life lesson to teach you, so that might be worth multiple playthroughs, but you still have to put up with everything else as well.

The nicest thing about Driftwood The Visual Novel is the artwork, because there are plenty of detailed scenes and many facial expressions to make the experience feel more dynamic. You might find some of the characters poses a tad strange, but most of the visual aspect is top-notch. The same can be said about the soundtrack, even if it’s not the type that sticks with you for years to come.

In the end, Driftwood The Visual Novel could have achieved a lot more with the elements it had to work with, but it only managed to be a casual dating sim with nothing special to offer. Hence, it’s not a complete waste of time, but it fails to teach you anything over the course of the story.