Jisei Demo

Whenever a murder occurs somewhere, people do not usually stick around to hear more about it, because most of them are not at all comfortable to be near dead bodies. However, there are those who don’t mind it that much, whether because they got used to the experience after being exposed to it multiple times, or just because they lack the necessary empathy to make a connection.

Jisei is a classic visual novel game in which you play the role of a nameless young man who can sense the very last seconds of someone’s life by just touching them. His powers allow him to experience the death of others and feel their regrets, as well as the physical pain or relief they experience before leaving this world and slipping into darkness.

The story starts with the boy in a coffee shop, waking up after a short nap, only to feel rather sick. On his way to the bathroom, he notices a woman lying on the floor in the ladies room, who appears to be dead. Naturally, he decides to touch her and satisfy his curiosity, only to be seen by someone else as he is touching her. Hence, the rest of the game is spent trying to prove his innocence and finding the real killer.

There were four other people in the coffee shop around the time of the murder, one of which happens to be an off-duty police officer, who takes over the investigation immediately and forbids anyone to leave. Soon after, he asks you to lend you a hand and talk with the other character, in order to find out more about them and if they had any reason to kill the woman in question.

In essence, the plot is quite good and it keeps you hooked, even if it gets rather cheesy from time to time, especially when it comes to the supernatural influences. Moreover, the artwork is quite good and it should manage to create the appropriate atmosphere, even more so when it’s coupled with the tense soundtrack playing in the background.

When it’s all said and done, Jisei could have used a bit more maturity in the dialogue, as well as slightly more charismatic characters. Even so, the game is pretty good and it should be able to keep you interested until the end, especially if you are a fan of visual novels.