Leaderboard

The NVL style is a style that is highly-specialized for text-heavy, plot-heavy games with extensive narration. On the opposite end is ADV-style, which is specialized for VNs with moderate to low-levels of narration and high levels of dialogue. The major reason NVL has mostly fallen to the wayside is that VNs that need its unique qualities simply aren't being made anymore. Companies like Light, Propeller, and Nitroplus have become less and less prolific over the last ten to twelve years, while companies like Navel and Will reached their peak between 2015 and 2018, when the JVN industry itself peaked and began its drastic decline. The NVL style never really caught on with EVN companies, so it is mostly a non-issue, with the ADV being what most people recognize as 'visual novel style'. For more particular UI aspects, I have a particular dislike for Purple Soft's translucent menu at the top of the screen that tended to go off at random times through accidental button presses, requiring me to back track manually using save games just so I wouldn't miss plot points. Most VNs have a menu with text and sound options, with gameplay ones often having control and hot button options as well. Most UI options are pretty standardized, whether in the west or the east, so you can play any VN without an instruction manual or much fumbling.

For UI, well basic should be enough for the ease of the players, although sometimes developer can do much with it, with one example is Tokyo Necro which Nitroplus tried to allow us feel like virtual player whenever we start the VN (Although it become quite cumbersome). Other than Tokyo Necro, there's also Purple Software which they do the floating textbox with the shortcut is half hidden at the top with the player allowed to customize it to their convenience, at least in their VN before Criminal Border such as Amatsutsumi and Aoi Tori. Besides those two examples, no much I can talk about seeing this is the basic of the VN with the UI in most VNs are usually quite similar, so that's all for what I can talk about this topic.

It should be noted that before DDLC Nitroplus already done the similar thing with You and Me and Her: A Love Story, although in the end Shimokura Vio (The Nitroplus writer) and Dan Salvato have different idea on where they went from the infamous twist. I do know there are much more examples for the first point, but the element in those examples are quite complicated to discuss. For the second point, arguably Umineko and Danganronpa V3 can count. In those case though it's note really joke like Lamunation or Royale, but instead it's where the writer can be pretty much perceived as someone who lashed out towards its customer base, and of course most of the players were very reactive at that with it cause no small controversy. For the last point, I don't remember much VN limit the player's progression, but I do remember there's a review of Love Plus which mention some eccentric feature with one of those that you must say 'I love you' to the DS had you decided to leave the game causing it to become locked with the only way to unlocked it by saying that, which in turn it made the VN more like pet simulator only with the heroine. I don't know if Love Plus count toward the example of meta fiction, but at least it's the VN that I know limit the player's progression. That's all for what I can write in regard of this topic.