Am I spoiling myself for the future?

[redsaber5859]

So I originally I played Katawa Shoujo, then I was told to play Muv Luv and went through all three games (Alt easily being one of the best - if not the best story I've ever read btw). At the moment I'm starting Ever 17, am I spoiling myself for the future by playing all of the top-rated VNs now? Should I play some non-high rated ones so the high-rated ones have a bigger impact?

Thanks,

~Ari

[Nosebleed]

You should read whatever you think you'll like. Sure if you read the best vns out there you might not have the same feelings again when you play other vns but it'll end up the same way if you start with the non top vns as well, it'll just delay it a bit.

Not to mention one  should not put themselves through something they don't like solely for this reason.

 

Just read what you enjoy. Also you might find that some "non-top rated" vns are actually interesting for you. Ratings are all subjective.

[Rose]

I don't think you should worry about that, they're high-rated because they're considered better than the other ones, but don't forget that it's all about your own taste, I've seen people hate Cross Channel and I really liked it. Also, there are just so many huge visual novels (50+ hours) that you'll take a pretty long time to run out of good ones.

[Yukiru]

There quite a few untranslated kamige out there, if you feel like reading a new one you can always use that as an stimulus to learn Japanese supah dupah fast.

 

I don't think you're spoiling yourself, you'll end up reading those eventually if you keep reading VNs, so why not as soon as possible?  You still have a few well-rated translated VN to read. And even if there are other VNs not as good as the ones your read, they're still enjoyable, and it is all about the enjoyment.

[Kaguya]

Nah, there are tons of good VNs already. I've read over 250 VNs and there are still many amazing ones left to play- you shouldn't worry about that~

[AnimalSoundss]

In a way, i would say yes. That doesnt mean you shouldnt play the OK ones, they are fun too, but you will definitely notice the difference.

[Clephas]

Don't worry, once you learn Japanese there are at least sixty games that could match those two that I can think of just off the top of my head.  MLA picks its readers because it is an utsuge, and Katawa is just the best native-English VN made so far, lol

[Funyarinpa]

So I originally I played Katawa Shoujo, then I was told to play Muv Luv and went through all three games (Alt easily being one of the best - if not the best story I've ever read btw). At the moment I'm starting Ever 17, am I spoiling myself for the future by playing all of the top-rated VNs now? Should I play some non-high rated ones so the high-rated ones have a bigger impact?

Thanks,

~Ari

 

This is a form of literature/media in its own right. That means that there is literally hundreds-if not thousands- marvelous creations in this genre. You'll have no shortage!

 

P.S: If you like Ever17, read 999 and Virtue's Last Reward! The writer is the same, and he is awesome!

[Darkshine]

It's good to have a balance of things in my opinion and read what caughts your eye. 

[Crimson]

You should just read whatever you're interested in. I finished a shit load of VNs during the last few weeks, and I only played the ones that are said to be the best VNs out there (at least considering their EGS score). However, there's still a ridiculous amount of VNs out there that I'm going to play. I read Rewrite, F/SN, HoshiMemo, Remember11, Grisaia no Kajitsu, Muv-Luv Extra, Chaos;Head and Little Busters already, but still, there are 20 VNs on my harddrive that I haven't even started reading yet, and I'm downloading 1-3 more VNs every day.

 

And while you're at it, you should try to read as few of the dialogues as possible and instead try to understand what they're saying just by listening to the voices. I already understand quite a lot of the simpler dialogues. In the meantime, I'm learning Japanese verbs, grammar, nouns and the corresponding Kanji so that one day, I'll be able to read untranslated VNs, since as soon as one can read the untranslated ones, a whole new world will reveal itself~

[Life]

Read anything and everything that looks good to you. Many VN's that the general public say are amazing might not suit your tastes while some lower rated VN's may do the complete opposite. You will only spoil yourself if you let yourself be spoiled.

[astro]

When you read a really good VN, or watch a really good anime, you begin to have expectations. Soon afterwards, all you're going to end up doing is trying to find a VN/anime that is on par with (if not better than) the 'work' in question. This is what I used to feel about most Rom-coms after watching Toradora. Even now, I simply can't find anything else that could top it or give me the same 'feels'.

 

Do not get trapped into that mindset.

 

Don't compare a work with others and judge it based on what you've previously read (unless you are reviewing something). Throw all expectations you have out the window, and you won't be so easily disappointed. Don't pick up your next VN looking for the next 'Muv-Luv'. There are a plethora of visual novels out there, all with unique stories, characters and genres. It really doesn't matter what order you play them in, as long as you can learn to appreciate and enjoy them in the end (unless it's actually a very terrible game).

[DimDito]

Yes. Sort of. Good visual novels give you standard for comparison, you tend to subconsciously compare whatever visual novel you read with what you have read. That said, yes, you'll be easier to let down and that's inevitable. However, it is not at all a bad thing. You'll be more critical and conscious of aspects within a visual novel and become more objective. There's only one way to get around this;

 

If you do not want disappointment, do not expect. Every visual novel features something unique and identifiable in and of itself, anticipating your next read to bring something different to the table as opposed to hoping that it does something you've seen better will tone it down. In conclusion, playing more great VNs sets your standards high and you will be prone to nitpicking and disappointment, but it is NOT a bad thing. Just because you like something less doesn't mean you can't appreciate it still.