Return to Shironagasu Island

Return to Shironagasu Island is a short horror-mystery VN with a surprisingly high production value for its scope (full voice acting and an OP sung by Kanako Itou of all people?!) as well as genuinely creepy monster design. Sure, it is rather bite-sized—even with the extra chapter, which genre shifts from horror-mystery to horror-comedy—but I think it's well worth playing! Heck, it's practically a steal even at full price! (For transparency's sake, my copy of the game was gifted to me by a friend who really liked their experience with the game, but the point still stands.) ...However, the short length does come with downsides, unfortunately. I wouldn't say it affects the overall plot or mystery too much, save for one minor character who appears at the very end to act as a low-level exposition dump/deus ex machina. It's not ideal, but I can overlook it if I squint my eyes a little. The other characters, I find, are utilized and developed well enough within the screentime they have. The lead duo—the main POV character Detective Ikeda and his assistant Neneko—in particular play off each other's antics in an entertaining manner, and with the sequel on its way, I'm eager to see how their relationship as partners in crime(-solving) will continue to evolve in the future!