Developer: Idea Factory, Otomate, Design Factory
Publisher: Idea Factory
Platform: Switch (2)
Tested on: Switch 2
9 R.I.P. Sequel – Review
It’s not uncommon for a game reviewer to feel out of their depth. Not every game is intended for a wide audience, and that is perfectly fine, because there is an intended audience for every game. We’re unlikely to boot up Gigantosaurus: Dino Sports ever again, for example, but there are undoubtedly kids out there who absolutely adore it. The point is that when you’re reviewing games, each and every game deserves a fair chance. What does the game set out to achieve, and how successful is it in doing so? That said, there are instances where a game is so niche that the odds are simply stacked against it when it comes to approaching it from a neutral perspective. 9 R.I.P. Sequel is such a game. We’re not approaching it with preconceived notions, mind you, but unless you happen to be part of a pre-existing niche audience, the game is nearly impenetrable.
Story
As the “Sequel” in the title indicates, this is a direct continuation of 9 R.I.P., an otome visual novel from 2024 that we admittedly have not played (or read, to be more precise). To 9 R.I.P. Sequel’s credit, the visual novel does provide story recaps and callbacks at the very beginning, but these are very brief and are more refreshers for returning fans than a way to get new readers up to speed. Like the Birushana and Amnesia visual novels we reviewed, 9 R.I.P. Sequel is a fan disc, a companion piece that focuses more on continuing romantic storylines and providing fan service rather than expanding on the horror elements of the original. We follow protagonist Misa and her haunted harem two years after the events of the first series entry, across 9 brand-new story paths divided into Heavenly and Godly routes. The former deals with the heavy consequences and lingering complications of dating a supernatural entity. They explore dark themes, real-world impacts, and obstacles like the human/ghost barrier. Unfortunately, the game expects you to already understand and know who these characters are. With relationships pre-established, it becomes very difficult to start caring about these ghost-men, no matter how pronounced their cheekbones are or how smoldering they look at you.
By comparison, the Godly routes feel decidedly lower stakes, acting as epilogues exploring different moments across the four seasons. These focus on fluffy romance, reminiscing over shared pasts, and offer a finale with a single ending per character. While genre aficionados and returning fans will undoubtedly indulge in the game’s romance-heavy dynamics, the end result simply isn’t accessible or tailored for those of us who aren’t into otome games. It is explicitly designed as a piece of fan service for those who enjoy the established cast. This is entirely fine if you happen to be a part of that existing fan base, or if you enjoy the genre enough to want to sit through the original first.
Graphics
To 9 R.I.P. Sequel’s credit, its anime-inspired visuals are good. The CG art is signed by Y at, with chibi illustrations by Rokugatsu Roku. In classic visual novel fashion, most of 9 R.I.P. Sequel’s visual presentation consists of static images and character portraits, so the game isn’t very demanding, and performance is flawless. Any full art CGs you encounter during a readthrough are unlocked and available for viewing from the in-game gallery, accessible from the main menu. We did notice that some of the CGs are very similar to one another, with only minor changes to facial expressions, which came across as lazy. The game knows who its target audience is, with many of the illustrations being tailored towards an audience that puts themselves in Misa’s place. Consequently, Misa herself is only visible in CGs in the game and not as an avatar, as she is supposed to be a stand-in for the (female) readers, being the romantic interest.
Sound
In classic otome visual novel fashion, 9 R.I.P. Sequel has its own anime-style opening theme song. It’s dramatic and over the top, though it does fit with the vibe of the game’s Heavenly story lines. The remainder of the soundtrack also matches the anime vibe. Just like with the game’s CG gallery, you can revisit your favourite tracks via the in-game music player. 9 R.I.P. Sequel also features Japanese voice acting, though only partially.
Gameplay
Although 9 R.I.P. Sequel is a fan disc in terms of content, the way it is structured does differ from the fan discs we’ve reviewed in the past. Rather than selecting a character from the menu immediately, you start a new readthrough and make choices at the start. This is where that recap comes in, though the significance of these choices was lost on us because we weren’t familiar with that original novel. The story then branches into the Heavenly or Godly routes depending on those choices. In Heavenly routes, choices notably prioritise depth or purity, with bad endings possibly occurring if you’re not careful about them. Godly routes feature dialogue options, but these don’t affect their singular linear outcome.
In terms of available features, 9 R.I.P. Sequel sticks to the established Idea Factory formula. The game includes a log, a large number of save slots so you don’t need to worry about particular choices, a quick save/load feature, and the expected skip and auto-read options. We also appreciated the inclusion of a route flowchart and a glossary. Nothing of what was included here was particularly mind-blowing, though. At this point, we know Idea Factory understands how visual novels work. At €39.99, 9 R.I.P. Sequel is a little cheaper than its predecessor, though the caveat is that you’re going to want that predecessor before it even makes sense to pick up this newer entry in the first place.
Conclusion
The thing with fan discs like this is that they are pretty much exclusively aimed at established fans. If you enjoyed 9 R.I.P., then it’s very likely that you’ll enjoy what 9 R.I.P. Sequel has to offer. If you haven’t read/played 9 R.I.P., or if you didn’t like it, then it’s easy enough to simply ignore that the sequel exists. Our score reflects that 9 R.I.P. Sequel simply doesn’t work as a standalone title. Purely mechanically speaking, it’s as functional as it needs to be for a visual novel, and as a companion piece to the original, it probably deserves a better grade, but anyone who likes 9 R.I.P. will already have made their decision about whether or not the sequel is something they’d pick up.
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