Subtext Only Translations
joined Nov 24, 2020
I'll try my hand at a sort of description akin to the OP
Seabed: https://vndb.org/v19273
Synopsis: SeaBed is a yuri-themed mystery kinetic novel told through the perspectives of three separate characters: Mizuno Sachiko, a designer plagued by hallucinations of her past lover; Narasaki Hibiki, Sachiko's friend and a psychiatrist researching the workings of human memories; and Takako, Sachiko's former lover who has been rapidly forgetting her past, including how or why the two women drifted apart despite being together since childhood.
Duration: medium (10-20 hours depending on reading speed)
Gameplay: Seabed is a kinetic novel, and as a result there are no choices or branching paths as the narrative is entirely static. Instead of using game mechanics to "investigate" a mystery as some others do, the mystery is for the reader themselves to solve or interpret as they read the work. The work will periodically change perspective to one of the other central three characters as they live their lives with surreal undertones.
Yuri: The central characters of the work are explicitly gay growing from childhood friends to adult lovers and despite what the synopsis may imply, there is no question of their love for each other at any point.
Version: I believe the switch version is slightly updated and therefore the best but the PC version on steam is perfectly fine enough.
Sexual content: off screen only, though there are some scenes with censored nudity.
Recommended?: Yes, it's my favorite work of fiction of all time due to how it tackles the concept of connections and memory. This was very emotionally meaningful to me, and for those in the right place in their life, that feeling seems to be shared. The prose is closer to a book than it is to a typical VN and is described by some as putting the reader in a trance. Really others put it in better words than I but it's a very unique VN in writing style and pacing compared to other more contemporary examples I've played such as Kindred Spirits or A Summer's End.
Extra information: due to how unusual this VN is and how people engage with it, if you want to know if it's right for you, I highly encourage looking at the vndb reviews. All 8 of them in my opinion capture a pretty sincere response to this work at its best. It's a very hard work to review and I can't match up with what is said with equivalent or greater quality. There is a reason why the voting statistics are skewed entirely left. https://vndb.org/v19273/reviews#review
