When I first saw the announcement for Shuten Order, I was in love with its art style. It had a lot of personality alongside a fun mystery for its premise.
Game Name: Shuten Order
Platform(s): Nintendo Switch (Reviewed), PC
Developer(s): Neilo Inc.
Publisher(s): Spike Chunsoft
Release Date: September 5th, 2025
Price: $49.99
Your character in Shuten Order wakes up in a bed with two angels hovering over them. They are surprised as much as you are to discover that your character is dead. Now you have to figure out two mysteries: one, how you died, and two, who you even are. That’s right, Rei, the name your angel friends now call you, has to figure out what happened.
The Shuten Order
Right from the get-go, you get advice from the angels that you need to look into the Shuten Order. This will help you piece together who you are and hopefully who killed you. They are a group dedicated to the end of humanity as the world is becoming closer and closer to its end. There are five separate leaders in the order you will need to track and get close to to help you find out who did the dirty deed of murdering you. After you learn the mechanics of the visual novel elements including learning to pray to God and moving around the map, you are then given the choice to follow one person from the Order around.
Following individuals from the Shuten Order is where the next part of the game comes out, with the multiple-part visual novel experience. Not just a mystery visual novel, but it is also a visual novel that has five different types of visual novel experiences caked into the game. If you follow one person, it becomes a detective-type game that requires you to analyze clues and form connections to find solutions. Another one will have you trying to build connections as you experience a romance dating simulator.
The weird thing about this game is how competent each experience is in the game. The detective segment was satisfying, and the conclusion was fun. This is definitely the type of game I would recommend if you are trying to figure out what kind of visual novel experience you like or dislike. There is even an escape room segment that will have you in a 3D plane.
The Heavenly Atmosphere
As I hinted at the beginning of this review, I absolutely adore this art style. The kooky characters mesh well with the illustrated background designs, and the little cut-out outlines are a nice touch. There are also panel outlines that show up to emphasize the action as well as the different locations of the characters. I have a love for visual novels that keep spatial awareness in their design and narrative.
There are a lot of colors on display in Shuten Order. Luckily, the color starts to resonate with the character you decide to investigate and follow. This makes it so the colors don’t clash too often. The five main members of the Shuten Order are very different, and that shows in each of their designs.
Discovering Enlightenment
Shuten Order overall is a solid visual novel. It has many layers to the game and the types of narratives it pieces together. It was a blast to play through as a fan of the medium. Getting to know the characters and experiencing the twists and turns was enjoyable. If you are someone who likes visual novels, this is a must-pick-up video game. If you are unsure of whether you like visual novels, then at least try a route in the game to see if it could be your cup of tea.
SHUTEN ORDER will be available September 5, 2025, on Nintendo Switch and PC.
Review Disclosure Statement: Shuten Order was provided to us by Spike Chunsoft for review purposes. For more information on how we review video games and other media/technology, please review our Review Guideline/Scoring Policy.
Affiliate Link Disclosure: One or more of the links above contain affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, we may receive a commission should you click through and purchase the item.
Summary
Shuten Order is a phenomenal Visual Novel experience that has a lot of different routes to take. The multiple visual novel types make it an experience that never dulls.
Pros
- Art is great and unique
- The routes are so diverse in execution that it feels like five different visual novels.
- One of the ultimate Visual novel experiences!
Cons
- Japanese dub only
- Not all routes have the same quality of polish.
