Last time I talk about this series unprompted, I promise. But before I had posted when I was near the beginning of
The Shell: Part III and now I've finished it and feel the need to share my thoughts.
This was without a doubt the most mature storytelling I've ever seen in a visual novel. I feel like Miya Suzuka -- the woman that wrote this series -- has grown leaps and bounds as a writer since the first game was released in 2008, and it was already a cut above all the rest back then.
If she had a weakness as a writer during the original game it would've been an over reliance on shock value, but that -- along with the unnecessary sex scenes -- is drastically toned down in the 2nd game, and even more so in the 3rd. There's nothing in this one that you wouldn't expect to find in a typical R rated film. (She's also written an all-ages lesbian themed series of 4 games called
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in recent years that also contains some mystery elements. I'll be sure to check that out sometime as I need more of her writing in my life.)
I'd say the main theme of the series is grief: the different ways people experience it, and hopefully overcome it. Set in 1950s Tokyo, not that long after the conclusion of WWII, it's an area that is no stranger to grieving. And the ongoing murders obviously leave more of that in their wake.
The mystery elements were again brilliantly handled. Constantly surprising, never predictable, while also never unfair. There were again some minor issues with some of the gameplay elements (ala pixel hunting when examining a crime scene), and finding the true path was not the easiest thing to do. I did turn to a walkthrough more than once. But it's a minor nuisance that the rest of the game more than makes up for.
Also the fact that the series has shown that they're not afraid to kill a character you care about adds an amazing amount of drama to every scene. Even if nothing actually happens, you're just always on edge in a way that you typically never are in something where plot armor exists.
Worthy of note, the way this series handles "romance" is very unique, especially as the series goes on. The main character is almost asexual. It's extremely rare he expresses romantic or phsyical interest in anyone, despite us living in his head. This is partly why the sex scenes in the first game often feel so damn out of place. He's very different from your normal adult game protaganist, partly due to the past trauma of losing his fiance.
There's also a very subdued bit of a love triangle that goes on throughout the series between him and his two best friends. The woman in the group seems to have a crush on him (although she's also a widower and seems to hold herself back due to that), while his police officer best friend has a crush on her, and our main character is still hung up over his deceased fiance. It's all just a very different type of experience from your typical adult game series where love flows freely with very few consequences.
Okay, I've rambled on long enough. Though I will add that this series has made me cry before, but the final game is the only visual novel that's ever made me cry tears of happiness. As long as the more iffy areas of the first game aren't absolute deal breakers for you, I recommend everyone give the series a shot. It's as emotionally powerful as the medium gets.