Shuten Order: An Ambitious Visual Novel with Localization Hurdles
Shuten Order, much like Tookyo Games’ The Hundred Line -Last Defense Academy-, stands out as an exhilarating and multi-genre experience, enveloped in vibrant colors and a captivating mystery. This adventurous title offers a challenging narrative that draws players in, yet its localization presents a significant drawback that detracts from the overall enjoyment.
Reviving the Protagonist: A Unique Premise
In Shuten Order, you step into the shoes of Rei Shimobe, a character shrouded in mystery. Known as the founder of the Shuten Order—a controversial organization that embraced apocalyptic beliefs—her story begins posthumously. After being murdered and dismembered, Rei is resurrected by God, albeit with a hefty dose of amnesia. To regain her life, she must navigate and conquer God’s Trial within a set timeframe. If unsuccessful, she faces death once more. With assistance from her guardian angels, Himeru and Mikotoru, she embarks on a quest to unearth the identity of her killer amidst the ranks of the Shuten Order and save the world.
Diverse Gameplay Mechanics Across Routes
While primarily classified as a visual novel, Shuten Order cleverly incorporates elements from various genres across its multiple story routes. For instance, Teko’s route offers a multifaceted narrative told through diverse perspectives, resembling a text adventure. The user interface draws inspiration from classic visual novels, contrasting with the default layout reminiscent of The World Ends With You. Meanwhile, Manji’s route shifts the gameplay into the realm of stealth horror, presenting players with an aerial view approach.
Despite the varied gameplay styles, all routes share a cohesive, vibrant art direction reminiscent of Studio Trigger’s animation. Players can appreciate the unifying aesthetic, regardless of whether they are viewing scenes from Honoka’s or Kishiru’s route. Each route lasts approximately ten hours—adequate time to delve into the characters and narrative without losing interest, although the gameplay mechanics may sometimes feel less developed compared to more traditional dating sims.
Performance on the Nintendo Switch
After my experience with Master Detective Archives: Rain Code, I was cautious about how Shuten Order would perform on the Nintendo Switch. Fortunately, the action and exploration segments proved to be surprisingly smooth. However, the loading times are a notable concern; I encountered prolonged loads that made me feel as if the game had frozen. Additionally, there were instances of audio stuttering and lag during cutscenes, possibly due to hardware limitations with my aging console.
Localization: A Critical Shortcoming
Unfortunately, the most significant drawback in the English version lies in its localization. The translation lacks the quality and care it deserves, featuring not only inaccurate translations but also glaring errors such as:
- Punctuation problems
- Unintended line breaks and spacing issues
- Typos and inconsistencies between dialogue and UI
- Attribution errors regarding speakers
- Strings that lose meaning in context
While minor mistakes are not uncommon in video games, the sheer volume found in Shuten Order is particularly striking.
Contextual Challenges in the Story
Yugen’s route was particularly memorable for its problematic translations. Dialogue often felt out of context; terms used by characters frequently suggested actions that were not theirs. For example, Mikotoru’s comments about ceremonies are mistakenly attributed as actions he performed himself. While the original Japanese script lacks explicit pronouns, the intricacies of the narrative context should have guided the translation choices more effectively.
It appears the localization team was under pressure to deliver quickly, leading to a rough draft-like translation. The script exhibits many basic errors that imply a lack of thorough review. A thoughtful second pass could have significantly improved the quality of the final product, making it evident that adequate time and resources for language quality assurance (LQA) are essential.
Final Thoughts on Shuten Order
While the engaging story, well-crafted characters, and innovative gameplay of Shuten Order are commendable, the poor localization significantly undermines the game’s strengths. This review does not intend to deter potential buyers; on the contrary, I believe Shuten Order has immense potential and hope for its success, akin to The Hundred Line. Yet, it’s crucial that the developers prioritize a localization patch to enhance the English script for future players. Let us celebrate the Shuten Order’s rich narrative with a worthy translation.
Shuten Order is set to launch on September 5, 2025, for the Nintendo Switch and Windows PC. The version reviewed in this article is for the Nintendo Switch, and a copy was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
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