Game: Virche Evermore ~ErroR: Salvation~
Genre: Visual Novel, Otome
System: Nintendo Switch
Developers | Publishers: Idea Factory | Aksys Games
Age Rating: EU 16+ | US Mature
Price: UK £44.99 | EU €49,99 | US $49.99
Release Date: November 9th, 2023
Review code used, with many thanks to Reef Entertainment.
❗️ A few minor spoilers will be hinted at in this review. If you don’t want any spoilers, then skip over the Route descriptions in the Main characters section.
❗️ Another thing to note is that although Otome game Virche Evermore ~ErroR: Salvation~ age rating has been rated 16+ in Europe, there are a lot of scenes and topics in this game that are gruesome and horror-themed. If you are not in a good mental state or are not a fan of these themes, I would not recommend that you play this game.
The Cursed Country
The story revolves around a small country called Arpéchéle. Arpéchéle is surrounded by the sea and fields of a flower called Lycoris Noirge that grows at the edges of the island. The people who are born in this country have lived under the curse of Death since ancient times. Because of this, the people here can live for no longer than twenty-three years.
After many years of researching the cause of this curse, a new technology was invented to buy people time. The body will die at the age of twenty-three, and their memories will be brought over to a new body that doesn’t age. This technology will make everyone who makes use of it a Reliver. This allows the population to live as long as they want, as long as they follow the right procedure.
There’s also a girl with golden hair living in Arpéchéle called Ceres. Somehow, death just seems to follow her wherever she goes. Anytime she gets close to people, they die from a mysterious condition. After a while, she can’t stand the regret anymore, and she decides to end her life. A mysterious being called “The Watchmen of Death” stops her. Under the guidance of this Watchman of Death, she tries to uncover all the mysterious deaths that are happening on the island. But those who love Death face a future filled with despair.
The Poor Unfortunate Souls
We have a total of five routes in Virche Evermore ~ErroR: Salvation~. Four love interest routes and one true route. Yves’ route and the La Salute route are locked at the start. You will need to complete the routes of Lucas, Mathis and Scien in order to unlock Yves. After you finish Yves’ route, La Salute will unlock itself if you have completed all the bad and despair ends of all the previous routes. In terms of route order, if you want to play spoiler-free, I would go with: Lucas > Mathis > Scien > Yves > La Salute. You can switch Lucas and Mathis if that is what you prefer. I do want to note that the game does require you to finish all the despair ends of the LI’s (Love Interests) first, then play La Salute and then you will have unlocked their “Salvation” endings. These are the good endings.
Note: Adolphe’s and Ankou’s “routes”, which is La Salute, are the same route. So, there will only be one route description for them.
Lucas Proust
Age: 22
Profession: Teacher
Voiced by: Hirakawa Daisuke. Same voice actor as Saint-Germain (Code Realize), Cinderella (Taishou x Alice), and Sakamaki Laito (Diabolik Lovers)
Lucas is twenty-two years of age, which means the dying process of the “island curse” has already started. He is a teacher and goes to various orphanages to teach about the world they live in and about Relivers. We meet him through his frequent visits to the orphanage that Ceres lives in.
He is kind and will always be ready to help the ones he loves. Lucas also has a strong sense of justice and is a devoted follower of god. Looking at his appearance suggests he is delicate and almost feminine. But don’t let that fool you into thinking he can’t hold his own in a fight because, as we come to find out, he has a surprising physical strength.
Route
Now, on to the route review of Virche Evermore ~ErroR: Salvation~. This route was such a wild ride. I think the phrase “nothing appears as it really is” fits this game, as you will come to find out. I can’t go into a lot of details so as to not spoil anything. Because of Lucas’ profession, we get to see Ceres and Lucas bonding over their love of teaching and helping the orphan children find their way in life. Furthermore, this route dives more into Lucas’ devotion to religion and about weighing the decision of whether or not someone should keep on living through the Reliver process.
This route had a good pace, was packed with action and left me shocked at times. It was a really painful route with a lot of loss and despair moments. It even left me thinking about the bad ending for a few days. But seeing Lucas as a love interest just didn’t quite do it for me. Granted, the route wasn’t overly romantic, but even them as a couple weirded me out a little. But I still really enjoyed myself with this route.
Mathis Claude
Age: 17
Profession: He comes from a wealthy family that translated foreign languages
Voiced by: Amasaki Kouhei. Same voice actor as Emilio (Piofiore)
Mathis comes from a wealthy family and, therefore, also lives in the “wealthy” district. He is super shy and can also be awkward and quite clumsy. Because of things that happened in his past, he likes to keep to himself in his room. Before the game’s events, Mathis has rarely left the mansion, and the townspeople don’t even know that he exists. His parents died when he was younger. He did have an older brother, Camille, but as we come to find out, he also isn’t alive anymore. He was killed by someone named Bourreau, and Mathis is set on killing him with his own hands. Now, he lives with his butler. Mathis is very close to Jean. He even stated that he feels Jean is like his other older brother. Mathis loves to write stories and even wants to write a novel.
Route
After the Common route, Mathis returns to his old habits and mostly keeps to his room. He doesn’t speak to anyone besides his butler Jean. This is where Ceres comes in. Jean hires Ceres as a maid at the Claude mansion, mostly to spend her time with Mathis. Slowly, they get to know each other more and will even share a love of books together. Aside from the bonding of Ceres and Mathis, Mathis’ route dives more into his past and what the relationship between him, his parents and Camille was like.
This route totally took me by surprise. I really didn’t know where it was going until it was revealed, and I really applaud the game for keeping the plots tightly under wraps. Early on in the route, I did have a few suspicions about the plot, so a few elements weren’t a complete surprise, but the overall plot was a big reveal. This route and Lucas’ routes really made my stomach turn with slight disgust and just uncomfortableness.
On to Mathis, the character. So at the start of Virche Evermore ~ErroR: Salvation~, I suspected that Mathis would be my least favourite. He seemed like the little brother type, and that, mixed with his emotional personality, was a recipe for disaster for me. But I have to say I grew to like Mathis in his own route. In the end, Ceres and Mathis were a good fit and he really tries hard to work on himself.
Scien Brofiise
Age: 60 years old, physical age is 23
Profession: The inventor of the Reliver technology and Chief of the National Research Institute.
Voiced by: Hosoya Yoshimasa. Same voice actor as Shu (Bustafellows).
Scien comes from a line of scientists, or at least a father and grandfather whose goal it was to solve the death curse. But he is the one who eventually makes the Reliver technology a reality. He is the only Reliver of the group and is, therefore, already about 60 years old. He is named the Chief of the National Research Institute. But the Reliver technology isn’t the ultimate solution to Scien. He views the Reliver technology as a way to extend his life so that he can solve the actual curse. Scien is almost void of any emotion and praises efficiency above all else (even though his room is always a huge mess). He thinks emotions are a waste of time and just get in the way. Scien is very cocky and is extremely confident in his own science knowledge.
Route
In Scien’s route, he offers Ceres a job to become his personal assistant of sorts. He had seen how efficient she could be during their time living together in the Common route. The Reliver technology is the centre of this route. You will be given much more information about the Reliver process and the upcoming updates for Relivers. The route took place mostly in the Research Institute, and it also made sure we got some political action between the researchers and even the royals. Scien’s choice about being emotionless, of course, comes into play. This made for an interesting romantic conquest.
For me, Scien’s route had a lot of ingredients that I love, and it ended up being a great story. Lucas and Mathis’ route were in some ways similar to each other, but Scien’s route was different, and that is a nice change of pace. Also, the development between Ceres and Scien was just beautiful. Their relationship is mostly about teaching each other about their world and trying to understand each other. This route was a bit of a slow burn, but it was so worth it for me. Even his ending wasn’t as gruesome as some of the others but it was just really sad. Don’t get me wrong, it had its gruesome and shocking moments, but the ending itself wasn’t as bad. Scien definitely has a special place in my heart.
Yves
Age: 18 years old.
Profession: Owner of Courrune, which is a sort of handyman company.
Voiced by: Saitou Souma. It’s the same voice actor as Shungen (Birushana: Rising Flower of Genpei) and Mineo (Collar x Malice).
As we find out early on, Yves has some connection to Ceres in this Otome game. They have met each other before, prior to the events of the game. Yves is the “founder” of Courrune. Together with his Reliver partner Hugo, they run a sort of handyman company that people can hire to solve their problems. Whatever that may be. Yves and Hugo have become very loved on the island due to this business. Yves’s family has already died long ago, so the only family he has is Hugo. They have a strong brotherly bond. Next to his company Courrune, Yves also works at the Vigilante Corps with Hugo and Adolphe. This job also fits really well with his goal to have everyone love him. At the corps, he can protect the people in Arpéchéle.
Yves is such a beautiful person inside and out. His kindness even made me have some feelings at times. He never gives up on people and is always ready to listen to what they have to say. His partner Hugo always calls him a goody two shoes. What Yves wants most is to be loved by everyone and anyone. This is something that stems from his childhood. He is described as being too kind and letting people walk all over him.
Route
This route starts off with Yves giving Ceres a job opportunity. I feel like this is kind of the same start of every route. She is spending a lot more time with Yves and Hugo on this route while working at Courrune. While working at the handyman business, she learns how she can help people in many different ways to solve their problems, and it’s making her feel what it’s like to be a part of a team. Since Yves’ route is locked at the start, I knew the route would involve a lot of reveals and would be connecting a few dots for me. It didn’t disappoint. A lot of plot points were explained in this route, and we even got some more information about Reliver technology and about DNA. We also find out more about where Ceres comes from and why there is a sort of curse hanging over her.
Like I said before, Yves is such a beautiful character. And I have to give the voice actor, Saitou Souma, a lot of credit. Some of his lines in the game were done so amazingly well that I actually felt that Yves was a real person. The love that Yves and Ceres share is so pure and filled with acceptance for who they are. But if I am being honest, I couldn’t fully enjoy their romance because of all the misery that befell these two characters. The ending was, if I had to sum it up in one word, painful. The misery of the characters lasted really long and when the despair end came, I was glad the suffering was over for both Ceres and Yves. It really left me a little depressed after finishing it. Even the salvation ending left me unsatisfied. I would have loved to have an actual happy ending.
Adolphe
Age: 21 years old.
Profession: Leader of the Vigilante Corps.
Voiced by: Yashiro Taku. Same voice actor as Raul (Cupid Parasite).
We come to meet Adolphe, the older foster brother of Ceres. Adolphe was the one who got Ceres to come to the foster home she is currently in. After leaving the foster, he decided to join the Vigilante Corps so that he could become a protector of the people. Many years of training later he finally got the position of leader of the corps. While he has a busy schedule, he now and then will make the time to visit his foster sister Ceres and the Mother of the Foster Home, simply known as Mother. Adolphe is always very serious; it is not often that we see him be relaxed and enjoying himself. Another very evident character trade is that he is very protective of his foster sister Ceres. But not only does his need to protect apply to Ceres, it also applies to anyone who needs protection. Although he may be serious, he does have a kind heart at his core. We see this side of him shine when he is with his closest confidants.
Aside from his friends Yves and Hugo from the Vigilante Corps, Adolphe is very unsociable. He doesn’t find a lot of people that he actually wants to talk to or wants to spend time with. He even lives on the outskirts of town. At the start, I was not sure of Adolphe. I liked him well enough but didn’t necessarily see him as a love interest. This was mainly due to them having a sibling bond. But immediately upon starting La Salute, I loved him. He is just the right fit for Ceres, and it just made sense. His romantic dialogue was just perfect and it made me absolutely fall in love with Adolphe.
Ankou
Age: ???.
Profession: Sentinal of Death
Voiced by: Okitsu Kazuyuki. It’s the same voice actor as Dante Gunpei (Jack Jeanne) and Tsukuyomi (Olympia Soiree).
Ankou is a character that is shrouded in mystery from the beginning. We do know that he claims to be the “Sentinal of Death”, which is the Grim Reaper if you will. He is an otherworldy being, and his looks even appear to be ethereal with his long grey hair and red eyes. Early on in the game, he offers Ceres a deal of some sort (I will leave that up to your imagination). He often appears as a sort of guardian angel in the game for Ceres and even helps to explain some weird things about her. We don’t often get to see who Ankou really is, he always puts on the fun-loving mask whenever we see him. Even when he speaks, it’s difficult to know what his true intentions are.
We see Ankou in every route, even if it’s only for a small part. But in the La Salute route, his story is finally explained. And my heart broke for him. His story was just so sad, maybe even the saddest of all. In my eyes, he is not really a love interest for Ceres, but I do like that he got his own recognition.
Route
Adolphe didn’t have an individual route like the other love interests. But the “true route” La Salute was, I think, more Adolphe’s route, with a bit of Ankou mixed in. Yves’ route revealed a lot of information about the plot, but the La Salute was, of course, the actual “story”. This route made everything come together, and I had quite a few aha moments. There were some reveals I kind of suspected, but overall, they did an amazing job with the storyline and the plot. And oh my, this route was long. It took me a few days to finish it. But don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed it and loved the interactions with Adolphe and Ankou. I would say that this was one of the best “true routes” that I have seen so far.
Ranking
There wasn’t really a route that I didn’t enjoy and thought was good, but I do like to rank the routes in Virche Evermore ~ErroR: Salvation~ for you guys. These are just my personal opinions, so it does not mean that the routes are bad.
- La Salute: Best route, and everything comes together. I also am in love with Adolphe and Anjou. Easy first place.
- Scien: immediately loved Scien, and I think that stemmed from him having almost no emotions. Because Ceres is the only one besides Dahut that he actually likes and thinks is worthy. This makes “concurring” him so much more satisfying. I also loved his teasing banter with the MC (Main Character) and he had two great endings.
- Yves: The character Yves and the romance between Yves and Ceres is just beautiful, there is no denying that. The reason why it is in the third place is because of all the misfortune that befalls the two of them. I couldn’t fully enjoy their blossoming love because, around every corner, something was going wrong.
- Mathis: This route really took me by surprise. I did not expect where the story was going, and I was happily surprised. I also really learned to love Mathis and how he eventually stepped up to the plate.
- Lucas: I just couldn’t get into Lucas as a Love Interest for Ceres. He could be a bit creepy sometimes and the way he carried himself made him appear much much older than his age.
Visuals and Sound
The BGM for Virche Evermore ~ErroR: Salvation~ is good. It totally sets the gloomy mood, and it transported me into their world. I even listened to the music when not playing the game or when working during the day. The music would be enough to satisfy my need for playing the game.The OP, “Lycoris no Ai”, really had the right kind of gothic vibes going on. Since I played the game around Halloween time, the soundtrack actually fit quite nicely.
The visuals, like with all Aksys Otome games, are beautiful. The system design has a lot of Art Deco and French inspirations, which makes sense since Arpéchéle is supposed to be located in Western Europe. Giving a game its own identity by using unique styling really helps you to get into the game. All the characters looked like dolls but simultaneously had a sort of creepy vibe to them that made the game feel eery at times. But that isn’t to say that all the visuals weren’t stunning, especially, of course, the CGs.
System
Flowchart
I think that this system addition has become more popular in Otome games. I have seen it come back in multiple Otome games. It shows you the scene that you are currently in and will unlock a new path after completing a scene. This flowchart does not show you how many chapters are left and where and if there are other endings. That is for you to figure out. But if you want a hint at completing every scene in the game, check out the Scene List in the Title menu. Here, we get an overview of every scene that has yet to be played; these scenes are indicated with ???.
Sometimes, the flowcharts in games confuse me. It does come in handy when you want to see if there are any bad endings that you may have missed or how many chapters there are left. But if the flowchart unlocks as you play the game, what is the point? But maybe that is just me.
Love Catch
Another feature that keeps coming back in Otome games. This one I do appreciate and enjoy because it makes it easier to figure out how to get into a certain ending. Every LI (Love Interest) has its own distinct colour. Whenever you choose the “right” option, a Lycoris flower will come on the screen with the corresponding colour of the LI.
Options
In Virche Evermore ~ErroR: Salvation~, the option is there to skip to either the next choice or to the next unread dialogue. You can do this once you have finished a route. Simply use the right joystick and move it to the right.
An extra addition to this game is the ability to change the font of the dialogue. We get four different options, and you can choose what reads best for you.
Overall thoughts
I do have a confession to make. I was playing the La Salute route, and at about chapter 3, I saved the game and turned on the skip play at full speed. Not because I didn’t want to play it, but more so because I wanted to play the good endings of the LI’s first. And then play the La Salute at my own pace. I am happy that I made that choice because this way, all the stories were finished and completed before playing the La Salute. But there was a major downside to this as well. I saw the final CG on the Home Screen. (Insert facepalm here). This didn’t necessarily ruin Virche Evermore ~ErroR: Salvation~ for me, but if I had just kept it running a while longer before looking, I would have been totally in the dark.
Endings
I wasn’t really a fan of the feature that all the bad endings came first, and after completing all the routes, you got to the good endings. Especially after a few routes, I was getting a bit sad because I knew there would not yet be a happy ending. Sometimes, I would also slightly forget and be caught off guard. Even when I finally got to play the Salvation Endings of the LI’s (Love Interests), I was sometimes still left feeling unsatisfied. Call me boring but I love the happily ever after endings in other Otome games.
One ending that was satisfying was the La Salute ending, so look forward to that if you are a sucker for happy endings as well.
Storyline
Since Virche Evermore ~ErroR: Salvation~ was developed and published by Idea Factory (Otomate), we might recognise the scenario writer, Nakayama Satomi, from previous Otome games like Code: Realize, Variable Barricade and Café Enchanté. I loved to see it because these other games hit it out of the park in terms of storylines and character. And like with those games, Virche Evermore did not disappoint.I think the storyline was super interesting and it made sure whenever I wanted to put it down because I was getting slightly bored, I would keep playing because of a reveal or cliffhanger.
Keeping with the storyline, I think the story was amazingly put together. There were a lot of reveals that I didn’t see coming in the LI’s routes, and everything in the end was woven together in one storyline. Virche Evermore ~ErroR: Salvation~ also has some amazing characters in it. I think they had depth to them, and each of them had an interesting back story and reasoning for why they acted the way they did. I have nothing but great things to say about the story and the characters.
Lastly, I do want to note something small in terms of texts. There were some small errors in the texts; sometimes, a letter or word was missing. This is not something that I think is really bothersome, but do keep this in mind.
Conclusion for Virche Evermore ~ErroR: Salvation~
Even though it could be a tough playthrough at times with the heavy topics and the despair, Virche Evermore ~ErroR: Salvation~ is one of the top Otome games of this year. They have done a phenomenal job with the storytelling and even the characters are intriguing and going through their own character development in their routes.
If the themes mentioned at the start of the game do not scare you away, I would definitely pick this game up.
Final verdict: I Like it a Lot.
Virche Evermore ~ErroR: Salvation~ is available in the Nintendo eShop, and can be bought in physical for at the Aksys Store and on Amazon.com