Are you tired of the same old grind? Has playing the hero and defeating evil becoming a bit blase? Have you ever wanted to assume the role of an evil mastermind? If so, fill your virtual wallet and try your hand at Blind Men.
Blind Men is a visual novel that puts you in the shoes of Keegan, an aspiring supervillain. His uncle Sphinx (a very famous and well-known supervillain) has been pressuring Keegan to figure out his future and go to university. However, mere academia is not where Keegan’s heart lies. Instead, he’s secretly started following another pursuit: join the League of Evil and become a supervillain just like his beloved uncle. The League decides to give Keegan a chance, and thus Keegan starts to hatch his very first heist.
The purpose of his very first evil master plan is, of course, to prove to the League that he is worthy. Following the formula of other decision-based visual novels, you’ll spend most of your time reading the story, pressing A to move the text along. Every so often, you are given a choice of what to say or do. These choices will affect which of the multiple endings you can get and how quickly you will see a “The end…?” screen. Believe me, you will see this screen a lot.
Once you make it to Keegan’s first evil heist, you can choose to either steal a legendary diamond or kidnap a highly respected scholar. Sounds pretty cliche – Keegan even admits it himself – but for one’s first heist, it’s probably best to stick to something simple and easy to pull off. Of course, the good guys don’t approve of either theft or kidnapping, and from there, the game gets spicier and spicier.
On top of being a visual novel, the game is also a bit of a romance. Keegan’s initial evil plan (whichever you choose) is instantly meddled with by one of the two handsome men also attending this conference, Hunter and Sergei. One is a flirtatious and dashing American “Global” agent (like international cops), while the other is a cold, strong, and serious Russian agent. Do you like them hot and spicy, or strong and silent? The choice is yours.
The art style is unique and fun, and the colours really pop. The music is superb; I wouldn’t mind having these tracks on CD so I can listen to them in my car. The groovy guitar, the suspenseful saxophones, the dramatic drums – all are really well done and make the perfect mood for each scene.
I especially liked the premise of the game. It’s fun to see through the eyes of a character who isn’t the stereotypical world-saving hero. In fact, Keegan isn’t even the stereotypical powerful supervillain; he’s just a geek with wicked smarts and a bit of a chip on his shoulder. The writing is also excellent and overflows with sharp wit and humour, making it a very enjoyable experience.
Furthermore, the game is very fast-paced. I was honestly surprised to find myself at an ending so quickly, which makes this game full of replay value to see all the various endings and art pieces (I especially liked the one of Keegan being carried in the arms of Sergei).
Blind Men is an enjoyable adventure at an excellent price. I would highly recommend this title to anyone who likes visual novels with a dose of dashing romance!
Blind Men £4.99
Summary
Blind Men is a fun, well-written visual novel with a stellar soundtrack and charismatic characters. With a fast pace, multiple endings, and an astoundingly cheap price, it’s well worth the purchase if you enjoy the genre.