Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club?

Personally a 9 but I'd get it if someone gave it like a 4. It's definitely not for everyone but it was for me and I loved it.

I've only had the time to put about an hour or two in but I'm really liking it so far. Game really gives me the creeps. 8/10.

I'm really enjoying it so far. The dialogue is good and most of the characters are interesting. I'm having fun trying to solve the mystery before the main characters, but that mostly involves creating increasingly wild theories.

I'd say it's a 9/10 for me at this point, but I'll hold off voting until I actually finish the game.

As I stated in a previous comment, I had never played (or even heard the concept of) a visual novel prior to this game (except for maybe Doki Doki Literature Club, but even then I didn’t get it). However, after playing all 3 demo chapters for Emio FDC, I’m sold on the concept, so much so that I bought the full game. It’s really nice to be able to effectively read a “book” while having just enough guidance, guardrails, and stimulation to keep my ADHD brain focused and intrigued. It also helps that the story really is so, so good. My previous comments on the typeface chosen being a little too thin still stand, and I also can’t shake the feeling that I’m missing a dialogue or two in each scene because of there being so many menu options and it not being entirely clear at all times what to press when.

Overall, so far, as of having finished chapter 4:

Story: 9/10
UX design: 7/10
Art design: 9/10
I’d say, for me personally, it’s closer to something I’d pay $30 or $40 for, but not quite $50. (technically, since I had a Best Buy reward certificate that I used for a code, I paid about $35, which this game is definitely worth.)

Would've been an 8, but at the very end they do some really surprising and inspired stuff that raises the whole experience to a 9. If I liked the command select gameplay style more it could've even been a 10 for me.

Currently I’d give it an 8/10 but could change once I finish it.
I’m guessing the 5% who voted 1/10 don’t play the genre 😂

I finished it last night, definitely a 10 from me. I tend to love these “riskier” projects Nintendo commits to that don’t necessarily have a big audience, and march strictly to the beat of their own drum. (Another Code and Endless Ocean are two other recent examples.) And those who have seen all the way through the ending of Emio will know that this one obviously had a huge amount of money poured into it. It’s got one of the most amazing final hours I’ve ever seen in a visual novel, both in terms of writing and presentation. It’s a quiet little masterpiece that feels totally uncompromised artistically and unconcerned with player expectation in the best way.

I honestly think the game is like 5-6/10 but the ending is like 12/10. So 7 in the end for me.

A lot of the mechanics are outdated, the game plays less like Pheonix Wright and more like those really ancient text based point and click predecessors. Not much happens at all till the ending sequence. You can get anything wrong and it will affect only one of your extras in an undetermined manner, kind of defeats the detective part a bit. Overall the game is really just meh, the ending I won't spoil but it's a masterpiece.

8/10 for me. Incredible writing and characters that kept me invested

I gave it a 7. I completed it last night and I really couldn’t enjoy the gameplay. Too much exhausting every instance of listen, look or think without any sort of logic other than going through every option. I especially find it frustrating when you have to enter names in and you can’t access your notepad to check spelling or to confirm something! Heck I even got a game over since I screenshot information and went to check the album to double check and then I was given a game over of sorts befire allowing me to try again as a joke! So dumb!

Based on the demo, 5/10. Ok but I really dislike the menu system and having to exhaust every option multiple times to proceed. Might as well just have it mostly linear then — like better games in this genre. Or be inspired by the games that improved this formula long ago — surely they’ve heard of Phoenix Wright?

Well, I'm not even interested enough to try the Demo, so perhaps 3/10?
One point for existing, another point for knowing it exists, and the last for me seeing another article about it?

I am not actually going to rate it though, as that would go against my ideals of fairness, since I've not even tried the Demo.

@SigmaNoire Yeah, honestly, I enjoyed the game on the whole a lot but it's the last hour or so of the game that's really stuck with me and makes me inclined to say I like it more than Girl Who Stands Behind. Game sticks the landing to an incredible degree.

I am loving this game so far it’s kinda cozy and scary great for around Halloween time lol 🎃😊

truly believe this game was one of the best Nintendo games in a long time, especially after finishing the game. 10/10

I gave it 3 out of 10

Love the full Japnese voice acting and this is a concept I would like to see repeated.

However the interface and in game logic is completely flawed. I found that I could choose the same options time and time again and get different results. I struggled to even get through the game prologue which is essentially the tutorial. Just brute forcing options until I found a way through.

I think it could have worked better with a more traditional Shadow Gate / Broken Sword style. A bit of a click and point. The visual novel interface just didn't work IMO

I haven't beaten it yet but really enjoying it so I gave it a solid 8/10. Story is very interesting, soundtrack also has some great tunes and love the creepy atmosphere of the game as well. The art style is gorgeous it's honestly one of the best looking anime type visual novel/adventure games out there.

A lot of cons that I read online did not effect my enjoyment at all. For me it's one of the gems of 2024 that I've played.

The extra bonus at the end is a 10/10. The actual game is worse than the other two FDC games and shockingly boring. 5/10

I’m right at chapter 4, and I like it so far. Story is keeping me interested, artwork is very nice, and the music is catchy. 8/10 for now.

Finished the game a few minutes ago. Loved it. But I'm an easy going person that simply loves playing most video games. Hope they keep making more of these experiences!

I found the demo to be misery.

my current goty. (metaphor refantazio will probably take the cake though)

I haven't played the game but...Was the ending as controversial as the creator said it was going to be? I haven't seen anyone talking about it.

@fenlix Honestly I'm not even sure what the controversial aspect of the ending was supposed to be exactly. Kind of just wonder if that was an oddly translated remark or something.

@fenlix My impression of the ending was that it could be polarizing, but only in the sense that some will love it, some will find it disappointing and really dislike it. That’s probably what Sakamoto meant. I don’t think there’s anything that I would call controversial in the sense you mean.

People who expect big dramatic reveal scenes like you’d find in similar detective-style games like Ace Attorney or Professor Layton will not fall in love with Emio. This game is primarily about a few themes and ideas that are expressed through its characters. The “mystery” aspect of the story is not the heart of the experience and is not directly relevant to its highest highs. The tagline in the marketing was the hashtag #WhoIsEmio? And you find out the literal answer to that question during the game, but I think what it actually means doesn’t become clear until you’ve cleared the entire game and thought about it a little. It’s that kind of ending.

Hearing everyone say it sticks the landing so well really makes me look forward to playing, and is going to help with keeping me going when I'm frustrated with that menu system! 😂

I won't grade it as I've only played a little bit, but the entire game system frustrates me unnecessarily. Give me meaningful choices or none at all, but not this "That doesn't work" nonsense, trying out a million things before finally figuring out we just needed to contine "talking"... Just continue the conversation, it makes no sense.

That annoyed me. There also seem to be very few consequences for doing something wrong, so it's just wasting my time.

I love the artwork though. I could easily find myself enjoying this if not for the needlessly archaic "game system".

9/10. Loved this game. Easily up there with the best of the best visual novels (Zero Escape 999, Hotel Dusk, Ghost Trick, AAI2...)