Shinkansen 0 Spiel

by Rian

I am always bit confused about Chilla’s Art games. The developer has published many retro styled Japanese horrors, and as far as I could gather, games are never set post 2010s, the age of smartphones. There is always a digital camera, a flashlight, or a camcorder. The supernatural horror as we know it, or at least the one I grew accustomed to, rarely functions within the boundaries of current technologies. Shinkansen 0, as far as I know, is the only game that is set in contemporary world with onboard WiFi.

Shinkansen 0 is, quite literally, set on Japanese bullet train with Exit-8 like systems. Unlike Platform 8, it does involve finding an anomaly and making a choice either to proceed or to go back. While the game does try to switch things around in mid-way, it is in no way significant to the rules of the game. It does introduce entirely different set of cabins as well, which means relearning the whereabouts of a normal cabin. Unfortunately for Shinkansen 0’s retro style graphics, it simply lacks the level of realism necessary to hide anything. I didn’t particularly have to try to find any anomalies as many of them were beyond subtle.

Like many of the previous Chilla’s Art games, Shinkansen 0 sits between the lore and the story. There is definitely a simple narrative that sits on top of Japanese social commentary, but the game does not combine it into one cohesive world. In fact, I would wager it is kept purposefully light so that it would reach to wider player base without delving too much into specifics. It is a matter of stylistic decision, but it is also sitting on the verge of being unnecessary.

Conclusions: Exit 8-like With Commentaries

As an Exit 8-likes, Shinkansen 0 does need some polishing work. While it is joyful to see new methods being tried on what is already an established subgenre, but I can’t help feeling many of these methods didn’t need Chilla’s Art brand or style of narrative to be introduced into the game. In fact, the existing style of not pushing hyperrealism may have set back the ability to make more convincing anomalies. It is still an Exit 8-like, being set on a moving carriage, but I believe it is specifically for those who are looking for more of the sorts.