Once bitten, twice shy is a sentiment that can easily apply to video games, especially when those games involve vampires and extremely depressing time loops. It can be a struggle even to keep going after that first bite, a description fitting for otome visual novel The Red Bell’s Lament. This VN weaves a compelling and layered tale, expertly building upon itself until reaching its satisfactory conclusion. However, reaching its finale is an exercise in patience during the early stages, making playing The Red Bell’s Lament often feel like a chore.
The plot centers around a fantasy realm where humans suffer from horrific vampiric attacks for as long as most can remember. As a child, protagonist Juliet Rose survived one such attack, resulting in the devastating loss of her older brother and a burning desire for vengeance against all vampires. To that end, she becomes a vampire hunter, eventually earning the elite “Elpis” moniker, denoting hunters who have claimed the lives of one or more of the highest vampire class. Juliet receives a summons to the royal capital alongside the other esteemed Elpis members, tasked with a dangerous mission to travel to the world of vampires to rescue the kidnapped prince. As the mission becomes far more deadly and complicated than any of them could imagine, can the Elpis’ eight members survive the ordeals ahead while Juliet participates in a high-stakes game to determine the fate of humanity and vampires?
Saying more about the game’s plot would delve into the murky waters of spoilers. I don’t want to give too much away since much of its narrative goes in shocking directions from what one initially expects. Yes, on the surface, the story is essentially about humans versus vampires, but it becomes so much more than that the further you go. There are plot twists aplenty to keep you guessing, and even details that seem inconsequential or superfluous at first glance have more profound meaning. In regards to the plot, The Red Bell’s Lament certainly delivers.
I find the lack of a content/trigger warning a weak point, though. The Red Bell’s Lament features some disturbing, shocking, and depressing plot points. Time loops occur frequently, which is understandable given that so many of the “story arcs” in the game feature things like suicide, cannibalism, and brutal depictions of deaths such as crucifixions. You must see a lot of pain and heartache before the narrative gels and a potentially hopeful point emerges. Understandably, that kind of storytelling isn’t for everyone, and I found playing the earlier and middle stages emotionally draining, given the routes’ upsetting natures. This sense of doom and gloom nearly overstays its welcome, so I’d recommend pacing yourself accordingly if you choose to play. What ultimately emerges from the blood and ashes is an engaging tale, but not everyone will have the heart or stomach to reach it.
The Red Bell’s Lament is essentially a traditional visual novel, where you-as-Juliet advance through dialogue and text until a decision point where your choice impacts how things play out in the following scene. Throughout the various time loops, there’s also an affection meter tracker for the four love interests based on your responses: blunt and taciturn Ciaran, dutiful knight Garrett, cheerful childhood friend Asher, and proud noble vampire Rhodes. However, what makes The Red Bell’s Lament different from most otome titles is that you’re essentially on a common route throughout the various time loops.
Only after the common route/main story “epilogue” and seeing the end credits do you even get access to the love interest endings. It makes the story’s romance angle feel weirdly incorporated, especially since the three love interest routes are short kinetic VN story scenes once you reach them. It is a shame, given how the love interest characters are decently written and fleshed out. Given the focus on the fantasy narrative over the romance, several supporting characters stand out even more than the main roster. Fellow Elpis member and history aficionado Nicola is probably my favorite character of the cast, alongside the enigmatic vampire siblings Oleander and Lynaria.
To break up the traditional VN segments, The Red Bell’s Lament provides gameplay “missions” for Juliet to participate in. These segments resemble a board game where you move Juliet to various stage points in a limited number of turns. Not figuring out the “correct” route to reach the finish line can lead to optional bad ends. These missions are tedious affairs that don’t add much to the experience and can instead lead to frustration if you find yourself on the wrong path. I would’ve preferred the game not even bother with them, as they add little to the overall experience.
The game’s character and CG illustration art are probably its strongest assets. The more important characters have nice designs and expressive art, though unfortunately, most tertiary characters lack any type of portrait, even if they’re important enough to have names. The backgrounds are overly simplistic and have even been the source of debate and controversy over possible AI use. I don’t know enough about discerning AI use in art to weigh in, but I feel like the backgrounds don’t stand out compared to the character art and CGs. The UI is decent enough, though sometimes a character’s name won’t appear over their dialogue when every other named character has theirs in the same scene. Also, even if you opt to change Juliet’s name, the game refers to her as such constantly, breaking player immersion.
The script work has noticeable typographical and grammatical errors, and some words used in the translation are simply odd from an English-language perspective. For example, the word “paramour” appears frequently throughout the localization, even when other descriptors would come across as more natural. There was at least one notable instance where, at a player choice, both dialogue options were blank. The Japanese voice acting is quite good overall, though it took some time for Ciaran’s voice actor, Takuya Eguchi, to grow on me because he sounds much older than the character’s appearance. However, the reasoning behind that casting becomes apparent once the game delves into his personal story and emotional range. I enjoyed the music, especially the opening and ending themes, and the BGMs are good despite being limited. Sound effects also fit what was happening in a given scene rather well.
The Red Bell’s Lament is an odd otome in that the romance isn’t the main focal point of the game and arguably feels like an afterthought in some respects. However, the little romance there is works effectively. The main plot is compelling and thoughtful, but reaching the point where it comes together takes quite a bit of perseverance. Add in a wholly unnecessary gameplay gimmick in the form of “gameboard” missions, and it’ll take an exceedingly patient otome VN fan to appreciate the title’s apparent strengths. I enjoyed The Red Bell’s Lament when I reached its conclusion, but I also found it a struggle to continue playing after that initial bite.
