Yurukill came as a surprising reveal that immediately had fans of murder mysteries vying to see what it was all about. It had many familiar elements from an overarching mystery, characters that weren't all that they appeared, logic puzzles that put ones skills to the test and a wide array of characters to get invested in. The biggest twist of all was this little title that seemed simple at first was hiding something entirely new for the genre: a shoot-em-up segment. This unique scenario caught many off guard, but interested them all the more to know just what exactly was going on in this wild clash of genres. The biggest query of all was if all these different ideas actually worked well together or if it feels more like a combination that was better left on the drawing board.

The story of Yurukill follows a wide variety of characters who've all been accused of various crimes waking up in prison cells. Here they discover that they're part of a game by the name of Yurukill. Each prisoner is paired up with an executioner who has control over their life at the press of a button, with the goal being for them to survive to the very end in order for the prisoner to be declared free to go. Whether the prisoners are innocent or guilty is dependent on the individual, but they quickly learn that the executioner each is partnered with is tied into the crime they've allegedly committed in some way. It creates a terrifying push and pull of wanting to see those harmed see justice, while those who are innocent manage to make it through the games that lie in wait in order to see who will be remaining at the very end. This is all lead by the mysterious Binako who is not shy to puns. She's a surprisingly delightful assistant in seeing the game of Yurukill through and always has some way of both tearing characters down and also pulling them back out in the same breath.

A good majority of Yurukill is a puzzle-solving mystery in which the prisoner and executioner work together in order to proceed through unique set-pieces made just for them. As luck would have it these too have a role to play in the alleged crime committed by the prisoner. The puzzles themselves are logic-based and clever and enjoyable to figure out. Most of them won't be terribly difficult but some can be occasionally cryptic. Fortunately for anyone who might struggle there's a fantastic hint system that gives players pushes in the right direction to the answer if they need a little assistance. Along the way little robots tend to be the main catalysts in order to continue throughout each area. Binako will also occasionally appear to assist in her own way, although she's usually just there to get the two players started before moving along, she does enjoy popping up to make observations before sending everyone back on their way. The story unfolds as progress is made through each area and clues connected to help put the pieces together of whether or not the accused is actually guilty or not. Once they've finally made their way through the first part it's still far from over, as this is where things begin to heat up as both prisoner and executioner begin combat in a fight for their lives.

The biggest twist of Yurukill is the final segment of learning more about all of the involved characters. Two will take to VR pods and be whisked away into a shoot-em-up scenario in which the prisoner is quite literally fighting for their life. This is also where hints and clues come into play, as throughout the overhead flying fight at certain intervals the prisoner will be tasked to answer questions either from the executioner or from Binako in order to set them off on their journey. They must do their best to stay alive and hope to win, as it's easy to falter and fall through the cracks. While the shoot-em-up portions may seem randomly tacked on, it's fun and gratifying as each character has their own unique stats for their ships in addition to unique abilities they can use. The levels are also fun and well constructed in addition to varying depending on which difficulty was selected at the beginning to play on. The one downside of this is sometimes the executioner's questions can be difficult to answer in the moment, and it'd be nice if there was a way to look back at the gathered evidence and facts to be sure of a choice before selecting it as it can feel cryptic at times. It's still some of the most fun to be had, and for those who enjoy it there's even a score attack mode that can be accessed from the main menu in order for players to retry and beat their past scores to be the best pilot around.

Most of the visuals will go between character artwork and background set pieces. The character art is a subjective matter but it's more of a dreary style with everyone looking tired and beat down by life, fitting given many of them were in prison. The backgrounds are nice and detailed with plenty to examine along the way. One of the visual highlights comes from the SHMUP sections which have gorgeous 3D ships and enemies to look at with tons of details. The other major highlight is actually from when the characters are talking to one another, as there are multiple flashing lights that changing based on the characters apparent mood. It's ultimately a rather minor thing but adds a lot of detail and personality to them, in addition to just being visually endearing. The soundtrack in Yurukill is a surprising delight and knows when to ramp things up and tone things down especially when blasting enemies in ships. As the story is ultimately the main draw it's important that it sticks the landing, and it's easy to say that it does manage to grip players and feel invested in these troublesome groups whether it's out of hate or concern. The dynamics between all the characters manage to stand out and make each group memorable.

Closing Comments: 

While a murder mystery survival scenario may not be the most unique concept ever made, Yurukill manages to twist things on its head by going all in to make one of the most unique Visual Novel experiences. Even the SHMUP sections don't feel unforgiving with multiple difficulty options that allow players to make things as easy or challenging as they'd like. The characters are all endearing in one way or another, and the story keeps being invested with every group and wanting to see just how everything will tie together in the very end. Whether people survive or struggle to make it is up to them and putting the pieces together correctly. Yurukill: The Calumination Games is well worth playing for those who love the mystery that awaits even if they're hesitant about taking flight and shooting down enemies.