X-Note
X-Note is a visual novel video game based on Adobe Flash, therefore it can be played on multiple platforms such as Windows, Linux and Mac OS. The game was developed and published by Zeiva Inc and was released on March 8, 2011. The game contains mystery, romance, and supernatural elements. An updated version, X-Note 2.0, was released on March 9, 2012.
Plot
Essi's mother died in an accident ten years ago and left a USB flash drive with a locked folder named "X-Note". Essi continues her life as a high school student; however, she has powers beyond normal humans. When a young man called Yuon invites her to investigate a [...] case and a mysterious disappearance in Xen Institute, she is tempted to unlock the locked folder "X-Note" by helping him. She hopes to unravel her mother's mysterious death.
Characters
- Essi is the protagonist of the story and a high school student.
- Yuon is a student of Xen institute and the one who invited Essi to his school.
- Oure is a naive and childlike boy in Xen institute.
- Anon is a self-proclaimed famous informant of Xen Institute.
- Rexus is a strange man who keeps watching Essi in the park.
- Acia is one of the teachers in Xen Institute.
Gameplay
The game offers a mix of classic visual novel gameplay, with dialogues and many choices to make, with some minigames. It also contains elements of a dating sim. The game spans for 30 days, of which the player can train the protagonist's abilities, explore the school and collect notes. The player can also influence the course of the game by making choices. Instead of a save system, the player can keep record of his ProgresS by using given passwords. In the updated version, X-Note 2.0, a save system was integrated, a lot of bugs were fixed, and additional content was added.
Development and sequel
The game was created with Flash MX, Photoshop 7, and Audacity and was completed within four months of production time. The basic idea of X-note was inspired by Ghost Hunt, Kindaichi Shonen no Jikenbo, and Tantei Gakuen Q. In an interview with otome-games.com the creator of the game states: "Ever since I watched Ghost Hunt, I've been fascinated with paranormal series. I thought it would be cool if I combined those elements with a [...] case." On February 22, 2011 the opening video was released on YouTube.
The upcoming game Area-X is set in the same universe as X-Note and expected for a release in 2013.
Reception
The game received a score of 77/100 on Gamertell, with reviewer Jenni Lada writing: "At the very least, the game hints that Zeiva could be capable of great things in the future."