Review: Twice Reborn: A Vampire Visual Novel [Xbox Series S]

Visual novels seem to fall into two categories: engaging, and overinflated. On the rare occasion, one is a bit of both. Twice Reborn: A Vampire Visual Novel from First Step Cinematics and Ratalaika Games, and published by eastasiasoft, is one such oddity.

As with all strict visual novels, the gameplay is 99% reading with a few choices thrown in throughout. That doesn’t necessarily mean it is boring. On the contrary, the recently released Coffee Talk chapter 2 is very interesting as the player unravels a bit of mystery while perfecting their barista skills. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Twice Reborn.

It was dark and stormy night

Twice Reborn starts during New Year’s Eve 1999. It focuses on one character, Dameon, who after being bitten by an acquaintance and changing, forcefully turns his girlfriend. He isn’t our main character, even though he is integral to the story. Depending on how you look at it, he is rather firmly in the villain role. Although, many of the characters who aren’t really “good” in this game.

Ten years later, we meet brilliant but unmotivated Mark Delaware. A teacher’s assistant to history professor Michelson, he’s in love with a pretty girl and preparing for his future. Strange, reclusive Michelson, who’s abusive and abrasive attitude does little to endear him, has offered to introduce Mark to “The Society of the Arts.” He believes Mark will go far in helping the Society acquire art and artifacts for their pursuits. But, he fails to mention that he and the Society are actually vampires. This is something Mark finds out sooner rather than later. He is attacked and either dies, or is saved by Michelson. He is then given the choice to become one of them, a blood donor, or die. Depending on which route you take, Mark’s story ends, or is drawn out into a very lengthy, and rather tedious journey.

The truth bites

I know I sound harsh. There were glimpses of brilliance in Twice Reborn that sadly didn’t result in a crown of blood jewels. Instead, the game hemorrhages unnecessary descriptive details that must be read, even though the visuals show exactly what is being described. There is limited voice acting, that often doesn’t match the text.

There is also a severe lack of transparency in the relationship between Mark and Michelson. Considering he is Mark’s sire and expects him to take over his “Enforcer” position, as well as join his house, he does a terrible job at educating Mark on almost everything expected of him. He, then becomes angry to the point of rage when Mark “messes up.” Can anyone say “gaslighting?” And don’t get me started on the lack of consent. The game can’t seem to decide if being a vampire is romantic or horrific. Mark, even after he turns, repeatedly rails against and questions his very existence, to the point of exhaustion.

Final Thoughts

I did mention there were glimpses of bloodstained brilliance. Some of the characters are very charming, coming from a variety of cultures and backgrounds. I honestly wish we could have explored their stories more than focusing on Mark and his tyrant of a sire. Unfortunately, the story, for all of its bloatedness, is entirely too long, and rather predictable. There were whole sections I skipped, made a choice and wasn’t surprised at the outcome. I will commend the ambitiousness of their delve into lore, and the visuals are lovely, if not a bit over the top sexual in some scenes.

Overall, Twice Reborn has a good foundation that could have been adapted into something other than a long, dry visual novel. Perhaps an anime?

Twice Reborn is available on Xbox One, Series X/S, PlayStation 4/5, and Nintendo Switch. Review key provided by eastasiasoft.