"428: Shibuya Scramble" Review

A visual novel blessed with stunning photographic visuals and a dizzzying, twist-filled story to match, "428: Shibuya Scramble" is a wily, text-heavy adventure that keeps you as engrossed as you would be in a binge-worthy TV series or page-turning beach read.

The concept may seem fresh, but it's actually a relic from a decade ago. Originally released in Japan in 2008, the game is a mix of stylized text, still photography at times manipulated by subtle fascination. You follow five protagonists over a period of 10 hours.

Choices you make in one timeline affect the various others, making no two playthroughs the same. As many as 50 different outcomes are possible.

Soaked in the authentic-feeling culture of Tokyo's Shibuya district, you begin to feel as though you are part of the humming community, which serves as the backdrop to the web of intrigue. An engrossing use of gaming to tell an interactive story that wouldn't be possible with any other narrative medium, "428: Shibuya Scramble" is a hard-to-forget experience that sinks its hooks into you and hangs on for one wild ride after another.
Publisher provided review code.