It took me a little while after playing this visual novel to tackle this review. I Walk Among Zombies isn’t particularly long, nor is it overly complex, but I still had to pause for a little while, and give my approach some thought. For one thing, this is definitely a pure visual novel, with no game in sight. I liked it a lot as a change of pace, and loved the story focus of the novel overall. That same excellent story though, faces one serious hurdle, the fact that this is the first volume of a full story. It ends on a blatant cliffhanger.
So I put this review off. I suggest if you’re interested in this game, but would be bothered by a cliffhanger ending, that you do not pick up this visual novel. Also, give it a pass if you like gameplay, or need choices in your visual novels. If you like a well-told story, with a buildup that generates concern for characters, and emotional threads that make you wonder exactly how you feel about the events, then I Walk Among Zombies is the type of visual novel that is right for you.
I Walk Among Zombies, otherwise known as A World Filled With Zombies Where Only I Am Not Attacked is based on an 18+ novel submitted to the novel submission site Nocturne Novels. It was so good that, along with generating a lot of buzz, it won the top spot in their yearly rankings. The visual novel was made based on the quality inherent in the novel, with the idea that it could only enhance the experience. I’m pretty sure I agree with that idea. More ecchi art is always welcome.
There aren’t a lot of H-scenes in I Walk Among Zombies, but there are eight main scenes, shared out among the novel fairly equally with in-depth story elements. I never went so long without a scene that I felt like I wasn’t playing an 18+ VN, and they were mostly integrated nicely into the story. There’s actually foreshadowing elements present in a few of them that hint at story reveals near the end, which is pretty cool. There are a number of fetishes, but these mainly relate to the fact that the above character is a non-rotting, unresponsive, zombie. Mitsuki, the main heroine, starts out committing sex acts reluctantly, as a transaction to survive, but, well, most of her scenes are vanilla. The voices in the scene are a mixed batch, mainly because only Mitsuki actually has a voice, but her work is great, and makes up the majority of H-scene voice work. The artwork is nice, and scenes play out with a series of art pieces that show their progress, which is the style of visual storytelling I prefer.
There’s a lot of good art used to build the zombie world as well, from abandoned areas, to the zombies themselves. General sound work is standard, meaning the music is good enough to fit the story, but not something you’ll find yourself humming days later. The UI works well, and the way the text appears on screen fits the novel experience well.
I don’t want to spoil the story, but I’ll lay out the basics. The main character, Yuusuke, is bitten by a zombie. Doesn’t die. Finds out that zombies don’t try to kill him as a result, meaning he can walk among them freely. He works to survive, and try and enjoy himself a little in the functionally ended world he finds himself in. Despite his anti-social past, and claims, he helps a young woman, Mitsuki, and her younger siblings survive. Then the bulk of the story happens. I won’t tell you what happens, but it’s pretty good. Would I rate this visual novel among my favorites? No, but I’m honestly not sure how much of that is because it lacks a final ending. If this was a complete story, it could very well rate more highly. Until volume two comes out, I won’t know.
I Walk Among Zombies is quality storytelling, with nice art. It isn’t afraid to progress the story of a post-apocalypse in appropriately apocalyptic ways. It can get dark, and it also has its moments of hope. It is about complex emotions. It’s perfect for anyone like me, who got hooked on visual novels precisely because they can combine good (and yes, ecchi) artwork, with an enjoyable story. If that describes you, pick it up when you can.
