Hermitage: Strange Case Files – Review

Our Score: 9/10

Hermitage: Strange Case Files by Arrowiz is a gripping paranormal horror adventure that revolves around that Hermitage. A sinister bookstore that attracts the most unusual customers. And all of whom seem to be involved in mysterious cases bordering on the paranormal.

This Lovecraftian-themed visual novel will blow you away. With its striking and unique visual style, it is bound to hook you from the get-go. With just how impressive this game is, I’m surprised at the lack of coverage and marketing this game has received.

What is Hermitage: Strange Case Files

“Investigate mysterious cases by taking on the role of a less than motivated bookshop owner, a former anthropology professor who for unknown reasons has never been seen outside of his bookstore.

With the help of a hacker genius on the run, a self-proclaimed detective and a short-tempered legal consultant, you must get to the bottom of a row of horrific incidents, bearing in mind the supernatural horrors that lurk within the pages of Hermitage’s Lovecraftian book collection.”

Hermitage: Strange Case Files is indeed a strange game. It takes your notion about visual novels and throws it out the windows. With its genre-bending gameplay, you’ll be quite intrigued by what it has to offer once you start getting into it. First, you play as a weird bookshop owner who is a hermit. Furthermore, you’re paired with some interesting and kooky side characters. But to put the cherry on top, you’ve got a lot of Lovecraftian themes spread across the game.

Furthermore, your choices dictate what path the story will take. You need to be meticulous and smart to solve the mysteries at hand.  To help you along, you also have character skills that might come in handy.

The gameplay is pretty solid and to the point. Meaning, you can treat it like a point-and-click game. The game is also heavy on reading given that it’s first and foremost a visual novel. But given how the game immediately grabs your interest with the plot, you won’t be paying attention too much to what genre it is.

Look and Feel

Another way the game immediately grabs your attention is with its art style. It is absolutely gorgeous. I’ve not seen many games that have nailed this Comic Book aesthetic but this game does. It reminds me a lot of Persona 5 in all honesty. Not only because of how it all looks but also because of its functionality. The way the art and UI are integrated into the game world is marvelous.

I don’t want to keep comparing it to Persona 5 but another thing that this game does incredibly well is music. Persona 5 is known for its art and music. Well, Hermitage: Strange Case feels seems to have taken inspiration from there and done the same. The noire-like soft and mysterious jazz music is used so freaking well.

Final Verdict

Hermitage: Strange Case Files is too good of a game to fly under your radar. With an incredible art style, superb writing, and great music, this is a game you need to experience. I genuinely want more people to play this game. The lack of marketing and talk around this game is shocking because it is such a fantastic detective visual novel. So, do yourself a favor and play this game.