Visual novels and their more adventure game inspired cousins come in all sorts of narrative genres, but for me the very best of them have some sort of horror element. Games like Paranormasight or Danganronpa manage to make a type of video game that’s as low pressure as it gets incredibly tense, and because of this often leave me thinking about them for much longer than more fast paced gaming experiences. Urban Myth Dissolution Center has absolutely managed to do this too, with its intriguing tale of a young girl with powers trying to find the truth among so many well known made up stories.
The protagonist of Urban Myth Dissolution Center is Azami, a student who has always seen spooky things that others don’t. She sees a leaflet for the titular center one day and decides she wants answers, and discovers that instead of seeing ghosts what she’s seeing are the past actions of people using Clairvoyance. The mysterious and fairly sinister man running this investigation unit convinces (or perhaps tricks) her into using these powers to work for the team, and thus the episodic myth busting story begins.
Each chapter of Urban Myth Dissolution Center features its own case to solve, which involves checking out some sort of spooky report from someone who has contacted the center. You will never truly know if you’re dealing with an actual paranormal phenomenon or something more human until you’ve really dived into a case, but either way there will always be an element of fear present throughout. The almost “Monster of the Week” like structure of the game makes the game incredibly easy to digest, with enough overarching story to keep you hooked.
There are many things you’ll need to do to solve a case, but you’ll always start by looking for clues on social media. At the start of these online research sections you’ll have a feed full of posts to read and interact with alongside your partner Jasmine. Some of these will just be standard internet trolling, but others will contain vital clues you need to progress. With your power of Clairvoyance you’ll also notice words wobbling that will make good search terms to find more relevant posts, and can combine these accordingly to find the information you need. It’s a really clever way to start each chapter of the game, and seeing how social media affects the more naïve and innocent Azami is great character building.
Once you’ve got a few leads from the internet, it’s time to investigate the scene of the phenomenon in person. This is where Urban Myth Dissolution Center leans more into the standard point and click adventure side of things, with objects to interact with and people to talk to who will help you uncover the truth. You’ll also need to use your powers in these scenes too, by putting on the magical glasses that allow you to see those “ghosts” that show people’s past actions in the room you’re in. This adds an extra intriguing element to the investigation, while maintaining that little element of horror.
Once you’ve uncovered enough information, you’ll need to piece together the mystery with the help of your boss. He also has unusual powers that allow him to watch your every move, and he always knows when to get in touch with you and talk you through the confusing moments. He’ll often ask you a question about what really happened in a scene, and you’ll be given a sentence full of blanks that you need to fill in correctly with a selection of phrases. There’s no punishment for getting this wrong and he’ll usually help guide you down the right path if you’re struggling, but it’s a nice way to ensure you understand what’s going on and test you a bit.
Finally once you’ve spent a couple of hours investigating across multiple days and uncovering all the mysteries, it’s time for the Dissolution phase. This is where you wrap up all of the loose ends, and finally find out the truth. After answering questions and in doing so opening up a weird mystical tube with your boss the truth will be revealed, and a few exciting big reveals will happen as you officially decide if the case was of paranormal origin or something else. Every single case had a satisfying conclusion as far as I’m concerned, and left me hungry for more mysteries.
To say Urban Myth Dissolution Center is a scary game might be a bit of an exaggeration, but the visuals absolutely add a creepy element to the proceedings. The detailed pixel art characters are so expressive, and when they’re starting to lose it in a creepy situation it’s really unnerving. Couple this with some seriously horrific imagery and this is a game that will certainly put you on edge in the middle of the night, if not quite reach clothes soiling levels.
I really don’t have a lot of complaints with Urban Myth Dissolution Center. It does sometimes feel like you have to repeat yourself a little too much to prove you know what’s going on, and a few cases move at a slower pace than I’d prefer. Some might also not appreciate how strictly linear and guided the experience is either, but it ensures the story is told exactly how the developers intended.
Urban Myth Dissolution Center is a delightfully spooky adventure game full of twists and turns that is so easy to devour thanks to its structure. Switching between online research, real world investigation, and answering questions about the mystery ensures you never get bored playing, and the paranormal element adds an edge that a slower paced game like this really benefits from. If you’re looking for an engaging narrative and mysteries to solve then I’d highly recommend you join the Urban Myth Dissolution Center today, you won’t regret it.
