Variable Barricade Critic Reviews

You can count on Variable Barricade to treat you to highly enjoyable love interests that are surprising in the best ways, and span some fun and whacky romance tropes. You can trust it to provide an incredibly well-rounded cast of both love interests and secondary characters, in addition to a protagonist with her own capacity for engaging character growth. And you can be confident that it will have you grinning from ear to ear from start to finish. With Variable Barricade, I’ve found not only the cure for my own Resting Bitch Face syndrome, but a genuinely loveable title that’s permanently wormed its way into my heart. Yes, it’s a heart that’s been running on otome games for quite some time by now, but Variable Barricade stands out in all the right ways with its mix of uproarious humor and heartfelt romance. No matter what mood you enter in, you’ll leave and think back on Variable Barricade with a smile.

Variable Barricade was a great experience that subverted my expectations multiple times. From its unique flowchart system to the constant comedy punchlines, I could not stop playing. The interactions across every route kept me playing for hours. I said this once, and I’ll say it again: An otome game truly gets my high praise if it manages to make me lose track of time and keep going nonstop until I feel fatigued. And, Variable Barricade managed to check all of those boxes. So, if you’re looking to wind down with a comedic romance, look no further.

Aksys Games has been selecting some superb otome visual novels to localize in recent years and Variable Barricade is one of the best in the genre on Nintendo Switch. With each newer release, it feels like the genre is becoming more accessible to those who aren’t fans of pure visual novels. If you’re a fan of otome games, you need to get Variable Barricade. For newcomers, this light-hearted experience might finally get you into the genre.

The whole game is a pleasant surprise. Given the premise, I wasn’t sure if I’d take to it. I mean, a grandfather deciding his high school-aged granddaughter is ready to be engaged and sending her to live with four suitors he selected? It gave me pause. But I really loved how things turned out. Hibari is a fantastic heroine, the bachelors are often a lot of fun, and its great pacing means Variable Barricade is a great way to spend some evenings.

Without having supernatural elements or overly extravagant aspects, Variable Barricade is a fairly entertaining game, with a fun plot with no greater pretensions than to make us have a good time. If you are one of those who enjoy otome games, this is another strong candidate to be added to your list.

Maybe it’s the fact that I’ve now reviewed eleven games from the same developer in the last two years, but I’d really like to see them take some more risks with the endings in these romance games. Variable Barricade seemed like it would be the time, but the ending did leave me feeling a bit baited. But I accept that I’m part of a very small minority compared to the rest of the audience, and if you’re looking for romantic hijinx with a side of gritted teeth then climb over the barricade.

Perhaps this isn't the best the genre has to offer, then, but it's one for members of the otome armada who fancy a bit of a change from more extraordinary stories surrounding relatable matters of the heart.