I cannot believe we've already reached the end of this wonderful series. I have to admit whilst I couldn't wait for the episodes to get released while playing through the 9-Nine series, I still didn't want it to end. Unfortunately, I have to let go of it now. However, each game turned out to be memorable to me and was an experience I won't forget anytime soon. Anyway, I went in with high expectations for the finale episode and, luckily, it didn't let me down. As expected, this episode is where everything comes together — And to an end.

Please proceed reading this review with caution, as it contains heavy spoilers regarding episode 1-3. In that sense, playing the previous episodes before starting this one is highly recommended as the game itself spoils the happenings of the other games. Whilst episode 1-3 could have been seen as standalones, episode 4 works completely differently and assumes that the player completed the previous games as well.


9-Nine-:Episode 4 starts right away with a brief summary of episode 1-3. Now, that we know who the real villain is, jumping between the branches is mandatory to find out where and why the branches failed. Thus, this time it's Noa Yuuki's turn as the main heroine in this chapter. Admittedly, the reader didn't get to know much about her at all during the other games as she was always very mysterious in the other branches. Either way, it's noticeable that Kakeru Niimi needs to find out more about Nao in order to beat Iris.


I'm still amazed that with the multiple branches in the 9-Nine series I never had the feeling that it's too repetitive at all. Instead, with each new episode, the reader gets closer to the truth and now, the last chapter purely revolves around solving the main problem with Iris. However, nothing goes as expected and Kakeru has to overcome a lot of hardships. In addition to that, during the whole playthrough, I was on edge and the game even added plot twists here and there I couldn't see coming. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and the other episodes already taught me that nothing is at it seems in this series.

Nonetheless, I found 9-Nine-:Episode 4 is a satisfying end of the series and everything will finally come to an end. To be fair, with all the supernatural happenings and multiple branches along with the superpowers, I was worried about possible plot-holes as I couldn't imagine how the game would wrap up the series. However, to my surprise, the visual novel explained everything well which made my doubts disappear. I have to admit that this game was probably the most stressful entry for my emotions so far, however, I wouldn't dare to step into the spoiler territory.


So, the romance isn't missing here either. However, I feel like this entry focuses least on the romance compared to episode 1-3. To be honest, with this entry, I was more interested in how the story will turn out instead of Kakeru's relationship with Nao. However, the romance was well-executed nonetheless and with everything they went through together, I'd be surprised if they managed to not fall for each other. Anyway, the romance is something I found very special in this episode as it added a more emotional touch to the serious storyline and made me get more invested in the characters and happenings. As I already went through the love stories with the other girls, I was attached to every heroine. Luckily, Kakeru fits just well with any of the girls, even with the awkward but adorable Noa.


Whilst the other games implement a lot of light-hearted moments, this entry feels more serious than its predecessors. Of course, 9-Nine-:Episode 4 still has its light-hearted scenes, however, the focus of this episode is Iris and how to defeat her to finally reach a branch with a happy end. Either way, I liked that each entry becomes more and more serious with the increasing tension which kept me engaged until the end. The latter part of the visual novel also managed to surprise me, as it gets pretty dark here. Even more than before. So be prepared for a few shocking events.


So, the special feature here is that the player can jump between different branches. However, overall episode 4 is a kinetic novel as well as the other entries. So, if the player can jump to a different branch through a flowchart it's because the game wants them to. Other than that, the reader doesn't have any impact on the storyline, although they can decide which scenario they want to read through first, however, the order doesn't matter at all. Still, the branch had a grand purpose and made me feel like I actually could change the story and its happenings. Along with that, I could even look up a brief summary of each chapter from the previous games. This might be useful for those who forgot one or two events. In addition to that, the flowchart is available to check anytime during the playthrough so should the reader get confused they can reread it anytime.

That being said, there is only one possible end the player can reach. Although choices are technically implemented, there is only one decision the player can choose so they only have the purpose of increasing the immersion. Luckily, this indeed helped me with getting more invested in the game.


Along with the great storyline, 9-Nine-:Episode 4 even implements gorgeous character sprites and CGs. Like the previous games, each of them was stunning. Along with that, there are a lot of options available here as well such as selecting a font and much more. In that regard, although the reader already knows what to expect due to the predecessors I would like to specifically mention that the artwork and Japanese voice-acting is top-notch in this series and episode 4 didn't let me down either. Whilst animations are rather subtle here, they serve the purpose of increasing the immersion without being too overbearing.


During the previous episodes, I already knew the 9-Nine series will be unlike any other visual novel. And now, I can wholeheartedly recommend the series to any visual novel lover who appreciates a well-executed story. Even the last chapter turned out to be a delight and managed to wrap up everything well. Overall, the thing I adore about 9-Nine is that each episode builds upon another and just when I assumed that I figured everything out, the game manages to throw me off with plot twists I didn't expect at all. In addition to that, the romance is lovely and fits well into the happenings although the storyline is still noticeably in the foreground. That being said, do yourself a favor and play this game right away — anyone who enjoyed the previous episodes will absolutely love this entry as well.

𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐲 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬!

I cannot believe we've already reached the end of this wonderful series. I have to admit whilst I couldn't wait for the episodes to get released while playing through the 9-Nine series, I still didn't want it to end. Unfortunately, I have to let go of it now. However, each game turned out to be memorable to me and was an experience I won't forget anytime soon. Anyway, I went in with high expectations for the finale episode and, luckily, it didn't let me down. As expected, this episode is where everything comes together — And to an end. [i]Please proceed reading this review with caution, as it contains heavy spoilers regarding episode 1-3. In that sense, playing the previous episodes before starting this one is highly recommended as the game itself spoils the happenings of the other games. Whilst episode 1-3 could have been seen as standalones, episode 4 works completely differently and assumes that the player completed the previous games as well.[/i] [h2]It's Time For The Final Battle[/h2] 9-Nine-:Episode 4 starts right away with a brief summary of episode 1-3. Now, that we know who the real villain is, jumping between the branches is mandatory to find out where and why the branches failed. Thus, this time it's Noa Yuuki's turn as the main heroine in this chapter. Admittedly, the reader didn't get to know much about her at all during the other games as she was always very mysterious in the other branches. Either way, it's noticeable that Kakeru Niimi needs to find out more about Nao in order to beat Iris. [h2]The Storyline And its Execution[/h2] I'm still amazed that with the multiple branches in the 9-Nine series I never had the feeling that it's too repetitive at all. Instead, with each new episode, the reader gets closer to the truth and now, the last chapter purely revolves around solving the main problem with Iris. However, nothing goes as expected and Kakeru has to overcome a lot of hardships. In addition to that, during the whole playthrough, I was on edge and the game even added plot twists here and there I couldn't see coming. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and the other episodes already taught me that nothing is at it seems in this series. Nonetheless, I found 9-Nine-:Episode 4 is a satisfying end of the series and everything will finally come to an end. To be fair, with all the supernatural happenings and multiple branches along with the superpowers, I was worried about possible plot-holes as I couldn't imagine how the game would wrap up the series. However, to my surprise, the visual novel explained everything well which made my doubts disappear. I have to admit that this game was probably the most stressful entry for my emotions so far, however, I wouldn't dare to step into the spoiler territory. [h2]The Romance[/h2] So, the romance isn't missing here either. However, I feel like this entry focuses least on the romance compared to episode 1-3. To be honest, with this entry, I was more interested in how the story will turn out instead of Kakeru's relationship with Nao. However, the romance was well-executed nonetheless and with everything they went through together, I'd be surprised if they managed to not fall for each other. Anyway, the romance is something I found very special in this episode as it added a more emotional touch to the serious storyline and made me get more invested in the characters and happenings. As I already went through the love stories with the other girls, I was attached to every heroine. Luckily, Kakeru fits just well with any of the girls, even with the awkward but adorable Noa. [h2]The Atmosphere[/h2] Whilst the other games implement a lot of light-hearted moments, this entry feels more serious than its predecessors. Of course, 9-Nine-:Episode 4 still has its light-hearted scenes, however, the focus of this episode is Iris and how to defeat her to finally reach a branch with a happy end. Either way, I liked that each entry becomes more and more serious with the increasing tension which kept me engaged until the end. The latter part of the visual novel also managed to surprise me, as it gets pretty dark here. Even more than before. So be prepared for a few shocking events. [h2]The Ending and its Branches[/h2] So, the special feature here is that the player can jump between different branches. However, overall episode 4 is a kinetic novel as well as the other entries. So, if the player can jump to a different branch through a flowchart it's because the game wants them to. Other than that, the reader doesn't have any impact on the storyline, although they can decide which scenario they want to read through first, however, the order doesn't matter at all. Still, the branch had a grand purpose and made me feel like I actually could change the story and its happenings. Along with that, I could even look up a brief summary of each chapter from the previous games. This might be useful for those who forgot one or two events. In addition to that, the flowchart is available to check anytime during the playthrough so should the reader get confused they can reread it anytime. That being said, there is only one possible end the player can reach. Although choices are technically implemented, there is only one decision the player can choose so they only have the purpose of increasing the immersion. Luckily, this indeed helped me with getting more invested in the game. [h2]Graphics and Japanese Voice-Acting[/h2] Along with the great storyline, 9-Nine-:Episode 4 even implements gorgeous character sprites and CGs. Like the previous games, each of them was stunning. Along with that, there are a lot of options available here as well such as selecting a font and much more. In that regard, although the reader already knows what to expect due to the predecessors I would like to specifically mention that the artwork and Japanese voice-acting is top-notch in this series and episode 4 didn't let me down either. Whilst animations are rather subtle here, they serve the purpose of increasing the immersion without being too overbearing. [h2]So, what do we have in the end?[/h2] During the previous episodes, I already knew the 9-Nine series will be unlike any other visual novel. And now, I can wholeheartedly recommend the series to any visual novel lover who appreciates a well-executed story. Even the last chapter turned out to be a delight and managed to wrap up everything well. Overall, the thing I adore about 9-Nine is that each episode builds upon another and just when I assumed that I figured everything out, the game manages to throw me off with plot twists I didn't expect at all. In addition to that, the romance is lovely and fits well into the happenings although the storyline is still noticeably in the foreground. That being said, do yourself a favor and play this game right away — anyone who enjoyed the previous episodes will absolutely love this entry as well. [quote]𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐲 [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34470115/]𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞[/url] 𝐚𝐧𝐝 [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/5413792/]𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬[/url] 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬!