Emergency vehicles surround the arena, and your friend’s texts are getting downright peculiar. Suddenly, a consuming darkness clouds your vision, and it’s like your workday hits the reset button.
Step into the shoes of Hannah in Replay Boys, a video editor employed by a modest record label. With everyone off sick, you’re handed the task of managing all four members of a rather challenging boy band. It’s up to you to get them to the concert, prep them for soundcheck, and diffuse their meltdowns. While this sounds like a classic visual novel setup, rife with humor and boy band antics, don’t be fooled—there’s something far more sinister beneath the surface.
The true depth of Replay Boys comes into focus by reliving the same day repeatedly. Hannah is thrust into bizarre situations where she encounters ghosts, faces brainwashed fans, engages with a dubious cult, and navigates other more ‘earthly’ crimes like kidnapping and gun possession. It all escalates when, inexplicably, the day begins to loop.
According to Bell, the mastermind behind the script, this oddity evolved organically. “I was drawn to crafting a narrative that makes you question your senses,” she explains. “Visual novels play out in your mind’s eye, which amps up the eeriness. They trigger your imagination, making the chills much more profound.”
The game does a fantastic job of blending visual novel traits with horror. Both genres rely heavily on repetition—visual novels require replaying scenes to explore story branches, while horror often breaks established ‘safe’ patterns to deliver shocks. This narrative loop becomes a core part of Replay Boys, driving its dark undertones deeper.
Initially, Replay Boys embraces familiar visual novel tropes. However, upon reaching the day’s abrupt conclusion, a loop kicks in, subtly altering your perception. Sounds morph, familiar scenes grow unsettling, and inaccessible rooms suddenly open. Cracks in reality appear, distorting the tale into something even more eerie and surreal.
While subverting expectations sits at the heart of Replay Boys, Bell intended it to remain a bona fide otome experience. “I crafted each band member with depth, allowing players to form meaningful relationships,” she notes. “Winning a character’s trust should feel like a well-earned victory.”
Expect to savor a unique mix of romance and chills this Valentine’s Day. Replay Boys launches today for Xbox One, Series X|S, and via the Xbox app on PC.
And just like that, Split Narrative Inc. delivers an engaging title that’s immersive and consistently intriguing, with paths that diverge based on your choices. Priced at $9.99, it’s a plot-rich experience packed with charismatic characters, dynamic visual elements, and an energetic tempo. Get ready to steer Hannah through the chaos, whether patching up band feuds, unraveling complex emotions, or navigating bewildering time loops—all with the fate of The Replay Boys resting in your hands.
