Raining City: Millions Recollections is a surreal mystery that puts fortune in the palm of your hand.
Following in the footsteps of their previous product, The Chrono Jotter, 2P Games and Orca Layout have returned to the mystery visual novel genre with Raining City: Millions Recollections, a gloomy narrative experience. Raining City: Millions Recollections, which was released on PC through Steam, costs $11.99 and features a launch discount, as well as a packaged option that incorporates their earlier work.
Both games largely rely on mystery-driven storytelling, atmospheric tension, and interactive investigation, which makes the relationship to The Chrono Jotter clear in both its tone and structural design. However, by making riches a fundamental mechanic and directly linking your fortune to your relationships, decisions, and ultimately your destiny, this latest entry raises the stakes.
With a more complex and bizarre scenario, the developers have continued to refine their skill in combining mystery with a slow-burning story in Raining City: Millions Recollections. By setting you in the heart of Egret City, a soggy city full of mysteries, Raining City: Millions Recollections creates a setting where noir narrative and supernatural intrigue converge harmoniously.
As the main character, you assume the role of Lyu Xuan, who awakens in a state of shock, her palm mysteriously torn open by a black hole, her clothes covered with blood, and her memories a haze. Unending streams of bizarre Floodleaf Coins emerge from this emptiness, a fortune that immediately turns into a boon and a bane.
There is no explanation for this enigmatic power, and it is unclear if it was imposed upon her or the consequence of her own forgotten decisions in Raining City: Millions Recollections. Egret City, a land immersed in mystery and drenched in rain, is where the solutions are hidden.
Dark narration, research, and decision-making are all used to further the plot. People and animals react to the wealth that drips from your hand as you move around the city. While some approach with genuine politeness or interest, others display blatant animosity and desire the cash for themselves. What starts out as a last-ditch effort to find answers soon turns into a test of survival and judgment.
The notion that your choices have a direct impact on both the plot’s progression and your level of riches is at the heart of the story in Raining City: Millions Recollections. Your fortune is eroded or preserved by each interaction, which ultimately directs the course toward one of several possible outcomes. This dynamic makes sure that you are always considering the risks and consequences, rather than just acting as a passive observer.
Are you suspicious of the intentions of the stranger offering assistance, or do you trust them? Do you keep your wealth at the expense of social isolation, or do you distribute it to build alliances? The tension in the story is created by these quandaries, which also hold your attention throughout every exchange.
A girl who clings to Lyu Xuan like a devoted dog is one of the most notable supernatural characters who are drawn to her side. Her actual nature is unsettling, even though her presence initially seems protective. In Egret City, appearances are rarely what they seem, and the feeling that her intentions are concealed adds yet another level of ambiguity.
Fundamentally, Raining City: Millions Recollections is a visual novel with a mystery theme, and a large portion of the gameplay consists of assembling clues, handling relationships, and thoughtfully selecting dialogue options. This visual novel offers an investigative framework that branches based on where you travel and how you choose to act, in contrast to more linear ones.
Lyu Xuan’s smartphone serves as your primary hub for organizing information. It acts as the interface where you record character information, objectives, and hints. The phone becomes an essential tool as the plot thickens, acting as a detective’s diary. All of the interactions and hints you find are listed here, so you can review earlier data and improve your comprehension of what happened.
The smartphone also highlights the importance of tempo in Raining City: Millions Recollections. The speed at which some story events occur depends on the choices made regarding where to go next or who to meet in Raining City: Millions Recollections. You risk missing opportunities or letting specific characters work against you if you spend too much time in one spot.
You risk spending money carelessly if you move too quickly. When these components are balanced, a rhythm is created that feels captivating and keeps you actively engaged in the plot.
Raining City: Millions Recollections does not rely on conventional battle techniques, in contrast to visual novels with a strong action element or hybrid adventure game. Its structure is more like a puzzle and is determined by the choices you make regarding your money and your interactions with other people. Here, the “combat” is psychological and social; it is a continuous struggle for deceit, trust, and resource management.
The Floodleaf Coins themselves serve as a puzzle and a curse. The urge to use them freely is constant because they come out of Lyu Xuan’s hand indefinitely, yet doing so could draw unwanted attention. You must carefully consider whether it is in your best interest to share or withhold currency since the opportunistic humans and otherworldly beings you encounter each have distinct goals.
Because it offers the story real stakes, this technique works wonderfully. Every financial investment has an impact, and every decision has long-term repercussions. The basic “gameplay loop” revolves around striking a balance between risking money for alliances and keeping enough to secure specific storylines.
The way the coin system is woven into character interactions and branching storylines feels like a natural progression of the investigative visual novel style, even though some people might prefer more straightforward puzzle-solving.
There are no grinding mechanisms or XP in the conventional sense. Rather, wealth management and knowledge acquisition are used to gauge advancement. Every choice you make not only advances the plot but also modifies the amount of luck you still possess. Because even the smallest decision could change Lyu Xuan’s fate, this design gives every scene a sense of purpose.
With Egret City portrayed as a vast city soaked in constant rain, Raining City: Millions Recollections largely draws inspiration from noir filmmaking. The strange ambiance is further enhanced by the graphics, which envelop buildings and streets in muted tones, reflections, and dark lighting. In addition to serving as a realistic backdrop, this rain-soaked scene also functions as a metaphor for the danger and uncertainty that surround Lyu Xuan.
Character art constantly reminds you that the world is on the brink of the strange by fusing frightening supernatural flourishes with grounded human designs. The design of the strange female who shadows Lyu Xuan especially nails this contradiction, mixing familiarity with an unsettling edge. The story’s defining conflict between comfort and horror is conveyed in the artwork.
The slow, deliberate tempo of the sound design enhances the mood. A large portion of the soundscape is dominated by rainfall, which becomes ingrained in the experience as a continual reminder of the city’s oppressive nature.
Subtle auditory cues are used to punctuate dialogue and significant events, making Raining City: Millions Recollections feel lively even in the absence of action-packed scenes. The soundtrack emphasizes somber, subdued songs that evoke apprehension and support the noir style.
The mechanics of the inquiry, which are based on Lyu Xuan’s smartphone, make tracking down clues simple and strengthen your role as a detective in a dangerous setting. The tale is elevated by the coin-based decision system, which makes every dialogue option significant and every relationship vulnerable.
The psychological and resource-driven intensity is a powerful substitute that fits Raining City: Millions Recollections‘s essence, even though the lack of conventional puzzles or combat may frustrate those looking for more technical complexity.
