Review - Schrödinger's Call

Roberto Nieves
3 hours ago
8 min read

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnzgI7fZRu8

Developer: Acrobatic Chirimenjako

Publisher: SHUEISHA GAMES

Available on: PC (Steam), Nintendo Switch

Review System: Nintendo Switch 2

Six years ago, the world changed. A pandemic swept across the globe, and for the first time in human history, humanity was confronted with an unimaginable challenge. Lockdowns were implemented in an effort to stay safe. Connections were cut off. While the world eventually moved on, the virus taught us something: Humans are driven to connect. They are driven to feel. No matter how hard we isolate ourselves into our thoughts or away from others, we are driven by a will to accept and belong in a community.

An emotionally driven narrative visual novel, Schrödinger's Call is a game about identity and connection. Coming at an important time in our culture, Schrödinger's Call beckons us to remind ourselves that no matter how crushing the world may seem, the ability to connect, to feel, and search for our identities is imperative to being human against adversity.

The World Is Coming to an End

In 21 nanoseconds, the Moon will fall onto the planet, ending all life as we know it. The world enters a state between life and death, existence and extinction. Time as we know it falls into a perpetual halt, where the future and the past blur into one. Life enters a flow state that is surreal and cosmic. Everything one would know comes to a sudden and complete stop.

A young girl, Mary, awakens in a room. There is an old phone next to her on the table. She is amnesiac, barely remembering her name. She is barely aware of what is going on and what is happening. Suddenly, a cat appears, materializing out of nothingness. This cat, Hamlet entrusts Mary as The Last Confidant. The responsibility of The Last Confidant is to end the cycle of life and death, allowing wayward souls to pass on.

Wayward Spirits

In this perpetual existence, there are many souls that have unfinished business and matters that were never brought to conclusion. Conversations, apologies, commitments—all came to a sudden and complete stop when the moon fell. These souls remain wandering in this surreal existence with their burdens unresolved. With that fact, they are unable to pass on. This is where The Last Confidant steps in.

As The Last Confidant, Mary must reach out to the wandering spirits and help them pass over. At the same time, she must uncover who she is, what memories linger, and her fate. Through the stories of others, Mary will be able to find herself and discover closure in a moment where life is about to come to a close.

It Begins With A Call

The goal of Schrödinger's Call is to read through the story that is conducted via text and voice-over. Across 5 chapters, players guide Mary through the various souls caught in limbo and help them pass on, securing closure with their unfinished business. To help them, Mary places phone calls, and it is through these calls that Mary learns more about the spirits and herself.

As a visual novel, Schrödinger's Call has plenty to read and see. The primary gameplay method is reading through the various strings of text to unravel the story, just like a book. However, there is some deduction that needs to be done. As you communicate with the spirits, they reveal clues about their predicaments. Mary places clues and information in her notebook. Players frequently refer to this notebook to reveal the truth about the spirit and what is binding them to limbo. As players uncover the truth, they may set the spirit free to pass on.

Uncovering the Clues

Players deduce and select clues to string together in conversations and help solve a spirit's predicament. They interact with the phone and communicate with various other spirits to gain assistance. Hamlet, the cat, offers some help and guidance. Interacting with Hamlet is important to the main story as he is somewhat of a cosmic guide to revealing Mary’s own mystery, as well as guiding her in her role as The Last Confidant.

There are moments where this deduction comes in handy. Some characters enter an emotional downward spiral, and as The Last Confidant, it is up to players to select the right words to bring them out of it. The game does present the option of choice in responses, but it eventually brings players to say the right choice to be made. Some players may be disappointed with the linear structure of Schrödinger's Call, but it tells an effective story over its duration.

A Masterpiece in Motion

I am marking Schrödinger's Call as the most visually stunning game I have ever played, especially for the year. The art direction in the game is beyond phenomenal and unlike anything I have ever seen in a game before. Artistically, Schrödinger's Call could have taken something simple but here, it goes all in on its premise and setting.

Visually, the game goes all in on making the experience feel like a surreal quantum dream, with various particle effects and a kaleidoscope of artistic arrays. The initial impression is that of a gothic storybook, but it feels like so much more. There is a plethora of artistry and illustration that constantly had me in awe and had my jaw drop. Every touch feels genuine and organic, perhaps even nostalgic.

Every Moment Has Something To Say

There are moments the game appears like an old film reel with scratches. Other times, a distorted VCR tape distorts and morphs the screen. Abstract shapes convey a sensation of transition and thought. Oil paintings swirl and transform. There are formations of visuals that make Schrödinger's Call a true quantum visual experience. There was a constant stream of moments where the game stuns visually, and I couldn’t help but get lost in the gothic visuals being portrayed.

Visual novels usually have static backgrounds and illustrations, with the type font and story carrying the weight of the experience. Schrödinger's Call wants players to visually feel every moment with its array of designs. I've played many video games, but Schrödinger's Call is going to stick with me for a long time with its visual language and story.

The game also features animated illustrations. The characters are anthropomorphic creatures and convey their emotions and feelings with appropriate clarity and heartfelt emotion. This is a world where characters are neither dead nor alive, and each one has their own burden to carry that prevents them from passing on. It’s an interesting take on character development and writing that is unique to the genre.

The core component to Schrödinger's Call is its story, and after wrapping up the game from start to finish, I am left with a profound sense of gratitude for having experienced such a bittersweet but moving story. With the fact that the story take place in a quantum realm beyond the limits of time, this is a unique story of connection and identity.

Layers To The Story

Schrödinger's Call was created out of the isolation that was caused during the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. The game is based on the quantum theory of Schrödinger's Cat, in which a cat, placed in a box, is neither alive nor dead unless it is observed. On the other side of the phone, there is a total stranger on the other line, and there is no connection until you pick up the phone.

Schrödinger's Call does a fantastic job in portraying the various complexities of grief. What it is to yearn for love. What it is to be absent of connection and to be isolated. What that kind of thing does to the human mind. Things get sad and dark but never into extreme graphic territory. That’s where the illustrated anthropomorphic characters come in, which can be used as a metaphor for real people and their burdens.

The Necessity of Connection

Grief comes in various forms and interpretations, especially with the Moon falling. The Moon can be somewhat interpreted as the COVID pandemic and how we were all in somewhat of a limbo-event. We couldn’t go outside. We couldn’t see each other. However, there was a way with words that fought to gain connection, and it is through those words that you learn more about someone and, maybe, reach deep down and change a person.

During that time, when we all used our phones, a phone call could not exist without a caller and a listener. There are a myriad of emotions that come with any phone call, but empathy can be a surprisingly powerful force, using words and imagination to better convey their meaning. That changed with video calls and smartphones, but there is still the theme of connection, which Schrödinger's Call emphasizes.

Believe Into Reality

Schrödinger's Call continuously asks, "Who Are You?” Memories and belief can become powerful allies but also remove one’s identity. People can define you with words and actions. Even self-worth and longing can erode a person’s identity. Can connection establish an identity, and is it worth the pain to save an identity? It’s an interesting narrative thread that is woven.

The game allows players to put themselves in the narrative threads. The Moonfall can be interpreted in various ways, but what those ways are are entirely up to you to discover. The various visual effects and monochrome palette can also reveal truths to the player. It all coalesces into a game with various meanings of human emotion that are best left for you to uncover for yourself.

The Wonders of Reading

That narrative is gripping. Schrödinger's Call had me deeply invested in Mary’s story, as well as the plight of the characters she faces. There were moments where I couldn’t put the game down, and I had to see the resolution through. This is a game that knows how to invest in the reader’s time and keep them enthralled.

I won’t spoil anything, but the final act, in particular, had me feverishly go through the boxes of text to see the game to the end. There is a terrific shift in the story that had my eyes glued to my Switch screen. The game transforms a bit into a point-and-click to further the story. It’s a remarkable conclusion and one I won’t forget

Just Hold On A Little Longer

For me, having experienced the lockdowns and my own loneliness through various phases of my life, I played a game that used its thoughtful and intricate writing to embody a subject that isn’t talked about enough. Grief is something all humans experience, but it lingers depending on who you are and the subject. Many are still grieving 2020 and the time that was lost, but also how it changed people, perhaps for the worse.

Schrödinger's Call believes that where there is grief, there is hope. Hope in discovery and awakening oneself. Hope in being able to connect with others. Hope in defining oneself. By the time the credits rolled, I was humbled by what I had experienced but also left pondering my own grief and what defines me.

Sound of the Soul

There are other remarkable aspects to Schrödinger's Call. The audio department is exceptional as well. There are voices in Schrödinger's Call, but they are done in what can be described as a reversed language. Sometimes, it sounds like Japanese, but it's muffled, as if hearing a voice through an old phone. The tones change as well depending on the characters and the situation. Composer Seishi Irimajiri uses an extraordinary array of music, especially violins, to charge an emotional theme or big moment. I particularly liked the music during the downward spirals and when a spirit achieves resolution.

Playing Schrödinger's Call isn’t particularly difficult or as dense as some visual novels can become. Some visual novels, like the recently released STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT, can be overwhelming and demanding, with multiple endings across forty hours. That is not the case with Schrödinger's Call. It’s a fairly quick visual novel clocking in at just over 15 hours from start to finish, probably a little more if you take your time with it.

Schrödinger's Call

Visual novels can be tricky to review because they are entirely dependent on the writing, presentation, and story. I can safely say that Schrödinger's Call is a monumental achievement in all three categories. It’s a story woven with such heart and meaning; it swells with grief and hope. The visuals are unlike anything I have seen in a visual novel, let alone a game. The writing kept me invested in each character right until the end.

Schrödinger's Call is a gripping, emotional narrative adventure that I am glad to have embarked on, and I am sure others will resonate with it as well. Developer Acrobatic Chirimenjako should be commended for what they have done here, and I look forward to what comes next. In a grieving world, the best thing to do is talk and listen. Pick up the phone. You are not alone.