This novel is based upon the Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- visual novel. I haven’t played the game, but I did sample a bit of the prologue, and the dialogue does not appear to be directly lifted from the game. The meaning is the same, but the translation has its differences. Can’t say which is better, but I noticed a couple of minor typos here. However, one instance where I thought it was a translation error because it was unclear (security cards) does appear to be the fault of the original Japanese line. Other than that, I don’t know anything about the source material.
Well, other than I want to play it after reading this. But even if I do play it, I think √After will remain a great survival-mystery.
First, let me talk about the release. I don’t know if Cross Infinite World aims to eventually publish √After in print, but this would probably require a deluxe release. The novel includes full color CGs, items, and backgrounds from the game in abundance. Each chapter opens with a map of the characters’ location, and certain sections are separated by orange hazard symbols. It’s amazing, like an even better version of those movie junior novelizations you see for every animated flick. If a visual novel is like a book, this book is like a visual novel. I think we’ve finally come full circle — visual novel-ception?
√After also keeps its visual novel-ness thanks to it being told in present tense. Except for the prologue and epilogue, the story is written from the perspective of Watase Kasaragi, captain of rescue squad SIRIUS, whose team is rescuing people caught in a nuclear facility that’s ablaze.
…Only, he doesn’t remember any of that. Amnesiac Watase is found by two members of his squad, but they’re in deep trouble — Radiation is seeping in the air, and they’re locked in. SIRIUS ends up working with some survivors, but others still need to be found. There are little oddities that pop up, but they have no time to process them until the mystery of what happened — and is happening — at LABO gets more dangerous for the group. Everyone has their own secrets, and with Watase’s lack of memory, he’s at a disadvantage to discern what’s going on and whom to trust.
Reading this reminded me of the Zero Escape series, particularly Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors. Like that game, Watase and gang have a nine hour time limit before they die. While they don’t need to solve puzzles, they need LABO’s miracle drug (AD) to prevent radiation poisoning. Each dose lasts only an hour, so on top of obtaining keycards, avoiding fires, and finding survivors, they need to collect and inject AD. This adds a lot of pressure, and when combined with all the gruesomeness they see at LABO, it’s understandable to see doubt rising and nerves fraying in the characters.
Speaking of characters, I would advise newbies to skip the character list at the beginning. They are introduced soon anyway, so readers should discover them with Watase. That’s why I haven’t talked about them much. I will say that each of the girls gets moments with the protagonist (probably flags in the visual novel), but the hour time limit means there’s not a lot of romance and definitely not fanservice. While Root Double is probably classified as a harem, the novel mostly avoids the usual high school romcom antics.
The text itself strikes a good balance between narration and introspection. It blends both a visual novel and a light novel, so no matter if you’re reading √After to replace the game or supplement it, you can still enjoy it. It doesn’t just report what’s happening but shows the fires breaking out, the hesitation in characters’ voices, etc. There are a couple of points where it gets a bit too explanatory, but that’s to be expected with a plot like this.
And there’s quite a bit to unravel. Watase discovers something about LABO here in √After that is both a twist and yet also really starts painting a clearer picture. But the full mystery isn’t revealed here, so you’ll need to come back later for √Before to find out what’s exactly going on. Like this one, it looks like there will be images directly from the game. Having all those color images is the star attraction in Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- √After, but it’s backed up by a solid story that doesn’t just feel like a game script.