As I have mentioned before, diversity and inclusivity were both important parts of our mission statement when Phenixx Gaming was created. This is true both in attempting to bring on writers and in the types of content we cover. Since June is Pride Month, I have decided to move a little outside of my comfort zone in the hopes of bringing a review of something I am not all that experienced with.

If Found is a visual novel that details the experiences of a transgender woman named Kasio. You experience the story through her diary, as Kasio destroys it. Every piece of the Diary contains her history in December of 1993. At the same time, as you progress through the events of her story, you get closer to the end when a black hole is set to destroy everything.

Can it be stopped? Where did it come from? These questions are answered as you experience this tale. I make it a habit not to spoil anything about story-based games like this one but I can tell you that this is unlike any visual novel I’ve ever played. The hand-drawn visuals are beautiful but beyond that, the manner with which you interact with the game is different.

It can be played entirely with a mouse and you interact with the game by erasing parts of the screen, whether it is diary pages or erasing to transition from one scene to another. It is beautiful and gives a very metamorphosis-esque idea. By destroying what came before, you are being shown new things, and watching her come to terms with her identity.

Experiencing parts of her life through diary entries is incredibly intimate. The good, the bad, the painful, it all comes through in poignant prose form. The music in the game is gorgeous as well, though I only have one major complaint. This is a complaint about most visual novels in general though. While If Found offers high-contrast options for text as an accessibility feature, there is no voice acting to speak of.

The problem there is that if you have trouble reading (such as if you are dyslexic) this limits you from enjoying this experience. With that being said, the story is very well done, which almost makes it worse that I know people who will not be able to enjoy it. It also made me think of things in my life, particularly in the phase of my life when I was coming out about being gay, both to myself and to others.

Seeing Kasio’s struggles of acceptance and connection with people is relatable to so many. Even if you aren’t transgender, it is an important thing to experience because it lets you see that perspective. You can palpably feel Kasio’s pain when she is ostracized for not just embracing the gender she was assigned at birth.

If Found isn’t a very long experience but it doesn’t need to be. It carries an emotional weight that lasts long enough to be enjoyable, without feeling too long. My playthrough lasted about 4 hours continuously, though if I hadn’t been enthralled by the story it might have taken me longer.

If Found is a powerful, emotional journey that is very well made in every sense of the phrase. It is beautiful, and I find myself feeling that sense of companionship with the characters. I am sure that they are based on real people but even if they weren’t, the story feels real. It feels like real-life experiences I have heard from transgender friends.

I cannot recommend this game enough. If you play no other visual novel, this is the one you should play. It is easily one of the most honest, heartfelt narratives I’ve seen in a visual novel and I’ve played a fair few.

A PC review copy of If Found was provided by Annapurna Interactive for this review.

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If Found

$12.99 USD

9

Score

9.0/10

Pros

• Beautiful Story
• Interesting erasing concept
• Realistic Characters
• Entirely playable with the mouse

Cons

• No Voice Acting