A Summer with the Shiba Inu

Visual novels… Two words that made me turn my head almost every time I hear about a new game. Since that genre recently gets more attention and love outside of Japan, I’m watching my backlog grow by the minute probably.

Strange to see a notable in such a niche and limited genre in the audiovisual and playable part, right? Above, in English and with the small letter. Well, that's how I would have liked the story of this strange and even inhospitable world of dogs and the strange things that surround it.

Summer with the Shiba Inu is a pretty unimpressive Visual Novel, with an uninteresting story, poor presentation, and an unsatisfying payoff with little in terms of drastic choices that made me feel as if I wasted my hour with the original route I took. When a visual novel feels like it’s filled with filler and uninteresting events without much of a hook, and doesn’t properly explain some things, it just falls apart like paper at the end of the day, and unfortunately, that’s how Summer felt for me.

It is a pity that A Summer with the Shiba Inu does not properly explore its potential, as it's visuals are colorful and attract attention. In addition, dogs are charismatic and have interesting expressions. However, the mystery is not interesting at all, the story is longer and more confusing than it should be and the game does not seem to know very well what it really wants to do due to its great inconsistencies. In general, there are better games to enjoy on Switch.

A Summer with the Shibu Inu will intrigue the player with its various endings and cute character models, but its visual offerings and replay value are extremely limited overall. If you enjoy choose-your-own-adventure games, this is worth a try, but prepare to be disappointed in the ambiguous conclusions to every story.

While it wasn't what I was expecting, A Summer with the Shiba Inu has enough working in its favor. Instead of hitting a crowded beach, why not spend part of your summer respecting social distancing by curling up with this visual novel. Plop on your reading glasses, overlook the pacing inconsistencies, and be charmed by Syd and her canine friends. Keep an eye on Quill Game Studios, too.

A Summer with the Shiba Inu has an intriguing premise with a curious story. However, because of the engine limitations and limited nature of presentation and choices, it might only appeal to those who want a short visual novel with an interesting hook.

The length of this visual novel is pretty satisfying. I made it from the beginning to one of the endings within an evening. While that’s pretty short, the many endings give the game plenty of replay potential. In a visual novel with sparse mechanics, the story element of the game is key. However, the confusing world-building, unexpectedly dark tone and timeline jumping will keep me from picking the game up again.

Overall, I found A Summer With The Shiba Inu a flawed game. Not worth the $10 asking price, maybe a $7 at the most. There were many times where I thought “this can be better, that can be better”, while getting vibes from other VNs I’ve played and enjoyed, both indie and AAA, and thinking about how this game could improve by learning from such titles.

If you've read some of my reviews on interactive novel-styled "games" before you'll know I tend to be in the unenthusiastic crowd, though there have been some exceptional that have trended into the more interactive and user agency focused side that have been rock solid...