Publisher Bloom Digital Media uses the term "narrative-driven games" to describe their visual novels, such as Later Daters. They use 2D cartoon art.
Some of Chunsoft's visual novels do not include illustrated characters on screen. One of their horror stories, which was localized as Banshee's Last Cry, only shows backgrounds and silhouettes. (I learned today that it's had at least one recent untranslated remake. The new versions add drawings of characters.)
I didn't try a Telltale title until six months before they closed. That said, the company used the term "seasons" to describe their multi-part stories, some of which had adventure game elements.
I tried Dontnod's Life is Strange, but didn't like photorealistic human characters in 3D art. Putting that aside, they're also telling stories in multiple parts. I looked at their website, and noticed the marketing term "narrative adventure game."
There's other studios which are creating games with a focus on story. I know that Quantic Dream is already well-known, though I haven't given any of their titles a chance. If you're curious, I started Mike Bithell's Thomas was Alone and enjoyed it.
Unique. I say this because it's frustrating when categories of art and story overlap quite a bit. Why should funny animal art be associated with G-rated stories? Why should voxel art be associated with open world games?Showakun wrote:If you are making a vn, do you make it unique style (as in personal artist style) or anime style?
Think about how your story can be enhanced by the right type of art. If you want to write experimental fiction, then consider looking at the later years of Will Eisner's The Spirit for inspiration. If you want to tell a story that offers combat and dialogue, then think about using an RPG Maker program as your artistic medium. If you enjoy tabletop role playing games, then be sure to look at Knights of Pen and Paper as well as Crimson Shroud before writing a story.
Does Mission Asteroid qualify as a visual novel? Or how about On-Line Systems (later Sierra On-Line)'s title Mystery House? I don't know much about either one. Maybe they qualify, or maybe they're adventure games. That said, both were written in English and released forty years ago.
Off-topic:
Over the years, I've learned that some of my favorite pop culture media is newer than I think. When I was a young anime fan in the 1990s enjoying Slayers and Ranma 1/2, I would occasionally see an article talking about Osamu Tezuka. I learned that he cast a long shadow over the medium, and that he was influenced by Disney and Fleischer cartoons. Years later, I learned that he wasn't the only one. I was surprised by how many classic Disney elements appeared in the movie Horus, Prince of the Sun.