Kotaro Uchikoshi has become one of the best-known names in the mystery game and visual novel world. His series Zero Escape and AI: The Somnium Files are classics of the genre. But, long before the cast of 999 found themselves trapped on a ship or Kaname Date began diving into criminals’ minds, there was the Infinity series. Among Uchikoshi’s earliest works, these science fiction/mystery visual novels seemed doomed to remain exclusive to Japan – until now.
Spike Chunsoft partnered with Uchikoshi to re-release Never7 and Ever17, the first two titles in the Infinity series, as a double pack with its first ever official English translation. The two games are not particularly connected beyond themes and setting, so you could buy them individually, but I highly recommend purchasing the double pack. They’re both excellent quality visual novels with plenty of Uchikoshi flair, perfect both for people who are already fans of his work and people who are discovering the master of mystery for the very first time.
Never7: The End of Infinity tells the story of Makoto, a college student attending a training seminar on an isolated island. When death comes for one of the new friends he has made on the island, Makoto finds himself able to rewind time to the start of the week and make different choices in the hopes of preventing the death. It is more of a traditional visual novel than later Uchikoshi games, with dating and romance elements and less science fiction and mystery, but it’s still a fun time with a cool mechanic of turning back time and getting to re-experience the same events while making different choices.
Ever17: The Out of Infinity is a chilling, claustrophobic thriller set in LeMU, a fully underwater theme park submerged beneath an artificial island. When a blackout causes LeMU to be cut off from the rest of the world, the trapped survivors must figure out how to escape in only 119 hours (when the park is predicted to fully flood) while also confronting the dark secrets hiding behind the theme park’s cheery facade.
The player experiences the story from two perspectives: that of Takeshi Kuranari, an ordinary student who was visiting the park with his friends, and that of “The Kid,” an amnesiac boy who cannot remember his own name, let alone how he got to LeMU. The game features eleven different endings, with the full plot not becoming clear until all eleven of them have been seen. It’s a twisty story that blends mystery, science fiction, and thriller elements – and even a little horror, particularly in the looming threat of the park’s total failure that is always on the characters’ minds.
Both games are extremely well-written, with Kotaro Uchikoshi’s signature fondness for twists that keep players constantly on the edge of their seats. Ever17 is the slightly stronger of the two, because Uchkoshi was not held back by needing to add large amounts of romance and other typical visual novel elements and was allowed to lean more fully into science fiction and mystery. However, both are great games, and I definitely recommend choosing the Double Pack and playing both rather than choosing one or the other.
Unlike the Zero Escape and AI: The Somnium Files games, these are straight up visual novels without any puzzle sections. Gameplay consists simply of reading through the story and making choices that affect your relationships with the characters, how events play out and ultimately what ending you reach. Visual novels aren’t for everyone, and if you aren’t a fan of the genre I don’t know that Never7 or Ever17 would change your mind. However, they are extremely well-written and compelling and – as all Uchikoshi’s works do – make excellent use of their format, by creating a plot that does not truly come together until the player has witnessed multiple endings.
As part of the games’ re-release, they were not just translated into English, but also got new art by MAGES. The art is smooth and elegant while still maintaining some elements of visual novel aesthetics; it’s definitely a much-needed update given that the games were initially released in the early 2000s. There are also quality of life features such as the ability to fast forward through text you have already read, which is absolutely essential when it comes to visual novels. Overall, I think these games would make a good first visual novel for someone who wasn’t necessarily familiar with the genre, and of course would also appeal to veteran lovers of all things visual novel.
One thing I do need to mention: these are Kotaro Uchikoshi games, with everything good and sometimes not-so-good that entails. Characters will occasionally pause in the middle of a tense situation to expound about some obscure philosophy or talk about a scientific theory you’ve never heard of. You will encounter new terms and concepts, some real and some made up, and may find yourself needing to re-read a scene or two. Fortunately, the game’s full text log lets you do that easily!
That aside, Kotaro Uchikoshi is a master storyteller, and it was an absolute treat to be able to finally get to experience some of his earliest works. I am personally a huge fan of Zero Escape and AI and getting an official Western release of Never7 and Ever17 was an absolute dream come true. These truly feel like not just visual novels but important elements of gaming history that have finally been given the treatment they deserve and released to an audience that has been denied them for many years. Mystery lovers, sci fi lovers, visual novel fans, Uchikoshi fans, anyone who’s been wanting to give his works a try – do yourselves a favor and pick up Infinity Series Remastered today!
Kate played Never7: The End of Infinity and Ever17: The Out of Infinity via a provided review copy.
