Tsukihime – A Sliver of Blue Glass Moon – Review (Switch eShop / Switch)
Tsukihime responsible for many things. Back in 2000, the classic Type-Moon visual novel captivated audiences with a story filled with mystical mystery, thrilling action, and heart-pounding character drama. Like jagged lines branching out from a unified core, its success spread in many different directions: manga and anime adaptations, the production of several VN sequels, the birth of the extremely popular Type-Moon Destiny franchise, and of course, the creation of its own fighting game series Blood Melts. It’s no exaggeration to say that Tsukihime was a cornerstone of the industry, which is exactly why its gradual decline comes as such a surprise.
For all the hype it generated during and after its release, Tsukihime has never been officially localized for the West. Furthermore, the original Japanese release has long since become abandoned software, with the task of preserving the online game falling to the hands of its diehard fans. Suffice to say, that’s not a fate that a game that many consider one of the best in its genre deserves. Fortunately, Type-Moon has seen fit to rectify that problem through a comprehensive remake project.
Tsukihime – A Piece of Blue Moon Glass- is a remake of the 2000 original — one inspired by Square Enix Final Fantasy VII Remake and adapted a portion of the source material while expanding, remastering, and updating it into something that sparkles like new but still shines with nostalgic warmth. Now, some three years after its release in Japan in 2021, the title has finally come to Western audiences with an official English translation, and we’re happy to confirm that the first part of this new chapter for Tsukihime is pretty much everything fans have long hoped for.
Mirroring its original version, Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- tells the story of Shiki Tohno, a teenager secretly hiding a mysterious condition that allows him to see the lines of death that cover the world around him. Shiki’s peaceful life is turned upside down when his estranged family suddenly demands his return. Not long after, a chance encounter with a strange girl leads him down a dark rabbit hole filled with closely guarded family secrets, terrifying existential revelations, and vampires. Like, a bunch of vampires.
At this point, we should note that Tsukihime -A Piece of Blue Glass Moon- is not for the faint of heart or the faint of heart. Even more than the original, it does not shy away from depicting and depicting some pretty horrifying imagery. Stick with it, however, and you will be rewarded with a gripping story that is steeped in its own gory exploration of pain, heroism, and connection.
This version only includes two of the original game’s five branching narrative routes, collectively known as the “Near Side” portion of the story. The first route features the cheerful vampire Arcueid Brunestud as the main heroine opposite Shiki, while the second unlockable route instead casts Shiki’s senior Ciel as the deuteragonist. While the core of each route remains intact, both have been heavily expanded and revised, and Ciel’s route has been thoroughly reworked to differentiate it from its Arcueid counterpart. Progressing through just one of these routes is enough to provide a satisfying narrative experience, but those who want answers to all of the story’s mysteries should definitely play both. Fans of the original game’s other three routes can also rest assured, as they will be adapted in Tsukihime – The Other Side of the Red Garden-The second part of the remake project is coming soon.
In terms of gameplay, interactivity is limited to specific moments where you have to make decisions to progress the story. Some choices have minor plot implications, such as choosing where to eat lunch at school. However, they can also be a matter of life and death, as choosing certain options can lead Shiki to an early (and often fatal) bad end. We found that avoiding these Dead End sequences can sometimes feel like a frustrating exercise in trial and error, as many seemingly innocuous options can suddenly come to a head with some unforeseen twist of fate. However, the constant threat of Shiki reaching an unsettling end ensures that each decision carries weight and you feel a sense of agency in the carefully crafted story.
Finishing a game also notably comes with a reward, as each Dead End unlocks a bonus segment called “Teach me, Miss Ciel!” In these short clips, Ciel and Neco-Arc (who will no doubt be familiar to many as the internet’s most beloved anime cat-gremlin) provide humorous commentary on the story’s progression and hint at what alternative decisions would help move the plot forward. Given how intoxicatingly melancholy the main game’s tone can often be, these segments serve as a welcome relief.
Of course, providing input into how the story progresses only takes up a small portion of the game’s length. The rest is spent absorbing the constantly unfolding story—and thankfully, it’s a compelling read. The prose itself is rich and vibrant, thanks to the excellent combination of author Kinoko Nasu’s original script and Aniplex of America’s high-quality localization. There’s a playful quality to the writing that pairs well with the game’s exploration of themes of desire and acceptance of the taboo. Plot-wise, this is a story with a lot of great world-building, but that lore never gets in the way of Tsukihime’s deep, character-driven narrative. The cast and their respective arcs are always front and center, and each character is well-drawn and developed, even if some faces still don’t get a chance to shine fully with their own individual arcs.
If we had to point out one thing that throws Tsukihime -A piece of blue glass moon- off, it would be the pacing. The game is undeniably a slow-paced affair, and almost every scene gets enough room to breathe. These are generally welcome qualities, but there are some points where it feels like certain scenes drag on for too long or conversations between characters start to go in circles.
Minor issues aside, the bare bones of the story are more than enough to stand on their own—and that makes the game’s superb presentation a compelling highlight. From the plethora of beautiful CG backgrounds and stunning soundtrack to the extensive suite of quality-of-life options, the game exudes polish. The most welcome addition of all is the introduction of a fully voiced Japanese dub, which gives each character a level of life and depth that hasn’t been tapped into before. All of these elements combine to give Tsukihime -A Piece of Blue Glass Moon- a high-budget feel that befits its lofty legacy.
Conclusion
Taking as many creative liberties as a remake of Type-Moon’s first visual novel, Tsukihime -A Piece of Blue Glass Moon- pays homage to its source material with a respect that borders on homage. It feels as if everything in the game has been carefully and lovingly crafted to create the definitive version of Tsukihime—one where the shocking plot twists are even more powerful, the action sequences are even more exhilarating, and the core story of life, death, and love is even more captivating. For fans of the original, this isn’t just a dream remake, it’s a triumphant statement to the rest of the world that, yes, we’ve really been missing out on something special all this time.
