It may have been made with the best of intentions, and it does an okay job of being an homage to its influences, but the route to get there could have been a lot less off-putting.

Shinrai Broken Beyond Despair was a pleasant surprise given its comparison to far-better funded titles in the visual novel genre. While there are some obvious issues such as graphics that never go past being simplistic and bigger issues of pacing problems, the core tale is oddly intriguing. The mystery is fun to sit through, and perhaps the only real criticism is the core narrative should have taken longer, and the various 'side stories' take far too long and detract from the main story.

Shinrai: Broken Beyond Despair is an enjoyable mystery that does a good job rounding out the characters. The narrative is compelling and the conclusion feels well-earned. I don't find the presentation especially engaging with some unappealing backgrounds and a soundtrack that is decent but not memorable. Still, the investigative interludes feel worthwhile and should strike a chord with those up for a good sleuthing.