Where The White Doves Rest: Visual Novel Review

Whether you play visual novels for the "plot" or you're just a simp for animated love stories, the Itch io website is one of the places you'd go to.

They have a massive library of visual novels for a wide array of interests, including yaoi — yes, we're talking about that genre again, which we love.

If you've been hunting BL games for some time now, you're probably aware of the popular ones: Camp Buddy, To Trust An Incubus, Sleepover, and more.

Note: We shared the download link for 'Where The White Doves Rest' at the bottom of this review.

Most of these yaoi novels focus on fan service as well as an orgy of routes. On the other hand, the current subject, Where The White Doves Rest, had some intimate moments enough to satisfy your fujoshi or fudanshi cravings. However, it gave more weight to the mystery, gore, and psychological aspects.

Let's dissect this visual novel's entirety without spoiling its crucial parts.

Story

"Where The White Doves Rest - The Remorse Chapter" started with an eerie prologue that hinted at a passionate murder. However, the details are vague, and it's a question that will continuously haunt the reader.

The visual novel follows the story of Daichi Ibato, a young teenager aware of his sexuality but had problems whether his only family, his mother, would accept him or not.

During his confession, Daichi's mother wasn't able to hold back her reaction due to shock. With a broken heart resulting from his mother's rejection, he decided to stay with the Kagemori men while he figured out his next direction. 

Although they seem friendly, a deep dark secret surrounds Kenji and Rintaro Kagemori. Daichi will soon find himself involved in the shadows as he tries to solve the puzzle that eagerly haunts him.

Where The White Doves Rest Characters

While there are route opportunities for minor characters, the current version of the game primarily revolves around the below figures:

Daichi Ibato

A mild-mannered young man, Daichi Ibato is the protagonist in this visual novel. After collecting enough courage to admit his sexuality to his mother, he showed his rebellious and reckless side as he decided to live in a stranger's home. 

This choice made us think that Daichi is kind of "thirsty." When he first met Kenji Kagemori, he described the latter as a handsome-looking man. And when the need to go somewhere arises, he went ahead for Kenji's space instead of seeking the advice of his godfather and the head priest of their local church, Father Kagerou Moriya. Such rashness implies his immediate attraction to the younger Kagemori.

Daichi served as a helper in the Kagemori estate and earned a few bucks from his on-call computer repair services. He can quickly get along well with other people, as it only took him a few days to jive with the two homeowners.

Later, it revealed Daichi's sensual needs as ordinary youngsters have. He bought a magazine that featured mature men, and with his random clumsiness, it revealed his true self to others.

Rintaro Kagemori

For a father of a full-grown man, Rintaro appeared like he is only in his mid-thirties. However, Kenji, being a prosperous city worker, implies that Rintaro's actual age could be somewhere around late-40s or early-50s.

Despite his age, Rintaro has a well-built physique, thanks to his running routine. The story showed that he has better endurance and strength than Daichi, as he could still do a few rounds while the younger guy is on the verge of quitting.

Rintaro's past relationships unveiled his other side to Daichi, who got curious about the Asakasakura tree and a strange man named Aoba.

Kenji Kagemori

Daichi met Kenji when the latter got lost in the city. Although Daichi laughed about Kenji being color-blind, the two get acquainted well. 

After receiving help finding his way back home, Kenji gave his card to Daichi, offering any assistance he could provide shall his newfound friend get caught in a pinch.

Kenji is generally a friendly and compassionate person. He quickly detected that Daichi is becoming uncomfortable when asked about his reasons for leaving his mom. Also, Kenji called out his dad when he realized that his old man had gone too far with his questions.

However, Kenji is overprotective about something, that he is willing to go beyond boundaries shall an outsider attempt to take away whatever he holds dear to him. 

Gameplay

Like other visual novels, players can enjoy the game while relaxing, having a cup of coffee, or while procrastinating. You can finish the novel in a couple of hours, though it's best to enjoy it at night.

If you're tired of "quick" visual novels, the uncanny story of "Where The White Doves Rest" would be the right fit. It will drown players in a genuine perplexity that you'll spend an hour reading before you realize it.

Quick to save and mobile-friendly, the visual novel is suitable for busy people. No need to worry if someone walks behind your back. After all, it's rife with self-thoughts and mysteries, so no one would suspect that it has some yaoi gist to it. But if it caught the eye of someone, there's a huge chance he, she, or they are fond of yaoi, or otome visual novels, too.

Strengths

The art may not feature typical anime designs. We bet the creator didn't even try to get close, which is excellent. It worked differently, and in a way where the player will grow to love it as they go deeper into the story. 

In this area, the sketches are fantastic. It may not be suitable for some anime viewers with definite standards, but this is not a reason for the artist to make adjustments. 

Also, "Where The White Doves Rest" emphasized the stunning beauty of nature, its innocence, and how it quickly transforms into a burrow of death. 

The novel featured a fictional tree called "akasakura," a lackluster, grand tree resembling the cherry blossoms. Believed to be cursed, the tree is the final place where white doves stop and die. Hence, the title.

While white doves symbolize peace, love, and marriage, some cultures see them as harbingers of death. 

In the aspect of storyline, enigma, and depth, "Where The White Doves Rest" nailed every part of it.

Game Opportunities

The biggest issue of the visual novel is the lack of routes. It only has two endings, and only one partner is available.

The creator, Hijiri, announced a new chapter named "The Heartmending Chapter," promising new scenes, more routes, and thrill. However, it has been a while since we heard from them.

There is also a bug that remained unfixed. Still, you can continue playing the game by hitting next. What frustrates us the most is that it happened somewhere in the climax. It seems that one of the sketches went missing, though it won't rob away the thrill as only a few slides were gone, and you can use your imagination to assume what happened and what it looked like.

Verdict

For someone who needs quick entertainment and a sense of fulfillment after finishing a quality visual novel, even if it's on hiatus, "Where The White Doves Rest - The Remorse Chapter" is a good experience.

Although not having enough routes may not make sense for the average BL visual novel player, such elements appeared to be minor concerns for the creator. When playing this game, one should not expect much about the usual paths, scoring, relationship points, or picking a love interest. 

Let the tides of the story carry you away. 

Here's the link to Hijiri's game.

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