Bionic Heart is a visual novel

Visual novel

A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...

 video game for the Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...

, Mac OS X

Mac OS X

Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...

 and Linux

Linux

Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...

 platforms. The game was developed and published by Tycoon Games

Riva Celso

Celso Riva is an Italian independent video game designer of several critically acclaimed games, including The Goalkeeper, Universal Boxing Manager, Magic Stones, the Heileen series, and Bionic Heart....

 and was released on July 17, 2009. On November 4, 2011 an updated version of the game was released and also a version without voice acting.

Plot

The game is set in London, 2099. The earth is not what it used to be anymore. Incredible climate changes have corrupted the weather, causing a permanent rain on most of the Earth's surface. Luke Black is a 36-year-old bio-informatic engineer and he is one of the lead programmers at Nanotech, a big nanotechnology research company. But one night, his life is changed forever when he encounters Tanya.

Gameplay

The game offers a mix of classic visual novel gameplay, with dialogues and many choices to make, with some interactive scenes typical of old-time adventure games. A series of actions are shown at the bottom of the screen, along with several location the player can move to. The game features 24 unique endings, a relationship system, and it's fully voiced offering 4h of dialogues.

Cast

• Dan Conlin - Luke Black, Richard Meier IV
• Danielle Kogan (credited as Ellie) - Helen Hughes, Tanya, Tina Gomez
• Brandon Baus (credited as Brandon Habowski) - Tom Sparks, Robert “Roby” Carson
• Steven Mane
  Steven Mane
  Steven Patrick Mane is an American voice actor from Chicago, Illinois. He has been in the field for over ten years, and his works have included various productions on radio and the Internet...
  
   - Professor Mark Krysztofiak
• Ayu Sakata
  Apphia Yu
  Apphia Yu is an American voice actress and founder of SakeVisual from Dallas, TX.- Video games :- Anime :- Software :-Television: * Chase - Thai Girl* The Good Guys - Diner Patron...
  
   (credited as Ayu) - Julia Storm

Sequel

The Sequel Bionic Heart 2 is currently in planning stages and expected for a release in 2012.

Reception

The game received a score of 90/100 on Gamertell, with reviewer Jenni Lada writing "Tycoon Games’ best visual novel so far. Bionic Heart is a really enjoyable game with an intriguing story to it, something that’s appealing to both visual novel and adventure fans of any gender. It’s fun and easy to play, and the 24 endings in the commercial version guarantee plenty of retail value. If you give Bionic Heart a try, even just the demo version, you won’t be disappointed."

External links

• Official website
• Bionic Heart at Tycoon Games
  Riva Celso
  Celso Riva is an Italian independent video game designer of several critically acclaimed games, including The Goalkeeper, Universal Boxing Manager, Magic Stones, the Heileen series, and Bionic Heart....
  
  
• Monthly Round-up at Game Tunnel
• Game Review at Game Tunnel