The frankly iconic disclaimer on Fatal Force's itch page warns against approaching it if you "like to read visual novels that doesn't have awkward moments, / weird script / or anything that makes you feel 'edgyness'". Is it worth taking to heart? Well, certainly. But for something dangerously close to (fatal) farce, the VN has got storytelling chops and a steadfast dedication to its hair-raisingly dense plot that may ultimately impress the hesitant reader.

There is a lot in it, though, between the wacky comedy sound effects, the wild plot twists, and the self-aware take on werewolf mythos involving the recurring thread of the protagonist being a furry. Sometimes it all feels a little incessant, and I would call what the game does an acquired taste on the whole, but its modulation of tone is surprisingly graceful. While the story can go from 0 to 100 pretty fast, Fatal Force at least tends to have the restraint to let a serious moment linger, being largely devoid of the kind of quippy bathos that would make its drama feel completely weightless.

And hey, as far as jokes go, the VN has a lot that land – my favorite running gag is how implausibly the werewolf characters go unnoticed and unremarked on by the public. I also like how much of the physical comedy is accentuated with visuals. Come to think of it, while accusations of loving to go for cheap shots ring true, the writing has sharp instincts for when a bit needs some extra emphasis and when a deadpan delivery is preferable. The craft is there!

Another aspect of the game nails is structure – the comic/manga inspiration is evident and welcome. I'm just getting caught up now, but I imagine the game would make for a nice serial reading experience with its chapters that have clear internal arcs and always push the larger narrative forward. The cliffhangers, cheesy and heightened in just the right way, are especially fun. There are other nice formal ideas, too, like the narrator showing up as a character in the story and the playful approach to narrative time where some flashbacks are witnessed by the protagonist diegetically. Beyond the unhinged plot full of superpowers, tragic backstories, and deep, deep wolf lore lies a lot of interesting stuff.

Art-wise, probably the biggest thing holding the game back is that (with a couple of notable exceptions) the characters are quite homogenous in their designs. The use of color isn't particularly bold, the poses of the sprites don't do a super good job at communicating the specifics of everyone's body language, and basically all the werewolves have the same silhouette! While the style is not unappealing, it feels grounded in a strange way when the tone of the story reads as an invitation to go wild and assemble a cast of the gaudiest original characters ever designed. The kinetic, dynamic visuals of the game are good and definitely elevate the fight scenes, but I'm not fully in love with the art direction.

The other big weak point is the prose (of the English translation, at least). The dialogue-heavy, functional style is not the wrong choice for the project, and I do think many of the quirks in its writing work as purposeful elements of voice, but there are plenty of typos, syntax errors, and wonky uses of punctuation that only serve to distract from the experience. Meanwhile, some devices – e.g. ellipses and self-interruption – could also afford to be used more sparingly. It's all readable, and the translation does feel like it communicates the meaning of each line comprehensibly, but a steadier editorial hand would help a lot.

Still, Fatal Force earns my recommendation, at least for a reader with the right kind of discerning taste. The game is pleasantly populist, adventurous enough to surprise, and easy to get invested in. When the plot is throwing crazy twists towards you at the speed of light and the melodrama goes full force, it's simply pretty exciting, and sometimes there's a gag that will make you fall out of your chair.