2008 · Adventure · Visual novel

12Riven

PlayStation console exclusive

12Riven is a visual novel in which the player makes progress by reading the game's story. At certain points during conversations with other characters, the player is given a set of choices. Depending on what the player chooses, the story diverges into different branches, eventually leading to different endings; there is only one "true ending"

Released: 13 March 2008
Platforms: Android PlayStation 2 PlayStation Portable Windows
Genres: Adventure Visual novel
Developers: —
Publishers: —
Series: Infinity
Modes: Single-player
Perspective: Text
Country: Japan
Age ratings: CERO B
Composers: Takeshi Abo

About

12Riven: The Psi-Climinal of Integral is a visual novel video game developed by KID, CyberFront, and SDR Project, and released on March 13, 2008, for the PlayStation 2 and April 16, 2009, for the PlayStation Portable. There is a regular edition, and a special edition which included the game's original soundtrack. KID are known for producing the Memories Off series, and the Infinity series which includes Never 7: The End of Infinity, Ever 17: The Out of Infinity, and Remember 11: The Age of Infinity. When KID declared bankruptcy in November 2006, production on the game was halted until CyberFront took over and resumed production.

The game had two different PC releases on April 4, 2008. It was released as a standalone product and as a part of the Infinity Plus pack (which includes PC versions of Never 7: The End of Infinity, Ever 17: The Out of Infinity, Remember 11: The Age of Infinity and 12Riven). A port for Android and iOS was announced by Cyberfront in 2012 but was ultimately not released as Cyberfront was dissolved in 2013.

Keywords

anime

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

Story

==== Player characters ====

Renmaru Miyabidō (雅堂錬丸, Miyabidō Renmaru)

Development

The game was developed by KID and SDR Project. 12Riven and Memories Off 5: Encore, another game that was under development by KID, were originally in danger of not being released when KID filed for bankruptcy in 2006. Both games were resurrected in 2007 by CyberFront when they acquired KID's intellectual properties.

The game's music was composed by Takeshi Abo. Both the game's opening theme, "Third Bridge", and ending theme, "Process" (プロセス, Purosesu), are performed by Kaori. Both theme songs were included in a CD single that was sold on April 23, 2008, and debuted on Oricon at 144th place. Chomaru Shikura composed and wrote the lyrics to both tracks, and Kōji Ueno handled their arrangements.

Reception

On its first week of release, 12Riven was the thirteenth best selling video game in Japan, and the third best selling PlayStation 2 game. By the end of 2009, the PlayStation Portable version was the 908th best selling video game of the year in Japan, with 4,745 copies sold.

Neal Chandran at RPGFan said that the Infinity series' atmosphere, story, setting, and themes had gotten progressively more sophisticated, dark, and deep with each installment. He felt that the music had followed this progression, and that 12Riven's music was among the most sophisticated music Abo had ever composed; he said that while there was nothing that stepped outside of Abo's comfort zone, the music was "highly refined".