My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! - Pirates of the Disturbance

Despite the fact that the game expects players to have watched the anime or read through the light novels and manga, this Switch game stands on its own well enough without having prior knowledge about the My Next Life as a Villainess series. As I mentioned earlier, the game does assume that the player has watched the anime or read the manga or light novels, but the game is good about establishing who each character is and what their relationship is to Catarina. Anybody who loves playing otome games should have no problem diving into the world of My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! with this game, and it can be an interesting gateway into the rest of the series given that the game is treated as self-contained story. Fans of the series will absolutely find this game delightful for the new storylines of their favorite characters and get the chance to see Catarina accidentally stumble into more hilarious situations thinking they are death flags when they are actually romance flags.

I came into this already a big fan of these characters, and ultimately I got a kick out of going through each of the routes of Pirates of the Disturbance. It does justice to the original property, and I would recommend it to anyone who has gotten hooked on the series in any of its forms. On the other hand, while I don’t think non-fans will be lost trying to play it, I also don’t think the game is going to shine all that much for them. If that’s the bucket you fall into, you might be better served by another visual novel from this publisher. Catarina cronies should climb aboard immediately, though.

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom: Pirates of the Disturbance is an enjoyable excursion that should delight fans of Satoru Yamaguchi’s multimedia franchise. In Catarina Claes’ world opening your heart can be a risk, injecting a drop of pragmatism into an otherwise straightforward blend of comedy and romance.

My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom: Pirates of the Disturbance serves as a delightful homage to series fans. However, it falls short as an otome game. Despite its attempt to distance itself from the main series, its narrative occasionally feels predictable. The only saving grace lies in the brand-new characters with their distinctive backstories and traits. Though the translation quality falters, if you’re eager to witness more of Catarina’s humorous escapades, you can still enjoy the game and its comedic romance.