Japanese solo game developer Hyogo Onimushi launched the Steam page for The Distant Circular World (working title) on April 4. This new sci-fi suspense mystery title takes place a few months after the events of the 2020 horror mystery visual Return to Shironagasu Island (which recently garnered attention due to the similarities between its plot and the notorious Jeffery Epstein case), and follows returning protagonists private detective Sen Ikeda and his assistant Neneko Izumozaki as they unravel a mystery connected across two countries and different timelines.
The Distant Circular World is split into two parts: Side A and Side B.
“Side A” follows Sen Ikeda in the bustling city of New York. When a mysterious girl named Lila enters his office, Sen learns that an illegal organization known as Babylon is after her. Eager to get to the bottom of the mystery, he conducts an investigation alongside his assistant, Koi Inui (while this is a sequel, the addition of time travel likely means Sen has not met Neneko yet). They are joined by NYPD detective Tio Fiorentina and billionaire child heiress Akira Edgeworth.
It is around this time that a Babylon researcher known as John Walton contacts Sen and hands him a strange time leap device. While the device’s origin plays an integral part in the story, gameplay-wise, it allows you to rewind time.
“Side B” is told from the perspective of Neneko Izumozaki as she attempts to live a normal high school life in provincial Japan. Neneko’s photographic memory was invaluable in the first game, despite her dislike for her gift. Things seem to be going swimmingly until one day, when she discovers a body in the local river on her way to school.
Spurred on by her desire to learn the person’s identity, Neneko soon discovers that the traces left on the body are linked to the disappearance of her mother, as well as other incidents that took place previously in the surrounding area. With her older sister, Kisaragi, and friends Kazuki and Torako, Neneko works to get to the bottom of the case.
Unique to The Distant Circular World are its “Zapping” and time leap mechanics, which allow you to switch between Sen and Neneko to solve the connected crimes. When certain conditions are met, you can rewind time to undo past choices and replay events. This may seem overpowered in the context of the narrative, but the scenarios that allow you to rewind time grow fewer the further you progress through the stories. Likewise, rewinding time comes with consequences, as strict rules determine what memories a character retains.
Published by Tabinomichi, The Distant Circular World is currently listed as “Coming Soon” and got over 5,000 wishlists in one day. While there is currently no listed support for the English language, developer Hyogo Onimushi has confirmed that an English release is planned down the line, though work on it can only start after the Japanese text is finalized.
The Distant Circular World is currently in development for Windows (Steam). You can check out the game’s official webpage here.
Related: Return to Shironagasu Island quietly sells over 210k copies
