Originally a light novel series, My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! (or Hamefura, for short) has been adapted multiple times, receiving a manga, an anime, and now… a visual novel game! My Next Life as a Villainess All Routes Lead to Doom! : Pirates of the Disturbance is a non-canon addition to the series, set after season one of the anime.
You play as protagonist Catarina Claes, a Japanese highschooler reincarnated into the game Fortune Lover. As the game’s villainess, Catarina was doomed to an ending of exile or death! Somehow, she managed to befriend the main characters, survive the game’s ending, and make it to spring break. Pirates of the Disturbance finds her spending spring break on a luxury ship voyage with her adoptive brother Keith. After boarding the ship, she finds that all of the main characters are onboard. When the ship is attacked by pirates who hold the passengers hostage, Catarina recalls the plot of a Fortune Lover fan book and realizes she’s on her way to yet another bad end!
The game is made up of one common route and six romance routes, for a grand total of 25 endings. The six romance routes include four existing love interests (Geordo, Keith, Alan, and Nicol), as well as two new additions (Rozy and Silva). The routes share an overarching storyline, with each one revealing different plot details. For the best story experience, the developers recommend the following order: Geordo → Keith → Alan → Nicol → Rozy → Silva. The common route’s friendship ending unlocks after the first playthrough and can be played at any point in this order.
While familiarity with the original series is helpful, the game does a great job of introducing the setting and characters for new players. The writers preserved the humor and charm that made the series popular, including fan-favorite comedic gags like the Council of Catarinas. For completionists like me, the 100 save slots and visible character affinity levels makes it easy to reach the different endings. Completing all 25 endings takes around 40-45 hours, but the visual novel style is great for playing at your own pace. Pirates of Disturbance does have its flaws (the English translation is awkward in places) but overall, it is an enjoyable and light-hearted game, perfect for both long-time fans and newcomers.
My Next Life as a Villainess All Routes Lead to Doom! : Pirates of the Disturbance is available on Nintendo Switch.