Chaos;Child Shows The Power Of Desire

Chaos;Child is a visual novel filled with people who have extraordinary powers. Each of the people in this game are gigalomaniacs, people with the ability to make delusions real. These special abilities can help people in various ways. But what’s interesting is the way in which each character who has such a specialty’s skill ties into their own lives and desires. The game becomes more interesting as you learn about each person and how their power impacts their lives.

Editor’s note: spoilers for all of Chaos;Child’s routes appear ahead.

Delusions are fantasies in Chaos;Child. They are fueled by things that people may want, perhaps even obsess about. With Takuru as our avatar, we get a firsthand look at how delusions can shape his world. His positive and negative thoughts can cloud situations. His thoughts on such things are so strong, they shape the very course of the game. When Takuru wants something, something so bad after the deaths of his family in the Shibuya earthquake caused by the events of Chaos;Head, his mind and power can create situations where he can be the person he wanted to be and the life he wanted to live.

But while Takuru and his ability to shape the game are only one example of how desire can make things happen. Hinae is a good example of how desire can cause delusions to grant a power to protect a person. During the Shibuya earthquake, she learned that she was adopted. Her family hid this secret from her for her whole life. Because of her desire to know the truth, she developed an ability that would let her know when people are lying to her and see the truth. Survival instinct and desperation gave her a thing she desperately needed, so she would never be lied to again.

Nono is a more tragic look at what happens when someone’s desire becomes overwhelming. While Nono isn’t a gigalomaniac, Senri is. Senri wanted to be Nono so badly that when she died, her delusion allowed her to transform and become her. For most of the game, she plays this part. She even lies about her ability to try and continue her “normal” life as Nono. This want to be someone everyone admires, the Empress of the school,

But no character exemplifies how dangerous a desire in this world can be than Serika. One of the game’s biggest twists is that she is actually a delusion. When Takuru was all alone after Shibuya’s earthquake, his mind created her. Her whole life revolves around him. His wish to have someone created her. And in turn, her entire role is to make anything he wants happen.

Once you have played Chaos;Child once and all of these truths are revealed, it almost feels like you need to go back and replay the game again. What hints were missed? When were there suggestions and segments that alluded to people’s true natures? While the first playthrough can be thrilling and engrossing as you attempt to discover exactly what is going on, the second can be more tragic as you realize what everyone is going through and how their experiences during and immediately after the earthquake shaped their lives.

Chaos;Child is available for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita.