The Centennial Case- A Shijima Story Switch Nsp... Jun 2026

Title: The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story Platform: Nintendo Switch (Also on PS4, PS5, PC) Genre: FMV Mystery / Visual Novel Playtime: Approx. 8–12 hours

The Verdict: A Cinematic Page-Turner with Technical Stumbles The Centennial Case is a bold experiment in the Full Motion Video (FMV) genre. It feels less like a video game and more like a high-budget, 10-hour Japanese drama miniseries that pauses every twenty minutes to ask you to solve a murder. While the story is gripping and the acting is surprisingly high-quality, the Nintendo Switch version specifically struggles to do the heavy lifting required to render realistic video files. The Story: A Century of Death The premise is the strongest hook in the game. You play as a mystery writer, Natsume, who is invited to the estate of the Shijima family to help solve a mystery regarding the "Fruit of Youth." The narrative spans 100 years, taking place in 1922, 1972, and 2022. In each era, the head of the family is murdered in a locked-room scenario, and the "Skeleton Key"—a recurring familial curse—seems to be the culprit. The story weaves a complex web of family secrets, jealousy, and inherited trauma. The time-jumping mechanic is excellent, allowing you to see how the sins of the grandfather ripple down to the grandson. If you enjoy Japanese mystery novels (like The Decagon House Murder ), the plot will feel right at home. Visuals & Acting: High Production Value This is a high-end FMV game. Unlike many low-budget FMV titles that feel campy, The Centennial Case features sets, lighting, and acting that rival television productions.

The Acting: The cast is composed of professional Japanese actors. Yuriko Ishida (who plays multiple roles across the generations) delivers a standout performance. The actors play different ancestors/descendants in different eras, which adds a layer of theatrical fun to the experience. The Atmosphere: The cinematography is moody and sharp. The corpse-dummy props are slightly stiff, but the suspense is tangible.

Gameplay: Mystery or Match-the-Pattern? The gameplay loop is divided into three phases: The Centennial Case- A Shijima Story Switch NSP...

Investigation: You watch the events unfold and "clip" keywords and clues into your notes. Hypothesis: You are transported to a "Mind Palace" (a grid of hexagons). You must connect clues to form deductions. The Trail: You confront the suspect and prove your case by selecting the right evidence.

The Good: The deduction mechanic makes you feel smart when it works. You aren't just guessing; you are logically linking cause and effect. The Bad: Sometimes the logic is frustratingly specific. You might know who did it, but the game wants you to prove how they did it using a specific combination of clips that can feel arbitrary. It can lead to trial-and-error frustration. Switch Performance: The Elephant in the Room This is where the review becomes complicated. The Nintendo Switch is not the ideal way to play this game. Because the game is essentially a video file, the graphical fidelity takes a hit on the Switch.

Compression: The video is noticeably grainy and compressed, especially in dark scenes (of which there are many). Blur: Text can look soft, and the visual splendor of the live-action sets is diminished. Performance: For the most part, it runs stable, but the sacrifice in visual quality hurts the immersion. Title: The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story Platform:

If the Switch is your only console, it is playable and passable. However, if you have a PS5, PS4 Pro, or a decent PC, those versions are significantly sharper and offer a much better viewing experience. Pros & Cons Pros:

Gripping Narrative: A complex, multi-generational mystery that keeps you guessing. High-Quality FMV: Great acting and production design. Satisfying Deductions: When

The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is an immersive live-action FMV (Full-Motion Video) mystery adventure published by Square Enix . Released on May 12, 2022, for the Nintendo Switch, it combines high-quality cinematography with a complex detective narrative that spans over 100 years. Plot & Setting The story follows Haruka Kagami , a mystery novelist who is invited by her scientific advisor, Eiji Shijima , to his family's estate near Mt. Fuji. The investigation begins with a century-old skeleton found buried under a cherry tree but quickly escalates into a series of murders occurring in three distinct eras: 1922: The origins of a family tragedy at the estate. 1972: A murder occurring at a Tokyo nightclub. 2022: A modern-day poisoning that brings the mystery full circle. Central to the plot is the "Fruit of Youth" (Tokijiku), a legendary fruit said to grant immortality, which has allegedly cursed the Shijima family for generations. Gameplay Mechanics The game is divided into three distinct phases for each episode: The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story (Switch) Review While the story is gripping and the acting

The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is a live-action, full-motion video (FMV) mystery adventure developed by h.a.n.d. and published by Square Enix . Released on May 12, 2022, for the Nintendo Switch, it centers on an investigation into the cursed history of the Shijima family. Story and Setting You play as Haruka Kagami , a mystery novelist invited to the Shijima estate to investigate a century-old skeleton found under a cherry tree. The narrative spans four major murder cases across three different eras: 1922, 1972, and 2022 . A unique stylistic choice is that the same core cast of actors portrays different characters across these time periods. Core Gameplay Mechanics Each chapter follows a structured three-act loop: Incident Phase : Players watch live-action sequences to gather clues and witness the crime. Reasoning Phase : Occurs in Haruka’s "Cognitive Reasoning Space." You connect clues to mysteries on a hexagonal grid to form various hypotheses. Solution Phase : You present your chosen hypothesis to identify the suspect. Incorrect accusations lead to immediate game-over scenes. Technical Specifications for Switch

Unraveling a Century of Secrets: A Look Into The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is a bold reimagining of the Full Motion Video (FMV) genre, blending high-production live-action cinematography with deep deductive gameplay. Developed by Square Enix , it challenges players to solve a series of murders spanning 100 years within the enigmatic Shijima family. A Narrative Spanning Generations The story follows Haruka Kagami, a mystery novelist who visits the Shijima estate to investigate a century-old skeleton unearthed under a cherry tree. The investigation plunges her into four distinct murder cases across three eras: A tragedy during an auction at the Shijima mansion. Secrets revolving around the "Fruit of Youth". A modern-day mystery that ties the threads together. A unique narrative device sees the same cast of actors portraying different characters across these time periods, representing how Haruka "projects" familiar faces onto historical figures as she reconstructs the cases.