Illusion of Itehari lands on Switch with story DLC baked in — here’s the real deal

This otome dropped with bonus story content – that’s the headline

Illusion of Itehari just arrived on Nintendo Switch courtesy of Aksys Games, and the part that made me perk up wasn’t the floating utopia pitch (we’ll get to that) – it’s that the English release includes Japan’s initial DLC from the original run of Utakata no Uchronia. In otome land, getting that extra narrative content folded in at launch is not a given. On top of that, a second DLC with five fully voiced stories is “coming soon,” and there’s an Aksys-exclusive edition with the original soundtrack for collectors who live for shelf candy.

• Day-one bonus: the English version includes Japan’s first DLC, a solid value move for story completionists.
• Another DLC with five fully voiced episodes is on the way – likely paid — so the full narrative package isn’t all here yet.
• Premise leans steampunk-mystery: a seemingly perfect sky city, an amnesiac man, and a heroine digging into the rot beneath the utopia.
• Aksys’s Switch pipeline keeps the platform as the go-to home for otome VNs — great for handheld binging.

Breaking down the announcement (beyond the PR shine)

The setup: you play Hinagiku in a floating “perfect” city that clearly isn’t. A chance encounter with an amnesiac guy kicks off a romance-meets-conspiracy arc that teases uncomfortable truths about how this aerial Eden actually stays afloat. It’s the kind of genre mashup otome vets will recognize — think Code: Realize’s Victorian gearwork vibe, but more utopian façade and social engineering than Sherlock fan service.

The release matters for one simple reason: content packaging. The English version ships with Japan’s initial DLC (originally branded under the Japanese title, Utakata no Uchronia). That usually covers extra scenes/episodes that deepen routes or offer connective tissue between endings. If you hate finishing a route and immediately feeling like you missed the “real” capstone, this helps. The catch is obvious: there’s a second DLC with five fully voiced stories arriving soon. That likely means paid add-ons, and anyone who wants the definitive, everything-in-one-place version might consider waiting to see how Aksys prices and bundles it.

There’s also an OST edition available directly from Aksys. If you’re a physical collector, this is the kind of bonus that actually makes sense — otome soundtracks tend to put in work during quiet character beats and late-route reveals. Just make sure you’re not paying a premium for trinkets you don’t actually want; the music is the only extra that has a long half-life after the credits roll.

Industry context: Switch is still the otome stronghold

Visual novels have found a permanent home on Switch for a reason: quick suspend/resume, handheld reading, and a player base that actually finishes text-heavy games. Aksys has been the Western conduit for a lot of standout otome releases over the last few years, steadily building a library that sits comfortably next to heavy hitters like Piofiore, Olympia Soirée, and Code: Realize. Illusion of Itehari slots neatly into that lineup — a polished, romance-first VN with a mystery backbone and a stylized setting.

That said, we’ve also seen a creeping DLC-chapter trend with otome: “after stories,” “interludes,” and “epilogues” that arrive piecemeal. Sometimes they’re true bonuses; other times they feel like necessary epilogues being held back to sell later. The fact that one batch is included here is a genuine win. The second pack of five voiced stories will be the litmus test: are these fun side routes and seasonal vignettes, or critical lore plugs? If it’s the latter, expect the community to advise waiting for a sale or a future bundle.

The gamer’s perspective: where the hype meets the caveats

This caught my attention because the premise blends romance with the kind of systemic mystery that keeps you turning pages. An amnesiac lead can be a trope, sure, but in conspiracy-flavored otome it often functions as a key to locked doors — the person without a past tends to be the thread that unspools the city. If the routes actually interrogate the cost of a “perfect” society rather than using it as wallpaper, this could be more than another pretty steampunk package.

Practical stuff players care about: expect multiple romance routes gated by early choice flags, a true-route style structure that rewards replays, and a need for multiple save slots. The Switch version should do fine performance-wise (it’s text and 2D art), and quality-of-life features like text backlog, skip-to-next-choice, and auto-advance are table stakes at this point. The big question mark is localization polish. Aksys has improved over recent years, but I always wait to hear if there are typos or honorific quirks that slip through. None of that breaks a VN, but it can dull the emotional edge of late-game confessions and reveals.

Value-wise, getting that first DLC baked in means your first pass through the game should feel fairly complete. The looming second DLC will determine whether you’re missing connective epilogues or just fun bonus dates with extra voice work. If you’re allergic to fragmented narratives, keep your wallet holstered until we know what those five stories actually cover.

Buy now, or wait?

If you live for otome that mix romance with worldbuilding intrigue, jumping in now makes sense — the included DLC sweetens launch week. If you’re a “one and done” player who wants the most complete edition in a single purchase, wait for details on the upcoming five-episode DLC and watch for a potential bundle or sale. Soundtrack collectors: the Aksys-exclusive OST edition is the sensible premium pick; you’ll replay the tracks long after the final CG fades.

TL;DR

Illusion of Itehari lands on Switch with Japan’s first DLC included, a second fully voiced story pack on the way, and an OST edition for collectors. Strong premise, promising mystery vibes — just keep an eye on how that upcoming DLC slices the story before you commit.