Skip to main content

On Sale: GamesAssetsToolsTabletopComics
Indie game storeFree gamesFun gamesHorror games
Game developmentAssetsComics
SalesBundles
Jobs
TagsGame Engines
(+4)

I’m gonna be honest, Act 1 was a bit slow but still fun, and Act 2 made this one of my favorite games of the genre. Act 3 though, hoo boy, it’s lowering this game’s charm from a solid 9/10 to a 6/10 at best. The combat is boring and lazy and the story feels like it’s been sidelined. I know me saying this isn’t going to change anything, but i’ll say it nonetheless. Remove the entire combat system and create a separate title for it. Just make it a spin-off title and keep this game as the visual novel that it was in Act 1-2. Either that, or make it bonus content.


When I found the “skip all combat” button, I thought it was smart, but sadly all it does is water everything down and it shows that the amount of effort has gone down significantly in the story. This game doesn’t need a combat system. This really has been one of my favorite games of the genre until this point, but i’ve completely lost my desire to keep playing it. When the game officially launches, perhaps just make this battle thing a bonus mode in the extras menu or something. It really has no place in a game that built a fanbase on its visual novel aspects, amazing characters and well-written story.


My advice to anyone reading these reviews is to give this game a chance, it’s very good for the first two acts (which is a pretty big chunk of content). That being said, make sure you save the game on a separate file before entering Act 3, as you’re almost certainly gonna be going back to it a bunch, as it’s where the charm lies.


Sadly, 6/10 currently. Really praying for some kind of fix here, because the disappointment has been immeasurable. This game has so much potential, but the dev just seems to want to add more and more new features rather than delivering the visual novel that got everyone’s attention in the first place. Play to your strengths, stop trying to be everything at once. It never works out in the end

(+2)

I agree with this so much, I loved the game up until act 3, honestly I think 6/10 is being generous. The character development is completely out the window at this point, which to me is the main point of any VN. 


I tried to hang on for a while in hopes of the game returning to what it does best, but unfortunately I've since deleted it, as it seems were not getting that back.

(+7)

Completely fair. I will say, in defense of the system, that some form of conflict resolution mechanic was required - the town and surrounding environs descending into war was foreshadowed throughout the first two acts and is necessary for the story - but it took a lot longer to implement than I had anticipated (the unfortunate side effect of this being my first proper game).

Now that the mechanic is in place and stabilized I can - and have been - focusing significantly more on the storyline, with Lily, Emma and the Create a Character story events taking front and center place in the last three updates.

That being said... I actually agree with you.

I had a vision for the battle system that would integrate with and compliment the overall narrative, but unfortunately what it's done in practice is to separate the game into two sides that barely interact with each other.

(Not to mention the whiplash that players experience, playing a straight sandbox VN for the first twenty hours and then suddenly being thrown into an old-school SNES-era combat RPG.)

I thought I could use the mechanics to give players more of a sense of immediate agency - and some people do very much enjoy it - but on the whole I think it's too much of a departure from what people enjoyed about the first two acts.

I'm not making any snap decisions, and this is very likely something I will discuss with the community over the next month, but I just wanted to let you know that your disappointment is heard and it is in fact something I am considering how to address :)

Well, let me say first of all that I greatly appreciate how accepting you’re being of the criticism, it does make me hopeful knowing that you understand what i’m saying. I think a good compromise point would be, like- if you’re truly wanting to do the combat stuff and you feel it’s necessary to tell the story, then i’m sure a lot of people could get behind that, just so long as the story and such doesn’t fall behind as a result, if that makes sense. I’m not saying this to kiss ass or anything, but this really has been one of my favorite, uh… “adult games”, shall we say. I do honestly thing the story itself is pretty good on a regular game level (as h games are notorious for bad stories). Just, if it takes time, i’m sure the community is willing to wait, myself included. Just so long as the story hasn’t been forgotten.


Sidenote, as the creator, i’m curious. Who’s been your favorite character to write so far?