I've been playing games for 28 years and have teared up at a game exactly 3 times in my life. This game doubled that number entirely on itsI've been playing games for 28 years and have teared up at a game exactly 3 times in my life. This game doubled that number entirely on its own and is also the first experience I've had legitimately crying from playing a game. This especially surprised me because I've never really enjoyed Visual Novels, or even reading for that matter, all that much. But here, I found myself so immersed in the story and world that I played through the game entirely in one sitting.
This VN works so well for a variety of reasons.
For one, the writing is what I'd consider essentially flawless, at least as far as my knowledge goes. I find that VNs often have serious issues with pacing, but this was the exact perfect length for me, with new things happening exactly when I was hoping for more. I imagine the linearity of the story helps make this happen so effectively (there's no choices here, which is by far my personal preference in game stories), but there's something to be said for this level of craftsmanship regardless.
The small scope of the setting, story, and characters goes a long way as well. You're never being overwhelmed with information, but everything you experience, from locations to characters, stays incredibly detailed and fully-formed. There's just 3 main characters, but I found myself very quickly heavily invested in the relationship between all of them. I pretty notoriously am drawn to stories that "ground" themselves like this and this game is no exception. It might actually be one of the best examples of it I've so far experienced.
One of the most important aspects of this game is the hauntingly and beautifully composed soundtrack. The composers did an absolutely phenomenal job setting atmosphere, tone, and emotion here, which brings the game to life more effectively than I'd realized was possible. The music makes strong use of ambient pads paired with heart-wrenching piano, which fit the story themes and setting perfectly. The composers built this world for me in my head and, honestly, I'm still in awe.
Finally, the art on display here is some of the better stuff I've seen from VNs. The character designs are compelling and drawn in a style I find quite appealing. The main character I think was especially expressive and well drawn. I will say there is a small but noticeable difference between Seina and the other 2 characters' styles, maybe in part due to the differences in age between them, but she still fits in well enough. The backgrounds, on the other hand, are all flawless. They're made in a way that makes them simultaneously feel detailed but also abstract, which had me able to easily imagine the world in my head. I found myself stopping just to appreciate them at multiple points in my playthrough.
The only real criticism here is that I did notice 3 or 4 typos while playing. They were very small and didn't affect the story in any way, but I did notice them. 2 of those were relatively early in the game, so others may notice them too, but be aware that it's not representative of most of the game.
Personally, I'd say there's something legitimately and truly special here - something that has definitely left a lasting impression on me. And I really hope other people are able to have this experience too. I'm very glad this game got made and that I played it.… Expand
