Being fresh off of Chapter 2... sweet lord, this game is absolutely enthralling. I'll try to cover each point in depth, but know right off the bat that this is an absolute masterpiece in my eyes, and hopefully I can convince you to try it and enjoy it as much as I have. Now, I'm not a big fan of visual novels, but I have nothing against them. It's just a genre I don't pay much attention to. but this happens to be my favorite type of story: it'll provide you information that organically makes questions arise, and along with answering them it'll always provide more and more things to ask yourself about the story and the world. It's mystery after mystery, without ever letting things linger for too long and become frustrating or confusing. If you want to know something, chances are you'll either decipher/infer it soon enough without it being obvious, or it'll be directly explained to you while also introducing new concepts. Going into the story, this world creates an incredibly immersive and deep world with its own rich lore, characters and overall setting. You play as Roui, a resigned jeweler who was forced back to his aunt's home (to her chagrin) after a few years of making a name for himself as an independent journalist who ended up getting too nosey with the wrong business. He gets a commission to design a really rare accessory for a rich baron's wedding, giving him a good opportunity to find his way out of this rut and move upwards in life again, but certain events and people will stray his path into getting involved with much more serious and supernatural issues. The world has a pulse of its own, essentially, with how much everything is built. It might feel overwhelming to hear new terms (I could easily name about 20 in-lore concepts just off the top of my head), but everything is constructed in such a way that you, as the viewer, will get the necessary exposition as long as you don't mind reading - this game is very dialog-heavy, which should be fine as long as you're a fan of narrative-focused games... which you probably are, if you're looking at this game. Without spoiling, there's a sort of spiritual world, there's tons of traditions and folklore, there are several races and nations, and everything has a story to tell. The characters are surprisingly rich, as even when you think you've gotten the gist of someone, they're bound to show a new facet that still fits their characterization. No one here is unidimensional, and it makes everything oh so much richer and more enjoyable. No one feels convoluted, either, as you discover things about everyone at a digestible pace and from organic interactions with themselves or other people around them. As one can expect, the gameplay isn't much to look at, but that's not a con at all. If you read a book, you're not doing so for the animation, so of course different mediums have different boons. What matters the most is that it plays well, as it functions as a proper vehicle for the story. I have encountered a single bug, and it was easily ignored, while I've only gotten lost in the puzzles once or twice throughout about 12 hours of gameplay, so I'd say that's very good for this type of game. Finally, the design of this game is superb. The art is so incredibly stylish and charismatic. The character designs to me are a massive standout, with everything feeling properly fleshed out and unique without looking like it's trying too hard to stand out or anything - it blends naturally into the setting of the story. Everything looks appropriately vibrant, from the settings to the characters. There's a few semi-animated segments, cutscenes and such, too, and they are absolutely stellar. The soundtrack doesn't fall behind, either, as it sets the precise tone for each scene - of course you don't get epic boss themes or such, as it's on par for the genre, but for a score this serves the purpose fantastically and it's definitely worth checking out and buying. And, addressing a potential pro or con to many: yes, this game has furries , but it really is neither here nor there, because that's just part of the setting of the world and one of many elements of uniqueness to it. There's both humans and furries, and there's several species that inhabit the game's world, so it doesn't subtract anything if you dislike furries. I'd even argue it adds on to how special this game looks and feels, with the tsourai designs being a personal standout for me (love you Bo, wish I could make a sualokinsona). So... Pros? Everything, as long as it's a genre you enjoy. Cons? Nothing I can think of, personally. I enjoyed everything this game has to offer and have no complaints. I've encountered only minor bugs, like the soundtrack disappearing for a short dialogue or two. Maybe you could consider that it's an unfinished story, but that's just how creating something works. If you'd rather not wait on a cliffhanger or something like that, I'd still fully recommend just giving it a shot right now either way. It's super cheap and it'll give the devs more to work with - if none of the earlier chapters sold well because of being unfinished, there'd be no more chapters anyway, so logically it's better to support them. DO CONSIDER that this game is available only in English and Russian, and only the intro has voices. If you need voice acting, there is essentially none, and if you're not great at either of these languages, it might also be a difficult experience. I hope we can get more translations in the future - hell, I'd translate it to Spanish myself if I had the chance. This game is worthy of being shown to as many people as possible and accessible to everyone, so here's wishing that something can be done about it, but it's definitely not a con because English is statistically the most accessible language worldwide, anyway - I'm already incredibly thankful we got an English translation to begin with. In conclusion, this is an absolute gem of a game to me. If you've got the money, I'd say there's hardly a better use for it than buying this game (and the DLC!). It's a tremendously enjoyable trip full of magic and mystery, with passion overflowing at the edges. I can only hope development goes well and we can get to see the end of this story. If you like the game, too, be sure to check out Lingrimm's (the developers) P*treon to further support their artistry. They fully deserve everything they can get.
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