Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen
The first game in the Utawarerumono trilogy of story-rich tactics RPGs. Into a world filled with verdant nature, populated by folk with fluffy ears and fuzzy tails, awakens Hakuowlo, a man of masked mien and missing memory.
Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen is a turn-based tactics, visual novel and anime game
developed by AQUAPLUS
and published by DMM GAMES and Shiravune.
Released on January 22nd 2021 is available only on Windows
in 3 languages: English, Japanese and Traditional Chinese.
It has received 1,205 reviews of which 1,131 were positive and 74 were negative resulting in a rating of 8.9 out of 10. đ
The game is currently priced at 44.99⏠on Steam and has a 10% discount.
The Steam community has classified Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen into these genres:
Media & Screenshots
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Requirements
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Windows
- OS: Windows 10 64bit
- Processor: Intel Celeron G1820
- Memory: 8 GB RAM
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000
- DirectX: Version 11
- Storage: 5 GB available space
- Sound Card: DirectX Compatible
Reviews
Explore reviews from Steam users sharing their experiences and what they love about the game.
Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen is the first game in the Utawarerumono trilogy and it's a remake/remaster of the original VN from 2002. The trilogy is an absolute masterpiece: it's one of the best stories ever told in videogames and it rightfully deserves its spot among the most highly rated VNs ever created together with like likes of Muv-Luv and STEINS;GATE. Utawarerumono also contains an SRPG component, but 80-90% of the game is story, and the gameplay is well integrated into the story and is generally used as part of the storytelling. That said, the gameplay elements are enjoyable on their own merit. Just keep in mind that gameplay is something that improved significantly with each game, peaking in the third part in the series, Mask of Truth. Prelude to the Fallen is the weakest entry in the trilogy, but don't let that discourage you from picking it up. It's still a really good game and it's clear that a lot of care and love was put into each element that makes it up. The characters are very endearing and the worldbuilding, while a bit slow at the start, is fantastic. Since you follow the perspective of Hakuowlo, who can't remember anything about himself or why there's a mask mysteriously fused to his face, the first several hours is just him getting used to his new life. However, it's not all just slice-of-life fun. It takes a while for him to properly start remembering things about his past, but there are several little hints here and there that there's more to him than meets the eye. Despite his lack of memories, he knows things that are common sense to him while to everyone else they might as well be magic, and he's also the only character with no animal-like features. It's a very entertaining experience to watch the game slowly build up its mythos an the mysteries surrounding it. By the end of Prelude to the Fallen you'll have some answers, but not all of them. This game does a good job of setting the stage of the next two while still being fun on its own. Another strong point I would like to highlight is the music and the art. The music in particular is very memorable and it's always very well timed. Any time there's a powerful and emotional scene, you can count on there being a matching soundtrack that enhances the experience. For the visual part, the aesthetic is very pleasing and it definitely looks sharper and cleaner compared to the original VN. The major cultures in this world seem to be based on the real world Ainu culture, and the visuals depict this very well. If this is not something that you're familiar with then you're in for a very unique experience. A worry that some people have is that the game is in 720p 30 fps. Being a Visual Novel, graphic fidelity is not a major point of interest and it's not a focus of the game. Despite this, in my opinion the game actually looks pretty good an I don't think that running at 30 fps detracts from the experience at all, which honestly surprised me a bit since it's standard for modern games to run at 60+ fps. My expectation was that the 3D section (which is to say, the combat and some specific parts of the story) would be choppy but this isn't the case at all. The visuals are smooth and fluid, and they work perfectly fine. The SRPG part of the game is arguably the weakest part of this installment. I still enjoyed them plenty, and it created the base for the combat in the next two games, but once you pick up Mask of Deception you'll quickly be able to tell just how much the gameplay improves. The basis for the majority of the game systems and mechanics are definitely in this game, but the level of polish is much greater in Mask of Deception, and specially in Mask of Truth. To name my main complaints with it: > The equipment system is a bit clunky. Most equips either have vague effects or just aren't very good, and it's also confusing that several of them are exclusive to 1 unit but don't list who the user is. The consumables aren't great either because when you start it's not clear how many of them you will get in a playthrough and what their best use case is. By the end of the game you realize that consumables are quite plentiful but also not very useful. In theory they should be pretty valuable because Eruruu is the only healer you get, but 99% of the times she's is all you need and she's surprisingly not that hard to defend and keep alive. Items will be the most useful in the first few maps because of the game's weird difficulty curve (more on that later) and because you have 2 or 3 maps with isolated characters that Eruruu can't reach in a timely manner (plus some maps where Eruruu is unavailable but that's not very frequent). Incidentally, the devs very clearly took a lesson from this: Mask of Deception and Mask of Truth do away with this system entirely. In those games, all equips are universal, non-consumable and have clear use cases (as well as several strategic uses that add depth to the game in a way that the Prelude to the Fallen equips can't). > The difficulty is very front-loaded. In the early maps your units are much more frail and Eruruu can't always reach them in time to heal damage. Ostensibly the game gets harder again later, but it's very easy to trivialize the difficulty without even trying because of how some game mechanics work. The Bonus Point system is very easy to abuse. After completing any map, the participating units gain points that they can use to improve one of their base stats. The cost varies by stat and character. For example, Hakuowlo is very balanced, while for a character like Oboro improving his attack stat is dirt cheap at the cost of improving his defense stat being expensive. The cost of improving a stat never changes (in the sequels it increases every time you improve a stat), so the game very blatantly tells you to minmax. The most obvious result of this is that your damage dealers will probably be doing several magnitudes of overkill damage by the endgame, which makes the game not very hard even on hard difficulty. If you're itching for a challenge though, you'll definitely find that in the other two games. The systems are more balanced, the story maps are slightly harder, and their post-game maps range from decently challenging to completely brutal. More importantly though, Prelude to the Fallen DOES feature a single challenge post-game map. Be warned, however, that it's locked behind obtaining every item in the game. This isn't a problem for most items (they're all either gained by story progression or can be farmed after ending the game), but there are 2 that are permanently missable. Look up a spoiler-free guide if you're interested in unlocking the map. > Lastly, the zeal mechanic, while interesting, is much better in the sequels. This game has a few skills that scale off your current zeal, you don't lose it if you don't use it (sans getting hit with certain status effects that drain it), and it carries over from one map to the other, so there's no strategic depth to it: the obvious play is to hold on to your zeal forever unless you absolutely need the damage from the Final Strike. The overzeal mechanic from the sequels + zeal restarting every map is significantly better. This game is the beginning of an epic tale where you slowly discover how the world before you came to be. It's full of emotional moments of friendship, love and loyalty, and by the end of it you'll be left wanting to know how the story continues. To avid VN readers, this is an absolute must read. To gamers in general, I think this is an amazing first VN to read. It's easier to get into than something like Muv-Luv (and I say that as a big fan of that game). While it also has its big payoff in the form of the third game, both Prelude to the Fallen and Mask of Deception are very enjoyable on their own right. I can guarantee you that you'll quickly grow to love the characters, the story, and the world that they exist in.
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I've never watch the anime, only that I've seen the title in the past. Saw that all trilogy is in a really big discount. Like only 10$ here. Bought it back then, started playing a month ago since I was getting bored with the games I have (ZZZ, Wuwa, AL, GFL, BA, PNC, NIKKE, and all those gacha games I have but didn't continue). I was expecting to stop playing in just an hour or two just like how I did in other VNs (Maitetsu, Atri, eden, etc). But here I am, completed the first out of three (Though I haven't collected all the items, probably wouldn't do it since I'm too lazy). The 3D characters actually made the VN a lot more interesting for me. Since I saw someone said that this game is the worst out of the three. Then I'm in for a wild one in the next two, huh? This one is already good for me.
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"Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen" is a remake of the game "Utawarerumono (2002)". As the author of this review, I'm very fortunate to be able to experience such a masterpiece. I also took this opportunity to watchăUtawarerumonoă, a TV animation adapted from the game of the same name was broadcast as early as 2006. At this moment, in order to preserve the touching and joy of this group of works in my heart, I hereby use this article to express my emotions, as well as my views and understanding of the work. Let's start with the battle link. The battle of this game is a typical SLG war chess game. Its exquisite battle scenes and combat operations with a sense of impact require players to experience it themselves, Iâll not go into too much detail. In contrast, the battle scenes of the anime "Utawarerumono" appear stiff and rough, which does slightly affect the viewing experience. But one thing needs to be explained: in the game, when the gorgeous and cool pictures attract ur attention, uâll feel restless in a long section of ordinary daily story, and uâre eager to have a battle can bring pleasure and not pay attention to the dialogue of the characters, even if the plot isnât bad or even lively and interesting. In addition to the battle, I prefer to put the highlight of this review on the core plot, so Iâll talk about the particularly exciting parts of the plot separately. â
. Villains who advocate individualism Some villains portrayed in the story have a way of thinking and actions confuse that some people: Nuwangi who bullies the weak, Niwe whoâs a fighting maniac, and the emperor Olikakan who vents hatred, etc. Although these villains are in high positions, they have no mercy on the civilians of other countries or even their own country, and are 'proficient in everything' in burning, killing, and looting. This can be called 'individualism' that acts for one's own selfishness and according to one's own wishes. Dii, as the leader behind this series of events, is alsoăThe Great Liberatorăwho can bring happiness and disaster to people in the setting. Heâs a special existence and cannot be simply classified as one of these villains. In addition, Kuuya of Kunnekamun, who is against the White God Hakuowlo in the story, is also the only character who survived the struggle with the protagonist. As for whether it also belongs to the 'villain' I mentioned, it depends on everyone's understanding of the work. â
Ą. The 'weak but capable' emperor Hakuowlo (ăăŻăȘă) is the protagonist, also known as the White God. Hakuowlo is a different emperor in my opinion. He is 'weak', although heâs the ruler of a country, he doesnât have the domineering and tyranny of the villains, and the decisions are always made by subordinates. Especially the helplessness he showed when he was tied up along with his bed by his 'servant' Karulau and taken to another country to participate in the war was really comical and laughable. In addition, heâs also 'capable', I believe everyone has no doubt about this. After all, he was originallyăThe Great Liberatorăwho created the sub-human world, whether itâs politics, military, science and technology. It's just the combination of 'capable' and 'weak' makes the character image of Hakuowlo stand out. Is Hakuowlo a gentle and kind person, or is he not suitable to be an emperor? Thisâs also left for everyone to think about, Iâm just talking about it in general. â
ą. Love bound by a pact Love bound by a pact refers to the feelings that the heroine Eruruu(ăšă«ă«ă„) developed towards Hakuowlo after signing the pact with him, her soul bounded by restrictions of the pact. I think this part can be regarded as one of the places where the artistic effect brought to the audience is 'explosive'. It's just the depict is not in place enough, but it's enough to move the audience. Eruruu is one of the highlights of this work. In the story, her feelings for Hakuowlo seem reasonable to others, but painful to herself. From the beginning, she accompanied Hakuowlo and treated his injuries, to the death of her grandma Tuskur, she and her sister Aruruu were entrusted to Hakuowlo to take care of them. The three of them were like family, this process all explained the rationality of Eruruu's feelings for Hakuowlo. Although the true face of Hakuowlo isăThe Great Liberatoră, he treats all his companions kindly, especially Eruruu. However, after knowing the pact with Hakuowlo,she hesitated and even denied her feelings. She believed in the so-called "complete dedication from soul to flesh and blood, even a hair" pact, abandoned feelings which had buried deep in her heart. The funny thing is the pact Eruruu has always abided by was neatly abolished by Hakuowlo who knew the truth. â
Ł.The duel betweenăEmpty ShellăandăDoppelgangeră This duel is the finale of the story and also the highlight. Itâs not only the key to unlocking the mystery of Hakuowlo's life experience, but also the output of different values of this fictional world. The focus is on the dialogue betweenăEmpty Shell of Mine(ç©șè)ăandăDoppelganger of Mine(ćèș«)ă. Note here I deliberately do not use "Hakuowlo" and "Dii" coz I wanna separate the will of God as aăThe Great Liberatorăfrom the human. This's a fight between god&god, and a fierce collision of two ideas, not grievances between people. The essential reason for the duel betweenăEmpty ShellăandăDoppelgangerăis that the two have different views on ruling the world. ăEmpty Shellăbelieves the world should implement the policy of helping the poor and the needy weak, and harmonious coexistence between races; ăDoppelgangerăbelieves the world is the law of the jungle, and the survival law of the strong survives and the weak perishes. Itâs worth reminding although the whole story is narrated from the perspective of the protagonist, but the non-protagonist isnât necessarily evil. Ofc, thereâs no need to refute the individualistic villain mentioned above, and itâs recognized by anyone as bad. Think about the above problem from another angle. Can't both ways of thinking be adopted together? Although the two seem contradictory, thereâs still a solution. Recalling the ancient Chinese thoughts on governing the country, there are three famous ones: Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism. When the society is turbulent, the country is governed by âTaoismâ, and when the society is stable, the country is governed by âConfucianismâ. As for âLegalismâ, both are taken. It can be seen from this the confrontation betweenăEmpty ShellăandăDoppelgangerăisnot unsolvable. Videlicet, the two can take turns to govern the world. Therefore, tracing back the cause of the whole story, we have to blame early awakening ofăEmpty Shellă. In the end, after discovering he was the embodiment of Uitsualnemetia's good half, Hakuowlo challengedăDark WitsuarunmiteaăDii, the embodiment of the darker half, and emerged victorious by fusing with it, unifying theăUitsualnemetiaă. Afterward, Hakuowlo asked to be sealed away for a while to prevent any more damage to the world but promised Eruruu that he would see her again. Eruruu and others will uphold the will ofăEmpty Shellăand continue to develop the world in the direction of their ideal. ._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. In general, thisâs a masterpiece that combines rich emotional descriptions, the collision of different political ideas, and the inheritance of spiritual culture. Its unprecedented worldview setting also shocked me a lot. In the final analysis, when it comes to the explanation of the game title, 'Utawarerumono' means the person or thing (spirit) that is praised. I think the game praises the spirit ofăThe Great Liberatorăof Hakuowlo who sacrifices himself for others, loves the country and the people, and values friendship and righteousness. Even if the god will be destroyed, his spirit will be praised on forever.
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I'm writing this after finishing the third game. This game is super flawed: * The combat is pretty bad * The start is extremely slow * It's fairly obvious from the way the female characters act, that the original was a H game. However, it's probably my favourite of the series. Hakuowlo is a fantastic main character. All the side characters have their own unique charm and stand out, yet the main heroine has her place. This sets up such good world building for the rest of the series. If you're new to the series, you may have noticed that this game is considered optional and was released after the other two. Make sure you play it, it makes the third game (considered by most to be the best) hit extremely hard. Overall I'd rate this my favourite of the three games for it's characters and story, but most certainly would recommend playing the others if you enjoy this.
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This is a remake of the Utawarerumono game originally released in 2002, so considering that I think the story held up pretty well. It is recommended this game should be played first, followed by Deception, then Truth, then finally Monochrome Mobius(which takes place between Prelude and Deception). I didn't buy any of the dlc's for this game since it would spoil the characters introduced in Deception/Truth. I wasn't sure how I would like tactical rpg elements mixed with a visual novel but the battles were a nice break from reading so it balanced out. Overall I had a great time!
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Last Updates
| Steam data | 27 November 2024 00:38 |
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| SteamSpy data | 18 January 2025 01:33 |
| Steam price | 22 January 2025 20:49 |
| Steam reviews | 21 January 2025 06:00 |
Online players
15
Developer
AQUAPLUS
Publisher
DMM GAMES,
Shiravune
Release
22 Jan 2021
Platforms