Played Titles for the 2019 Year

Games Not Listed:

The Fruitless Flower 雾雨中的徒花 (Flower in the Fog)

This is a heart wrenching tale of two young girls living in a war torn land of ethnic hatred and distrust. The developers took a hug risk with the topics that are presented in this game and made a very enjoyable experience that allows the players to learn about the darker sides of human nature.

Cons:

This was the first major project for the translator and I think they did a fairly good job for what experience they have and their limitations. There are quite a lot of grammar issues and some text issues that will confuse players and non-English speakers. It is usually hard to translate things from most languages to another language, so this is not a huge issue, but there will be some who may find the issues a little daunting or annoying. I had to think a few times about some of the issues, but I was able to figure them out after a bit. They definitely put forth an effort to translate and did not just use a translation program to do the job for them. I give the translator some props for trying.

The story is very heart wrenching and actually made me feel like a horrible person. The scenarios that the girls struggle through are very hard to understand unless you have lived in a similar way. They are treated so poorly and it can sometimes be hard to play the game when you see what these girls go through. It is not an easy subject to put into any kind of media, yet the developers did a great job with it.

There is some horrible symbolism presented in the game that may be discriminatory. This is a game about internment camps, gulags, working camps that use some of the real life symbols presented in the game. If you are not very accepting of these kinds of symbols, then you may wish to avoid the game at all. However, if you think you can look past those things, it would be worth giving a try.

Pros:

There are many subjects that are usually not portrayed in media. This game deals with racism, internment camps and slavery all in one package. These are usually things frowned upon by most people today and it is usually kept away from most media because of how serious these issues can be. However, the developers of the game decided to take a huge risk with this game and they did an amazing job explaining the situations, ideas and experiences of these topics in a fair and gentle way. They do not push these topics too far, but are willing to touch that borderline of acceptance. I really enjoyed all they tried to do and how well it came out in the end.

There is some amazing artwork and music done for this game. They picked an art style and stuck with it the whole way. They did their best to make the characters look close to human, but also allow some cartoon aspects to make sure the readers understand that this is a game and not reality. This allows the player to connect with the characters, but also distance themselves a little when the tough spots hit. The music is also very well done and works perfect for each situation. They picked songs that worked for each situation and make the player feel more immersed in the game while listening.

While Yuri may be one of the main ideas connected to the game, there are actually quite a few females hooking up together, which is the main focus of the game. It does give fans some Yuri connection and allows players to enjoy some Yuri moments, but then goes back to being serious about the situation the characters are stuck in. So it is not what most Yuri fans may be looking for, but it is a very good story that does give female x female fans a chance to experience some new kinds of interactions.

All in all, this is one of the most heart wrenching and heartwarming tales I have every played through and I would gladly recommend to others who may be willing to try it out. Sure there are some issues with translations, the Chinese version is probably better, and there can be some symbolism that may be a little touching. But if you are willing to fight through these issues, just as the characters struggled through their life, you may enjoy the game a whole lot. I would gladly love to see more work from this developer and team and hope that they will give more chances to translating their work. It also gives me a reason to learn Chinese so that I can actually play their game. Amazing Game.

Twin Blue Moons

A small project Visual Novel that has some Yuri interest but the relationships are not the key part of the story.

Cons:

It is a small project which means that the story is not going to be very long, but I kind of wish the story was a little longer. It does actually have some interesting side paths that helps add to the content that you are getting. Though these side paths may confuse the reader a little more if you do not understand what is actually going on. It seems to be a dimensional story that involves mental states and dreams to create a story of past, present and future.

The translation can be a little off for most readers and may be a hindrance if you want to really enjoy this story. It is readable and you can understand it most of the time. It seems to follow a different structure than the English format which is why you may find word order to be a little out of place. I am use to translation issues and different word orders; however other readers may find it a little awkward to figure out what the author was trying to express.

Pros:

The art style is very unique and has some wonderful color to liven up the environments and atmosphere of the story. I really enjoy the unique style and I actually kind of wish I could live in such a beautiful place. I have always had a thing for forest areas and this visual novel has one of the most beautiful forest areas I have seen.

The music is from free lancers who are providing their music for free and fits very well with the visual novel. The different songs give you a sense of actually being in a calm forest area or in a dangerous situation or even a fun and enjoyable location. The author picked a very good set of songs for this visual novel that express the characters moods, atmosphere of the story and fits well with the environment.

While they do have some moments of Yuri in the story, they did not over indulge in the relationship aspects. Sure characters become closer and become friends, but the story is more about working with each other to solve the mysteries of the forest. There are many elements of magic involved in the story that may interest readers who like that kind of genera. It is a fairly decent story that would create some imagination for many readers.

Twin Blue Moons is a fairly short and enjoyable Yuri/Mystery/Magical story that has some minor flaws but would still be enjoyable for readers who may want to pick up this Visual Novel. This VN provides a variety of interesting ideas into a single package. The minor translation issues and the slightly confusing story may be a minor turn off, but I would gladly recommend people give it a try.

List items

• 

  VA-11 Hall-A: Cyberpunk Bartender Action

  A kind of life style simulator story that follows a bartender as she goes through her struggles of life. I originally was not sure I wanted to try this title out and even removed it from my wish list and thoughts for a long time. It took a friend of mine to convince me to give this title a chance and see what the hype is all about. So was it worth it?

  Cons: I do not often have a lot of time to play games and may only get five to ten minutes to read a visual novel or play a game. Often times I need short games that allow me to save whenever I want so that I can go about my life. Sadly this game does not allow that. You do have moments where you can save, before work or during break time, however unless you are a fast reader (which I am not) you kind of do not get the chance to save before you have to leave to go do some kind of life work. This does not completely ruin the VN, but could give more people a chance to read more if they could save when they needed to. If by some chance I missed a button that allows for saving at any time, then I apologize for this, but also feel upset that the button was not brought up anywhere.

  I believe I heard from my friend that the Demo and other add-ons were put into the game afterwards. This may not be a big issue because of these changes, however for people who were told to play those before starting the game would end up encountering a lack of tutorial. I had to kind of figure out what to do on my own when I read these add-ons first before going through the main story. This kind of felt weird when I did get to the main game and already knew how to do all the stuff during the tutorial. Again, since these were added on afterwards it may not be an issue, but for people getting the VN later on could find this to be a bit problematic.

  Pros: I have never been to a bar myself nor have I been a bartender, yet this does seem like a fairly accurate representation of that kind of place. The story is kind of all over the place, but when you have clients with different tastes, problems, issues and ideals it would be kind of hard to make a straightforward story. This kind of makes it a little hard to follow at times, but does give a good look into each client’s life and how a bartender may handle their stories or situations. There seems to be a wide range of clients and there is sure to be one that will interest each different reader. Though some of the clients are not given as much story or screen time as others.

  The art work as well as the music was both done very well. The design for the bar makes the reader actually feel like they could be the bartender serving the clients. This really helped to sell the idea of the reader being a part of the bar while not actually being in a bar themselves. Each character has their own designs and the details done for some of the more complicated designs are very well done. They gave their clients their own kind of personality that can be portrayed through their designs.

  There is a variety of music that seems to fit the bar kind of atmosphere and the kind of people who would visit such a place. They allow you to pick twelves tracks from the jukebox to play while you are reading the story or serving the clients. This was a cool design idea that allowed the players to enjoy which songs they liked and could make their own play lists. I did not see much change in the story for playing the same songs over and over, or even the same song, but that may not have been something the creators may have thought to add or it may have been a bit too complicated to have clients mention.

  I may have originally been reluctant to try this title when it first came out, but I did find some enjoyable moments to this Bartender Simulator Visual Novel. There may be some issues that could or could not be an issue for some people, but it could be something the creators look into for future projects. I found enjoyment with this title, even with some of the problems I may have encountered. I would recommend this to others, but they may want to think about whether this might be something they could delve into depending on their interests.

• 

  The Wilting Amaranth

  This is a short story that takes fairy tale elements and adds some female relationships to the equation.

  Cons:

  They kind of ruin one of the characters roles in the story very early on with her endings. Each girl has different endings and one of them you start to hate more and more as you advance further into her story. They could have made some of the bad endings for her later on to allow the readers to believe that their friendship could actually blossom. This also kind of makes it so that you really do not get any good endings with this character and you have to play the other girls story to actually get a good enough ending.

  This seems like a small project that this group was trying out and I think they did a decent job with it. It is kind of hard to really say bad things about new companies starting off with smaller projects. They are limited in their supplies and fund and pretty much have to work with what they have. So do not expect a lot of music choices, changes in scenery or voice acting. Yet these things should not deter readers from trying this title out.

  Pros:

  I actually really like the character design and the few scenery designs. Even the text box and menu kind of have an old kind of rustic feeling to it. These added touches really help the reader feel like they are in the story and playing one of the roles of the characters. While there are a few moments of partial nudity, they do have a tasteful appeal to them and do not cross to many boundaries. Though the options saw “All Age Gallery” and these scenes are posted in that gallery. I think they may need to fix that. Yes I know there is an adult version of the game, but some parents would not be happy to have their kids seeing these partial nudity scenes.

  The story is actually decent and kind of reverses the roles of the good and bad guys in fairy tales. They make the witch a well-liked character and make her the good side to the story, while the rogue hero has been made devious, hurtful and bad. These changes up what most people think of when they read a children’s book, and give a new perspective on the idea of good and bad. The witch pretty much gets the good endings, if you can call some of them that, and makes people think that not everyone different can be a bad person.

  This was a fairly enjoyable short read that made me think differently about how stories could be told. As a small project it is not going to be the best and will have flaws, but it does give a stepping stone for future projects from this group. I would gladly recommend for the Yuri lover out there and possible for some people who want to just try out something different.

• 

  Horizon Zero Dawn

  This game is an open world, post-apocalyptic world that takes a tribal approach instead of a futuristic style. I actually thought the team was a new studio that just so happened to make a really good first game, however, it turns out they make the Killzone series which I do not play. So this would be why I did not know they were around. This is definitely an amazing game that many would enjoy and should probably try out if given the chance.

  Cons:

  It is an open world game. This could also be a positive to most people, but while I was playing it, I realized that open world games do not work for my schedule. I do not often have time to really sit down and play for long periods of time. This could be an issue for others as well, but I think it is only a minor problem. Especially since they give you a lot of save spots.

  Speaking of save locations, these are really dispersed in odd ways. There were times I was just walking down a path and the game was like “look a campfire” and then a minute later another one. Then there were times I found a campfire and then had to travel a long distance to get to the next campfire. They are not very evenly laid out and some of them feel like they are just there for no reason since you could find a closer one to your objective. Again, this is not a huge issues, but just seems a bit weird to have them randomly placed like that.

  This may just have been something I encountered, but difficulty kind of spiked up really fast when I finished the Eastern part of the map and moved into the Western part. They got you adjusted to the machines in the East and then suddenly threw a lot of new machines at you, including flying machines, which kind of ramped up the difficulty a lot. You kind of had to learn fast or die a lot. It felt a little aggravating at first and I was not even under leveled when it happened. In fact I was over leveled for the change. This could just have to do with my play style and others may not have noticed the difficulty change.

  Pros:

  It is an amazing open world game. Yes, I know I put this in the cons, but it is also a pro. There is a lot to explore and if you really enjoy traversing the map to find interesting locations or scenery then this game allows it. There is a message that pops up if you start to go too far out of bounds, but at least the game is letting you know ahead of time instead of killing you or pushing you to a previous save without explaining why it happened. There is a lot to enjoy with this world and the downloadable content gives even more enjoyable scenery to play around in.

  There are a variety of missions to enjoy. You do not have to do them all, but you do get some advantages to doing most of them and you get to explore the world as well. You could take down corrupted machines in their special corruption zone, take down bandits with an outlaw bandit hunter, and discover hidden caves or ruins to explore or even follow the story as it takes you all across the world meeting new and interesting people. This game gives players variety when it comes to playing and each play through can be done in many different ways. It is a very unique kind of game design that is not explore very often.

  The story is very well done and provides a very enjoyable experience. You do not get many stories that can captivate and audience and allow them to learn while having fun. You may start off confused and not sure what is going on, but you slowly learn with each step of progress how the story is going to advance and play out. They did an excellent job as furnishing the story and making sure very few questions were left behind when the player finished the game. They even have data logs to read if you want to learn more about the story, the characters and how all the events connect together.

  I am not a designer and my artwork needs quite a bit of polishing up, but I can definitely tell that they put a lot of effort into the character designs and scenery. This game looks amazing, probably better on a PC, and you can tell they spent a lot of time making it look the way it does. The characters are done so well that they almost look completely human and not video game animatronics. They are so detailed that you can see expressions, fell their emotions and almost connect with them. This studio put in the effort to make an amazing game and players will enjoy almost every minute of it.

  Horizon Zero Dawn is an amazing game that will be hard to beat or even repeat for future project of this company. They set a high standard for themselves with this project and they nailed almost everything about this game. Sure there are a few hiccups, but there is no game that is perfect. Everyone has different tastes and interest, so you will always have some kind of issue or problem, but this is one of those few games that actually is worth playing or giving a try. There are very few games I can give an amazing score to, but this would be one of those games.

• 

  Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity

  I did not know how I was going to do this review. I am kind of biased about this since I really love the Touhou Series and I enjoy most of the fan made games that are out that. Then my friend sent me a picture of the last trophy I got in this game. Overly Critical, which you get for gaining fifty percent critical rate on one of your characters. I laughed and then said “That is the answer.”

  Cons:

  There is a lot of repetitive combat that could possibly throw off players. Sure you can change up your skills and spell to try different combinations that may work best for you, but even those are limited and you still have to go through the repetitive combat to refill those. I did not mind it too much, but it would be something some people may not find enjoyable.

  I am usually not good at telling frame rate drop or the difference between 30 FPS or 60 FPS, but my friend is good at it. This game does not run that smoothly when you analyze the gameplay footage, but it does not really hinder the game play that much. It could be a throw off to people who want a more smooth action game, but it did not seem to bother me that much.

  The camera can be a bit of an issue most of the time. Usually it is above your and angled behind your character so you can see the area around them and in front of them. This can get annoying when the background starts to hide enemies and you takes hits from something you did not see. It usually is not a big issue, but in some boss fights when you want to keep track of the boss and they are off screen from the camera, you will struggle to dodge their attack. This is probably one of the bigger issues with this kind of game.

  Pros:

  It is a fairly decent Touhou action adventure game. It uses some spell cards and bullet hell mechanics that make the player decide to dodge the attacks or go in blazing with their fists and tanking the hits. The minor enemies you can actually attack their shots and it will not be a problem, but bosses you actually do need to dodge. This kind of makes it enjoyable since you get to learn patterns and how to best avoid getting hit so that you can get in and attack the boss.

  While most of the remixes are not completely new, some are taken from other remix ideas; the music does actually fit well and sounds good. The music was enjoyable and I always kept trying to remember whose theme it belonged to and whether it was a good representation of their song. I would have liked to have a music player in the game to be able to listen to the music, but I also could just go to the circles that made the songs and listen that way.

  As a fan made game for the Touhou series, it is actually one of the better ones I have played. However, those who are not fans of this kind of game or the series may not find it enjoyable and may wish to avoid this game. I would say try giving it a shot if you think you might like it, otherwise it would be something you may wish to pass up.

• 

  Mega Man X Legacy Collection

  The combination of the first four X games, and probably the better ones, into a collection for all to enjoy. The fans of these kinds of games were surely happy to finally have some more old classics to challenge themselves with.

  Pros:

  Probably some of the better games in the series. I played a few of the handheld versions as a kid, but never really got very far in them. I also had X4 on the Playstation and really enjoyed that. I have heard people say the early X games are the ones to play and the later ones are not as up to par. I have not gotten too far into the second collection to be able to conclude this, but I know I enjoyed the games on this collection. It does have some difficulty spikes in some area and some games can be a little bland, but it is a very good collection of the X series.

  X Challenge mode is one of the newest features in the collection. It takes bosses from X all the way to X6 and pairs them together. You get to fight two bosses at once and the strategies you will use may change how you fight them. It makes for an interesting challenge since you have to alter how you would fight one boss and make a new strategy for both of the bosses.

  Cheat codes can still be used. What more do you need.

  You can even add filters onto the game to play the game as if you were playing the original versions. These filters may seem a little ugly to newer gamers who never experiences the older graphics and televisions, but it can bring some nostalgia to those who actually played the originals. These filters can even help with the challenge if you want to try some tricky new game play.

  Cons:

  X Challenge Mode. While I do like this new mode, I kind of wish they had used only bosses in the games on the collection. Instead it uses bosses from the other collection as well and if you never played those games you will not know weaknesses or how to fight them. This also adds spoilers for those who did not want to learn about bosses in other games. Though I do understand that they are limited in how many bosses they can use since they cut out some bosses in the later games. They also kind of use some repeat bosses and you do not get many interesting fights when you have to repeat a boss.

  This collection is something many fans will probably enjoy playing and could even bring newer gamers into the series. It does have some difficulty spikes throughout the various games, but with some patience and practice, gamers will be able to triumph over the adversity of the challenges. This is a good recommendation for fans or gamers who like these kinds of games or maybe people who want to see a new kind of genera.

• 

  Touhou Luna Nights

  This Metroid/Castlevania style game has come out of the no how and showed the world what an indie game can truly accomplish. Plus it is a Touhou game so of course I will give it a shot.

  Pros:

  This is just an amazing game completely. I have played other games where the movement or actions can be a little stiff or not as reactive, but this game does it very well. I almost feel like I am in complete control of the character and I have little trouble maneuvering around obstacles or tricky jumps. The did a very well job developing the game and making it very playable for new and old fans of this kind of genera.

  The music and art of the game is also very well done. The style works very well for this kind of game, though it can look a little muddy sometimes. They did a very good job at recreating the music of Zun and putting their own touch to fit the game. I really enjoyed the boss music as well and when characters went into their EX mode, the changes to the sound and music added more to the battle. I kind of wish they added a option to the game or as DLC, since I would listen to it over and over again.

  My own bias of The Maid Sakuya being one of my favorite Touhou Characters.

  Cons:

  There is a definite difficulty spike after the third stage that may be a little bothersome to some players. Even the third stage itself can be a little problematic, but what comes after is a bit of a trouble spot for some players (or maybe just me). While it is nice to have some difficulty in these kinds of games, it could be a hindrance to some players and make them not want to play anymore. Obviously they are supposed to have a similar touch as actual Touhou games, and they start getting harder around stage four as well, so that may not be a huge problem, but it could make it harder for some players.

  There is really not a lot for me to complain about with this game. It is a very well done Indie project that I think could have been a little bit longer, but does a very good job with what it put out. I do want to keep an eye out on what this company will do in the future and I think others should also keep a look out as well. This is a very well done game that people of the Metroid/Castlevania genera will probably enjoy. It does have some minor troubles, but what it lacks in, it usually will make up for in some other aspects. I would definitely recommend this to others who may want to try this game out.

• 

  Ne no Kami: The Two Princess Knights of Kyoto

  Part 1 and Part 2

  This is a very well done and wonderful (apparently Kickstarter) Visual Novel that uses a lot of Japanese culture, heritage and religious ideas. It is a multi-part project and I was hoping to do it all in one go, however there is more than just parts one and two. This will be a review of the first two parts and I will finish up the whole review when the rest of the parts come out.

  Cons:

  There is really not too much to complain about with these visual novels. Sure there are some slow moments and a few events that could have been removed from the whole story and still allowed the reader to understand what was going on.

  Pros:

  This is a very well done visual novel that will interest a lot of people and bring enjoyment to people who might want to try something new. The art work, music and story are all well done. The company did a very good job at expressing tense moments with some darker music, while giving light, heartfelt music to the pleasant moments in the visual novel. They also used a mechanic that I have only seen in one other visual novel before. You will get words that are highlighted and you can go into their glossary to learn what that word means or is so you will not feel confused. This is a good idea since it will keep people who are not in that culture to be able to understand what is going on and where events are happening. Yes I know that was a bad sentence, I am still keeping it.

  There characters are all well-defined and have wonderful voice acting. While it is not all voiced, some characters are lacking in that, it does cover the main characters that you will be getting attached to as you read. I especially like Haku’s voice since it covers a character who is not accustomed to speaking in another language and shows her slight immaturity with her speech.

  The visual novel also goes into a lot of Japanese history and culture. You learn about different kinds of spirits, events and people that were influential in Japan. This is a good read for people who want to learn more about some of Japan’s culture and heritage or even explore some new ideas of the world abroad. While there are other ways to learn more about Japan and this is not a complete education on the place, it does still bring some educational moments to the story without overwhelming the reader.

  This is a very well done multi-part project that I will keep an eye on in the future. The company has done a very well done job so far with these two episodes and I would gladly recommend for people who may like Japanese culture, ideas or just want a good visual novel to read. While there is a lack in choices, they do switch between characters so you can learn more about the story and what each person is doing at what moment. It is a well worth read if you want to give it a chance.

• 

  Double Focus: Aya to Momiji no Dangan Shuzai Kikou

  A cutesy, colorful Metroid/Castlevania style game that uses Touhou characters in a fantasy book realm.

  Cons:

  Some of the hidden items and content is too well hidden for this kind of game. Usually these games you can kind of tell where hidden rooms might be or there will be walls that look slightly different. However, with this game you will be running along walls trying to find that last bit of content you need to be able to finish the collection. It kind of annoyed me when I was trying to hunt down some of the items and map that I was looking for only for it to be in a random hallway that has no sign of even having a hidden wall. This may not be a huge issue for people just wanting to play the game and not going after trophies or 100 percent, but may be a hassle for others.

  Compared to other games in this genera, this one seems a little slow and more of an exploration kind of game. This could be due to me playing Touhou Luna Nights earlier this year and really enjoying that game, however, kind of feel like this has more a calming, exploration feel than a hectic vampire hunting game. The cutesy art style could also be something that makes me think more of this slow and relaxing style since most of the games in this genera are darker, Victorian style atmospheres.

  This may not be a problem for big fans of the series, but for fans who stick to the earlier Touhou games, they pretty much use a lot of newer characters from the later games. I have not played all the Touhou games myself, but I try to keep up with them in some way. I knew about most of the characters, and I actually think they picked some good ones that fit well with the different areas, but some fans may be confused about who each new character may be. Plus I keep forgetting Cirno even exists most of the time.

  Pros:

  It has a very nice cutesy Aqua Style art style that I really enjoy and the music choice I great for each area and boss. I kind of enjoy cute and colorful games so this works well for me, but could be a turn off for others. Especially since most games in this genera are usually not as cute and colorful. While there are some minor issues with movement, character palettes and such, I do enjoy the look of the art design and the different environments.

  Most of the time they do these kinds of generas they use the Scarlet Devil Mansion cast and a few other main characters, however this time they went with a new cast. Sure a few SDM characters do show up, but you get to play as Aya and Momiji and explore the world with both of them and their unique abilities. It kind of is enjoyable going through puzzles to try and figure out how to best deal with it while switching between each character. Plus you get to take pictures and get some personal intel on the main characters thoughts of each enemy you take a picture of.

  This is one of the few games, actually I think the only game I own, that actually uses the touch pad on the PS4 controller. I was kind of shocked to have to use the touch pad, but it eventually became an enjoyable part of the game. I kind of wish more games would do this.

  Byakuren Punching Tewi. Nothing more needs to be said.

  All in all, this is a fairly enjoyable Metroid/Castlevania style game that Touhou fans may enjoy playing. It does have some issues and is not meant for all players of these genera, but it has some unique ideas that make this an enjoyable experience. If you would not mind trying some different perspective on the genera and maybe want to play this game, then I would gladly give a recommendation.

• 

  How To Date A Magical Girl!

  A moderately flawed Slice of “Magical” Life Visual Novel that actually had potential but was not put in the correct direction. I actually think it could have been a bit more enjoyable as a Kinetic Novel or even removing the stat growth aspects.

  Cons:

  I do not find many stories that get boring as you end up getting further into, however this Visual Novel kind of went off track many times. There are enjoyable moments like the introduction; middle and ending, however all the gaps between tend to feel like awkward pauses. This is why I think it would have worked as a Kinetic Novel since the story pretty much plays out to have one, maybe two different endings.

  The stat growth system is not very complicated and they tell you many times throughout the VN how to get the girl you are interested in. Yet, the stat growth system kind of felt more like work and slightly made me lose interest in the story. I was doing all this side stuff that was not really needed to make the story as enjoyable as it could have been. If they wanted to keep the stat growth system in the game then maybe they could have tweaked it a little bit to still allow enjoyment of the story and pick the magical girl you wanted.

  There are two different types of art in this visual novel. The CG art is very well done and actually looks like an anime style. However, most of the scenes are a little bland and not as enjoyable to look at. This actually could have been a decision made to express the story, in which case I can not really complain. However, if this was just done as a way to make the price cheaper, then I am a little upset with their choice.

  Pros:

  The “good” parts of the story are very well done. They actually have a good story here that fits in with a Magical Girl setting and makes the reader feel like they are actually in the world with the characters. The horror moments, especially the ending, was a little too detailed for my taste and I ended up skipping through some of the text to get past these moments, but from what I read these moments were very well done. This would have really done better as a Kinetic Novel and they could have kept with building the story in this fashion if they had made this design choice instead.

  The characters are very well developed and all have unique traits and behaviors. The developers really put a lot of thought into these characters and how they would express themselves throughout the story. They could have limited the affection meter a little and made it easier to get closer to the girls, but the developers choice to make the readers work to get closer to each character. The individual stories that you read about from each character are very well done and add some hidden secrets that the reader may not be expecting.

  There is the ability to play as a Male or Female character in this Visual Novel. Even though it is supposed to be a Magical Girls school, the Male does get to attend the school. I only played a little of the Male store, finished the Female Route, and the dialogue does change a little based on which gender you choose. The main dialogue stays true to the story, but you will get a few comments about the gender of the character and some interesting moments at the school when you attend.

  I would really like to recommend this Visual Novel to readers who might be interested. However, with the choices made by the developers and the many moments of boredom I actually can not give a great recommendation. It does have some enjoyable moments and readers will be able to learn what it would be like to live in a world of magic. However, it would be up to the reader to make the choice on whether they might want to give this Visual Novel a try or not. I really would have liked a Kinetic Novel version of this, since it would have worked really well and I would have probably given this work a better review.

• 

  Escape from the Princess

  A very unique Visual Novel with Yuri elements and a very enjoyable story line. I do not recall actually escaping the Princess however.

  Cons:

  If we go by the title the bad ending where the main character is separated from the escapee would be the true endings. The true endings where you stay with the escapee would be the bad endings. SPOILERS. Turns out the escapee is actual the Princess and you are actually helping her escape from the country and not herself. Granted I do not know a better title so I think it fits fairly decent for the story.

  There really are not many issues with this Visual Novel. They have a unique art style that some may not like, however, I really enjoyed it. The choices actually seem to affect the path you will go down and possibly the mood of the characters (I think I imagined this). There is quite a bit of fan service which may not be something parents want their children to read. They do only a little bit to hide certain parts of the female body, but they really just lay it all out there. If you are not interested in some full on nudity of the characters, then this may be something to skip on. Though there is a Censure option in the menu that you could use to possibly use if you wish. I did a few runs with censure on and off and they still seemed to give the special scenes so I am not sure if it works or not.

  Pros:

  The art style, Folk Music, sound effects and story are very well done. They used very unique styles to create a special story that only the creators could come up with. Everything seems to fit very well together and the creators did a very good job with this project. They could have lowered their tasteful scenes to be a little more covered, but that is just me. Other readers may be bothered by it so much.

  This may be my imagination or they wrote it in so very well that it actually does happen, but I seemed to think that my choices affected the moods and emotions of the characters. I do know that certain events occur only if you choose the right path, but I did not know that the characters themselves would actually change emotions. It makes sense that if you are going to be rude that people will treat you the same. However, you do not always see that in these kinds of stories so it was a little interesting to see those kinds of moments. The choices were very well done and you got to see how the characters reacted based on how you chose.

  All in all this is a fairly enjoyable visual novel that does quite a few unique things that work very well. The developers put a lot of effort into this project and really wanted their audience to enjoy the story. Obviously there are some things that may turn some readers off, like the art style, the fan service and not actually escaping from the princess, but this is still a very unique project that many readers might want to give a chance. I would gladly recommend to readers who, are old enough, and want to experience this little gem of a project.