Review: Promising Start but Needs Visual and Audio Polish (Updated for v. 0.3)
So far, the game seems to be good overall, but there are a few areas that really need improvement—especially when it comes to graphics and presentation.
1. Visuals and Lighting
The graphics are a bit of a mixed bag. Most of the scenes either look washed out or way too dark, making it hard to appreciate the environments or the characters. The lighting definitely needs some fine-tuning to bring out the atmosphere the developers are clearly aiming for.
Update (v. 0.3): There has been a small improvement in lighting, which is nice to see, but it’s still not quite where it should be for a Visual Novel.
2. Character Models
Some of the character models look great — the man in the opening scene, the women, and the MC’s father are all well-designed and expressive. Unfortunately, the main character’s model is a weak spot. It looks almost like a wax figure at times, lacking the depth and realism seen in the others.
Update (v. 0.3): Sadly, there’s been no improvement here. In fact, in some scenes, the MC looks even worse than before. This inconsistency really pulls you out of the story.
3. Grammar and Writing
There are a few minor grammar issues scattered throughout the text, but they’re not distracting enough to ruin the story. The writing itself seems solid and has potential if cleaned up a bit.
4. Music and Sound
I appreciate that the game includes music—it helps with immersion—but right now, it doesn’t always fit the tone of the scenes. Sometimes the music feels mismatched with the emotion or tension of what’s happening on screen.
Update: As of the latest version, it seems there’s only a single track that loops repeatedly, which becomes repetitive fast. I ended up muting it and playing my own music instead.
Overall Thoughts
This game has promise, and I genuinely want to see it improve. The story seems interesting enough to keep following, but the visuals and sound design are holding it back. Since this is a Visual Novel, the graphics play a huge part in the experience, so I hope the developers focus on refining that aspect in future updates.
I’ll definitely keep an eye on it to see how it evolves over time.