How do you make reading a visual novel feel like watching a movie? Do it like War on Mine: Ghost. Although a short prelude to an upcoming game (~1 to 1.5 hours), this introduction has whet my appetite for the main chapters... Can't wait to see what else Orange Unicorn has in stall for us.
Story
As Ghost is very short, it's hard to summarize without spoiling. I would say this is a political intrigue + action + sci-fi game with heavy world building. Do not be deceived by the first 10 minutes of chirpy slice of life moments, things get very heavy after a while.
Ghost is presented in a unique format - not only are there multiple perspectives and cut scenes like film, the overall pacing, dialogue and style of presentation resembles more movie than visual novel. I also like the use of "info panels" at strategic junctures during game play that expand on the lore and trivia, beats the typical info dump through dialogue.
Game Mechanic
100% kinetic novel with no choices, like watching a film.
Background / Character Renders
I think it's either done with VAM or Blender, they look too gorgeous to be Daz3D. The backgrounds are either built from scratch or heavily customized, I see no stock assets seen in other games.
Character models are top notch - Sylena and Eliza are beautiful Asians done up realistically i.e. not the typical Asian stereotypes (thin eyes, heavy makeup, slut looks) that Americans seem to like. Aisha looks convincing enough as a Middle Eastern beauty while the male models like Dean and Ramos are attractive enough.
Character Development
Despite a short run, the developers managed to jam in a bit of backstory for Sylena and Dean to give them some character heft. From what I can tell of the main game teasers at the end, the actual MC will be someone different and main LI will likely be Eliza who appears at the end.
Having said that, hopefully we will still see some of the characters introduced in this prelude. It would be a shame if characters like Sylena, Dean and Aki have no appearance in the future after the build up here.
Sex Scenes
There are no sex scenes suitable for fapping here, the closest you will get is a very short but crucial rape scene for plot purposes.
BGM and Sound Effects
BGM is as expected, very movie like and complements the story well. There are some sound effects like shots, electric zaps, crowd screaming etc. as well.
Conclusion
Ghost has certainly made a strong impression as an introduction and the story is a high potential one with many possibilities. The game is also unique in the sense that it plays out like a movie script i.e. one can almost envision how it can be shot as a film following the game.
However, part of me is skeptical whether the project can conclude - the rate at which new content is coming out coupled with the fact that the developer is involved in another game concurrently makes a weak case. I hope my fears are unfounded, but players will need to be realistic on the pace of development.
Story
As Ghost is very short, it's hard to summarize without spoiling. I would say this is a political intrigue + action + sci-fi game with heavy world building. Do not be deceived by the first 10 minutes of chirpy slice of life moments, things get very heavy after a while.
Ghost is presented in a unique format - not only are there multiple perspectives and cut scenes like film, the overall pacing, dialogue and style of presentation resembles more movie than visual novel. I also like the use of "info panels" at strategic junctures during game play that expand on the lore and trivia, beats the typical info dump through dialogue.
Game Mechanic
100% kinetic novel with no choices, like watching a film.
Background / Character Renders
I think it's either done with VAM or Blender, they look too gorgeous to be Daz3D. The backgrounds are either built from scratch or heavily customized, I see no stock assets seen in other games.
Character models are top notch - Sylena and Eliza are beautiful Asians done up realistically i.e. not the typical Asian stereotypes (thin eyes, heavy makeup, slut looks) that Americans seem to like. Aisha looks convincing enough as a Middle Eastern beauty while the male models like Dean and Ramos are attractive enough.
Character Development
Despite a short run, the developers managed to jam in a bit of backstory for Sylena and Dean to give them some character heft. From what I can tell of the main game teasers at the end, the actual MC will be someone different and main LI will likely be Eliza who appears at the end.
Having said that, hopefully we will still see some of the characters introduced in this prelude. It would be a shame if characters like Sylena, Dean and Aki have no appearance in the future after the build up here.
Sex Scenes
There are no sex scenes suitable for fapping here, the closest you will get is a very short but crucial rape scene for plot purposes.
BGM and Sound Effects
BGM is as expected, very movie like and complements the story well. There are some sound effects like shots, electric zaps, crowd screaming etc. as well.
Conclusion
Ghost has certainly made a strong impression as an introduction and the story is a high potential one with many possibilities. The game is also unique in the sense that it plays out like a movie script i.e. one can almost envision how it can be shot as a film following the game.
However, part of me is skeptical whether the project can conclude - the rate at which new content is coming out coupled with the fact that the developer is involved in another game concurrently makes a weak case. I hope my fears are unfounded, but players will need to be realistic on the pace of development.
