Visual Novels - because insomnia builds character.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

True Remembrance



Graphics - The background is the first thing you see, a beautiful background image. It looks like a photo. The other backgrounds used in this game are similar in style. They stay consistent through the story, and are not hard to look at. The backgrounds have a lot of subtle detail that fill the screen nicely. Following shortly is an event CG. These CGs are usually simpler, with simple details and defined figures. The CGs are appropriately colored, for example a bright CG for a happy event. The character tachi-e are for the most part consistent with the CG art, and each character has a nice variety of poses. The tachi-e are simple and seem to focus more on conveying emotion than looking pretty. There are also little particle effects (snow) that show up once in a while that add a little extra detail to the scene. 9/10

Music/SFX - The music is nicely varied. The menu theme is immediately catchy and memorable. The other songs as just as catchy, setting a good mood for the story. There were maybe four or five different tracks. Each song was simple and effective. They didn't distract from the game. Sound effects on the other hand were mediocre. The sounds were unrealistic and low quality. They were placed accordingly in the story and didn't disrupt too much. There weren't too many sound effects, but for the most part they didn't feel necessary. 7/10

Story - The story is long, intricate, and very immersive. Each story element is introduced slowly but clearly, making it easy to pick up on the subtle details. The main characters are developed very thoughtfully and thoroughly, making them quite realistic. There are also many minor characters, and while for the most part they were important to the plot, some only show up for a very short period and could have possibly been merged into one character with the same effect. 9/10

System/Extras - There is a CG gallery, the standard save/load functions, and the option to view the opening movie. The opening movie features a vocal song, which is unusual for a small production. Unfortunately, there is no option to listen to the songs. 4/5

Overall - The story was interesting and original. The art was effective and pretty in its own way. The music was nice and varied. Overall, this is a game I would definitely recommend.

Score - 29/35 - 83% - Good