You think with the tag line Carpe Diem this game wouldn't feel like a waste of time, but that's exactly how I felt about it. I'm sure this would make for an interesting premise if it was fleshed out more or given more stakes, but right now it feels like a concept of what a game could be. Even the story and dialogue just feel rather underwhelming in such a short time because there just isn't anything interesting to it. Points for a neat idea and free game, but nothing else aside from that.
Carpe Diem is about a young man named Jung having one great day with a girl named Ai. It’s very simple and sweet. And I did not see that ending coming!
Visuals
The art is very crisp and clear. Ai is the only character shown, and I really liked her appearance. She has two cute outfits.
The backgrounds are also really nice with good depth. You’ll see a couple different places depending on the choice you make.
Sound Effects + Music
The background music in Carpe Diem is pleasant enough. There’s just one track that loops. It’s low but upbeat and fit the tone of the story. The only additional sound effects are the fireworks in one scene.
Gameplay + Controls
As this is strictly a visual novel there’s no gameplay at all. You make one decision. The controls are straight forward: click or press enter to advance the story.
Replayability
Given that there’s only one decision to make with three options, you could play this three times to see where Jung and Ai end up. It ultimately doesn’t change much though. Carpe Diem only took me about 10 minutes to get through, and it was quick enough to see how the other two choices affect the story. I did end up with a favorite path, even though they all have the same ending.
Overall
Carpe Diem was a good introduction to visual novels for me. I found it from a list of free visual novels for beginners. It was the shortest one, so I gave it go. It was a good way to spend 30 minutes (all three paths) and I’m glad I gave it a shot.
Visuals
The art is very crisp and clear. Ai is the only character shown, and I really liked her appearance. She has two cute outfits.
The backgrounds are also really nice with good depth. You’ll see a couple different places depending on the choice you make.
Sound Effects + Music
The background music in Carpe Diem is pleasant enough. There’s just one track that loops. It’s low but upbeat and fit the tone of the story. The only additional sound effects are the fireworks in one scene.
Gameplay + Controls
As this is strictly a visual novel there’s no gameplay at all. You make one decision. The controls are straight forward: click or press enter to advance the story.
Replayability
Given that there’s only one decision to make with three options, you could play this three times to see where Jung and Ai end up. It ultimately doesn’t change much though. Carpe Diem only took me about 10 minutes to get through, and it was quick enough to see how the other two choices affect the story. I did end up with a favorite path, even though they all have the same ending.
Overall
Carpe Diem was a good introduction to visual novels for me. I found it from a list of free visual novels for beginners. It was the shortest one, so I gave it go. It was a good way to spend 30 minutes (all three paths) and I’m glad I gave it a shot.
Gosh this was bad. At least it was bad enough to laugh at some parts. This extra stereotypical girl who loves shopping and learns cooking so that she can feed her baby boyfriend is hilarious.
I'm not sure whether the author has ever talked to a real woman but it was definitely written for people who never had.
I'm not sure whether the author has ever talked to a real woman but it was definitely written for people who never had.