Finally finished this one. I'm not really sure how to put what I want to say into words. The game is good. But it definitely has some flaws which surprises me because the game is SO highly rated.
First of all the soundtrack is amazing so many bangers, even if they can get repetitive over time. And I really like the artstyle of the game, with all the watercolour backgrounds and NON-ANIME looking characters.
Not to shit on anime too hard, but I think one of the major reasons this visual novel is extremely highly praised is because it's one of the only VNs that is not weird anime gooner slop. There are no H-Scenes. It has amazing well-depicted and well-developed female and queer characters. It doesn't rely on creepy perverted jokes at the expense of women that supposedly just "come with the territory" of anime/VN games. And it's written really well! All of these things should kind of just really be the bare minimum, but I think the bar is on the floor for the standard of visual novel games and that makes Fata Morgana stand out above the rest.
The characters are very good and especially in the final chapter where you get to know everyone deeper than before, they are really well-written. I also loved the post-game backstage content where everybody breaks the fourth wall and shoots the shit. That was an amazing addition to the game.
On to the flaws :(
The biggest issue was the pacing. I feel the game was way too long and spent too much time in places it didn't need to. I have to keep this spoiler-free but basically, the first four chapters are just prologue.
The first three are all self-contained stories told to build up the world of the mansion. They can drag on and overall it felt like they didn't matter too much after they were done. The fourth chapter is kinda just like nothingness.
After chapter 4, the real game begins. And that's when it gets really interesting and you can start connecting to the protagonists more. Chapters 5, 6, and 7 are good (especially 7), but then chapter 8 is amazing. It's super long but it also feels like the point where the game truly begins. The first 7 chapters were all setting up for the 8th.
At certain points, the story can feel like a trauma competition. I know the story is a tragedy but damn, it felt like the creators wanted to just make everybody have the most excruciating backstory where nothing goes right at all. And I think it caused some of these moments to lose their gravitas.
Overall, Fata Morgana tells a great story with amazing style and presentation. It's not your average run-of-the-mill anime visual novel, and that's why it's beloved by so many - it stands out. But it's held back by some weird pacing that can cause moments to feel unimportant, uninteresting and inconsequential.
Looking forward to playing the DLC!
First of all the soundtrack is amazing so many bangers, even if they can get repetitive over time. And I really like the artstyle of the game, with all the watercolour backgrounds and NON-ANIME looking characters.
Not to shit on anime too hard, but I think one of the major reasons this visual novel is extremely highly praised is because it's one of the only VNs that is not weird anime gooner slop. There are no H-Scenes. It has amazing well-depicted and well-developed female and queer characters. It doesn't rely on creepy perverted jokes at the expense of women that supposedly just "come with the territory" of anime/VN games. And it's written really well! All of these things should kind of just really be the bare minimum, but I think the bar is on the floor for the standard of visual novel games and that makes Fata Morgana stand out above the rest.
The characters are very good and especially in the final chapter where you get to know everyone deeper than before, they are really well-written. I also loved the post-game backstage content where everybody breaks the fourth wall and shoots the shit. That was an amazing addition to the game.
On to the flaws :(
The biggest issue was the pacing. I feel the game was way too long and spent too much time in places it didn't need to. I have to keep this spoiler-free but basically, the first four chapters are just prologue.
The first three are all self-contained stories told to build up the world of the mansion. They can drag on and overall it felt like they didn't matter too much after they were done. The fourth chapter is kinda just like nothingness.
After chapter 4, the real game begins. And that's when it gets really interesting and you can start connecting to the protagonists more. Chapters 5, 6, and 7 are good (especially 7), but then chapter 8 is amazing. It's super long but it also feels like the point where the game truly begins. The first 7 chapters were all setting up for the 8th.
At certain points, the story can feel like a trauma competition. I know the story is a tragedy but damn, it felt like the creators wanted to just make everybody have the most excruciating backstory where nothing goes right at all. And I think it caused some of these moments to lose their gravitas.
Overall, Fata Morgana tells a great story with amazing style and presentation. It's not your average run-of-the-mill anime visual novel, and that's why it's beloved by so many - it stands out. But it's held back by some weird pacing that can cause moments to feel unimportant, uninteresting and inconsequential.
Looking forward to playing the DLC!