"A world where man can never stand... To actualize that world, I decided to engrave it within the canvas"



Heavenly Thread, Embodiment of Spirit. Casting glances at the paintings on the walls and feeling the texture of the crayon and paint that lines the floors. Ib presents a noticeably polished atmosphere, not one of explicit hostility (such as Witch's House, Ao Oni) but the art gallery in which our young protagonist finds herself lost is better depicted as another world entirely. The lonely paintings and dim hallways are endlessly empty, your safety is more dependant on something's impulsive whim more than the outright threat of some monster. And it's not some flat interpretation of an exhibit, the works of Guertena are as strong and consistent as its real life counterparts, the complexity of the man make the encounters in his exhibit even more unique. It is so visually varied and endlessly stimulating, despite the limitations of pixelization.

Standing proud 12 years later as one of the best classic rpgmaker games, there are very few flaws that this remake has not ironed out. The writing goes above and beyond- it has such a mystique and charm lent to it. The art style is so unique. Everything here is so smooth, never too much and never too little, everything examined and well thought out. Ultimately a perfectly crafted experience that cant be asked to give more or less. The outstanding child of the 2010s rpgmaker craze.