I honestly can't say that Asphyxia is a bad visual novel. It's consistent in style, it talks about chosen topics (depression and dependency in a relationship) without unnecessary dramatism or romanticizing, every character is distinct and has her own traits. Unfortunately, it still wasn't enough for me.
I didn't like any of the characters, probably because of a sturdy way they are described. I understand that not every character has to have a complicated personality, but when the character is awkward and you remind us about this for the third time in five minutes — perhaps you should stop. It's really annoying, we've got the point the first time you mentioned the fact.
The plot is okay more or less, but then again, I couldn't enjoy it because I didn't care about the characters. Samantha (the main character) is so irritative in her obsession with Lillian that you expect to see someone likeable. Turns out, Lillian is just as irritative as Samantha, but only in her own robotic way.
The art style is pretty, but completely inappropriate for this plot and these characters. Every person here looks like a child, even the one who is supposed to be a teacher. Also, some characters are sexualized so much, it's impossible to look at them without cringing (yes, I'm talking about De Quincey and also Byron). More than that, I found myself unable to imagine these girls in the situations they've described when talking about their past; just a reminder, adult themes are present in this novel, such as mentioning sex and a variety of addictions. So yeah, not only that looked weird, but also inappropriate.
I've decided to not recommend this novel because I really wouldn't want any of my friends wasting their time on this. If the store page seems interesting to you and you still want to buy the novel — do it at your own risk and at least wait for a sale.
I didn't like any of the characters, probably because of a sturdy way they are described. I understand that not every character has to have a complicated personality, but when the character is awkward and you remind us about this for the third time in five minutes — perhaps you should stop. It's really annoying, we've got the point the first time you mentioned the fact.
The plot is okay more or less, but then again, I couldn't enjoy it because I didn't care about the characters. Samantha (the main character) is so irritative in her obsession with Lillian that you expect to see someone likeable. Turns out, Lillian is just as irritative as Samantha, but only in her own robotic way.
The art style is pretty, but completely inappropriate for this plot and these characters. Every person here looks like a child, even the one who is supposed to be a teacher. Also, some characters are sexualized so much, it's impossible to look at them without cringing (yes, I'm talking about De Quincey and also Byron). More than that, I found myself unable to imagine these girls in the situations they've described when talking about their past; just a reminder, adult themes are present in this novel, such as mentioning sex and a variety of addictions. So yeah, not only that looked weird, but also inappropriate.
I've decided to not recommend this novel because I really wouldn't want any of my friends wasting their time on this. If the store page seems interesting to you and you still want to buy the novel — do it at your own risk and at least wait for a sale.