Chronicles of Taldun: The Remainder

Very much enjoyed this game! The writing, art and music all come together to create a haunting, highly immersive atmosphere, and the worldbuilding is intriguing and very unique. The gameplay basically boils down to trying a bunch of different dialogue options to see what will and won't kill you, and learning what you can along the way. Personally I found it very compelling. Highly recommended for fans of narrative games and dark fantasy!

As someone who rarely finishes games, even when I really enjoy them...I absolutely devoured this one. I still want to get the rest of my achievements - this from someone who is NOT a completionist and doesn't usually care that much about achievements. I loved learning something new every time I came back around after a "death" or "ending". I'm having a serious game hangover right now.

This review is presented by [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/35373701/] Your Game Your Story [/url] a story-rich curator! Emerge yourself in a world of dark mysticism and mystery as an amnesic magi in a crumbling tower, face to face with a hellish abyss with only a mysterious and strange partner, Ilar, by your side. Without even your memories to guide you, you'll have to rely on your partner in this disaster to survive. The gaping abyss that threatens to destroy everything was caused by a failed ritual and only through your ritual can that disaster be averted. But without your memories, is it even possible? Under the pressure of imminent destruction, memory loss, and an inability to tell the truth from lies, you'll have to struggle to find a way to survive and death will become a close companion in your journey for the truth that lies in your lost memories. Who can you trust when you can't trust yourself? [b]+Pros+[/b] + There was plenty of beautiful art utilized in the backgrounds, events, clothing, and unique character designs that included well-thought-out lore elements. Some parts were even animated, with flying books, smoke effects, and trippy visual filters that enhanced different scenes. I loved Vyn's (the renameable player character's) design and found them stunning and unusual. The features were unique and had story/lore implications. But I also appreciated that the preset appearance was optional and you could choose to go with your own imagined headcannon appearance. Don't even get me started on Ilar, their smile could melt or break my heart any day! There are a couple of other characters who are just as distinct and gorgeous but I'd hate to spoil them! + The writing is intelligent and very well thought out. The story is heavily impacted by player actions and choices. The lore and world-building are well-written, unique, and deep. It could be heavy, deeply tragic, and heartbreaking at times, but there were also moments of humor, levity, love, and healing to help keep a good balance. There were times I chuckled out loud [spoiler] (Why couldn't I wake up as a poet? The worst I would have to worry about is bad puns!) [/spoiler] and there were scenes that made me cry (I'm still thinking about it). There are some key romance scenes and implications that'll hit you right in the heartstrings and make you blush! One of the true endings has a nicely written spicy scene if you opt into explicit content (no visuals and it's optional if that's not your thang). The story was very replayable and I enjoyed exploring all the different paths! + You may die (a lot), but death can be a learning experience! There's a cool mechanic tied to the lore of this visual novel that makes it so that you unlock more of the story as you reach more unique endings. There are around 50 'false' endings and as you play [spoiler] after finishing at least 12 unique endings, discovering key storyline points, and confronting the truth [/spoiler] you can start to get closer to the 3 'true' endings. To get to the true ending or survive through the bad ones, you have to be actively paying attention, gain an understanding of the world, learn a couple of spells, and know when/how to use them. + The raindrops at the beginning were exquisite and immediately sucked me into the world. The soundtracks were consistent with the mood and tone of this visual novel and fit very well. I liked the dark, moody soundtrack and the diverse amount of sound effects that triggered as events unfolded helped immerse me deeper into the world. + There are accessibility and diversity options! Larger or dyslexic-style fonts can be set from the start or changed later on. For time-limited choices, you can set an extended timer option if you need more time to process. Explicit content can be disabled or enabled according to preference. There's also gender/sexual identity flexibility and you can pick your own gender identity (and anatomy when relevant). Once you reach a certain point, a hints section unlocks to help you on your journey! Edit: + The developer has been super awesome about addressing concerns and thoughts about improving the game! It's clear they care, they listen well to players and respond positively to feedback. They quickly addressed a couple of minor technical errors I encountered and implemented quality-of-life improvements inside and outside the game (such as an updated guide for those last tricky achievements)! We love a responsive dev in this house! [b]=Meh=[/b] = There wasn't any voice acting but it doesn't negatively impact the story and it can help with emersion to have the characters sound as you imagine rather than have an actual voiceover. The soundtrack was audibly stimulating enough. = This visual novel was disorienting from the start, but I guess this is to be expected as you play an amnesic magi in a world you can't remember. The main character wasn't the only one feeling disoriented and confused, lol. It can be hard to get into at first, but I swear it's worthwhile! = There are a lot of lore-specific terms and as an amnesiac, you and the player character have to learn it together. I would really like a glossary in the game. There's a glossary by the developer in the [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2980390887] Steam guides [/url] but a cool in-game feature would be to add to the glossary as the player character re-learns/remembers the world/lore-specific terminology. [b]-Cons-[/b] -If you are unaware of the conditions needed to unlock the true ending, it can be frustrating to run into another false ending after yet another false ending. There's a massive pay off but you gotta hang in there and move past the initial frustration. I was really confused and frustrated at certain points when I felt like I did everything 'right' but eventually I learned that there were no 'right' or 'wrong' choices. Just actions and consequences. The more you play, the more you know, and the deeper you go til you get to the painful truth. Edit: I previously listed cons related to a couple of glitches I encountered involving achievements, the dyslexic font being cut off in a couple of specific scenes, and my own personal desire for an updated guide. However, all of these issues have been addressed and/or patched (I've now achieved 100% of the achievements!), so these cons have been removed! [b]*Summary*[/b] Full disclosure, I did have the great fortune to receive this game for free from the Developer, Square Weasel Studio. However, I've had my eye on this game since I played through The Remainder - Act 1 in 2021 so I was super excited to be able to play the full expanded edition and wow, it did not disappoint! I highly recommend playing through it blind, without a guide, and with as few spoilers as possible to feel the full impact of the story. DO NOT USE THE OFFICAL STEAM GUIDE GUIDE UNLESS YOU'RE HOPELESSLY STUCK or if you're cleaning out achievements! If I could go into this game blind again, I would because THOSE TWISTS HIT RIGHT IN MY HEART! Chronicles of Taldun: The Remainder is a rich, haunting, and memorable visual novel experience seeped in magic, tragedy, and eventual healing. After reaching several endings, getting to the truth for the first time can take about 8 hours and even after over 20 hours, I'm still falling down the rabbit hole of all the paths I want to explore. I'd recommend this experience to mature audiences who can handle a dark, heartwrenching, mystical mystery story with an even darker, gorgeous, soulful companion.

An interesting and beautiful VN

In short: much to like, but the writing is not good. The positive: [list] [*] Visually excellent; the art is beautiful and moody and creates this ominous, magical, ornate impression of the world and story. I also love Ilar's character design—they're attractive. [*] I like the overall idea of the story. I liked learning about Ilar and the main character's relationship, and I think it has some decent emotional weight. Near the end of the game when I was learning what's really happening, I was engaged and found the reveals compelling. I'll be thinking about the story for a while. [*] The ability to [spoiler]cast spells[/spoiler] was a surprising and cool mechanic. [/list] The neutral: [list] [*] The world is a very complex behemoth of lore, some necessary to understand what's happening, some just because the creators clearly liked building the world. I like that I could clearly tell that the world expands far beyond the bounds of this game. I love the sense of magic in this world—it's intricate, strange, dangerous, and cruel. But some aspects of the magic seemed overly convoluted to justify the events of the game. [/list] The negative: [list] [*]The writing is overwrought. It sacrifices clarity for a grand poetic effect. The sentences are overly verbose and abstract, so it feels like they're using many words to say very little. I enjoy ornate poetic sentences, but if given the choice, I'd rather be able to understand what the hell is happening—what does this room look like? What does this dialogue option mean? When my character is dying, what are they dying of? [*] A lot is confusing, really. What's physically happening around the MC. Who is speaking—characters often have consecutive lines of dialogue, without dialogue tags. What is going on with the worldbuilding. Whether the Abyss is an imminent, deadly threat or something to constantly get distracted from. [*] Relatedly, the main character is insufferable. They're incapable of reacting with any sense of urgency to the Abyss. They take a nap; they whine about their grimoire whispering; they yell about some flirtatious letters they found. They're a petulant YA protagonist who doesn't understand anything, doesn't listen to anyone, and explodes on everyone at the slightest excuse. Given what's actually happening, I could excuse some emotional volatility, but their extreme immaturity is just too much. [*] There's a lot of variation in the formality of the language, especially the MC's dialogue, and it doesn't feel intentional or natural. I can enjoy a mixing of higher older language with casual modern language, like in Gideon the Ninth. But it does not work here. [/list]

If you don't have much time in your life (like me), this game may frustrate you. Because chronicles of taldun has a lot of text skipping and dying over and over again for nothing. This game is impossible to play without a guide.. at least for me. Too bad I liked the art style and also Ilar, writing is interesting too but the gameplay (yes.. visual novel gameplay that somehow tortures you) overshadows the good parts. I did not finish the game rn and 9 hours out of 14 were either dying or skipping texts. It felt like a chore to play this game even though I want to see the ending. Edit: After some reconsidering I converted this review as a positive. Just because I care uniqueness over quality, even though gameplay wise this game annoyed me so much. I was dying from boredom while getting the achievements too (it was super hard). But these aside, atmosphere and the feeling over you that no game can bring you made me like this game. Still a huge disappointment.

This game filled the hole that Signalis left in my heart. I would also compare it to Slay the Princess in terms of mechanics, but I personally enjoyed this game so much more. I think it's a completely different feeling that it leaves you with. It felt so rewarding to uncover little pieces of the past, see how they shape the entire story and its characters. It's one of those games that tells you to sit with it, listen to what it has to share with you, and see where it takes you, without relying on previous experience with games. I loved it so much it's one of my top 10 now for sure.

The Remainder is a masterpiece of creative storytelling, well written characters, and honestly my new favorite game. I will never be the same. Its unique gameplay keeps the mystery going until the end, new and powerful themes of the story unraveling gradually as you get closer and closer to the truth. The artwork does an incredible job to be part of the storytelling and really immerse you into this dark yet beautiful world. The sharp humor and the LOVELY side characters really brightened the journey. When I started this game I had no idea I would be in for one of the most emotional and rewarding experiences of my life. The story will hold you tightly, and then stab you in the back. Then hold you again. 10/10, would recommend!

I'm at a loss for words to summarise the experience of playing this game. In a way, I think the idea that ‘Art imitates life’ and ‘Life imitates art’ is a good place to start. It's a story and experience so well contained within itself, so subtly and carefully moulded, that it expresses a unique beauty about how human beings are capable of making art, based on the art that is living. From the immersive writing, the magical soundtrack and the uniquely artistic drawings, the experience of playing the game for its own sake, not knowing what lies ahead is so similar to so many of the constant processes we go through in our daily lives, that it makes the game the kind of experience that marks us out, that makes what could be just a fiction become part of us. It's simply magical.

Un jeu superbe. On devine un travail énorme sur le déroulé de l'histoire. Les illustrations sont très belles. Cerise sur le gâteau, l'ambiance sonore et musicale est fort immersive.