Empty Horizons

I started playing [I] Empty Horizons [/i] because I really liked the art there. I was looking through old games with cards in my steam library that I haven't played yet. Cards looked so pretty, I recognized the style as it's not my first novel by this dev. So I decided to give this story a try. Plus, 'otome' tag was quite appealing. BUT I totally didn't expect THAT! I haven't been THAT astonished in a while, what a plot twist xD This novel was such an emotional journey for me, I was so heartbroken when I finished it yesterday, I even decided to sleep on it first before writing a review. This visual novel is absolutely beautiful. The way everything is organized is worthy of a praise. The gallery looks like a cute photo album, the log is like adorable notes, backgrounds are a real pleasure to gaze at, sprites are just perfect! CGs are charming, welp perhaps except that kissing СG, sorry not a fan how he was portrayed. So, visually the novel is stunning. Oh, and the soundtrack is quite fitting. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2843616544 Story-wise it's also a real gem. It's not like a typical otome, that tag was really confusing. It's just one guy and 18-year old girl, I can't even call HER MC, as we get the story from different points of view, his included. It was a nice feature, they both felt so close, I really got attached to both of them quite soon. The girl was typically annoying buut it was that kind of annoyance you can easily explain and thus excuse. Considering all her life circumstances and her age she was fine. Plus, for him it was fun to talk with her, so who am I to complain xD Their bickering was so sweet, so well-written. (I haven't seen any typos btw, that's rare) I kept enjoying their interaction. It was so familiar to realize that what we have now is gonna be fleeting, everything gonna change so soon and you just keep making the most of that time you still have. All that already had a sad hue buuut how the first route actually ended left me agape. It was so unexpected, I'm deeply impressed! I felt betrayed as I never was. That guy was her first and last love, it was obvious from the very beginning, the whole world and...that kind of ending was devastating. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2843717597 I really adore the way the story is presented. At first it's just a kinetic novel but after the first ending while replaying you actually get one choice, one crucial choice to try everything differently. Though other endings still felt too gloomy for me. But at least there's some hope in one of them. I recollected when I was a kid every night my parents read me some story while I was lying in bed falling asleep. Always childish fairy-tales where happy endings were inevitable, it gave me such a strong belief that no matter how dire the events may seem, everything is gonna be all right. It just can't be otherwise. But then when I actually saw some drama, when for the first time I came across the bad ending as a kid, I was so distraught that I remember I was lying in bed and rewriting the plot in my head xD That's how I cope with sad overwhelming experiences. That's what I did here xD Otherwise it's just too unbearable. The author's notes were another wonderful feature. To be able to read the writer's thoughts about the characters is priceless. I'm grateful she didn't write that ending she shared she was asked about, but the way I do it, she (btw I wonder why I think it's she, it's kinda seems like this, sorry if I'm wrong) recommended just to imagine that GxG happy ending saying it's quite plausible. Talking about him, she shared it was her experience writing a stereotypical sexist. Welp, sometimes his words sounded kinda disturbing but I made myself believe it was partially for the sake of teasing the girl. So I was totally fine with his personality. Otherwise he's just TOO unrealistic, I don't want to believe sexism can be possible in men to such huge extent. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2843920341 Welp, I can agree that quasi-romantic relationships are fun, the writer believed in the end they were too different buuut let me contradict here xD In my imagination they are not ⋋_⋌ My heart won't be able to endure that experience in this case. Let me hope that encounter wasn't their last one xD Though dunno again it was kinda new for me, that last scene when she realizes being just a little kid that he's her first love. I get it, that feeling was pure, innocent and naive. And it's my dirty mindset rebelling with their age difference. It's not that jarring when she's 18 but to watch that scene was a little uncomfortable. But again it made me think about my stereotypes, how real love doesn't know any boundaries, love not sex. That's still a taboo, of course. In general, the story was thought-provoking and it greatly stirred my imagination, I kept thinking how ideally they should have acted. It felt too sad to realize our world is that rotten they even had to go through all that. The game though being short tells us about war, suicide, death... in such a way, from different angles that it's impossible to stay indifferent. I llove this novel, highly recommend it. That's precious to get so much more than you dared to expect. I'm immensely grateful for this mind-blowing adventure. [table] [tr] [th]More thoughts about the game in a [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/readingnook/discussions/0/3463849349646209414/] Reading Nook [/url][/th] [/tr] [/table]

The story starts off a bit sad about Mireille, but as it unfolds, it turns really sweet and engaging. With several endings to discover, you get to choose how things turn out, making it a great pick for anyone who loves a good story. It's definitely worth checking out.

скучная дрисня, жгг нарисована как ребенок, а этот блондин вечно катит к ней яйца. педовайбы и кринжовые шутки в эту же копилку. максимально вымученное дерьмо

[h1] 쉬운 도전 과제 [/h1] 도전 과제 100% 달성 쉬워용. [h1] Easy challenge [/h1] Challenge 100% easy to achieve.

Empty Horizons is a very good visual novel game with a beautiful story. The graphics are nice and the soundtrack is Chill and relaxing... I don't usually play this kind of game but the ebi-hime games are really great!!! I highly recommend it. 💗💗💗

Pizdets

Empty Horizons is a sad, but really interesting game that plays with some common tropes but effectively avoids becoming a standard romance story... In essence, it's not a romance at all and both the title and the flow of the story quickly tells you that the romantic tension between the protagonist and Lyon can never become anything serious. I will also avoid spoiling the direction the game ultimately takes, but it was a very well delivered and logical outcome – one that might feel pretty devastating if you're not used to how ebi writes some of her stories, but should only be melancholic if you're prepared for it. Also, be sure to replay the game after finishing it for the first time, as it unlocks a new choice (the first playthrough is fully kinetic) and an alternative, more optimistic ending – I see it more as a what-if scenario than the canon conclusion, but it's a nice bonus for those that dislike ending their read on a sad note. So now, why do I consider Empty Horizons to be this good? Due to the nature of its story, which is extremely focused on Mireille's and Lyon's journey and their (semi-professional, semi-familiar) relationship, this VN is all about the characters. And those two central to its story are just excellently constructed and their interaction consistently amusing. Ebi shows some really good craftsmanship here, giving very limited exposition and building both the protagonist's and Lyon's personalities with clever hints and quirks. Small details about Mireille, like her attachment to her doll and nail-biting show her insecurity and the contrast between her immaturity and her theoretically-adult age. After the death of her parents, she's thrown into an uncertain world with no attachments and no clear future, her best friend Chiara staying behind and Lyon being the last familiar element – also for the time being, as he’s only meant to deliver her to her new home abroad. Lyon is more of a mystery, as initially, it's hard to say to what extent his crudeness is genuine or just a pose, but over time the game shows his intelligence and some forms of compassion breaking through the façade. Most pieces of the puzzle come together in the first ending, which shows you some of the reasons behind his nihilistic attitude. Before that happens, however, his and Mireille’s personalities clash in very amusing ways – their banter is both funny and clever, with Lyon trying different tactics to either rile up or cheer up Mireille, obviously distressed by losing her father and the uncertainty of her new life, with the uncle who is little more than a stranger to her. Insults and profanities fly in both direction in a way you’ll rarely see in a VN, but it’s not really overplayed for comedy – it all feels very real and gives the story genuine emotional impact. Also, I really enjoyed the art and music in this game. The jazz soundtrack compliments the modern setting and climate of the story, while the art is just lovely. The UI is beautifully stylized, backgrounds vibrant and spites gorgeous and expressive. Even clothing variation made a strong impression on me (and Mireille’s fashion sense is a fairly important part of her character). CGs are pretty few, but considering the nature of the story, very much relying on casual dialogue, I never felt that was a problem. In summary, Empty Horizons is probably not a VN for everyone, considering its melancholic slice-of-life content, but it’s an excellent offering in its own niche. It shows some of the best features of ebi’s writing – intelligently-crafted characters, good dialogue, ability to avoid overused VN story structures – and delivers all that in a very beautiful package. It’s short (around 3 hours of reading), but in my opinion, exactly long enough for the story it tried to tell and I highly recommend giving it a chance – for me it was worth way more than the $3 asking price. ------------- PS If you're interested in quality visual novels, check out [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32980295/]my curator page[/url]

No.. Just no! At first i wanted to end my review at it, but I decided to indulge myself, into a slightly longer form. Vns are a form of relax for me. I often look forward to reading them. This wasn’t the case with this game, but I would like to start with positives. I must admit that the “plot twist” is good. I really enjoyed the mechanic, that you get access to after finishing first read through. You need to start “new game”, but then the story plays out differently. It’s very innovative, so I applaud that. What I can’t complement are characters. They don’t make sense, they are irrational. [spoiler]You have a crush/love someone who gave you, a tissue when you were a kid? Or you kiss someone, that told you that they were supposed to kill you? Excuse me what?[/spoiler] Characters are annoying and caused my eyes to hurt. Not because of their appearance, or the art style (The latter is great), but from rolling them so much. The annoyance doesn’t come from main heroine being “Tsundere”, those can be written well(look “Toradora!” or “A certain scientific railgun”) It comes from their behaviour. It just doesn’t make sense. It’s clique, but not in the good way. There is possibility to write something clique and yet, it being good. This author did it already, but not in this story. What is not missing is the music, that is too good for a plot that “Empty horizons” offer. Like a good cup of tea, it leaves good aftertaste and honestly would be more enjoyable without the main characters, adding the bitterness like a tea bag, left in for too long. Another enjoyable thing in this vn, that I already mentioned are graphics. The unique style of characters, is rather nice change, among other parts of the game. I can’t give it more than 2/10 and that is only because, of the first ending and music.

I think I cried harder when I realized that the end wasn't entirely the end. This story took me by such surprise, I haven't had the rug pulled out from under me so deftly in such a long time. The writing and build-up were amazing. Even if it was sweeter the second time around, it was cute for a semi-love story the first time around. Sweet, cute, and so hard to stop reading. I didn't know what I was getting myself into, but I'm glad I did. Just... such an unexpected masterpiece of emotions, double-meanings, the ripple effect, tragedy in its many forms, what life is and what waits for us on the horizons, and whether we choose to worry about it or not. I'm not even going to get into the particulars like art or music, because it's all perfect and it's a waste of time. You should be reading this VN right now instead of this review! Three times over -- you'll understand why after the first time. P.S. I needed that emotional output. Thank you, ebi-hime and co., for the bittersweet tears. (so so many of them)

Kind of a shame this game isn't a bit more popular. I'm somewhat biased since it's the one that made me follow ebi-hime years ago, but it really is a strong story with a powerful climax, and Mireille & Lyon is simply an entertaining couple of characters to follow their interactions through the journey. Also, make sure to [spoiler]begin the story again after finishing it once[/spoiler]