[h1]When you're juggling married life on top of transitioning to a normal life and still being a magical girl. XD[/h1]
[h2]Introduction[/h2]
[i]Lock & Key: A Magical Girl Mystery[/i] is a yuri, magical mystery visual novel developed by Studio Élan and published by Studio Élan and Studio Elan. You're in the shoes of Sherri and Kealey Cohen, a married couple in their late 20's who are magical girls. Although they became magical girls in their teens, they have to stop when they turn 30. Starting off as Sherri, as a P.I., she investigates the crime scene of a murdered man, using her magical powers to turn back time to figure out what happened. Even though most cases are open-and-shut, this one has quite the twist. On top of that, there's the return of an old friend, Nina, another magical girl who is now a pop idol. Also, Sherri and Kealey meet and rescue Ruby, a teen who has just become a magical girl and is fighting off a Consumed, an evil deformed creature who was once human. Will Sherri and Kealey be able to handle all that's being thrown at them and save the day? :o
With the gameplay, it consists of choices that are presented throughout the story over the course of five chapters. Your decisions affect whether Sherri or Kealey gain favorability with Ruby or Nina. The choices affecting Ruby determine whether you believe in Ruby's abilities as a magical girl, while the ones affecting Nina determine whether you sympathize with Nina. The accumulation of choices shape one of four endings. Several CGs as well as a varied soundtrack are present (although no voice acting). Also, Steam achievements are available, but they won't count towards a user's global total until the game is out of "profile features limited".
[h2]Review[/h2]
I've been wanting to play this one for quite a while now. After all, the mix of magical girls (I think of certain anime lol) and yuri romance says it all. XD
[h3]Story and Writing[/h3]
Unlike a lot of other yuri stories I've read, this one has a married couple as the main characters. Although the relationship between Sherri and Kealey is a focus (mainly on how they get through problems together), it's only a part of the story. There is more of a wider plot in regards to the murder mystery that Sherri stumbles upon. It turns out that there are more victims and they're all magic-related. Being a fan of the murder mystery genre, I like that this is happening, and it especially threw me for a loop when I found out who's committing the crimes and their motives. Also, I enjoyed how the story focuses on Sherri and Kealey on the verge of being retired from the magical girl life, and taking Ruby under their wing, they're helping out the next generation. Finally, when your choices in regards to relationships with Ruby and Nina affect endings, I like that you can get various emotional ones. They're all bittersweet although only one is the best one.
As for the relationship between Sherri and Kealey, it's very sweet, and I enjoyed reading how they get along as a couple. We get to learn about how they first met and how they're living out their daily lives. There's only one point where they can have a conflict if Sherri makes a choice that makes a wrongful assumption about Kealey, but it quickly gets resolved.
With the writing, the pacing is very good, and I didn't notice any typos or such. The script reads very smoothly, with a good combination of action-packed moments and slower, more emotionally-paced ones. I was able to obtain all Steam achievements, and it helps that there's a wonderful Steam user guide available. ^^
[h3]Art and Music[/h3]
The art is absolutely gorgeous. I like how the sprites are drawn and colored in the typical anime style, which I suppose is fitting for a game about magical girls. XD The backgrounds are drawn with just enough detail to give it a personalized touch. Of course, the CGs are done especially well.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3728782295
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3728781982
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3728783257
Regarding the music, the tracks have a good variety. I'm especially fond of the upbeat ones, and I really like the vocalized track that plays when Sherri, Kealey, and/or Ruby transform into magical girls. (Yup, think about particular magical girl anime.) I did have to increase the volume of the music in the game, though, since it initially was on the quieter side. Even though no voice acting is present, I think it isn't necessary to enjoy the story. With the way the characters' personalities are portrayed, I can imagine Nina's voice as upbeat and peppy while Sherri's voice as more serious.
[h2]Conclusion[/h2]
Would I recommend [i]Lock & Key: A Magical Girl Mystery[/i]? If you're looking for a good yuri VN that has magical girls with murder mystery, then this is definitely it. I should note that there are a couple of scenes with blood and such, but that probably shouldn't come as a surprise. For the asking price, it might be a bit on the pricey side for the amount of gameplay. (It took me around 5 hours at the time of this review, but to be fair, I used a guide and skip already read text option when I could.) Studio Élan creates very good yuri VNs from the many that I've read, but you can wait for a sale, and it's in a couple of Steam bundles.
Finally, I'd like to thank [url=https://store.steampowered.com/developer/studioephua]Studio Ephua[/url] for the review key, as they hosted the Choose Wisely Festival a while back, and this game was one of the featured ones in that event. ^^
[quote]For more detailed, fully complete, high quality reviews like this, please follow [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44702020/]The Introverted Gamer[/url], prioritizing heart and soul always. ^^[/quote]
