Mesmalie

Pretty good, has solid writing and neat gameplay mechanics.

Really nice visual novel with an interesting story and lots of replayability (be sure to play it more than once!). The point & click and get-out-anytime mechanics are really cool (and funny at times), and the soundtrack's awesome.

[i]NGL it was the artstyle and aesthetics that pulled me into buying this game w/ its soundtrack. That being said, it was proven to be more than [b]worth it[/b]. I really loved Mesmer's simple dress, eccentricity, and archaic speech.[/i] [i]It was a pleasantly surprise it wasn't just about clicking dialogue to a predestined end, you're given the choice to [b]GET OUT[/b] every step along the way. The dialogue matters in key junctions, yet even the 'frivolous options' are made intriguing due to Mesmer's reactions.[/i] [i]The unique endings [b]never felt[/b] pretenious and illogical nor did she ever break character in cringey ways, it's consistent from start to finish at least in my opinion.[/i]

This is a very good game! I played it for the first time in a VC with a friend while reading out all the lines and she said that Mesmer's lines were a lot like how I talk partway through Act I. Which became much funnier as the game went on. Anyway, it's a very good game. I like the writing and the art and the music. It's very nice. Still need to practice on the minigame though, for those darned achievements.

mesma,,,

Great game. The art, music, and writing are praised for good reason, but what elevates this from a cute 8/10 story game to the 10/10 it is is how well it understands it is a game. There is a good chunk of games out there that have this kind of dialogue that reacts to your gameplay decisions and lots of variations depending on prior decisions, but this is the first one I have seen where actually going through to see all those variations is reasonable and enjoyable rather than something you experience second hand through the wiki or videos. You can go back and forth between any of the short sections you have reached, and pretty much every longer string of dialogue has a skip choice unlocked after the first time going through it. This also opens up the game a lot, because you can just have options that do not lead to the game progressing. You can be stupid in the first real dialogue of the game and make Mesmer close the door on you, and the only option from there is to get out, which gives you one of the many bad ending blurs, and then restart the section. A great joy when first playing through the game is seeing what ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up plot-derailing things you can do and seeing the ending text narration react to it. The game also succeeds at feeling very feature complete. There are a few minigames and getting the gold star/achievement for those does require actually figuring out the quirks, and there are enough secrets that digging for them works as an engaging postgame. Actually that may be an understatement, there is a pretty staggering amount of niche dialogue and full on missable scenes, to the point that I still don't think I have seen it all. If the vibe is at all appealing to you, I can only recommend it. I do also have some grievances I want to air, but this will only really be relevant for those who have already gone through the game. If you haven't. nothing here changes how great the great things about it are. The first and biggest issue I have is about the ending, which is another reason you shouldn't read on if you haven't played the game. The true ending specifically, and also the flashback part of the 4th section by extension, in that they are tonally incoherent with the rest of the game. Not factually incoherent, everything included is set up and kept consistent throughout all the possible dialogue branches in the normal route, but it goes against the grain that is set up everywhere else. The tone normally is very much one of media that embraces being media, Mesmer is a character that feels like a character, rather than trying to be a believable real person. It sits in that mix between comedy and horror where only media can sit, where behind every joke is that hint of "something bad is going to happen" and behind every horror moment is a bit of implied humour - there are intentional design decisions made so it's easy for you to accidentally hit Mesmer and watch her head immediately blow up and score 777777 points. It's even exacerbated by needing to directly go into deadly danger to get to the 4th act - you are explicitly acting not as a person but as a player character in a horror game. And this is a completely valid writing style if it wasn't clear, as said at the start the writing of the game works really well. The problem is how that contrasts when the story tries to go into a way more grounded, "real" tragedy. Being real and tragic also can work, there is a great version of the game which goes into a more grounded psychological exploration of what Mesmer is going through and the tragedy of the coven, just as there is a great version of the game where the 4th act is less serious and goes more along the morbid-but-funny horror game pattern established before. But the game has pieces of both and I don't think they mesh well. I considered for a bit whether this feeling was simply reacting to the bitter part of the bittersweet ending, but I came to the conclusion that it felt more bitter due to that mismatch, not the other way around. Having real deadly consequences feels almost like a rugpull when you are lulled into a mindset of death being a funny ♥♥♥♥♥♥ up side ending you then come back from, and on the flipside the sweet part of seeing Mesmer come to terms and move on to heal doesn't feel as satisfying because it doesn't feel like it connects to the character of Mesmer you actually care about at that point. The insane version of Mesmer is what grows on you throughout the game, because she is simply that entertaining, but the real human vulnerability of the ending is hard to reconcile with that insane character. In a way it actively feels like a negative, because that insane but entertaining version of the character effectively dies in order for this scene to take place, since her purpose in this conversation is no longer to be entertaining but to serve the emotional payoff. and this is the state you see the character in for the last time. I also had some minor issues like having to do the bottle minigame perfect several times for it to register, but that has since been addressed in patches, and otherwise the game was never jank in ways that actually hindered the experience. I also want to commend the fact additions are actively being made through the updates, which goes an extra mile in a game such as this because every additional bit of dialogue and secret makes the whole feel more alive.

Very entertaining and visual novel. Short, but with a lot to discover, tons of secrets and new scenes depending on what you find, what you do in some gameplay and you choices, so the game can keep going more than you think. The story is great, with a lot of shocking, funny and even surprisingly dark moments, but with a lot of emotion and heart, and a very memorable character in Mesmer. She keeps you guessing on what her deal is at every moment, but she remains fascinating and charming. The finale… well, I don’t want to spoil, but I think was incredible, in gameplay and in story, like you feel every moment. The one issue that I think the game has around the middle, in the third section, that can get a bit annoying, as there is no save and is a bit confusing how to solve some of the challenges there. But the rest is great and there are still good moments and choices there. So, in summary, a great visual novel that I recommend to everyone that is fan of the genre, of magical stuff, witches or simply of good stories.

не плохо. скучновато, но пойдет. на любителя )

Absolutely amazing story. True ending is a bit hard to find, but the story in it's entirely is enjoyable all the way through

best story ive interacted with in a very long time. the thoughtfulness behind a lot of things here is amazing. even messing around with things meant to really be interacted with early game later adapt to your circumstance. really awesome. i think that anyone going into this with an open mind and blind will come out thinking about the game's story for a long time.