[b]Note:[/b] I purchased this game from another site although I was able to redeem a Steam key for it. ^^
[h1]Prank Wars! :o[/h1]
[h2]Introduction[/h2]
[i]Prank Masters[/i] is an otome, comedical visual novel developed and published by Lockvia Studios. You take on the role of Juliet Hayes, a teenage girl who has just moved into a new town because her parents - both renowned writers - need new inspiration. Events happen quickly when Juliet runs into an old childhood friend, Kadin, then ends up being kidnapped by the handsome Richard, and finally, gets into a scuffle with Romeo over the last ice pack at the supermarket, which Juliet names him "ice-pack stealer" afterwards. lol Of course, it turns out that all of these notable characters attend the same high school, and unfortunately for Juliet, she continually gets into incidents with Richard and Romeo, which ends up in Juliet officially declaring a prank war on them. How will this war end, and will Juliet find any peace, not to mention potential romance? :o
As for the gameplay, it consists of choices presented throughout the story. The prologue has choices that determine which of the three possible routes that Juliet can pursue: Kadin, Richard, or Romeo. Once you're on a route, then the choices made can determine whether you get one of the guys' two bad ending, his normal ending, or his good ending. Plenty of CGs are present as well as a varied soundtrack and sound effects although no voice acting. Also, there are no Steam achievements or trading cards, and at the time of this review, the game won't count towards a user's global total until it's out of "profile features limited".
[h2]Review[/h2]
So many games are now available that it can feel a bit overwhelming at times. However, every once in a while, I like going back to an older game since I'm of the opinion that older games deserve attention, too, and it can be interesting to review one after some time has passed. XD
With that said, I'll go into the story. I will note that since [i]Prank Masters[/i] is comedy (at least, partially), comedy can be a hit-or-miss for me. Although I liked the light-hearted premise of Juliet going to war against Richard and Romeo (the prank part is due to Juliet being known as a prankster expert lol), the pranks are definitely a miss for me. Except for a couple of pranks on Kadin's route, the pranks come off as malicious and cruel, and this rubs me the wrong way since I can only take certain kinds of humor well. However, if I remove the pranks from the story, it's actually quite enjoyable and the routes are delightful to read. I went with Kadin -> Richard -> Romeo, which I recommend since Juliet's character reveal happens the most on Romeo's route. On Kadin's route, Kadin becomes Juliet's partner-in-crime, helping her in her war. I found him to be very sweet, despite that redheads aren't my particular preference, appearance-wise.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3553005561
On Richard's route, it's a bit harder to swallow. Since he and Juliet are at war, he'll initially come off as an antagonist, which involves pranks. He's the most immature out of three romance options, and as Juliet mentions, he sort of kidnapped her (but there is a valid explanation for this later lol). However, once Juliet gets to see his sweet, softer side, the two become inseparable and Richard can't help showing his affectionate side.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3553006036
Then there's Romeo's route. Initially, I disliked him the most because of how he treats Juliet, doing things intentionally, like speeding past her on his motorbike to the point of covering her uniform in mud. I didn't blame Juliet for wanting revenge on him, but like Richard, he has a sweet side, too, especially when you find out that he has a puppy. :D Despite the odds, I ended up liking his route the most because of the sweet, developing romance between him and Juliet, and his good ending won me over.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3553006312
As for the other characters, I have mixed feelings about them. While I liked some of them, such as Katrina (Kalin's twin sister), I disliked others, such as Juliet's parents since they come off as neglectful and only show any emotion when Juliet gets into trouble. Then, with Juliette (a different character with a different spelling XD), while I liked her sweet personality, I feel like her character reveal falls a bit short. I have a feeling that she's supposed to be more involved on Romeo's route, but it never gets fully fleshed out.
Even though I'd love to go on, I should move onto the writing. The pacing is fine although I noticed occasional typos and such. Even though these errors probably won't be fixed (since this is a fairly old game), it's still worth noting in case there are any future updates. I liked that there are numerous endings, and it's worth getting them all. Those bad endings hit you right in the heart while the normal and good endings have those sweet, romantic feels. Although I wish that there had been Steam achievements, this isn't a dealbreaker for me.
With the art, the sprites have that typical anime style, and they're drawn and colored well. Even though the backgrounds have a simpler, basic feel, they give off just as enough detail and color to fit well with the story. Of course, the CGs are beautifully done. ^^
In regards to the music, the variety is good. Although the majority of tracks are on the more light-hearted side, some of them have a slightly emotional vibe, which is appropriate since there are momentous character reveals, especially with Juliet. There's even a soundtrack section in the Extras section in the game's menu in which you can listen to any unlocked tracks.
[h2]Conclusion[/h2]
Would I recommend [i]Prank Masters[/i]? Despite that I disliked the pranks (of course, this will probably come down to personal preference), I found the individual routes and overall story to be enjoyable. For the asking price, I'd say it's worth getting since it took me around 9.5 hours to complete all of the routes, endings, etc., but you can wait for a sale. ^^
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