Requiescence

"Requiescence" is a BL visual novel, so obviously it needed to find itself in my Steam library, sooner or later. It looked like something I would enjoy, because of fantasy setting, detailed lore and a bit darker tone. Now, after finishing all routes and getting all endings (it took me about 10 hours) I can say, I'm satisfied with this purchase. [h1]Good things:[/h1] [b] Easily accessible +18 version.[/b] Obviously developer couldn't put full version of the game here, but every Steam purchase comes with download link, where you can find it. Maybe it shouldn't be surprising, but still deserves a praise, when so many developers refuse to patch their games on Steam or even try to make more money, by forcing players to buy "content restoration" DLCs or full games from other sites. Huge plus for the Argent Games. [b] Music/sounds.[/b] Music in this game is amazing. Quite a few visual novels developers should learn from "Requiescence" how to reflect every scene with fitting soundtrack. Sounds can get a bit repetitive, but they add great amount of immersion to the game. It's also worth mentioning that this game has a voice acting, not a bad one, from what I've heard, but I've turned it out very quickly (I'll explain why below), so can't say much more about it. [b] Atmosphere.[/b] "Requiescence" does a great job at creating dark, gloomy atmosphere. When I was playing it for the first time, on some occasions, music itself was enough to give me creeps. [b] Writing.[/b] I would say that writing is probably the best part of the game. It's solid, engaging, descriptive, dialogues looks well and realistic. Some phrases are a bit overused (there is way too much tongue clicking and eyes rolling for example), but that's my only complaint in that regard. [b] Characters.[/b] I was hesitant to add it under "good things", because I'm a little conflicted. As much as I've enjoyed protagonist and three main characters, I felt that secondary characters were completely bland and bad guys... Well, they were bad guys. There's no much depth to them or their actions, game didn't make an effort to make me dislike them or be afraid of them, or understand their motives, or presents them in interesting way. That being said, three pursuable characters were unique, had a little bit of backstory, that explained their actions and I end up liking every single one of them. [b] Protagonist.[/b] BL protagonists have the same set of flaws that otome protagonists struggle with. They are usually very naive, soft-spoken, innocent, they often presents amazing levels of stupidity and have less personality than a toast. Kymil wasn't like that. He was an interesting protagonist, definitely passive in comparison to his love options [spoiler]classic uke character - no variation here[/spoiler] and rather delicate, but it was realistic, he didn't seem hopeless, he stand for what he believed in and I liked him. [b]Price.[/b] Amount of content is worth the price. [h1]Minor complaints:[/h1] [b] Endings.[/b] That will be completely subjective, but good endings are a bit bland and not much satisfying, while bad endings are classic yaoi bad ends. In short, [spoiler] you end up being someone's sex toy. Every. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥. Time.[/spoiler] Honestly I've expected a little more creative approach, but I know some people will enjoy it. [i]Small edit: [/i]I would like to express myself better. I feel like bad endings could work in the form they are, if they were established better. [Spoiler] If demon on Damian's route would be more manipulative and gained MC trust or the contrary, would go full creep and do some nasty stuff while it lasted, ending would have much more "power" to it, as we, as players, would know character a bit better. Same goes for Absalom. It's completely out of character for Kymil to pick him and go go along with his proposition. If Absalom would be more present on Kaul's route, I may start to think which one I like better, which one is right. I had this sort of thoughts between Absalom and the Monk, the issue is, Kymil isn't choosing between those two, but between Absalom and his loved one, which is much better established character, has a personality, understandable goals and all that. And the Monk's ending... Well, let's just say, it was the most "out of the blue" and didn't quite make sense. [/spoiler] [b] Graphic.[/b] "Requiescence" falls the most in terms of visuals. It's not a big deal regarding relatively low price, but it's worth poiting out. Character models looks well, but were way too similar to each other in terms of faces and body types. [Spoiler]When I saw Absalom for the first time, I thought it was Carrault. In wig. Seriously.[/spoiler] There is low number of CGs and they don't look the best either - especially faces, on some CGs they look very weird. Backgrounds are bland and most of them looks like photos with filter over them, which is, most likely, what they are. [b] Voice acting doesn't always match what is written.[/b] And that is fine, in game's description there is information of partial voice acting, but I don't think I've ever seen game voiced in... that way. Partial voice acting usually means the characters have some sort of phrases or speak during cut-scenes, or something like that, here a lot of dialogues were voiced and a lot of weren't, without any sense or pattern. It was breaking the immersion. It was frustrating and confusing. Also, for the future, it would be good to have option not to turn all the voices at once, but every single one of them separately. Personally I don't like voiced MC and there's always a possibility that some voice will seem annoying to someone. It's a minor tweak, but worth implementing. [b]A little more one-on-one scenes would be nice.[/b] And I don't mean THAT kind of scenes. As it often happens in visual novels, characters seem weirdly and way too soon drawn to protagonist. The mutual feelings didn't seem very natural. Despite small flaws, I can recommend "Requiescence" to every BL fan out there.

I played the R18 version of this game (thanks to the developers for providing the adult version to Steam buyers through itch.io!) and well, I liked it. The art style is ok, but to be honest it isn’t really my type (especially on the CGs. I know this is a BL game, but I highly dislike the “yaoi hands” or “yaoi art style”… But that’s me. Looking it without my personal taste in consideration, the art style is pretty ok). The VA was good too, even if it was only partial. My only complain is that even with my computer audio on maximum, the VN preferences of sound on maximum too, and wearing headphones, the voices are almost inaudible. And that’s not a problem with my computer, I played several other games (made on Ren’py like this one) and their audio works fine. The story itself isn’t a masterpiece, it’s ok and a lot better than other stories I’ve read in some other indie VNs. I liked the characters a lot to be honest, especially Carrault (even tho he isn’t the type of guy that I usually like on these games). I actually felt sorry for him when I learned about his past… And I liked Kymil too. [spoiler]His hair looks so soft, I want to touch it. ⌒°(❛ᴗ❛)°⌒[/spoiler] Damian’s route was the best tho. Both Carrault and Kaul’s route felt somewhat rushed. Oh, and the BGM was pretty good! It would be nice if devs could sell it as a DLC. I’d gladly buy. So yeah, overall I recommend this VN to BL lovers. It’s worth taking a look on this one! And I also wish good luck to the developers on their next games, I will definitely buy them. 7/10.

It’s an earlier standard yaoi visual novel by Argent Games. If you want the full experience, get the 18+ version on their itch.io page. You don’t have to buy it again. Just follow the instructions either in the Steam discussions or the guide available. Without the 18+ content, it isn’t nearly as thrilling, especially for Kaul’s route. [u]Complaints[/u] • Racism, intentional or not. The sole darker-skinned character is a villain who resembles an indigenous tribal person. This isn’t any different from someone writing the sole queer character in a story as villainous. Even if it wasn’t intentional racism, it is a really offensive mistake. Of course, this isn’t the only game of this dev’s that I’ve complained about when it comes to racial diversity. I just keep getting disappointed. • A lot of unanswered questions about the plot, but I guess if you’re into this game [i]just[/i] for the yaoi, then you won’t care anyway. • A lot of toxic, possessive language that’s framed as romantic. I get that’s a turn-on for some people, but I need to make it clear that this is only acceptable in a fantasy setting. It’d be better material for a hentai game than a romance visual novel framed as an acceptable example of relationships. • Some typos here and there. • Amateur artwork. [u]Praises[/u] • One of the romantic options is a blind man – Kaul. Not only does he have a disability, but he’s a bad-a$$ mage despite it. Disabled people don’t often get representation, so there’s that. • When the writing isn’t problematic, the romantic/sexual scenes are well-written and effective. • The premise of the story is interesting despite its slow start and unanswered questions. I obviously have mixed feelings about this game. Given what’s wrong with it, I just feel like it would be unethical to give it a positive review. It would be a “neutral” review at best.

I stumbled over this game by accident after I rediscovered my love for visual novels. Finding out that this was actually a pure BL VN was even more enticing. Noticing that there is another version available coming with the Steam purchase was an additional bonus. So, let's get to it. I like to start with the negative points to kinda clear the air. Cons: - The start is very slow. Lots and lots of descriptions, partially repetitive and no choices whatsoever. - Relatively low amount of images for backgrounds and even characters. - The format and display of the text box changes between nearly full screen and dialog box. Nothing major but it bugged the hell out of me. - One route is depending on you completing the other two - which kinda goes against the principle of choice. - Voice acting is for a few lines here and there, stop mid dialog and pick up somewhere else again. - And one thing - though this hits me with pretty much all visual novels and even Choose your own Story games - a relatively naive protagonist and no options to change that. To not be able to argue at any point is a bit ... discouraging. Pros: - Decent art work. - Interesting setting - Good story. - Good character background stories! - Voice acting (yes, also a positive aspect, not just a negative one). - BL - I have to put this here, because there are so few out there, that I celebrate every single one of them. - Two versions - you'll be able to find out... - Lengthy playthroughs. - Multiple endings and outcomes. - Just plain story and a few choices - no mini game or card combat or similar. To sum it all up - I am happy I bought it and I would do so again. I spent a good 2 evenings going through the stories and minds you - that was with skipping some of the lengthy descriptions. As for the author - I hope there will be more from you in the future and that you grow on what you have already accomplished!

When I saw a BL visual novel pop up, I screamed happy fangirl screams. I thought it was a new, interesting idea since I haven't seen a BL visual novel on here before. Let me start by saying this game is something you can play and finish all in one weekened. I clocked in technically 12 hrs, despite the 10 hrs on steam, and finished/exhausted every route and choice available. However, while the pros outweigh them, there are still some cons: Cons: Dialogue-The dialogue, for the most part, was perfect. It's voice acted, so that's even better. My only problem, and it's a pet peeve of mine, is when the dialogue that is spoken doesn't match what is written. It happened a lot, more than I would have liked. Especially in Damian's route. Hidden Route- Usually I would love a hidden route, a route you had to complete everything else in order to get. I find it a nice little bonus. Not with this game. This game only has three route (good endings) and one of them is unlocked until you finish the other two. I didn't like that. I went in expecting to have all the route options open to me as advertised. No, I had to get through ~8 hrs worth of gameplay to get to one of the more interesting routes. Sounds- My god those demon sounds got real annoying, real quick. Of course, this is just an annoyance of mine when a monster sound is just on loop. It makes me go insane when I'm trying to read the dialogue and all you hear is repetitive snarling and growling. R18 Version- I don't usually see this as a con. Normally, I enjoy a little bit adult gameplay since I'm actually an adult, but this one kind of made me a little upset. While playing the PG version, I had a weird feeling that I was missing something from litterally half the scenes. When I played the R18 version, I found out why. The bad endings revolve around that bit of adult time and the weird rejections that made no sense to me were finally resolved. Honestly, I feel this game should have just had the R18 version with the option to turn it off at the beginning if you're weak of heart so you don't have to go through the process of downloding it from another site. Pros: Voice Acting-This is always a plus for me. It is very hard to find good voice actors for visual novels that actually match the characters. These voice actors were spot on. Sure, some of them grated on my nerves, but the character was designed to do that. Dialogue- Yes, this is also a pro. The dialogue is lengthy, which is why it takes so long to get through it the first time around. This game is so detailed it's like reading an actual novel. The story just sucks you in, which is a wonderful thing. CGI- Ok, let me first say the game to be purchased on steam is the PG version. I played both the PG and R18 versions. Let me just say the CGI is beautiful and wonderful in both versions. But...if you want the full story in the good and bad endings, R18 is probably the way to go. Characters- I have never fell for characters so quickly in my life. I rolled my eyes at the stupid remarks and lame jokes and actually cried in one particular route that tore my heart out and ripped it to bits. Skip Option- You can skip dialogue you've already read in the game. This is a normal feature, sure, but it's the fact that the voices in the game try to keep up with the speedy skipping. It amused me to no end to hear the random "huh," *sigh*, "Eh?", and my personal favorite "YOU TOOK MY F**KING DAGGER!" Great gameplay All in all, this is a wonderful game and if you enjoy BL this is a beautiful game that needs to be in your library.

I didn't expect a game about uncovering someone's murder to be so terribly boring. Like sure, it's a game about Repose but it felt like pure tedium. There was nothing relaxing at all about it. From the intro sequence, I thought this was going to be a game about you being the king that stopped everything from going bad; or going back in time and being a political drama. My fault, I just kind of bought the game without looking at the details and there were no reviews (for understandable reasons). So I was a little disappointed when it was literally just a story about wandering around in an ancient cathederal. It's like a labyrinth game without actually having the option to choose which direction you get to go. If this sounds exactly like your cup of tea, go right ahead. Pros: * There's voice acting * The soundscape is pretty immersive * There are branching paths. I think. Maybe even four love interests, if not more. * The fashion is pretty great. * There's magic Cons: * Limited choices. Painfully limited. There's actually a good/evil choices and you don't get to make them depending on the love interest you select. I don't care if I've made good choices up 'till now maybe I want to be EVIL at the end. * The voice acting is... for some parts and not all of them. And also the best voice actor is a side character (who seems to be the only girl in the game) who has like 5 lines. Everyone else sounds about the same. * The MC seems to have no actual character, and their character is wholly defined by the love interest they choose. Which is terribly boring to deal with.

Requiescence is a fabulous Boys Love visual novel. It was created by Argent Games, I enjoyed their two latest games Chess of Blades and Red Embrace so much that I couldn't help buying it immediately after finishing RE. I was drawn into that eerie atmosphere from the first minutes, I was really intrigued by the mysterious plot! Don't expect it to be a light romance novel. It has a really dark hue in it. Mages, demons, intense fighting, decaying world... I llloved the story, although it is not that long, only 125,000 words; don't pay attention to my time record, I was distracted a lot while playing:) Many characters have captivating background stories that make their personalities quite deep. I was emotionally involved a lot, even cried in some route, although it was meant to be a happy ending. I still have a grudge about it, devs! The soundtrack is amazing as usual! And I'm rather picky about it. But in this game, like in other two, music helps to create that creepy atmosphere of the mysterious surroundings. The art style may look a bit old school but I fancy it! There are three male options in the game with a happy ending and a bad ending in each route. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1312030118 Not only the main characters are depicted brilliantly, in general, there are 13 characters and all of them are quite alluring. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1313651011 I'd recommend to download from itch.io and try out an adult version of the game. The bad endings will appear much more fascinating in this way if you have nothing against yaoi :) I don't find the choices in this game very meaningful and you'll unlock fire mage's route only after finishing the other two. From the very beginning I planned to leave him for last so it was ok with me, but it may be irritating for other players who prefer more interactive visual novels. http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1313650803 What I find especially appealing is that it's a voiced visual novel. All voice actors match the characters in a perfect way. It added a lot to unique perception of every route. It was a real pleasure for my ears. But be prepared that it's only partially voiced. Sometimes all you hear are just sounds like 'eh', 'huh'... Some players complained about it but I liked it as I could read the text faster. And then it turned out to be so funny when I started skipping the read text and those sounds they made were really hilarious. The only thing you have to bear with is their rather quiet speaking. I had to turn the volume really high to enjoy it to the full. On the whole I'm more than pleased with this game! I definitely recommend it to BL VNs fans. I'd really like to see more of such games on steam. I'm looking forward to Argent Games' next projects! The devs are awesome! Join their discord https://discord.gg/rB8p5hf to be able to chat with them and a lot of Boys Love and visual novels fans. [table] [tr] [th]Find more in a [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/readingnook] Reading Nook [/url][/th] [/tr] [/table]

So I must admit that this is truly a remarkable visual novel. At first I was sceptical because the background art - not to say cheap - gave off the impression that it wasn't refined, respectively given much thought into. It hardly gave off the vibe of being edited much or something. After an hour or so I realised though that it was just right. It is darkish and grey, blurry and it complements the music, the story and the whole mood just fine. How the developers played with the transitions and everything and worked with what little - or so it appeared - they had... it's just unbelievable. The music gave of the right vibe. I'm not by any means a professional but I think how the music made me be a little bit on edge the whole time while being impatient for what was to happen next and feeling anxious at the same time was just right. Now about the story... It's well written and gives you a good read. I enjoyed the first playthrough and even though I'm mostly satisfied I'm thinking about playing through all the routes though I think there isn't that much left to it. But I might be wrong... I can't say just now. I just found the character development interesting yet intriguing. [spoiler]I pursued Carrault because I found him the most interesting of them all. He was so full of anger and sadness at the beginning but slowly he was gaining trust. He comes of as incredibly narrow-minded when he's really caring and accepting. You can see that how delicately he acts around the fox in the snowy forest.[/spoiler] I can imagine all of the possible love interests being special and interesting in their own way. The writer obviously did a good job in my opinion. [spoiler]And don't get me even started on Absalom... He's a somewhat strange antagonist... I myself am not entirely convinced he even is. The way the monk laughed in the end... maybe he was the mastermind behind it all? Or he's just gone nuts? We don't know![/spoiler] What's more? The "partial" voice acting was well done... Though.... I found it a little bit amusing... Because most of the lines had voice acting... but some just didn't. The producers might have done this on purpose but it's perfectly possible that something else got in the way... I can't say that I really see why this would be, in any way, a reasonable act. All in all I must say it was a good purchase and I'd recommend it to all the visual novel lovers out there. I'd even recommend it to those not neccessarily interested in gay romance. The romance is a nice plus but there's way more to this story than that.

I can't call this a perfect game, but I can say, in the end, that I liked it. I bought it on Steam, and used the accompanying link to download the version from Itch, and played through that version several times. For its string points, I'll call out the art direction overall, as well as the music--they combined to create a wonderful and eerie atmosphere that I found I really liked. The characters all had very good backstories and bits of interest to them, and all in all, I'd say the writing was quite decent. It's also a prety long game, too, without ever feeling meandering or like it's wasing my time--on the contrary, it takes its long running time to let relationships with each character develop naturally and feel genuine. I had mixed feelings about the voice acting. It was fun to get the idea of what they wanted the characters to sound like--but, on the other hand, it wasn't very good voice acting. It seemed as if the actors may not've been aware of their lines' context, and so a lot of them were delivered awkwardly (e.g. too dramatic, or otherwise having the tone of voice not fitting the situation). In terms of outright criticisms, there sure weren't a lot of choices to make. Further, only a handful of the choices were in any way meaningful. In my 1st playthrough, counted exactly 10 choices over the course of a pretty long game, subsquent playthroughs taught me that only 3 of them had an actual impact on the story. I was definitely just watching a story play out--I wasn't truly interacting with it in any way. Rather, I just chose which of 3 stories to see. All in all, though, a solid effort all around. I can only recommend this game to fans of the genre, but that said, I *do* recommend this game to fans of the genre.

A most solemn, sad, melancholic game with deeply unsettling, yet subtle horror elements. There is a mystique to its atmosphere, something dark and elusive no other game has. Which is surprising, really, because the character sprites suggest an altogether different experience. They do not fit the rest of the game's components at all. Nonetheless, there is beauty captured in this work: it feels intimate and revealing… graceful even, in its sorrow and despondency. A reader truly feels as if they were lost in a cathedral's bays and corridors. This effect is then underlined by the heady, plaintive tunes. One feels incredibly alone when reading this.