SC2VN - The eSports Visual Novel

A gem of a game, I'm so glad this exists.

Eh, I wish Steam had a mixed/neutral rating. It's a short (free) game, so you can't really expect too much from it. There were some genuinely good moments at times, but I felt the writing could have been a lot more interesting across the few hours it takes to complete. Overall, a harmless game talking about something really niche that is free.

스타크래프트 게이머들의 이야기를 다룬 비주얼 노벨.

This game does a really good job of balancing being made for a particular audience (Starcraft fans) with making the game accessible to people outside of that audience. There's a decent amount of scene-specific jargon that would be recognizable to people within the scene, but it comes alongside a glossary of terms that explains everything in a way that is clear and to-the-point. And though the MC's main conflict has to do with whether they can make it in the world of eSports, the broader issue of "can I succeed in what I'm passionate about in such a competitive field" is broadly relatable. The characters are each developed appropriately within the time frame of the VN, and they have a fun group dynamic. (Also Bolt is stupid hot lol.....;;;;) I'm definitely curious about picking up the prequel to see some more of Jett and Bolt. I also really appreciate that the game takes time to acknowledge the difficulty of being a woman in gaming circles in general and in eSports circles in particular. It doesn't take up a large portion of the story, but where relevant, it's addressed. A few very minor gripes: -When starting a new game, there's no 'skip read text' option. I had hoped to try out the game a second time with a female protagonist after playing first with a male protagonist, but I'm not willing to go through the whole thing again for minimal changes. Maybe something I'd revisit when the game is less fresh, but I would have liked to be able to see the changes very clearly. -I wish that the final showdown would have had some choices. The possibility of failing in earlier parts of the story offered some tension, and I feel like it was a missed opportunity to get that same mileage in the climax. Other than those minor gripes though, I really enjoyed my time with this game way more than I was expecting to; it was both entertaining and educational. It was clearly a labor of deep love for the Starcraft scene, and that came through in my experience with the game.

Great free VN

Short and worth playing.

Easy to get into the story, well-written. Recommended to SC2 eSport fans.