[b]Note:[/b] A wonderful friend gifted me a copy of this game. ^^
[h1]A lovely, magical story in which you help people with their grief. ^^[/h1]
[h2]Introduction[/h2]
[i]Spirit Talk - Cozy Visual Novel[/i] is a cozy visual novel developed and published by Tortita Studio. You're Julia, a young girl who discovers that she has magical powers and can contact spirits, including her recently deceased mom Cynthia. Cynthia appears before Julia shortly after this discovery and explains how to use her powers and that Julia can take over Cynthia's shop, which involves helping out clients by summoning their loved ones and creating spells to assist them. Although Julia is uncertain as to whether she's up to the task, she agrees to take on the task.
As to the gameplay, the story is mostly linear. Some choices are presented when Julia encounters other shopkeepers on the street before she enters her shop. However, the choices only slightly change the flavor text. It's really the interactions with clients that take up the bulk of the gameplay. Clients range from a granddaughter missing her grandmother to a wife worried about her missing partner. Julia can craft various spells, depending on the situation. For example, if a summoned spirit has forgotten a happy moment, Julia can look up the spell in Cynthia's spellbook and use the clues to find the ingredients to put in the cauldron to create and cast the spell. Julia only has 3 attempts to create the right spell. Plenty of Steam achievements are present, but they won't count towards a user's global total until the game is out of "Steam is learning about this game".
[h2]Review[/h2]
I enjoy cozy games and visual novels a lot, so [i]Spirit Talk[/i] definitely was the perfect game for me to play. Thanks to a very awesome friend, I had the chance to try out this game and share my thoughts. ^^
[h3]Story and Gameplay[/h3]
The story has a bit of a slow start, but that's natural, considering that Julia drops by Cynthia's shop to retrieve a lost hat and is dealing with Cynthia's passing at the same time. Events ramp up when Cynthia's spirit appears and she explains what Julia should do, which is basically taking over the family's magical business. Essentially, the story has a more relaxed, comforting vibe, which is perfect for a cozy game. I like Julia as the MC. She's cheerful, but at times, she shows that she misses her mom and is unsure of whether she can truly step into Cynthia's shoes. Not only does Julia convey her emotions on her sleeve, her clients do so as well. There's a great variety of personalities, such as the stubborn Lucy (the granddaughter who misses her grandmother and is at odds with her mother) and the ever-worrying Carol (whose partner is missing after the two of them had a heated argument). Julia does her best to listen to their worries, summon their loved ones, and create spells to help them alleviate their concerns. Each client's story is emotional, and there's even a kitty client. Of course, there is an overall story with Julia, which reaches a heartwarming conclusion with a sweet epilogue.
With the gameplay, I really enjoyed creating spells. There is a brief tutorial in which Cynthia explains how to do so, but it is fairly simple. It helps that the spells put hints in bold text to indicate what ingredients you need to find that match the requirements. Initially, the ingredients don't appear with spells, so you have to figure them out for yourself. However, after you create the spell once, the ingredients will always appear in the spells, which is convenient. I had no problems following what the clients or their loved ones wanted although there was only one spell that I got stuck on for a bit. As for Steam achievements, I had no issues obtaining all of them in one playthrough, which requires that you create all the correct spells and get the clients' best endings.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3743006137
[h3]Art and Music[/h3]
As for the art, it has a very cutesy, colorful look, which is appropriate for a cozy game. I'm especially fond of the occasional animations, such as when Julia is using Cynthia's crystal ball to summon a spirit or when Julia is walking on the sidewalk and talking to her neighbors. Even though it would have been great to have CGs (I'm used to them in visual novels), it isn't a big deal since the lovely art style and animations more than make up for it.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3743006005
In regards to the music, the tracks have a very relaxed, comforting vibe, which (like the art) is perfect for a cozy game. I enjoyed listening to the instrumental tracks as clients would enter the shop and Julia would assist them. No voice acting is present, but it isn't necessary, as it's easy to imagine the characters' voices in my opinion.
[h2]Conclusion[/h2]
Would I recommend [i]Spirit Talk - Cozy Visual Novel[/i]? If you're looking for a cozy, comforting game and you enjoy visual novels, you want some fun, simple gameplay, and/or you like looking for Steam achievements, then this is totally worth checking out. Although you can get multiple endings with clients (which I'm guessing has to do with whether you create the right spells and whatnot), the game can easily be completed in one playthrough if you want to get all Steam achievements. For the asking price, it might depend on whether you want just one playthrough or are looking for multiple playthroughs to get different endings. If it's the latter, the price is certainly worth it, but if you want one playthrough, you may consider holding off for a sale. Still, it's worth a look and it's in a Steam bundle as well. ^^
[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]
