[i]The Fairy's Secret[/i] is a kinetic, fantasy yuri visual novel developed and published by ebi-hime. It is the sequel to [i]The Fairy's Song[/i], and it's highly recommended to play its predecessor before delving into this visual novel, as this review may contain spoilers. You take on the role of Marnie, the same protagonist from [i]The Fairy's Song[/i], and it's been two years since the end of events from that story. Marnie is living happily with her girlfriend Lisbeth, a knight she found as she was exploring the forest of Fenchapel. Marnie has graduated from high school and has been accepted into an art university in London. The summer before Marnie is to begin university, she and Lisbeth agree to visit Iris, Marnie's grandmother who lives by herself in Fenchapel. However, upon arriving, the couple discovers Edmund, someone who is supposed to be dead, working as Iris' gardener. [spoiler]For context, Edmund is the knight who was possessed in the previous game and tried to kill Marnie, only for Lisbeth to kill him instead.[/spoiler] Soon after, there is another unexpected face, Jane, who looks like Lisbeth's dead sister, Linette. On top of that, a voice has been calling out to Lisbeth, compelling her to return to the forest. I'll end my story synopsis here to avoid spoilers and all that.
As for the gameplay, [i]The Fairy's Secret[/i] is a linear novel, so there are no choices presented. You just play through the story from beginning to end. Several CGs are presented along with a varied soundtrack (although no voice acting). Also, there are several Steam achievements although they won't count towards a user's global total until the game is out of "profile features limited".
Now that I've gone over the story and gameplay, I'll move onto my critique. I remember playing [i]The Fairy's Song[/i] almost 3 years ago and how much I enjoyed the story. (I even have a review for it although it's only friends visible.) Thus, when I heard that there would be a sequel, I was looking forward to playing it. With that said, I'll first comment on the story and characters. I like how the story starts off as we're introduced to Titania, the fairy queen. She looks genuinely concerned about the state of Fenchapel forest although it's kind of obvious that she has some devious plan to save it. After that brief scene, then we're taken to Marnie and Lisbeth, who are driving towards Fenchapel to visit Iris. I loved getting to see these two girls again and finding out what's been going on with them since the end of events in [i]The Fairy's Song[/i]. Things have been going great for them, with Marnie getting accepted into an art university and Lisbeth adjusting to life in the 21st century. Lisbeth is even able to drive a car, which Marnie has yet to do. lol They are sweet as always, and I especially enjoyed the cute, romantic moments that they share. Although they are the main characters, there are a few other characters who are worthy to note. For example, Edmund returns. Although I found it unusual to see him alive (even Edmund himself admits that he can't explain it), it's nice to see him make an appearance and be more than an [spoiler]antagonist. He helps out Marnie and Lisbeth and even ends up having a sort-of redemption arc[/spoiler]. Also, Jane, who looks like Linette (Lisbeth's dead sister), returns, which throws another monkey wrench in the works. Add in the mysterious voice in Lisbeth's head that's telling her to return to the forest, and all of it builds up to the story's climax. It does take a while for the story to get there since there are all those sweet, cute, romantic scenes between Marnie and Lisbeth, but I think the wait is worth it. As for the story's climax, I like how it all ends up in a [spoiler]showdown between our main characters and Edmund versus Titania, and of course, the heroes win[/spoiler]. Although I feel like the story overall is narrated well, there is a bit of confusion in regards to [spoiler]how Leofe, Marnie's ancestor and Edmund's younger sister, ends up appearing although I like that she shows up to give some closure for Edmund and Lisbeth[/spoiler].
The writing is well-paced, with the story taking place over the course of one week, and I noticed a couple of typos. However, they don't deter from the enjoyment of the story. As for the art, the style is in the same as in [i]The Fairy's Song[/i]. The sprites are in a cute, anime style, and the backgrounds are well drawn. Colors feel vibrant and alive, and the CGs especially are well done. In regards to the music, there are some returning tracks from [i]The Fairy's Song[/i], but there are a few new tracks, too. I enjoyed listening to the music, as the tracks have that fantasy, adventure vibe to them, and there's plenty of variety.
Overall, would I recommend [i]The Fairy's Secret[/i]? If you enjoy fantasy yuri visual novels, especially the ones by ebi-hime, and you played [i]The Fairy's Song[/i], then you'll most likely enjoy this one, too. I admit that I liked [i]The Fairy's Song[/i] slightly more, but this is a good sequel. The cute, romantic scenes between Marnie and Lisbeth are lovely, and I liked that Edmund returns and that he gets his story (but it doesn't end up taking over the main plot). For the asking price, I'd say it's worth it if you enjoy ebi-hime's visual novels although you can wait to get it on a sale, and it's in a few Steam bundles. ^^
[quote]Flying free and writing reviews solely for [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44702020/]The Introverted Gamer[/url].[/quote]
