[h1]The Phantom Thief Strikes Again :o[/h1]
[h2]Introduction[/h2]
[i]The Mysterious Thief; Forget Me Not[/i] is a yuri, slice-of-life visual novel developed and published by solarProtag. The story takes place in the fictional city of Twinbells, England, which is known for having a mysterious phantom thief rob jewels, only to have them returned later. Although multiple protagonists narrate the story, which consists of five chapters, in the first and last chapters, you take on the role of Desiree, a young woman working at a flower shop. However, she is also known as Forget Me Not, the phantom thief. Events take quite the turn when a renowned ballet company performs at the local theater and at the museum, the Black Swan, the company's prized jewel, is on display. Of course, Desiree isn't going to pass up the chance to steal it, but along the way, she may unexpectedly fall for a certain blonde-haired ballerina. ^^
As for the gameplay, it is a linear story. Even though a few choices are presented, they do not affect the direction of the story whatsoever. They're simply there for flavor text. Also, certain parts of the game allow for point-and-click exploration, so you get more information about items, places, and/or people. Several CGs and a full-on soundtrack are present although no voice acting. In addition, there are a few Steam achievements, 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]
When I first started the game and read the story, I immediately got excited. The introduction of Forget Me Not and her appearance reminds me of this popular detective anime that I'd love to watch, especially since some of the episodes would have a teenage phantom thief. (Of course, there are plenty of differences between that anime and this visual novel. ^^) I felt drawn in by the excitement as Desiree (along with Crow's help) would try and succeed in stealing the latest jewel on display at the museum, much to the police's chagrin, especially a certain Detective Aiden. However, the story really starts to ramp up when there's the announcement of the Pavlova Ballet Company coming to Twinbells, and Desiree and Crow end up taking a night off from their heists to see the ballet of Swan Lake. When Desiree sees a particular blonde-haired ballerina, it's love at first sight. I enjoyed seeing Desiree blush and get embarrassed and Crow getting confused at first (but quickly catches on to what's going on). Since this is a yuri visual novel, Desiree and the ballerina, Irina, end up together. I like seeing the sweet romance blossom between the two, especially since Desiree easily gets embarrassed, not what one would expect from a phantom thief. lol I only wish that there were more romantic moments between the two. While there is yuri romance, other parts of the story focus on Desiree's past (as well as the backgrounds of the other notable characters) and how she ended up becoming Forget Me Not. Even though I don't personally mind this since I like to focus on stories, I realize that some might want more romance. Anyway, the developer mentioned in an update that an epilogue is coming, so hopefully, we'll get more of that sweet romance between Desiree and Irina. ^^
Also, I love the cast of characters here. Desiree is cute but definitely mischievous while Irina is very sweet but has a dark past, which forces her to take sleep medication and to have special accommodations, such as having her own hotel room while the other dancers have to share. Crow is quite the character, dealing with his own past demons (being falsely accused of a crime). Yet, he's a good guy underneath it all, even going so far as to look after Desiree and assist her with her heists (ok, I don't know if the latter would be considered good, but yeah lol). Then there's Detective Aiden. At first, he seems like a bit of a stick-in-the-mud, but this is simply due to him feeling frustrated over not being able to apprehend Forget Me Not. I enjoyed getting to know him, and his character develops in his chapter as he gets to know the phantom thief and perhaps ends up having a change of heart.
With the gameplay, I like the point-and-click elements. It's fun getting info about items, places, and whatnot. Even in the first chapter, there's a fun mini-game in which Desiree has to use her investigative skills in order to figure out [spoiler]who has the real Black Swan since many fakes are planted[/spoiler]. As for choices, I don't know if they were necessary since the story's outcome is the same, regardless. Still, I like how having Desiree choose what to have for breakfast changes the flavor text as well as the CG that's shown. Before I forget, all of the Steam achievements unlocked for me without any problems.
As for the art, it is lovely to gaze. The sprites and backgrounds have this hand-drawn style, and it's obvious that a lot of love and care were taken with it. The use of colors fits well, too, giving off the atmosphere of night versus day. It probably goes without saying, but the CGs are especially drawn and colored well.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3461388333
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3461389274
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3461389583
In regards to the music, I enjoyed listening to the various tracks. They give off a range of moods from the adventurous mystery to the sadder, more emotional moments. (Yes, the story does have sad moments although it ends happily. ^^) Especially, I enjoyed listening to the main theme of the game, as it got me in the mood to chase after the phantom thief. XD
[h2]Conclusion[/h2]
Would I recommend [i]The Mysterious Thief; Forget Me Not[/i]? If you enjoy visual novels, want to read one that has fun mystery and a sweet yuri romance, and/or are looking to get those Steam achievements, then it's totally worth checking out. I enjoyed the story so much, and I only wish that I had gotten around to this game sooner. At the asking price, I feel that it's fair, but you can wait for a sale.
Finally, I want to give a major thank you to solarProtag for the review copy. [i]The Mysterious Thief; Forget Me Not[/i] was such a delight to read and experience, and I hope that we'll get the chance to read more future visual novels, whether they center around Forget Me Not or they be entirely new stories. ^^
[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]
