Vengeful Heart

Vengeful Heart happened to catch my interest right away with its pixelated art style I rarely came across in the visual novel's genre. It helps that the plot seemed to revolve around different themes than romance but focuses more about dystopia and the main protagonist's revenge. However, the interesting thing here would be the execution of the game and its plot, which, unfortunately, fell flat. Although I still managed to enjoy the game overall and was interested in how the happenings will play out, I found myself getting bored or even annoyed at one or another event of the game and sometimes just wished the scene would already be over. To avoid any confusion, I noticed the "otome" tag on the store page of Vengeful Heart. However, I wouldn't say that this visual novel is an otome game unless any game that involves a female protagonist having feelings for a male character counts as one. Anyway, my point is that the player doesn't "build up" a relationship here, but I will come back to it later again. [h2]Revenge at its finest[/h2] Vengeful Heart takes place in a futuristic world where water is seen as the highest form as might. After all, it's an existential aspect as it would not only be inconvenient not being able to take a shower but is necessary for surviving as well. Anyway, the protagonist, Josephine Lace, is working as a young hydraulic engineer and is working on a new system with her boss. However, her own apartment and neighborhood got affected by the new changes, stopping the water supply to make them sell their homes. The clue here is that the company only needs to own more than 50% of the apartments to kick out the rest of the inhabitants. Not wanting to give in, a massacre takes place and nearly everyone dies. Josephine managed to barely survive, however, she was unconscious for months, and on top of that, her heart had to get replaced as well. [h2]The Execution of the Plot[/h2] The revenge theme — one of my favorite genres. I just love to see protagonists growing stronger and fighting back, bringing justice to the unfair things that were done to them. In this particular case, Josephine decides to not only take her personal revenge but also wants to fight for everyone's rights. After all, water should be available to everyone, not only for the rich ones who can afford the supplies. Anyway, I liked that Josephine was so righteous and even refused her promotion. You may call it being stubborn but I could tell she genuinely cares for her friends. Although I sometimes couldn't tell if she wasn't actually only using human rights as the excuse of getting revenge, that's something we probably can only imagine. So, Vengeful Heart had a lot of potential with its plot but ultimately, I couldn't understand the happenings at times. The reason for that is that although the plans made sense, the problem here is that it's not tied together. I felt like Josephine and her friends ended up making a plan, failed, and tried to do something else instead. I wished the actions would be more impactful as it rather seemed like they had a good tactic but then dropped it and started a new plan. At some point, I started to get less interested in the happenings and only wanted to finally know how the story will end. [h2]What about the Characters? And the Romance?[/h2] Admittedly, while there is some growth of the characters, I felt like it happened way too fast. Josephine was working proudly in the corrupted company and even agreed to the plans, however, as soon as it affected herself she started to be against it. It doesn't help that she got a complete character swift after getting her heart replaced. You see, she seemed like a gentle obedient girl at first but then changed to a more badass character. I loved both sides of her, but the change was too sudden and I couldn't relate to her. Unfortunately, the same happened with the other characters who suddenly changed their minds after a short while. In short, I couldn't understand the motivation of the characters. Sadly, that doesn't end here but the reactions of the character itself didn't make sense to me either. While they were upset at each other, in the next scene both of them had a completely normal conversation as if nothing ever happened. But then suddenly after a few scenes, the conflict gets alive again and the fighting starts once again. These scenes were the ones that confused me the most, to be honest, and I could not make up what the feelings of each character were. So, now back to the romantic aspect in Vengeful Heart. While there is romance implemented into the visual novel, it's definitely not the main game's genre. In total, there are two characters Josephine can end up with, although she still couldn't make up her mind. I felt that this aspect was so out of place and didn't fit with the rest of the game. In addition to that, I just got annoyed when Josephine was so indecisive and liked one person but the other one is so sweet as well, so she just sticks to both of them. The worst is that although both love interests are getting irritated because of her, they are still okay with it as long as Josephine didn't decide on only one person. [h2]Endings, Choices, and Their Impact[/h2] Almost at the end, there is a choice available where the player has to decide on what they want to do at that specific decision. This will affect whom Josephine will end up together and the outcome of the story. Whilst the branch takes place rather late in the game, the happenings are still very different and the choice had an actual impact of the storyline, although I would say that there is no bad end in Vengeful Heart. Sure, some events still play out similarly, but overall nothing gets repeated. However, I would say that it's not necessarily mandatory to complete the other end as it just feels like an optional outcome. [h2]Graphics, and the Immersion[/h2] The graphics are beautiful and pixelated in Vengeful Heart. I always liked the cyberpunk theme as it looks so cool. Something I noticed in particular in this visual novel is that the background is always the same but there is something like a small window that changes depending on the environment. I found it was a very interesting feature and I think I never saw it before in any other game, but it felt like watching the happenings from a window, although the sprites are still on the whole screen. Talking about the sprites, the main characters have multiple expressions available with different outfits, although there is only once pose implemented. There is a feature in the corner of the screen to check how much time Josephine's heart has left. You see, I mentioned before that her heart got replaced, and thus, she ended up becoming a cyborg. Her heart has to get charged after a few hours otherwise she wouldn't able to survive. It kinda reminds me of recharging a phone, but I digress. Anyway, I found it was a cool feature but rather useless as dying is not possible in this visual novel anyway. [h2]So, what do we have in the end?[/h2] Would I recommend Vengeful Heart? Well, that's actually a tough question. Admittedly, I had a lot of problems with the plot, the way the characters behave, and the romance itself, but overall I still managed to enjoy the game. However, I cannot wholeheartedly recommend this game, although it has such an interesting premise and theme I didn't often see for other games. The execution of each aspect fell rather flat and I got annoyed at the characters during playing. That being said, if you don't mind illogical happenings and love triangles, you might still have a good time with Vengeful Heart nonetheless. [code]𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐲 [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34470115/]𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞[/url] 𝐚𝐧𝐝 [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/5413792/]𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐬[/url] 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬!

If Lethal Weapon, Diehard and Robocop had a baby it would be this game. Story rich and incredibly long.. Lot's of shooting, explosions, and hopeless scenarios, that you somehow keep coming back from. There is only ever one choice and happens waaaay towards the end. Which kinda sucks, but the writing was satisfying enough to keep me from rage quitting when i'm 6 chapters in and so far this thing is still looking kinetic. Flip side... I may not play this again for a long time. I'm basically one save point away from the other ending. Which, considering game length... Cannot possibly be that different.

Do not get this game if you're prone to migraines. The text is difficult to read since its a bulky white pixel font on a background that isnt a solid color and the many times i opened the game i turned it off after not even half an hour because my head started hurting from concentrating on the text. I own this game for over 3 months and i only got past chapter 1, and judging by the achievements the game has 7+ chapters. other than that im sure its a great game, has nice pixel art and color scheme and the author is a very talented writer. I'm just not able to enjoy it and therefore i give it a thumbs down to let people with my medical problems know.

[h2]What Am I in For?[/h2] Vengeful Heart ([i]VH[/i]) is a visual novel set in a futuristic dystopian world. The game is purely a reading experience, with only one choice players make close to the very end of the game. Outside of megacities, life is very difficult due in large part to the lack of water and heavily polluted desert sands. Players follow the story of a hydraulics engineer turned activist leader by the name of [b]Josephine Lace[/b], formerly employed by [b]Nepthys[/b], the largest water company in an unnamed city. She ends up losing both her home and job, then soon after begins her crusade against the many injustices her former boss slowly enacted over the course of the story. [quote] [list] [h2][b]✔The Good✔[/b][/h2] [*]Interesting story [*]Appealing visuals [*]Real world issues touched upon all throughout the game, having players question what is right, wrong and morally sound [/list] [list] [h2][b]❌The Bad❌[/b][/h2] [*]Although interesting, the story was sometimes hard to follow [/list] [/quote] [h2]A Story of Water and Struggle[/h2] [i]VH[/i] at its core asks one simple question with many possible answers: what if one company had sole control over all water? It’s never a good idea to allow any company to have a monopoly on any market, especially something as essential as water. [b]Nepthys[/b] was the largest water company in the city but quickly became the only one. This feat was accomplished in part due to [b]Josephine’s[/b] work, but mostly from the meticulous efforts of the boss of the company, [b]Francis Brabeck[/b]. After a conversation with his investors, he solidified his absolute control over all water. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2506880961 Needless to say, this all ended up spelling disaster. Soon after the meeting, [b]Josephine[/b] and every other resident in her complex ended up being forced out of their homes to make way for [b]Nepthys’[/b] expansion. Following the tragic event, our protagonist amasses a small force of four people to fight back against the company. From this point on, [b]Josephine[/b] and her group embark on a series of operations, most of which are covert in nature, all in the vein of helping the many people that lack the money to afford the new sky-high prices attached to water. [h2]Let’s Get down to The Nitty-Gritty of The Story[/h2] I really love the setting and story told throughout the game. [i]VH[/i] decently portrays how the world could suffer when a precious resource such as water is effectively cut off from those less fortunate. Even if motivated solely by revenge, [b]Josephine’s[/b] group essentially follows Robin Hood’s example, for such is solely out of revenge: steal from the rich and give to the poor. Many facets of the story are tied into other issues the people all face, most of which are relatable to real-world problems. While readers are engrossed with the struggles the masses face simply to stay hydrated and clean, other problems arise: political, economical, capitalistic injustices, and even lifestyle hardships. In more than one instance two of the main characters, [b]Rani[/b] and [b]Norbert[/b], end up disagreeing with each other. [b]Rani[/b] is an Army Veteran, so she’s killed before and understands that it is sometimes necessary, usually relying on violent means to get a task done early in the story. [b]Norbert[/b] is a doctor and tries often to avoid hurting anyone, even in cases where it seems to be the only option. He tries to stick with his ideology to a fault early on, believing that there’s always a way to end conflicts peacefully. While I loved [i]VH[/i], I still, sadly, need to point out a few issues I had with the execution of the plot. There were times where I had trouble following what was going on. At times characters would be squabbling, planning and even debating, only to continue afterwards as if the conversation in question didn’t happen the way it did. It wasn’t apparent to me that there even was a love triangle, yet it was to most everyone in [b]Josephine’s[/b] group. I ended up rereading a bit just to ensure I hadn’t missed something important, and it seems like I didn’t. Sometimes she and her motley crew would pull off some amazing feats like sneaking by trained officers and security, and even talking their way through in some cases, almost in a fashion that would seem impossible due to cameras and drones existing in their world. This is a nitpick though, as one would have to expect video game logic to have precedence over realism in some aspects. [h2]How About The Characters?[/h2] The protagonist first met [b]Rani[/b] at the complex she lived in before being forced out, then she met [b]Norbert[/b], [b]Bob[/b] and [b]Amy[/b] in a hospital. Shortly after, [b]Rani[/b] met up with her in the same hospital. Each character contributes to the effort of water liberation in their own way, and all have different upbringings, ideals and moral standings, as one could imagine. What really fascinates me even now is how well the protagonist held together and led the group, despite some members having clashing personalities. She is indubitably charismatic and outraged, which leads to both level headed and impulsive decision making. This proves to be both dangerous and fruitful for the group all throughout [i]VH’s[/i] story. Even with all the serious issues thrown around, love finds a way into [b]Josephine’s[/b] life. So with everything going on, our protagonist now has a love triangle on her hands and is unable to choose between the two. It’s neat that the triangle exists because you are given a choice near the end of the game and depending on which of the two you decide to “agree” with, they become her lover. [h2]Visuals and Audio[/h2] Graphically speaking, [i]VH[/i] is pleasing to the eye. I would have a hard time placing what the graphical style reminds me of, but the store page says it best: “Art reminiscent of PC-98 with a personal touch”. I feel when it comes to visuals, it’s always the small details that really make or break the beauty of a game. This is even more so true for a visual novel that you’ll be spending hours of your time just looking at and reading. I feel the expressions and clothing changes fit the characters well. Only minor gripe I have is with the changes in facial expression and clothing, there is no change in posture to match. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2506745234 Almost all of the music is soothing. A few tracks are livelier, usually for scenes portraying heavy conflict or violence. The music falls under the synthwave and electronica genres, with my favorite song being “Give it to Me”, which is actually a royalty free song. [h2]💻Performance💻[/h2] My Specs: CPU – Ryzen 9 3900X GPU – AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT RAM – 16 GB 288-Pin DDR4 Storage - HDD [table] [tr] [th]Technical[/th] [th]Value[/th] [/tr] [tr] [td]Visual & Resolution[/td] [td]I played using the Fullscreen setting. There are no visual settings to speak of aside from Windowed/Fullscreen[/td] [/tr] [tr] [td]Controller Support?[/td] [td]Yes, but the controller simply manipulates the mouse pointer, and the buttons confirm the pointed selection. I recommend keyboard and mouse.[/td] [/tr] [/table] [h3]Bugs[/h3] I did not run into any glitches while reading through [i]VH[/i]. [h2]So, What Do I Think Overall?[/h2] None of the flaws this game has hurt it enough for me to not recommend it. It’s not bad by any means, and the characters pose interesting questions: the kind that are both thought provoking and have no real answer. I was engaged from start to finish and was, overall, pleased with my experience. I’d suggest any visual novel fans pick this up! [quote][i]If you enjoy my tantalizing takes, check out[/i] [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/34470115/] [b]TentacleBunny’s Cozy Cottage[/b] [/url] [i]for more amazingly comfy critiques![/i][/quote]

It´s a wonderful, around 15 hours long visual novel, about capitalism, future and love. Tbh. I didn´t really know what to expect from this game, since I just bought it before really reading what it is about, but the buy was totally worth it. The art style of the game is really pretty and reminds me of old PC-98 games. Nice backgrounds, perfect synth music and lovely characters. If you are into visual novels, you should buy the game. But: Don´t expect decisions. There´s only really one, pretty late in the game, which I won´t be telling more about now, but for the rest it´s just plain reading.

It's so tremendously stupid. Bloody and boring. Painfull to read. Protagonist erratic. Tenders are wusses. The story trivial. The world unhinged. And everyone braindead. There are some good marks, but they lose on point.

Почему так мало обзоров?? Отличная визуальная новелла с приятным визуальным стилем и, главное, крайне актуальным сюжетом про "прелести" капитализма. Финским товарищам горячий рот фронт

Great cyberpunk VN with a heavy, HEAVY emphasis on the 'punk', Vengeful Heart was a brisk, thrilling read! The aesthetic was great, the music is great, the whole novel is criminally underrated. The plot is exactly what I was hoping for and even more pulse-pounding than I expected. It's not perfect - a couple of the plot beats fell a little flat, like Little Jimmy and the two romantic options' jealousy - but overall it was a worthwhile read. Don't pass this one up!

Хорошая игра. Крепкая история, не без изъянов конечно. Немножко предсказуемо в развязке и финале, но за то не так уж наивно как ожидалось. Читать интересно. Персонажи довольно шаблонны, но достаточно раскрыты, чтобы сочувствовать героям. Музыка тоже хороша, не раздражает и создает атмосферу. А вот визуал подкачал, художник по персонажам явно проигрывает художнику по фонам. Скажем так, лично на мой вкус, рисовка персонажей просто плохая. Из графики только спрайты персонажей и маленькое окошко с фоном. Вообще, графика явно не лучшая часть игры. А так вполне сносно, читать интересно, так что рекомендую попробовать.

Attention: - this review may contain spoilers, if you don´t mind go ahead. Summary: A short length vn with action/ cyberpunk elements made in renpy. Features story rich, retro art, 2 endings. About: - Story/gameplay: In a dystopic world where the most valuable substance is water, and those that can control it can control the world, you will play as Josephine Lace, a hydraulic engineer which was betrayed by the corporation with whom she worked; now she seeks vengeance to stop the corporation tyranny. Almost a kinetic novel, 1 choice, 2 endings available. - VA: not present. - Text/translation: no problem so far - Performance/cons: no problem so far Conclusion: "Vengeful Heart" is an almost kinetic visual novel with action/ cyberpunk elements about Josephine Lace and her vengeance to take down an evil company. Recommended for those that enjoy cyberpunk-style novels.