Virgo Versus The Zodiac

The game is good, but I feel like you should know going in the game is more about vibes than concrete concepts. You will never feel like you fully understand the game mechanics or storyline, and if you really try you will drive yourself crazy. But if you go with the flow you’ll enjoy yourself. Be prepared for multiple playthroughs or checking YT to see alternate endings though. I do have some criticisms about the game’s progression, it introduces all the gameplay concepts early on by the second chapter and doesn’t really grow from there. I’m forgiving since this is a first game from the developer and they are good people, but it’s still worth knowing going in.

I’m honestly torn on how to review this game. It does a few things beautifully and tries some unique ideas, but "unique" doesn’t always mean "good." The game is a top-down RPG with Turn-Based Strategy (TBS) combat that incorporates Quick-Time Events (QTE). Here is a breakdown of my experience: [h1]The Good[/h1] [h3]Graphics:[/h3] The art is vibrant and gorgeous. It’s clear a lot of heart went into the sprites, animations, and environmental design. [h3]Music:[/h3] The soundtrack is solid. It balances the combat well and complements the atmosphere of the world. [h1]The Gameplay (The Mixed Bag)[/h1] [h3]Confusing Stats:[/h3] Traditional RPG stats have been renamed for "immersion," but it’s incredibly confusing. Terms like Cardinal Damage or Mutable Defense make it hard to track your actual power. [h3]Combat Fatigue:[/h3] The QTE combat is interesting for the first half, but it becomes tedious once you have a full party. Plus, there’s no way to learn a weapon's QTE pattern without using it in a live fight. [h3]Party Balance:[/h3] Weapons don't synergize well, and companions feel weaker than the protagonist. They lack clear specializations; their stats feel random rather than intentional. [h1]The Story (The Weak Link)[/h1] [h3]Convoluted Writing:[/h3] Even after finishing the game and reading every line of dialogue, the story, as a whole, remained unclear. While looking very interesting and promising, at first, it quickly devolves into a multitude of reason that are not really that well explained. It looks like an adolescent fanfic that lacks cohesion and feels like it contradicts itself at times. There were moments where I thought that I needed some esoteric astronomy knowledge to fully understand some stuff. I kept waiting for that "a-ha!" moment, when everything is clear or the loose ends are tied, but it never came. [h3]Unlikable Cast:[/h3] The party consists of a "simp," a "bad ♥♥♥♥♥ out for blood" trope, and a protagonist with a massive ego. The MC is particularly insufferable; she has no real character growth or redeeming qualities, making it hard to root for her. Because of her incessive bragging it makes the decisions that you take in her favor as feeling like bad decision. [h3]The "Yuri" Tone:[/h3] The character relationships feel like teenage fanfiction. While I didn't mind the romance, the writing often lingers too long, turning emotional scenes into boring and annoying ones. [h3]Lack of Clarity:[/h3] Decisions are labeled as "good" or "bad," but there’s no clear way to track your alignment. By the end, the dialogue is unskipable and drags on far too long. [h1]Final Verdict:[/h1] The game isn't "bad," but it’s a chore to finish due to the character's personalities (especially the protagonist’s personality) and the lack of mechanical transparency. If you can handle an annoying cast for the sake of amazing artwork, give it a try. Personally, I do not recommend it since the beautiful design is drowned out by the incomprehensible story and annoying character designs. On a last note, I played it on Steam Deck and it worked perfectly.

[i]Originally posted on [url=https://www.dragon-quill.net/quick-mehs/]Dragon Quill.[/url] Comments are enabled there.[/i] I just couldn’t get into this game for some reason. I liked the demo, but the full game lost me just when it seemed to be picking up. The game claims it’s inspired by Paper Mario, but it doesn’t play much like it at all; every attack is based around one of a small set of timing minigames that rarely match up with the animations themselves, which makes the combat feel very repetitive and unengaging. Part of the reason for this is that the game drowns you in alternate equipment and weapons, each of which give you a different ability. I’m sure this is appealing to some gamers, but I just felt overwhelmed, especially since most of them were so similar. I never changed my loadout very much throughout the game, even as the game kept throwing more and more items at me. The story is pretty impenetrable. It tries to be in medias res, but it never does the part where it catches you up afterwards. The world used to be ruled by gods (named after planets), but their children (the Zodiacs) rebelled, overthrew them, and divided their territory among themselves. The protagonist, Virgo, is some sort of tradcath monarchist who wants to bring back the good old days when the gods were in charge, so she’s taken it upon herself to fight the other Zodiacs and take their crowns, which will accomplish this… somehow. I initially thought the gods had been killed, but then in the third area Virgo’s parents just show up out of nowhere, so apparently they’re just in exile somewhere, in which case I don’t understand why they haven’t reclaimed their own territory and why Virgo needs to do this? We’re also told there’s a lot of history between Virgo and the other Zodiacs, but they only reference this obliquely. The game lets you make choices about how to deal with them that change the course of the plot, but because I don’t have Virgo’s knowledge or share her emotional attachments, I felt completely disconnected from Virgo’s actions and had no idea what the consequences of my choices would actually be. Like, Virgo says the other Zodiacs are evil and deserve to die, but are they? The game claims she’s an unreliable narrator, but doesn’t provide much in the way of alternate viewpoints. I just ended up feeling incredibly lost and confused. The gameplay still could have carried that if it wasn’t horribly boring and repetitive, but alas.

It's like Undertale meets Expedition 33 with extra crisp kawaii/Homestuck on top of it. The parry windows are tight tho, so buyers beware 👑

小众宝藏

Virgo Versus the Zodiac is a strikingly unconventional role-playing game that blends classic turn-based RPG foundations with experimental mechanics, sharp writing, and a deeply unusual narrative perspective. Developed by Moonana and published by Moonana in collaboration with Serenity Forge, the game immediately distinguishes itself by casting the player not as a destined hero, but as Virgo, a zealous and uncompromising protagonist whose quest is driven by rigid belief rather than altruism. This inversion of the traditional RPG power fantasy sets the tone for an experience that constantly challenges expectations, both mechanically and thematically. The world of Virgo Versus the Zodiac is structured around surreal interpretations of the Zodiac signs, each realm embodying exaggerated traits, philosophies, and aesthetics tied loosely to astrological symbolism. Exploration through these regions feels deliberately curated rather than procedural, with encounters placed thoughtfully to reinforce narrative pacing and mechanical learning. There are no random battles; every fight is intentional, which helps keep the journey focused and prevents combat fatigue. Along the way, players uncover secrets, optional encounters, and side activities that expand the lore while offering meaningful gameplay rewards, making curiosity a consistently worthwhile trait. Combat is where the game truly demands player engagement. Battles are turn-based, but almost every action is enhanced by real-time input. Attacking, blocking, countering, and even taking damage rely on precise timing, turning each encounter into a test of both strategy and reflex. Mastery requires learning enemy attack patterns and understanding when to defend, counter, or commit to aggressive plays. Poor timing is punished harshly, giving the game a reputation for difficulty that feels deliberate rather than arbitrary. The system rewards attentiveness and practice, and while it can be intimidating early on, it becomes deeply satisfying once the rhythm clicks. Character progression is tightly integrated into this combat philosophy. Equipment, abilities, and passive bonuses all interact with the timing-based mechanics, allowing players to tailor builds toward aggressive counterplay, defensive mastery, or hybrid strategies. Inventory management and ability selection matter greatly, especially in later encounters where enemies are designed to exploit mistakes. This emphasis on preparation reinforces the idea that Virgo’s crusade is not just ideological, but tactical, requiring discipline and foresight rather than brute force. Narratively, the game is bold and unapologetically strange. Virgo herself is a deeply flawed protagonist, driven by absolutism and a belief that balance can only be restored through force. Dialogue is frequently humorous, absurd, or unsettling, often blurring the line between satire and sincere philosophical commentary. Player choices influence Virgo’s alignment and ultimately shape the ending, but these decisions are rarely framed as clear moral binaries. Instead, the game invites players to reflect on conviction, fanaticism, and the danger of righteousness taken to extremes, all while maintaining a tone that oscillates between playful and unsettling. Visually, Virgo Versus the Zodiac embraces pixel art that evokes classic RPGs while leaning into abstract and surreal designs. Character sprites and environments are expressive, if occasionally unconventional, matching the game’s offbeat personality. While some visual elements may feel stylistically inconsistent, this roughness often complements the dreamlike quality of the Zodiac realms rather than detracting from them. The soundtrack plays a significant role in reinforcing atmosphere, shifting fluidly between energetic combat tracks and more introspective themes during exploration and story moments. The game is not without friction. Its difficulty curve can be steep, especially for players unfamiliar with timing-based RPG combat, and some systems demand experimentation without extensive explanation. Additionally, the absence of conveniences like a New Game Plus mode can make fully exploring alternate narrative paths more time-consuming than ideal. However, these rough edges stem largely from the game’s commitment to its vision rather than from careless design, and many players will find that the challenge enhances the sense of accomplishment. Ultimately, Virgo Versus the Zodiac is a game that thrives on its willingness to be different. It does not aim to please everyone, nor does it soften its ideas for broader appeal. Instead, it delivers a tightly crafted, thematically rich RPG that rewards patience, skill, and open-mindedness. For players who enjoy mechanically demanding combat, unconventional storytelling, and indie games unafraid to question traditional genre norms, Virgo Versus the Zodiac offers a memorable and thought-provoking journey that lingers long after its final confrontation. Rating: 9/10

First, if you've played and enjoyed Keylocker, get this, because it's very similar. [hr][/hr] This game is a story that's a mixture of silly and tragic. Most RPGs I think kind of ignore that you've killed a ton of people, but this game points it out to you and calls out the protagonist on her hypocrisy. It's interesting because you can fall in love with a realm and all its humorous denizens, and then end up destroying it all. The protagonist is arguably the villain depending on your perspective. In terms of gameplay, it uses turn-based combat where successful defense and offense depends on how well you do in a QTE. The type of QTE depends on the type of attack, how easy it is depends on your speed stat vs the enemy's, and which button to press depends on [i]who[/i] is attacking or defending. By default, on an Xbox controller, Virgo is the A button, Algol is B, and Spica is X. Combat also has a sort of rock-paper-scissors system to add some depth, with Ambition being strong against Mutability, Mutability against Patience, and Patience against Ambition. Weapons and shields all have one of these traits. Additionally, all weapons and shields have one or two special effects, like giving you a shield, stopping the enemy for a turn, poisoning, etc. These can affect the user, the target, or sometimes both. Finally, there are 8 weapon slots, 4 for attacking and 4 for counterattacking, with 1 of the 4 slots being for melee, 1 for ranged attack, 1 for area attack, and 1 for defense. Finally, on top of all that, positioning in combat matters, too, as whoever is in the front position will be the one to take melee attacks. Positioning constantly changes based on if you decide to do a melee attack or defend an ally. So, all of that is to say that the combat is pretty simple and easy to learn, but also pretty deep and engaging. If you're the type of player that has to observe and interact with [i]everything[/i], you'll love this. Nearly every single decoration, both important and mundane, will have some sort of unique description, and may even drop lore. You can even find useful items or weapons in completely unexpected places. IIRC I got a powerful weapon from a random drawer. So thorough exploration is rewarding. Character designs are all fun, with the Zodiacs all being based off of the personality traits of their Zodiac signs. Soundtrack is fantastic. In the very beginning you'll hear what is IMO the best song, The Holy Queen. There's a lot of variety in the music genres, and some of the songs feel almost experimental (Space Prison Blues mixes screams and a man crying into the song, for example). I only really have three complaints. First is that early-game difficulty isn't that balanced, and the very first realm is [i]way[/i] harder than the rest of the game, since you don't have a variety of weapons or allies yet. I struggled more against the first boss than anything else. My second complaint is that the ending I got didn't really make sense to me based on my choices. I always picked the most merciful choices, yet the ending I got ([spoiler]Fixed ending[/spoiler]) felt better suited for a more merciless protagonist. My final complaint is that the Ambitious, Mutable, and Patient traits are all color-coded (purple, green, and red). Yet sometimes enemies look cyan, orange, or yellow, and for these I wasn't sure what their actual trait was. I think I figured out that cyan is also Ambitious, but cyan is [i]way[/i] different than purple. IDK if it was intentional, but I just found these confusing.

Nice quick turn based rpg. The soundtrack is wonderful. The story took a bit to get into but by the end I was invested! Combat is customizable for gamers of all skill levels which is a big plus.

星际使命，时不我待！

Virgo vs The Zodiac is a weird, memorable game. It's like if some tumblr girls decided to make their own Paper Mario and believe me I mean this in the best way possible. Pastel colored goddess decides that she's right about everything and it's time to start purging the impure. Combat is thrilling. You have 3 attacks and a guard action which grants temporary HP (purity}, and anyone who gets attacked while they have more than 0 purity gets a counter attack action. Oh, I should mention your actions are determined by your gear, and your counters are completely different than your standard turn actions. Yes you have a counter-guard. There is also a bit of elemental rock-paper-scissors that you get bonuses to based on your dialog and plot choices. Anyway during one boss fight I guarded an attack and immediately took off half its health with a counter, only for it to use a healing item on the next turn. Fun stuff.