समीक्षा

• gamedeal user

  Jul 9, 2023

  I'm recommending this with a caveat. The caveat is: are you patient? Are you okay with not knowing a damn thing until you're more than halfway through and your brain start piecing unsaid-but-lightly-implied things together? If yes, then hell yeah, play this visual novel. It's definitely not for everyone. The setting is kind of its own thing; not a standard fantasy flair (*at all*), but doesn't resemble real life enough to easily find your footing in. The characters have preexisting beef and friendship and the game sure as hell isn't going to help you figure them out. You know how in a lot of fantasy stories the main character is usually new to the world, and so you figure things out as they do? Amarantus is like, the opposite of that. But once things started to click in my mind, well, I realised I've been thinking a lot about its characters, and with fondness too. It got to me. Maybe it'll get to you too. Maybe not. Play the demo, at least twice, see how much it branches. If you like it, I think there's a good chance you'll like the full game too.
• gamedeal user

  Jun 27, 2023

  beautiful, perfect, and so wonderfully human. everything is going to hell and everyone is dying and living and loving and it is one hell of an emotional ride. the dialogue hits a perfect blend of silly and serious, the character animations add so much life, and the art and UI are stunning. every choice has impact. even when i feel like i'm making a bad decision, i never feel like i'm making the wrong decision. genuinely one of my favourite games of all time now, let alone a phenomenal example of visual novels as a medium and choice-based design as mechanics. <3 <3 <3
• gamedeal user

  Jun 29, 2023

  This game seems like it was translated into English. I don't know how else to put it. It's like, when certain narratives and certain conversations come out of nowhere, and the story acts as if you were told about them when you weren't... and then there are just pieces of the story that seem disjointed, messy, etc. Maybe it wasn't translated into English - but in that case, IMO, the writing definitely needed to be touched up. That being said, the story from the beginning to the middle was actually decent enough for me to keep going despite the issues. The characters were interesting enough. The plot was interesting enough. The choices added some decent flair and impact. However, it all just seemed to fall apart from the late-middle of the story and to the end. First, I was forced into a character relationship that I didn't want. The game automatically declared the protag's love for a character out of NOWHERE and offered 0 choice for deciding that level of progression for the relationship. Like, they had been flirting, sure, but there was NO sign of a serious relationship up until the game decided it on its own. But honestly, looking back, I felt like the RO was decided pretty much from the beginning. Like, a single choice from the near start of the book basically determined the only character I was able to flirt with the whole game. So much for, "Tell three characters in one day that they're the love of your life, then navigate the fallout" lol. Unfortunately, the RO I was left with was also quite unhinged and there was absolutely no way to alter/impact/progress that character. It actually felt as if I had no real impact on any of the characters for the entire game, no matter which choices I made. And slowly, due to the lack of character progression, these characters went from interesting to just plain annoying. Then the ending came. No matter which choices I made during the final stretch of the game, still trying to pursue my original goal, it seemed like I always got the bad end. The strategy for confrontation didn't matter at all. I tried a mix of many different combinations. Nothing. Always a dull, annoying ending. Anyway, this one was disappointing. Unclear narrative. Unclear dialogue. Abrupt protag mentality changes. A choice system that started strong but fell apart. And, I mean, maybe with another playthrough some of this would be different. Maybe a different set of choices at the beginning would lead to a better experience later. I'm sure some people are able to experience more pleasant story paths. But do I WANT to do another playthrough? No. Cause my first playthrough was already a waste of time. I'll pass on taking another chance at it. That's all I have to say.
• gamedeal user

  Jul 14, 2023

  This is a very underrated game. Really enjoying my time with it and grateful for the Eurogamer review that led me to it. The art style and UI are very well done and make the game an ease to navigate through, and the story (so far) is good.
• gamedeal user

  Jul 13, 2023

  insane about this game. lovingly crafted characters and story designed to make you go feral about it and i am incredibly unwell about raenn and marius thanks . more comprehensibly, 1) the way little choices alter inner dialogue and character reactions go above and beyond expectations - its IMMEASURABLY cool; 2) the techniques utilised here more character motion and eye/eyebrow movement are fascinating works of art; AND 3) it always makes me so so happy seeing australian dialogue/ sentence structure (? ig) in games !! go play amarantus !!!!!!!
• gamedeal user

  Jul 11, 2023

  Absolutely adored Amarantus. This game bleeds love and care and passion from every pore, and that's genuinely the most important thing for any story. Especially for a game packed with as many feelings and thoughts as this game is, you can tell the writer has put their soul into this game. The stand-out features in Amarantus are absolutely the characters, their relationships, and how your decisions impact EVERYTHING in the game. A pet peeve of mine in VNs and games with choice has always been when the cast/party members dont react to your changing relationships and the decisions you make with other characters - but Amarantus is quite the opposite. In fact, characters will judge and warn you about your relationships - and even the relationships other characters are forming with each other. Not only that, but they take your past decisions into account when choosing to trust or follow you. It's very immersive and makes these characters feel very alive. There was a moment where I got to apologize to a character for something I said to them in a previous conversation that was a bit harsh, and the fact they not only accepted my apology but thanked me for it was very refreshing and... like a real human conversation. Something so rarely seen in games with choices, who to often make you live with your mistakes forever. Not that Amarantus doesn't make you live with your mistakes - but the fact that you can occasionally take the time to make things better, or specifically help a friend feel better, is very considerate writing and shows how flawed and human these characters are. The game is filled with interactions like this you can uncover for yourself too. Also, the romance options in this game are FANTASTIC. There is truly something for everyone among the romance options in your party, and best of all you can even help your friends romance their own love interests! (Or steal the romance from under their nose! Sorry Marius!). The romances are all very thoughtfully written, and during my fully platonic route I enjoyed deepening my friendships with all of my companions too. All that said, the art and the soundtrack for this game are phenomenal. Great care is put into the presentation and sound design, making every little moment feel very curated with the crunch of leaves or the way a character's sprite falls to the floor in combat scenes. That kind of attention to detail is rare today, and I appreciated seeing it. My only real criticism is for this game's main plot and storyline. I'm not a fan of NEEDING to play a game twice to reach a satisfying conclusion, which this game basically forces unfortunately. The problem then was that even after seeing multiple endings, I was let-down with them overall. I absolutely enjoyed the journey more than the destination. But getting into that now would take too long and spoil the story - which I do think is wonderfully told and has PERFECT theming. I was just a bit let down by how it wraps up in all of the endings I have experienced (so far, three. I'm not sure how many endings there are overall). But seriously, this game is special. It's worth your time just to see how this group of twenty-somethings might or might not change the world and the mistakes they make along the way (along with the painful lessons and tender moments they all experience). I cannot believe a game so perfectly captured my awful taste in women with how they wrote Raeann, 10/10 narrative experience.
• gamedeal user

  Jun 30, 2023

  I don't have the patience (wanna get back to the PLAYING) to write out a big thoughtful review so I'm just gonna say a few words. The Writing is PHENOMENAL! Absolutely professional grade. The characters aren't just a walking grab bag of tropes and cliches but well rounded and dynamic. The Romances take time to develop and keep going long after the sexy bits play out. I am THOROUGHLY enamored by this game and recommend it to anyone even if they dont normally play VN's. It's absolutely *Chefs Kiss* Edit: Now that I finished a playthrough I just want to add that I LOVE how each character has DOZENS of different Portrait variations that are used to almost create a puppet show like atmosphere with how expressively they are used! It's quite a clever way to take advantage of the VISUAL Aspect of Visual Novels.
• gamedeal user

  Jul 23, 2023

  I played through the game twice, and got a non-death ending the second time. Even so I don't really understand the story, and I don't feel like it makes a tremendous amount of sense. So for this reason I don't recommend the game. I really like that the characters all clearly have a past and a well-defined personality. The game chooses to not do any exposition, and instead gradually reveal the characters' pasts through their interactions. That's cool. The problem I have is that not enough is revealed! I've played for around 7 hours and I still have only a very foggy idea of who these people are. Also, the broad strokes of the quest make very little logistical sense, as far as I can tell. It's really hard to suspend disbelief that these people could do these things in those ways and get those outcomes. There's also not enough choice throughout. Small-seeming decisions make a huge difference in outcomes. But it feels like the story is mostly on rails and it doesn't seem fun to spend more time going back and seeing how it can change with different choices. Now for positives: the art is gorgeous; the world setting is intriguing; I did play for 7 hours because I wanted to know more. So depending on how okay you are with ambiguity you may love this game! But I wish I'd done something else with the time.
• gamedeal user

  Jun 30, 2023

  Absolutely wonderful game: Each character is a delight, the world-building's exquisite, and the animations add an incredible amount of depth to each scene. There a genuine sincerity to the sheer messiness of the conversations you can have with your party members, and I appreciate the degree to which your decisions impact the narrative & protagonist. The sole gripe I have with this game is entirely personal and likely because I went into it completely blind: I don't play romance visual novels to be straight, and that's... pretty much the primary option you have available. The sole guy you can romance is introduced as having a puppy crush on Raeann, and romancing him necessitates that you either go for a poly relationship (which is a delight, don't get me wrong) or constantly push the two of them away. Not to mention that there's a lil too much bro-y approach to the start of your relationship with him. This is certainly someone's idea of a blast, and I would've had far more of a blast with it too if it wasn't...literally the only gay option you have. TLDR: Unironically would've been The Visual Novel of All Time, if only they'd have actually let me be a homosexual
• gamedeal user

  Jul 4, 2023

  I have known Ruqiyah for years and I have played her game "If Not Us", completely blown away by her impeccable character writing and the way she builds the story and world using that. I remember her telling me the plans she had for a visual novel, about revolutionaries going on a road trip and their messy relationships. If "If Not Us" was a very yummy, scrumptious slice, "Amarantus" was a whole damn cake. With multiple layers. Play this game.