ความคิดเห็น

• gamedeal user

  Apr 7, 2021

  Let me start with the fact, that I loved Horse Hall. It's a really fun game, regardless of its (minor) faults. Characters were complex, lovable and believable in their actions. Same with main character. Sometimes choices felt extremely limited (Like one route that was impossible to get terminated, regardless of how unsettling it got - but that's not important for this comment) So, everything Horse Hall was, Wolf Hall is...not. Yes, overall, aesthetics of the game itself improved, backgrounds are more complex and there is more different locations and complex scenes. What suffered though, is the characters and the story. My main issue is the playable character. As people before said, not only his story feels unecessary, and frankly somewhat incoherent, but he is, in my opinion, not a very sensitive creation. People said that the game is "inclusive of other cultures" - and it's true, about some. Others are treated as decoration, pulled from the context of their meaning and connections. For someone coming from one of said cultures, it's pretty clear which ones were important for creators to honor, and which ones were treated as exotic curiosities. I also feel that the game is somewhat...puritan? It feels all the characters that are depicted as being capable of more casual relationships end up demonized and turned evil. Freedom in love life is met with contempt and while consent is presented as being important and valued, characters don't seem to be allowed to give it very freely in healthy, informed and happy enviroment. There is also the fact that playable character doesn't get much of freedom in expressing an opinion. In many situations, he seems to be only given the kind of answers that agree with sense of morality of the characters he talks with. In rare cases where he is allowed to disagree, choosing "wrong" answer is met with very hostile reaction. There is little respect for difference in values and opinion. He can be "with" someone or "against them" only. Another thing that is a serious downgrade to me, is lack of variety in interactions. Some characters provide multitude of scenes. Many don't. One learns little about their interests, opinions, strenghts or weaknesses. Sometimes they feel as if they were replaying the same scene over and over, just with different dialogue. It gets to the point, where it doesn't feel like them having a main personality trait, but like them having no other personality traits whatsoever. Certain characters straight up lack their previously established personality. [spoiler] For example, every interaction with Donald seems to be him planning a prank or getting a detention. Every interaction with Virginia and Ellen seems to be one stealing the others food.[/spoiler] Last thing I wish to point out is the fact, that playable character seems to have very, very little impact on people he interacts with. It seems to me, that he can manage to get with the character he likes, or not, and that's all. His suggestions, advices, actions and reactions seems to change very little in characters worldview. Even on romantic routes, he feels like backseat passenger, rather than part of the solution. Things seem extremelly set in stone, and that's especially visible through many scenes that happen in identical way, regardless of characters actions. So, in short, is this game worth playing? I personally enjoyed it, to an extent. Dungeons system and spells system is awesome and seems like big improvement there. Same with magical items avilable. It's not an utter failure, just considering the fun game Horse Hall was, it could have developped in far better direction.
• gamedeal user

  Nov 6, 2020

  Content Warning: [spoiler]References to rape/sexual assault, rape threats, references to rape culture, minor gaslighting, suicidal tendencies, extremely unhealthy levels of stress and exhaustion leading to self-neglect, emotional manipulation, emotional abuse, possessiveness, blackmail, one instance of slut-shaming, non-consensual memory erasure, mild bullying[/spoiler] Wolf Hall is not a sequel to Horse Hall, but more like an extension of it. The dev mentioned having wanted a game where people could choose their own hall, but it wasn’t feasible for just one game. Thus, Wolf Hall is about a different protagonist that “could’ve been” in this universe. The events and endings [i]are[/i] different and unique from Horse Hall. [b]Good Stuff[/b] • Critiques of American culture • Inclusivity of other cultures and traditions • Critiques of networking privileges and nepotism • Use of gender-neutral pronouns • Queer relationships/crushes • Several POC characters • Great worldbuilding • Lovely CG artwork • CG Gallery • One-handed game mechanics for those who might have a disability • Five main romance paths and several side character paths • Console cheats are open for speeding through the game, since it takes many playthroughs to do everything [b]Bad Stuff[/b] • Several playthroughs can get tedious • Manuel wasn’t a main romanceable character (half-joking here, but seriously, he was too damn cute and I wanted more scenes/story with him)
• gamedeal user

  Aug 9, 2020

  I really want to like Wolf Hall. I've been waiting for this game for years! Unlike the wonderful first Magical Diary, this one is lacking. The writing is lacklustre, the main character is a horrible douche, the romantic interests are shallow and uninteresting, and even Damian is... boring. The writing is the worst part. It feels like the game is written for a much younger audience. The main character's status as a "foreign student" unaware of American traditions is painful. I'm European, and I'm not a native English speaker, and I've been to the US a total of 3 weeks in my lifetime, and even I know more about the country than the main character. It lacks the love, the heart and the believable characters that made the first Magical Diary so great, even though it's reusing nearly all of them. Such a shame, and a let down for a sequel to one of the best virtual novel roleplaying games. Get the first one instead.
• gamedeal user

  Feb 21, 2020

  This review is written for people who probably never played the original Magical Diary. The setting Hogwarts with less danger (maybe) and anime flair. Small amount of character customization (hair is basically the biggest differance) which is all rendered into kiss CGs which I think was an insane choice XD Every choice you make will shape your character's personality and have the possibility to effect future events. The gameplay is stat rising (doesn't effect romance and relationships) magic. You use the spells you learn to past dungeon exams which all have various solutions to them to accomodate people that learn different types of spells. Failing exams are exceptable and you can still get through the whole game if you only get through a few of them. Definitly recommend for VN and dating sim lovers :3
• gamedeal user

  Nov 14, 2022

  I played the first game years ago and finally got around to playing this one and sadly I was disappointed. It's all the same characters but it's also the exact same story. Which is just... I just can't think why they would do that. I already know everything that's going to happen. All the surprises are ruined. They tried to make a mystery with the character you play as but I find that just really cheap. Why would it be a mystery to myself? I should know the secret. They try to flesh out the character with personality traits, but you don't choose them. You choose a conversation option and somehow the game twists it into a personality trait, but it doesn't tell you what the trait is. And forget about changing it because that one thing is just your whole personality now. I somehow chose a scheming personality trait for being curious about something on my first playthrough. The dating options aren't that great. It's mostly the same options from the game before so nothing new to discover with anyone. And there's no real choice impact for the second half of the game. By the second half you're expected to be in a committed relationship route, which is standard dating-sim whatever, but the game just becomes a boring slog if you're not. Go to class, sleep, go to class, have a meaningless convo or be told some news, sleep, go to class. The magic system tries to portray itself as "choose what you're best at/what you want" but then most tests are impossible because you need a spell from another class. It's fine having some features in the story locked because you don't have a certain spell but a couple of exams I couldn't get around because I chose the colour of magic the exam didn't have a solution for. Overall, it's the same game with a new coat of paint. But it's not even a good coat. If you're curious about the game I'd suggest just getting the first game or replaying it. It's not worth the money.
• gamedeal user

  Jun 20, 2020

  Well I think there is some replay value here, but all in all ill only be replaying it because there is literally nothing decent out on Steam atm. Personally i found the story really shallow and hated the dungeons. First the story: To begin with there just really is no reason to have the MC's background be the background for the MC. It adds nothing to the plot and only keeps you from trying to form any honest meaningful relationships because you have to hide who you are. Makes no sense and doesnt move the plot / story line forward in any meaningful way. No one asked me about it, no one cared, other than my character worrying about it a few times and one of the professors occasionally hauling me off to the side to threaten / warn me. Interacting with other characters is pre set / triggered and only happens maybe once or twice a week after the first week. Not only that but the relationships move so slow that literally my first "date" with my LI happened on the last day of the game. You barely get the chance to let them know you want to get to know them better, and sorry game over! About the dungeons: yeah no way your going to know what to train to get the spells you need to get through all the dungeons on your first play through. Which means either alot of save scumming (which i absolutely detest and refuse to do) or alot of play throughs until you have all the dungeons memorised and know what spells you need when. Neither option is fun, and seriously detters me from wanting to play again. So if your after a good VN with a deep plot / mystery or relationship building this game will disappoint. If you love puzzles that require multiple attempts and finding the right build, that allows you to solve them all, well this game might be for you.
• gamedeal user

  Mar 7, 2020

  I waited three years for this game, so I guess a review is due. [b]Do I recommend Magical Diary: Wolf Hall?[/b] Hell yes!* But what's with the * then? Well, there are some things you should probably know about this game before you purchase it. It's a redo of the first game (Horse Hall), set in the same first year, with the familiar characters of Donald, Virginia, Minnie, William, Damien, etc, but without the female protagonist from Horse Hall. Instead of her, there's a foreign exchange student from the Balkans (Most probably Croatia) whose rich parents made a deal with the school to offer him a unique experience at a completely new surrounding without the luxuries of his home. The following year at Iris Academy will be exciting, with lots of ups and downs, new friendships, new knowledge, even romance! And it is up to you to decide how it all plays out. The average playthrough should be around 10-11 hours, although you may probably see it took me 14.5 hours for my first try. The game offers a lot of unique choices, beautiful art, breathtaking music (seriously, I can't stop listening to the soundtracks, especially americana!), some interesting dungeon designs (there are 8 dungeons/exams in the game). Unfortunately, there's a massive downside to the storyline that really made me feel disappointed, and that's.. I'll try to explain it. The first half of the game (up to the Christmas break) feels so alive, there's always something happening, something going on, a day can't pass without there being an event, like a prank from Donald, hanging out with William, the class president election, etc, etc. But the second half of the game (from the Christmas break to May the 1st) feels incredibly empty. A single conversation on every fifth day, one event in a month, 4-5 dungeons crammed together in a really close span to fill up the emptiness.. The first part took me like 10 hours and the second like 4.. It just made me a bit sad. Don't get me wrong, I totally love the game, and still 100% recommend buying it at full price like I did, but it's just something to note. Overall it's an another great game from Hanako, 100% must get for every fan of Magical Diary or of a magical school ideas.
• gamedeal user

  Feb 18, 2020

  I was really happy when Magical Diary was announced a year ago. I loved the first game, was excited for the second game, and even backed the KS to support the creator as I know they produce good stuff. Overall, I do enjoy this game, but sadly I'm wavering on the first being a bit better. So, let me start out and say, I've played a lot of Magical Diary: Wolf Hall. I admit, when I first saw the game, I was surprised that it was BxG, but excited to see how the creators would mix the story with the previous game. What made me fall in love with it even more was the romance options. It's very rare to have BxB in a BxG game, but they do and five love interests is really awesome. So let's begin with my thoughts Story Good-Story is simple. The main character is a noble (a prince I believe) and comes to America for a 'normal' life, or as normal as a wizard sees it. Anyway, you'll go through his first year, meet new people, learn spells, and maybe even find love along the way. Like I said, story is simple. You'll learn about the main character, love interests, and sub characters even so that's nice. The game has enough cute scenes which help you learn about all these people and even some of the world. Honestly, the cutscenes in between was a mostly fun read with me and the small parts of drama were okay as well when done right. Again, Professor Grabiner takes the show for me and learning about him again is great. Bad-Still, the story is simple. If you're looking for a deep dating sim in terms of drama or romance, I wouldn't say this is it. I mean, drama is in the story and it's okay, but you're not getting Clannad, which makes sense because this isn't suppose to be like Clannad. It's suppose to a fun game about magic and fun characters. This part if fine for me. What isn't is the romance so far. It's not bad, but I don't really feel the main character really is in love with anyone. Now, I haven't done all the characters, so I may be wrong, but the romance part of the story is what really is lacking for me. It feels more like a side thing. It's not horrible but not really there for me. Kind of felt force at times. Maybe more romantic scenes or flirting would've helped? Characters Good-Overall I like all the characters. I like learning more about them, seeing old characters from the previous game and seeing how they interact. Some have even been added upon which is great. Again, the cutscenes really help with this because we get to learn about even non love interests. Bad-Not much bad here. Except, I'm iffy about the main character. I never believed I really could change much of his personality and sometimes he felt a little to distant from the characters. I kind of wish he expressed more fondness for others or was so cold. He gets better a bit, but I still prefer the previous main character. I have played guy characters before (BxB,BxG,) and for some reason the main character doesn't sit too well with me at times. He does have his moment though and is okay overall I guess. Art Good-I really love the sprite art in this game. It's an upgrade from the previous Magical Diary (though I love that games art as well). Also, the chibi art is done well too and the detail is quite good. As for the sprite work, there are a decent amount of expressions along with an alternate pose. Also, the GUI looks great for the game as well. It looks really colorful just like the sprites. Bad-I will say though, despite my love for the character art and chibi art, is the weakest part of the game for me. Why? Well, sadly Magical Diary Wolf Hall does not have many full illustration CG art. Like the previous game, you only get a few CG scenes between your love interest (about two or three) and some of them a very similar, such as the first kissing scene you have between the protagonist and whoever you choose. Now for me, I was fine with this in the first game. Heck, I would be okay with it in this game personally, though I know some like a decent amount of CG art. What breaks it for me though is the the quality of certain CG art we are given. It’s not horrible or anything, but I feel like more polish could have been given to them, especially to a Kickstarted game. Hanako has done many games and usually the CG art is great, but this wasn’t as good. Also, I wish the characters in this game had an alternate clothing set. For Magical Diary Horse Hall I didn’t mind so much because it wasn’t KS and was the first set of games created by Hanako. I do wish to give more praise to the CG and it’s my own opinion, but I feel like maybe just a little more polish should have gone into them along with some more Illustrations for certain scenes. Music-Overall music is okay. A lot of it is from the old game, and that had okay music. Nothing much to say here. Gameplay Good-As a dating sim, Magical Diary Wolf Hall has more gameplay elements then your normal style visual novel. The stat raising in the game is fine. I had fun with it. It’s not harsh to the player and it is kind of fun to learn new spells. Also, the dungeons are fun to do as well overall. Choices too are good and some can affected later points in the story for certain characters. Customization is okay. Not much choice, but enough to make your character look different. I also like the diary as well and it’s cool how they added certain meanings for the world. Bad-Honestly, I don’t get the whole personality bit part of the game. I never really saw my characters change, and mostly he was sporty. Heck, the only time I saw a change is when it brought up previous conversations I had with a character. This part is cool, but the I felt like the personality part didn’t do much. I think maybe though, when the game tells notifies you on something, it’s for the diary but I’m not sure. Mostly, my character was sporty or laid back. Special Note-I will give props to the creators for the LGBT content. Not only do we have a character who can change genders, but a sub character also has two dad. Also, I really love how the game does have Bi characters. That’s rare. Damien is a good example of this since he was a love interest in the previous game. It makes sense that he would like both genders. Basically you’ve got Bi and Straight characters which is great. Overall-Overall I’ve really enjoyed Magical Diary Wolf Hall despite some of the things I mentioned. It’s a good game to play for the fun factor like the stats, or just getting to know the characters. Honestly, it’s strong points are the characters, their interactions with each other and even the main character, and even the sprite art despite the CG’s. It’s a good game to play if you want a fun and relaxing game and something to take your mind of things. I do love games that really are for fun and giving you a fluffy atmosphere and this game does it. Not all games need to be super deep or dark. Some can be fun and just giving you a good time. If you can get past the lack of CG’s and maybe rather mediocre romance, I do think it’s a fun and good game. Honestly, play both games. They are both a good time.
• gamedeal user

  Feb 18, 2020

  I'll change this if my opinion changes but so far it's just as enjoyable as the first one! I love the universe and the characters so if you like these types of games then this should be a buy,
• gamedeal user

  Feb 20, 2020

  i like how my actions have consequences