The first entry in an absolutely stellar series of visual novel parts. Spare Parts is an underrated gem of heartfelt narration, tense story beats, and a payoff in the form of lovely emotional and lightly mechanophilic catharsis. Play the next two parts for heavier mechanophilic catharsis and several hundred thousand more words of some of the best workplace drama/robot horror/queer romance put to the digital page.
🌻sheer artisanry: an easy five-star narrative with more to come🌻
Breathtaking. If you have an hour of time on your hands- alone or with friends- I encourage you to turn off the lights and drop into the world that this first chapter sets out for you. If you do, you'll certainly meet somebody very, very special. (You might fall in love!) (Is that a good thing...?)
This is a fantasy story about two people getting bound up in magic, miracles, and each other, each eager to defy fate for their own reasons when given the opportunity. I hope you'll follow them to the end.
It sports boldly-colored art with expressive character portraits, a well-composed OST that runs the gamut from eerie and morose to campy and extravagant, and most importantly: a masterstroke of a narrative by GGDG, whose deft hand for character writing burns brighter and brighter as the story blazes on. Maybe you'll even find yourself rooting for someone willing to destroy and remake the world! (... Is that a good thing?!)
I haven't stopped thinking about either of this VN's leads since I first sat down to play it in December, and I don't think that'll have changed at all a year from now. I guarantee the sex clown will get stuck in your brain and not pay rent. (A good thing, for sure.)
I especially think you should give this a try if you like:
the TalesOf series
older FinalFantasy games (VI & VIII & X especially)
This is an endearing and thought-provoking little game! The creation and use of talismeowen was my favorite part, and the game's creator clearly has plenty of experience with and knowledge of animal behavior. I recommend this to everyone with a cat and also everyone without a cat!
Dr. Moran's work is as haunting and hilarious as ever, but moreover:
I can promise you that there is a secret of the universe contained within the waters of this book, inviting your hands and eyes. It wants so badly for you to know it and commit it to your heart.
In the meantime, why not familiarize yourself with the story of Valentina Sosunova, who bested a heron-witch, vampiric nobility, and at least halfway tied with Death himself? I think you'll like her a lot.
My partner and I tested this game extensively in its first few legs of development, and the final results of all of Royce and Tsushi's effort shine with twice the brilliance in the finished result. A polished UI and snappy dialogue contribute to a dating sim game that ends up being anything but genre-typical, playing cards from all over a franchise with over 50 years of history (and gay subtext.)
