A Rose in the Twilight
- April 10, 2017
- Nippon Ichi Software, Inc.
- 2h median play time
Get on Steam"A Rose in the Twilight" is a puzzle-platformer game where players control a girl named Rochelle who has the power to manipulate time and a giant monsters' shadow. The game is set in a grim, abandoned castle where Rochelle must solve puzzles and uncover the dark past of the castle's inhabitants. Through its atmospheric art style and challenging puzzles, players must navigate Rochelle's unique abilities to progress through the game's narrative.
PC
Steam Deck
Windows
PlayStation
Playstation Vita
Reviews
- The game features a unique storytelling approach through collectibles and character expressions, creating an engaging narrative experience.
- The art style is beautifully crafted with a dark yet cute aesthetic, complemented by a hauntingly beautiful soundtrack that enhances the atmosphere.
- Puzzles are varied and encourage creative thinking, with mechanics that revolve around time manipulation and color, providing a satisfying challenge.
- The pacing can feel slow and monotonous, which may frustrate players looking for a more dynamic experience.
- Boss fights lack checkpoints, making them particularly punishing and frustrating after multiple attempts.
- Controls can be clunky and imprecise, leading to frustrating moments during gameplay, especially with certain physics-based puzzles.
- story160 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story in "A Rose in the Twilight" is conveyed primarily through collectibles, memories, and character expressions rather than dialogue, creating a unique narrative experience that is both dark and emotionally impactful. Players describe the story as somber and bittersweet, with a strong sense of mystery that unfolds as they progress through the game, enhanced by its beautiful art style and haunting soundtrack. While some found the storytelling less vague compared to the developers' previous work, others noted that the dark themes and gruesome elements may not be for everyone, yet the overall narrative is considered engaging and memorable.
“The story, music, and concept are great and extremely memorable.”
“From the different atmospheric levels, beautiful story to the distinguished red-gray/black art style, unique gameplay mechanics to the cuteness of rose... it felt like a journey overwhelmed with emotions and memories, which you were happy to be on, but regretted as soon as it came close to the end.”
“The story is dark and your understanding of it is by reading notes or watching memories that you find throughout your adventure.”
“The story is largely explained through collectibles and flashback-like cut scenes rather than dialogue, which is an interesting choice.”
“The story overall has a depressing tone but is very interesting.”
“I'm assuming this is a stylistic choice to match the 'mood' of the story, but it sucked any 'fun' out of it.”
- graphics80 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The graphics of "A Rose in the Twilight" are frequently praised for their beautiful, hand-drawn art style and atmospheric aesthetic, which effectively complements the game's emotional narrative. While many reviewers appreciate the cute and gothic visuals, some note that the graphics can feel underwhelming compared to newer titles, and there is a lack of visual diversity throughout the game. Overall, the art style is a significant highlight, contributing to the game's charm despite some technical limitations.
“The art team made an amazing work of making a really memorable and beautiful art style, as well as amazing character designs.”
“The art style and the music work perfectly in harmony to completely immerse you into the game's world.”
“A charming puzzle-platformer with a gothic aesthetic.”
“The movement is clunky, the puzzles are convoluted, and the graphics are underwhelming even compared to older, cheaper games.”
“A rose in the twilight has very pretty visuals and music, but literally zero diversity in its visuals and music, making the 'awe' factor wear off fast.”
“In the previous game, locations had vivid visuals and looked more distinct thanks to different colors.”
- music78 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 37 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The music in "A Rose in the Twilight" is widely praised for its atmospheric and melancholic qualities, effectively enhancing the game's emotional depth and immersive experience. While some tracks stand out as memorable, others may feel repetitive, leading to mixed opinions on the overall diversity of the soundtrack. Overall, the music is considered a strong complement to the game's visuals and puzzles, contributing significantly to its charm and storytelling.
“The soundtrack is incredible with a melancholic atmosphere to it, probably the best part of the game.”
“The art style and the music work perfectly in harmony to completely immerse you into the game's world.”
“The game's music is dreamy and immersive to the game itself.”
“A Rose in the Twilight has very pretty visuals and music, but literally zero diversity in its visuals and music, making the 'awe' factor wear off fast.”
“I can't justify paying for this game at full price, knowing that in windowed mode, the game crashes, and if your resolution is not set right, the game crashes, you adjust the music or background sound the game crashes.”
“Lastly, something that surprised me about this game, as well as The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince before it, is the music.”
- gameplay73 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 71 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by unique mechanics centered around color and time, offering a mix of interesting puzzles that can be both engaging and frustrating. While the game features a visually appealing art style and smooth controls, some players find the pacing slow and certain mechanics poorly explained, leading to moments of confusion. Overall, the gameplay provides a blend of emotional storytelling and atmospheric design, though it may lack diversity and progression throughout the experience.
“Aside from the story, the mechanics were quite interesting, with the color sucking and time freeze, getting objects in the right place, getting the right timings, and knowing what to freeze and what not to freeze all being puzzles in their own right, all nice.”
“The gameplay and controls are easy to understand, but the stages make very good use of them and the game never gets stale.”
“Each location introduces several fresh puzzle mechanics, so you'll definitely be entertained.”
“However, some of the puzzles can be frustrating and the game mechanics can be off-putting to some.”
“Extremely tedious puzzles that make poor use of the mechanics.”
“There is no change in pace throughout the entire game, only one quick boss at the end of the whole game, no mini bosses, no genuine diversity in the gameplay and no sense of progression.”
- atmosphere42 mentions
- 76 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of "A Rose in the Twilight" is widely praised for its beautiful, melancholic art style and haunting soundtrack, which effectively contrasts the game's dark themes with a sense of cuteness. Reviewers highlight the emotional journey it offers, enhanced by its unique gameplay mechanics and challenging puzzles, creating a captivating and immersive experience. Overall, the game is described as a delightfully creepy puzzle-platformer that successfully drips with atmosphere, making it a memorable adventure.
“From the different atmospheric levels, beautiful story to the distinguished red-gray/black art style, unique gameplay mechanics to the cuteness of Rose... it felt like a journey overwhelmed with emotions and memories, which you were happy to be on, but regretted as soon as it came close to the end.”
“It is a very beautiful, delightfully creepy and atmospheric puzzle platformer.”
“If you're in for the style, atmosphere, and cuteness, then 'A Rose in the Twilight' wouldn't disappoint you: it boasts some outstanding animation work, a well-tuned soundtrack, and grand visual composition.”
“Cutesy puzzle-platformer game with a dark atmosphere (how dark though depends on your perspective).”
“- same foreboding atmosphere and music as before.”
“A rose in the twilight has quickly become one of my favourite games, I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of puzzle-platformers and a dark atmosphere.”
- emotional14 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with players noting its heartwarming yet bittersweet story that evokes strong feelings, often leading to tears. The enchanting characters and immersive narrative enhance the gameplay experience, making the emotional moments, especially during boss fights, particularly impactful. Overall, the game's simple yet touching storytelling and artistic presentation resonate deeply with players, leaving a lasting impression.
“The main ones, the rose and the giant, were enchanting to play with. I really enjoyed it, especially after learning the full story, which makes fighting the bosses all the more heartbreaking.”
“This game almost made me cry.”
“Pretty solid gameplay, a heartwarming but bittersweet tragedy of a story, and haunting immersion the moment you start. A Rose in the Twilight gave me the fuzzies.”
- humor8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its dark and quirky elements, particularly through the character Rose's clumsy falls, which are described as both adorable and amusing. Players find humor in unexpected achievements and the contrast between the game's artistic style and its brutal content, creating a unique blend of funny moments amidst darker themes. Overall, the game successfully incorporates humor that enhances the experience without overshadowing its narrative.
“Also, some achievements are quite funny, and you are likely going to get them by accident. Something that made me laugh when I first saw it was how Rose has next to no skill at landing. If the fall is even slightly high, she falls face first into the ground, which was kind of adorable in a weird way. Speaking of which, gravity is lethal; don't underestimate a fall, or you will likely die.”
“This was a wonderful little game, artistic, dark, and funny every time you throw Rose with the giant and she faceplants, along with a good story.”
“It's not a horror game, but it has some funny moments!”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessively monotonous and tedious, often feeling like a punishment rather than an engaging challenge. The puzzles are criticized for being overly repetitive and failing to effectively utilize the game's mechanics, contributing to a frustrating experience.
“While the idea is neat, there's something about the pacing that's deliberately monotonous and tedious, to the point that it felt like a punishment to play.”
“Extremely tedious puzzles that make poor use of the mechanics.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The reviews highlight the impressive art style and character designs, noting their memorable and beautiful qualities. However, there is a consensus that the character development is limited, with the game primarily focusing on its visual appeal rather than deepening character narratives.
“The art team did an amazing job creating a memorable and beautiful art style, along with stunning character designs.”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the protagonists.”
“Despite the charming visuals, the characters don't evolve throughout the game, leaving their arcs feeling flat.”
“There is little to no growth in the characters, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game's optimization is straightforward, focusing on simplicity rather than elaborate UI or storytelling, yet it effectively delivers an emotionally resonant experience through its animation and illustration.
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game offers a good amount of replay value, particularly for a puzzle game, thanks to its easy-to-learn mechanics and engaging, dark atmosphere that keeps players coming back for more.
“The game has a dark, unsettling, and engaging tone, with puzzles built on easy-to-learn mechanics, providing a good amount of replay value, especially for a puzzle game.”
“Each playthrough offers new challenges and surprises, making it a game you can return to time and again.”
“The variety of choices and outcomes ensures that no two playthroughs are the same, enhancing its replayability.”
