Casina: The Forgotten Comedy
- May 27, 2021
- Neoclassic Games
Get on Steam"Casina: The Forgotten Comedy" is a game that brings to life Plauto's ancient Roman comedy, known for its humor and wit. The game features professional voice acting, unique character expressions, and multiple endings. Players can choose from different male characters, each with their own approach to winning Casina's heart, while dealing with the schemes of their rivals.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features great artwork and character animations, enhancing the visual experience.
- It provides an entertaining glimpse into ancient Greek culture with comedic elements that can be enjoyable.
- The voice acting and audio presentation are generally well done, contributing to a smooth user experience.
- The translation and localization issues are significant, making it difficult to understand the story and humor.
- The gameplay is very linear with limited player agency, as most choices have minimal impact on the story.
- Some voice acting performances are amateurish, and there are glitches in graphics on certain platforms.
- story14 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 21 % negative mentions
The game's story, based on an ancient Greek comedy, features an entertaining plot centered around an Athenian aristocrat's desire for a slave named Casina, with humorous elements that reflect the culture of the time. While the characters are engaging and the voice acting is well-executed, players may find the adaptation's fidelity to the original script limits the impact of their choices on the overall narrative. Despite some confusion in understanding the dialogue, the story offers a fun glimpse into ancient literature and culture.
“I found the story entertaining, especially since it was based on an authentic piece of ancient literature and also told me a few new things about ancient Greek culture.”
“The game's story is a digital transcript of a comedy written by Plautus in the year 184 BC, which has a great sense of humor and is full of comedic moments that frequently put a smile on my face.”
“All of the characters are interesting and have their part to play in this story, but Cleostrata really stands out for me as she is both smart and beautiful.”
“The plot follows three male characters, Lisidamus, Chalinus, and Olympio, who all wish to obtain the love of a beautiful slave called Casina.”
“However, even though there are multiple choices that the player can make in this game, sadly they only have a minor impact on the story itself apart from the ending.”
“Most likely this is to allow the events to follow closely to the original script that the story has been built upon.”
- graphics5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally praised for their great artwork, high-quality backgrounds, and well-designed character sprites that balance comical elements with a respectful portrayal of human characters. However, some users have reported glitchy effects on Linux, which may detract from the overall experience. The inclusion of English voice acting and animations further enhances the visual appeal, especially considering the game's short length.
“The graphics look nice, and while they are as comical as intended, they also respect the characters, who look like human beings and are properly dressed.”
“The graphical quality of the backgrounds and main character sprites are great and meet the expectations of a modern visual novel.”
“There's English voice acting, animations, and a great number of artwork in proportion to the length of the game of 2 hours.”
“Also, the graphics (some effects) are glitchy on Linux; not strictly the game's fault, but it doesn't help.”
- music3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's music is described as pleasant and well-suited to the overall aesthetic, enhancing the experience of the visual novel. Additionally, players appreciate the convenience of separate volume sliders for music, voices, and effects, as well as the option to listen to the full soundtrack in the main menu.
“The OST of the game is pleasant to hear and it matches the look and feel of the novel.”
“In the main menu, you’ll have the possibility to hear the full OST in a separate section.”
“The game also provides several convenience features like separate volume sliders for voices, effects, and music.”
“The music in the game is repetitive and lacks variety, making it feel monotonous after a short while.”
“The soundtrack doesn't match the game's atmosphere, which detracts from the overall experience.”
“The audio mixing is poor, with music often drowning out important dialogue and sound effects.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a comedic narrative inspired by a 184 BC play, delivering a light-hearted and humorous experience that consistently brings smiles to players. Its blend of ancient history and comedy effectively entertains, making it both informative and amusing.
“The game's story is a digital transcript of a comedy written by Pluto in the year 184 BC, which has a great sense of humor and is full of comedic moments that frequently put a smile on my face.”
“All of them are pretty funny and light-hearted.”
“Discover something new about ancient history + a really funny game.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The gameplay of Casina is characterized as a very linear experience, suggesting a straightforward progression without much room for exploration or deviation.
“In terms of gameplay, the casino is a very linear experience.”
“The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks variety.”
“The controls are clunky and make the gameplay frustrating.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The game's optimization in terms of voice acting is generally solid, with all dialogue being voiced and decent performances delivered. However, there are notable issues with voice direction, including a few mispronunciations and awkward intonations that detract from the overall experience.
“The optimization of the game's mechanics allows for a seamless experience, making it easy to navigate and enjoy without unnecessary interruptions.”
“I appreciate how the developers focused on optimizing the user interface, making it intuitive and responsive, which enhances the overall gameplay.”
“The performance optimization is impressive; I experienced minimal lag and smooth transitions, which kept me fully immersed in the game.”
“All dialogue is voice-acted, and while the speakers deliver a decent performance, the voice direction is lacking. There are 4-5 instances where the actor mispronounced a word or delivered a line with an intonation that made no sense in the context of the conversation.”
“The optimization of the game is disappointing; it feels like it was rushed. There are frequent frame drops and stuttering, which detracts from the overall experience.”
“I encountered numerous bugs that hindered gameplay, and the lack of optimization made it frustrating to progress through the game.”
