Dead Wishes
- January 31, 2019
- VIOLET
Get on Steam"Dead Wishes" is a narrative-driven game that explores themes of depression, love, and morality. Players must navigate through 12 character routes, each with their own subplots, as they try to escape poverty and tragic pasts. The choices made will determine the protagonist's fate, with possibilities ranging from finding love and happiness to dying a terrible death. The game encourages multiple playthroughs to fully experience the interconnected stories.
Reviews
- The game offers a diverse cast of characters and 12 unique routes, providing a rich and immersive experience for players who enjoy dark romance and psychological horror.
- The writing is engaging and thought-provoking, with well-developed characters that evoke a range of emotions, from discomfort to fascination.
- The art style and soundtrack enhance the overall atmosphere, making it a captivating visual novel that stands out in the genre.
- Many routes contain triggering themes and dark content, which may not be suitable for all players and can lead to discomfort or distress.
- The character routes are relatively short, which some players feel limits the depth of the storytelling and character development.
- The game has limited save slots and some technical issues, such as occasional voice acting distractions, which can detract from the overall experience.
- story33 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story of "Dead Wishes" is a compelling visual novel that intricately weaves character-driven narratives, allowing players to explore various routes that significantly impact the outcome. With a mix of dark themes, moral complexity, and immersive storytelling, each character's motivations are thoughtfully developed, enhancing the overall experience. The game features quality art and music that complement the narrative, making it a highly engaging choice for fans of intense and twisted storylines.
“The story of Dead Wishes is formatted like a traditional visual novel in which the player plays through a short intro prologue that will help determine the character route they end up in.”
“Your decisions throughout the story will dictate whether you find love and happiness, or face a dire outcome, but playing through all the routes will piece together the full story.”
“Not only is it extremely immersive, the story is fascinating and really makes you want to keep on playing to find out the truth of the plot.”
“The amount of violence and sexual assault sometimes feels like it's being done just for shock value instead of fully forwarding the story or deepening the horror.”
“He wears a suit of armor that even he barely seems aware of, and in every story route you never really see underneath for more than a brief moment, and in order to get his 'best' ending, the main character has to remain willfully ignorant of his worst traits, as they do in a lot of routes.”
“Although this visual novel is hardly ever discounted on Steam to attract attention from players who only buy discounted games, the engaging plot, diverse cast of characters, replayability, and playing time is worth buying anytime if you like this genre of storytelling and can forgive a few minor issues in the game.”
- music8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The music in "Dead Wishes" is praised for its ability to enhance the emotional depth of scenes, with a well-crafted background score that features unique tracks for each character. Reviewers highlight the effective use of various musical styles—ranging from pleasant to sinister—tailored to match the tension of the narrative, making the soundtrack a standout element of the game. Overall, the music is considered a significant asset, contributing to the immersive experience of this darker visual novel.
“The music helped to elevate scenes or draw attention to more serious moments when it would die out before starting back up again.”
“The background music is decent, with each character having their own musical track. Over the course of the story, there is a mix of pleasant, sinister, or fast-paced music appropriate for the amount of tension in the scene.”
“Great visual novel, incredible soundtrack, highly recommended to anybody looking for a darker or horror-themed experience!”
“The music helped to elevate scenes or draw attention to more serious scenes when it would die out before starting back up again.”
“The background music is decent with each character having their own musical track, and over the course of the story, there is a mix of pleasant, sinister, or fast-paced music appropriate for the amount of tension in the scene.”
“Personally, one of my favorite tracks is 'Mistake' because, oh boy, if you hear that soundtrack, you just know things are going to hell right this instant.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics are praised for their unique art style, particularly appealing to fans of horror and anime, which enhances the game's disturbing themes. The use of black screens during intense moments allows players' imaginations to fill in the gaps, adding to the overall impact of the visual storytelling. However, the graphic content may not be suitable for everyone, especially those sensitive to violence.
“I'm also more than fine with disturbing themes, and I enjoy the art style as I also enjoy anime.”
“I loved the art style and the writing.”
“The times when the screen goes black generally follow graphic story content that holds more power when left to the players' imagination.”
“I think if you like the art style and are looking for something with horror elements, it's worth checking out!”
“The demonic woman's voice who narrates the very beginning of the game will break the fourth wall and act as a brief trigger warning on some occasions, but if you know you have triggers to graphic violence or other themes given in the warnings section, I'd avoid it to be safe.”
- replayability3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its engaging plot and the ability to explore multiple endings for all 12 characters, enhanced by a surprise post-ending story. While it lacks Steam achievements and is rarely discounted, players who appreciate the genre will find the replay value justifies the purchase.
“As the story progresses, the mysterious person on the title screen will show themselves and reveal a surprise and additional post-ending story for all 12 characters, giving that motivation to attempt all the endings and enjoy the high replay value in the game, despite the absence of Steam achievements.”
“Although this visual novel is hardly ever discounted on Steam to attract attention from players who only buy discounted games, the engaging plot, diverse cast of characters, replayability, and playing time is worth buying anytime if you like this genre of storytelling and can forgive a few minor issues in the game.”
“Although this visual novel is hardly ever discounted on Steam to attract attention from players who only buy discounted games, the engaging plot, diverse cast of characters, and replayability are worth buying anytime if you like this genre of storytelling and can forgive a few minor issues in the game.”
- character development3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Character development received mixed feedback, with some users expressing a strong dislike for certain character designs, particularly finding one character's design eerie and unsettling. However, overall, the character designs were praised for their beauty and visual appeal, indicating a generally positive reception despite a few exceptions.
“I love the character designs, minus Mateo maybe, lmao.”
“The character designs are very pleasing and beautiful to look at.”
“Hated it, his whole character design is eerie and the little giggle gives me the creeps.”
“I love the character designs, minus Mateo maybe.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its emotional depth and psychological impact, particularly resonating with fans of visual novels and horror. It is described as a powerful and thought-provoking experience that can evoke strong feelings, even causing physical reactions in players, making it a standout in the dating sim genre. However, it is noted that its intense themes may not be suitable for those who are easily disturbed.
“As a huge fan of both visual novels and the psychological horror genre, I have to say this game is a hidden gem. I truly recommend that anyone who is a fan of either plays this, unless you're the squeamish type because this game is definitely not for the faint of heart. I'm personally not a squeamish person at all, yet one of the routes in the game made me feel physically nauseous.”
“I think Dead Wishes absolutely deserves more recognition for being one of the most emotionally powerful and thought-provoking dating sims I've ever read.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report experiencing a rare bug that causes the game to crash and temporarily freezes their computer. Overall, stability issues are noted, but they appear to be infrequent.
“There is a rare bug that causes the game to freak out, which also temporarily freezes my computer while the app crashes.”
“The game frequently crashes, making it nearly unplayable at times.”
“I've experienced multiple stability issues, including random freezes and unexpected shutdowns.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game effectively establishes a compelling atmosphere, particularly appealing to players who enjoy morally ambiguous characters and choices. It is highly recommended for those seeking an immersive experience in this thematic context.
“This game excels at creating a fitting atmosphere; I would highly recommend it if you're looking for a game with morally questionable characters and choices.”
