ENIGMA:
- November 15, 2016
- Uzumeya
- 20h median play time
Get on SteamA visual novel with multiple endings set in a fantasy world. "Enigma is a mystery visual novel where you discover the secrets of Enigma, a worldwide epidemic, and a forest on a lonely island that bears its name."
Reviews
- The game features a compelling story with deep emotional themes, exploring friendship, mortality, and the impact of choices on character development.
- The artwork is beautifully drawn, with a variety of CGs that enhance the storytelling and evoke strong emotions.
- The multiple endings provide a rich experience, allowing players to explore different outcomes and character arcs, making each playthrough rewarding.
- Many players found the narrative to be underdeveloped and felt that the story left too many questions unanswered, leading to a sense of frustration.
- The lack of voice acting and the low resolution of the artwork were noted as drawbacks, detracting from the overall immersion of the game.
- Some routes and endings felt repetitive or filler, with certain character motivations being unclear or unconvincing, which diminished the impact of the story.
- story82 mentions
- 35 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story is a poignant exploration of life, death, and human connections, centered around a dying man named Chester and his interactions with the island's residents. While the narrative is short and lacks traditional narration, it effectively conveys a mix of serious, sad, and sometimes humorous moments, with multiple endings that deepen the emotional impact. Despite some criticisms regarding pacing and a lack of voice acting, the well-written characters and evocative music contribute to a memorable and immersive storytelling experience.
“The story is really great.”
“It’s such a beautiful, tragic story about hope and despair, life and death.”
“Enigma's biggest strength is its story and characters.”
“The story is rather short and theatrical in nature, with basically no narration. The vast majority of lines are spoken character words, with the rest being their own thoughts.”
“The story is simple and easy to understand; however, it lacks details in several parts.”
“This is really not a story about 'uncovering the mysteries of a fantasy world.' A fair amount of your time is indeed involved with doing so; however, this is really a story about a dying man.”
- music31 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 35 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its beauty and ability to enhance the emotional depth of the story, while others find it bland and lacking in variety. Many players appreciate specific themes, like Ignis's, and express a desire for a more comprehensive soundtrack release. Overall, while the music effectively sets the mood for various scenes, some feel it could benefit from greater variety and a dedicated music gallery.
“The music is beautiful and adds perfectly to the often bittersweet situations.”
“The melancholy tale and haunting, beautiful soundtrack really help to immerse you in the world.”
“The music suited the story perfectly.”
“No voice acting, and the music is bland and generic with relatively little variety, sometimes failing to set the pace with the story's plot.”
“The music is nothing special, but it sets the mood for the various scenes well enough.”
“The music starts off as rather reserved, not grabbing your attention, until key parts of the plot come into play.”
- graphics13 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The graphics in Enigma are generally praised for their vibrant and beautiful art style, with many users appreciating the emotional depth conveyed through the visuals. While some note that the artwork is of relatively low resolution and there are occasional glitches, these issues do not significantly detract from the overall experience. The stunning CG gallery and the game's unique aesthetic contribute positively to the storytelling.
“The art style is amazing and very vibrant.”
“The story is great and the artwork is simply beautiful.”
“Amazing graphics, organic dialogue, intriguing story, what more do you want?”
“Artwork is relatively well drawn, though of rather low resolution.”
“The graphics are good (not great), but I find they are drawn in a lovely style.”
“Sometimes the game does glitch out, and the graphics do sometimes repeat themselves, but overall, these don't detract from the story.”
- emotional12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Enigma is praised for its emotional depth, offering a rich tapestry of experiences that range from joy to sorrow, humor to horror. Players report being moved to tears multiple times, with the narrative's twists and character interactions providing both heartwarming and heart-wrenching moments. Despite some translation issues, the game's stunning visuals and impactful storytelling create a powerful emotional journey that resonates deeply with players.
“Enigma is a tale of contrasts, veering between quiet mystery, sudden violence, emotional intimacy, horror, and moments of both warmhearted joy and bitter sorrow.”
“It's a beautiful visual novel that's sweet, funny, horrifying, violent, sad, and just... it's an emotional roller coaster.”
“It gives you a heartwarming story that will make you smile and make you cry at the same time.”
- humor6 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a mix of funny scenes, such as the laundry by the river, and moments that provide levity amidst a predominantly serious and emotional narrative. While there are cute and humorous instances, particularly in certain character routes, the overall tone is often dark and disturbing, leading to a complex emotional experience that oscillates between laughter and sadness.
“I like Ignis's route the most because it's mature and still provides cute, funny moments.”
“It's a beautiful visual novel that's sweet, funny, horrifying, violent, sad, and just... it's an emotional roller coaster.”
“All in all, this game had me laughing, smiling, uneasy, disturbed, and tearing up—all more than once.”
- atmosphere5 mentions
- 80 % positive mentions
- -40 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the novel is widely praised for its beauty and immersive quality, enhanced by captivating music and a rich background setting. Despite the absence of voice acting, reviewers feel that the overall ambiance is so compelling that it does not detract from the experience.
“The atmosphere it creates is wonderful.”
“Beautiful music and background atmosphere.”
“Little did I know that it would take my breath away with its music, atmosphere, characters, and fabulous storytelling.”
“The lack of voice acting detracts from the overall immersion, even though the atmosphere it establishes is somewhat engaging.”
“While the game attempts to create a unique atmosphere, it ultimately falls flat due to its repetitive environments.”
“The atmosphere feels hollow and uninspired, making it difficult to become invested in the game's world.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development in the game primarily revolves around the interactions and effects of the main character, Chester, on other characters, rather than his own growth, which is already established. Additionally, the character designs received positive feedback, enhancing the overall experience.
“The character designs were quite nice as well.”
“The main character, Chester, is already complete; it is his effect on and interactions with the other characters that are at the root of the character development here.”
“Character development feels stagnant, as the characters don't evolve or change in meaningful ways throughout the story.”
“The lack of depth in character backstories makes it hard to connect with them, resulting in a flat and unengaging experience.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay offers a rich experience, providing approximately 10-20 hours of content depending on exploration and reading speed, while also encouraging thoughtful engagement with its beautiful design.
“This game is just beautiful and offers a solid 10-15 hours worth of gameplay (depending on your reading speed).”
“Exploring all options will grant you probably 20 hours of gameplay - and considerable food for thought.”
“This game is just beautiful and solid 10-15 hours worth of gameplay (depending on your reading speed).”
