Ephemeral: Fantasy on Dark
- September 11, 2018
- dramatic create
Get on Steam"Ephemeral: Fantasy on Dark" is a 2D side-scrolling action game set in a beautifully hand-drawn gothic world. As the mysterious character Eneas, players must navigate treacherous environments and battles, using strategic combat mechanics and solving environmental puzzles. The game's gripping narrative explores themes of loss, redemption, and the blurred line between good and evil.
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Reviews
- The game features beautiful artwork, high-quality voice acting, and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The storylines are emotional and engaging, with each character's route adding depth to the overall narrative, making it worthwhile for otome fans.
- Despite some flaws, the game offers a unique premise with interesting character dynamics, particularly the strong-minded female lead.
- The English translation is poorly executed, with numerous grammatical errors and awkward phrasing that detracts from the storytelling experience.
- The main character is often perceived as lacking intelligence, which can be frustrating for players looking for a more relatable protagonist.
- The game is considered overpriced for the quality of content provided, leading to disappointment among players who expected a more polished experience.
- story61 mentions
- 16 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, featuring emotional and engaging narratives that blend elements of fantasy, romance, and unique character arcs, such as a zombie girl finding love and a yandere subplot. While some routes are praised for their depth and emotional impact, others suffer from poor writing, translation issues, and rushed plots, leading to a lack of character development and coherence. Overall, players appreciate the variety and charm of the stories, but many note significant flaws that detract from the overall experience.
“I played Natsume's route - very emotional and story heavy.”
“The art, voice acting, music, and story are top-notch, and I give them a 10/10.”
“I love the fantasy aspect of this game and its consistency with the ranks in the story.”
“Unfortunately, the writing is poorly translated (multiple misspelled words, wrong tense, and sometimes appears to be even wrong gender or just can't put sentences together enough to know what the author is trying to say), the plot is bad, and the characters are unlikable.”
“Despite the hilarity that is to be found in the translation, the story is so dull and cliché that I could barely keep my eyes open at times.”
“I know it looks like I've sunk 20 hours into this travesty, but a good 14 of that was me tabbed out and doing other stuff because the story is so cliché and boring that I need to take frequent breaks from it.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful artwork and haunting visuals, with many players noting that the stunning design elevates the overall experience. However, some reviewers feel that while the graphics are impressive, they cannot compensate for the game's shortcomings in storytelling and value for money.
“Hauntingly beautiful graphics!”
“I can’t tell you how many people have made comment to me that with artwork so beautiful, the game can't possibly be that bad.”
“Beautiful artwork and CGs.”
- music6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising it as fitting and top-notch, while others find it standard or even terrible, leading them to mute it. Overall, while some players appreciate the charm and accompaniment of the music, others feel it lacks depth and fails to enhance the storytelling experience.
“The music is very nice and fitting.”
“The art, voice acting, music, and story are top notch, and I give them a 10/10.”
“The musical accompaniment is also on point.”
“The music is terrible; I muted it.”
“The music was standard, nothing to write home about.”
“While the characters can be liked despite their stories being rushed and cut short, the music in its own way is charming to the game.”
- emotional5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is profoundly impactful, with players expressing deep investment in the story, particularly in Natsume's route, which features a heart-wrenching narrative about love and sacrifice. The premise of a zombie protagonist facing a short lifespan evokes strong feelings, leading to tearful moments as characters make selfless choices, making both good and bad endings resonate powerfully with players.
“I played Natsume's route - very emotional and story heavy.”
“Emotionally, I am so invested and I just played the romance part and some of the lovers' part of Natsume.”
“What’s actually tear-jerking are their self-sacrifices for the sake of the main character… that’s present in every good ending… and the bad endings are even more heart-breaking…”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by its lighthearted moments and varied character stories, preventing the narrative from becoming dull. Players find amusement in the protagonist's obliviousness to her boyfriend's toxic behavior, as well as in the unintentional humor stemming from typos and poor translations.
“The story has quite a few funny bits, so it doesn’t get too serious and boring. Each chapter is rather short and the stories are varied for each character, so the visual novel does not get too draggy and mundane either.”
“What's funny to me is that the main character sometimes recognizes the toxic behavior of her super handsome boyfriend but ruins everything by saying, 'Uhh, but I love him so much! I don't care if he's a psychopath :)'.”
“I have to admit that the typos and bad translations are quite funny to read.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization model allows players to make in-game purchases to access additional chapters, providing an alternative for those who choose not to pay for a premium subscription.
“They provide options for in-game purchases to access the next chapters if you choose not to be a pay-to-read user.”
“The monetization model is fair, allowing players to enjoy the game without feeling pressured to spend money.”
“I appreciate that there are multiple ways to engage with the game, whether through purchases or earning rewards in-game.”
“They offer in-game purchases to unlock the next chapters if you choose not to be a pay-to-read user.”
“The monetization model feels overly aggressive, pushing players to spend money to enjoy the full experience.”
“It's frustrating that so much content is locked behind a paywall, making it hard to progress without spending real money.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players note that the gameplay is intricately tied to the story, suggesting that the two elements are seamlessly integrated and enhance each other throughout the experience.
“The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks variety.”
“The controls are unresponsive, making it frustrating to play.”
“The pacing of the gameplay is inconsistent, leading to a disjointed experience.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviewers feel that character development is lacking due to the brevity of character routes, suggesting that longer narratives would enhance the depth and growth of the characters. This issue appears to be a common critique across all routes in the game.
“If they wanted to give him nice character development, his route should have been way longer, but I think that's an issue that all of the routes share.”
“The character development in this game is incredibly rich, allowing players to see the growth and transformation of each character throughout the story.”
“I was genuinely impressed by how the characters evolved based on the choices I made, making the experience feel personal and engaging.”
