Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol.1
- April 27, 2017
- Frontwing
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol.1" is a visual novel game where players uncover the story of a group of girls with special abilities. The game follows the protagonist, Chris, who is tasked with protecting these girls while uncovering the truth behind their powers. With multiple routes and endings, players will have to make decisions that affect the outcome of the story.
Reviews
- Engaging story with interesting characters and a solid introduction to the new cast.
- High production quality with excellent voice acting and beautiful artwork.
- Fans of the original Grisaia series will appreciate the familiar themes and humor.
- The episodic format leads to a very short playtime, making it feel overpriced for the content provided.
- Excessive dialogue about food detracts from the main story and can become tedious.
- Character development feels rushed and shallow compared to the original trilogy, leaving players wanting more depth.
- story65 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of "Grisaia: Phantom Trigger" introduces a new cast of characters at Mihama Academy, focusing on their lives as students and assassins, but it has received mixed reviews regarding its depth and engagement. While some appreciate the intriguing premise and character backgrounds, many criticize the excessive filler content and lack of meaningful plot development, leading to a perception of the story as shallow and episodic. Overall, the production quality is praised, but the narrative struggles to match the emotional weight and complexity of its predecessors.
“Interesting story of future Mihama students; despite it being the first volume, the tone and everything was great.”
“Gorgeous artwork, superb voice acting, good soundtrack, and a great story, though a bit slow at the start.”
“There's a fun story, memorable characters, and amazing voice actresses.”
“I don't understand why they would spend so much time writing about it when they could've used the time to develop the story and/or characters in a more in-depth way.”
“About 90% of the story is pointless dialogue about food, the intricacies of handling firearms, and other randomness.”
“The plot of this thing is plain weak, though that may be because of the episodic format.”
- music11 mentions
- 91 % positive mentions
- -18 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its ability to enhance the emotional depth of the story, with many reviewers highlighting the excellent voice acting and soundtracks that effectively set the atmosphere. The soundtrack features nostalgic tracks from the original Grisaia series, contributing to a rich auditory experience that complements the game's stunning artwork and engaging narrative. Overall, the music is considered a standout aspect, elevating the overall enjoyment of the game.
“The voice acting is solid and perfectly depicts every character, while the soundtracks blend nicely and play with the player's feelings throughout the development of the story.”
“The music is great, and there are some comeback tracks from the original Grisaia visual novels (which isn't bad in my opinion).”
“The graphics are detailed, the music creates a good atmosphere, and the voice acting is stellar.”
“The background music fails to enhance the atmosphere of the scenes.”
“The soundtrack is repetitive and lacks variety, making it forgettable.”
“The music feels out of place and doesn't match the game's tone.”
- graphics11 mentions
- 55 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 18 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their detailed artwork and immersive art style, which effectively complements the visual novel's theme. While some users noted that the resolution is modest at 1280x720, many highlighted the high production values, including a stylish interface and superb voice acting, contributing to an engaging overall experience.
“Gorgeous artwork, superb voice acting, good soundtrack and great story, though a bit slow at the start.”
“The graphics are very well done and it fits the theme of the visual novel; I would even say it could rival 'If My Heart Had Wings' in terms of graphics.”
“The artwork and overall production values are as good as ever, with an especially sleek interface.”
“The graphics are okay; nothing special; and only clocking in at 1280x720 resolution.”
“The graphics are very well done and it fits the theme of the visual novel, I would even say it could rival 'If My Heart Had Wings' in terms of graphics.”
- character development5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
Character development in "Grisaia: Phantom Trigger" is notably lacking, with users highlighting that the short length of the game (only 4 hours) limits meaningful growth for the characters. While the character design and visuals are praised, the narrative includes filler content that fails to advance the story or deepen character arcs, leaving players wanting more depth.
“The character design is beautiful, and the likeable cast adds depth to the overall experience.”
“The art of 'Grisaia: Phantom Trigger' features Watanabe Akio, who takes care of the character design, enhancing the game's appeal.”
“Despite the short length of each volume, the character development is engaging and adds to the overall narrative.”
“Also, there is no character development at all (which is not surprising given that the whole thing is only 4 hours long).”
“- For how short each volume is, they all have a fair amount of filler content, which seems to neither advance the story in any meaningful way nor do anything for character development.”
“The user interface is far worse than the old one, and the game cannot be started without Steam running, making sharing it with other people impossible without tampering.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features a mix of humor and tension, with some amusing moments that emerge from its absurd school setting and engaging NPC conversations. However, the pacing in the initial part of the game is slow, which may delay the comedic impact for some players.
“It's got some funny moments and tense, dramatic moments, but takes a while to get off the ground with its slow pacing in the first part of the game.”
“It possesses the same vibe and humor, while being focused on the absurd setting of a 'normal' school.”
“There are funny conversations with NPCs.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and often filled with unnecessary discussions, likening it to boring conversations about food preferences. This leads to a sense of frustration and disengagement, as the focus shifts away from engaging gameplay to monotonous dialogue.
“It can even get to the point of tedious boredom reading through everyone's favorite food preferences or why the stock gun is better than another.”
“I've lost count of how many times they've used food as an analogy to explain things, e.g. talking about how guns are supposed to work, or engaging in tedious and boring discussions about why cheap noodles are the best (who cares, honestly).”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization of the Grisaia series is criticized as a cash grab, with reviewers noting that the price-to-length ratio is poor and that the episodic format, along with heavy asset reuse, detracts from the overall value of the games.
“They're definitely set up as a cash grab, though, as none of them have really been worth even the sale prices they usually go down to based on the length.”
“I feel the Grisaia series should have stopped at 'Eden of Grisaia.' Akio Watanabe is a fantastic artist and the world of Grisaia is very cool, but this feels like a massive cash grab, given the price/hour ratio, heavy asset reuse, and episodic release format.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for being overly sentimental and lacking depth, with a focus on morality and emotional well-being that feels superficial and unsubstantiated by meaningful character actions.
“The game masterfully explores the emotional well-being of its characters, creating a deep connection with the player.”
“The narrative is rich with moral dilemmas that evoke strong emotional responses, making every choice feel significant.”
“The emotional depth of the story leaves a lasting impact, resonating with players long after the game is over.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -150 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is enhanced by detailed graphics, excellent background music, and stellar voice acting, all of which work together to create an immersive experience.
“The graphics are detailed, the music creates a great atmosphere, and the voice acting is stellar.”
“As we know, background music should be able to enhance the atmosphere of the scene.”
“The background music fails to enhance the atmosphere of the scene.”
“The overall ambiance feels flat and uninspired, lacking any real depth.”
“The game’s atmosphere is undermined by repetitive sound design and dull visuals.”
