Iwaihime
- October 23, 2020
- DMM GAMES
Get on Steam"Iwaihime" is a single-player horror simulation game with an intriguing story by hit writer Ryukishi07, featuring delightful visuals and stellar music. The game follows Toé Kurokami, the only daughter of Iwaimoto Shrine, and her interactions with Tsubakiko Harumiya and other characters, bringing to life a supernatural horror visual novel of sin, retribution, and penance.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The story is emotionally engaging, exploring deep themes of trauma and redemption, with a satisfying conclusion.
- The artwork and voice acting are top-notch, enhancing the overall atmosphere and immersion of the game.
- The pacing is well-structured, with a strong build-up that leads to impactful character arcs and resolutions.
- The protagonist is bland and lacks depth compared to the more interesting female characters.
- Some horror elements may feel excessive or gratuitous, potentially alienating players who are sensitive to graphic content.
- The translation quality varies, leading to moments of awkward dialogue that can detract from the experience.
- story219 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 66 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of "Iwaihime" is a complex blend of horror, romance, and psychological elements, characteristic of ryukishi07's writing style, featuring multiple arcs that intertwine dark themes with moments of levity. While some players appreciate the emotional depth and intricate folklore, others criticize its predictability, inconsistent character motivations, and tonal shifts that can disrupt immersion. Overall, the narrative is engaging for fans of the genre, though it may not resonate with everyone due to its graphic content and pacing issues.
“It has multiple story arcs that are all well tied together, and each one features Ryukishi's signature mood rollercoaster, with slice of life, cheesy and funny scenes interspersed, evolving into much darker and sadder elements.”
“This story is a beautiful craft, and right now I can barely find anything wrong with it.”
“For all its out-of-this-world horror, Iwaihime is a surprisingly down-to-earth story, and I grew to love and sympathize with the entire main cast by the end.”
“The other reviews have already mentioned this, but despite this visual novel being a ryukishi07 story - the legend who wrote Higurashi and Umineko - Iwaihime is surprisingly disappointing, with the story being bland and unoriginal.”
“The characters are unlikable and have pretty unclear motivations, and the story writing isn't consistent.”
“The story is a mess and the main character is terribly bland.”
- music38 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 32 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its variety and ability to enhance the story's tone, with many tracks described as beautiful and fitting for different scenes. Reviewers highlight the high production values, including solid voice acting and a well-crafted soundtrack that contributes to the overall atmosphere, making it a standout feature of the game. While some feel the soundtrack could benefit from a broader selection, the quality and emotional impact of the music leave a lasting impression on players.
“Over three dozen songs offering great variety and fits very well with the story's tone, settings, and ups and downs.”
“The music of this game is amazing.”
“The quality of the OST is superb, and while the offerings seem rather limited at first, I'm glad to say it's fleshed out nicely as the read progresses.”
“The music and sound effects don't fall behind either, as expected of Ryuukishi's love for sound novels.”
“The Iwaihime soundtrack isn't extremely vast, but I think it's perfectly okay given that each sound really sets the mood of the scene.”
“I have no idea what the BGM sounds like, as I usually listen to my own music when reading; I thought the artwork looked nice enough, though good artwork is hardly the reason for why I read VNs; and the voice acting is something I always turn off when reading VNs, so I can't comment on its quality.”
- graphics18 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their high quality, with many reviewers highlighting the gorgeous artwork and solid production values, including impressive voice acting. While the visuals are noted to be an improvement over previous titles by the same creator, they do not significantly stand out from other visual novels. The combination of atmospheric writing and horror elements enhances the overall aesthetic experience, despite some criticism regarding the graphic content.
“The production values are solid, with a good soundtrack, graphics, and voice acting.”
“Gorgeous artwork & fantastic voice acting.”
“It has his trademark atmospheric writing and his mystery/horror blend, it has absolutely stellar voice acting, many memorable pieces of music, and gorgeous artwork.”
“Extremely thinly veiled graphic descriptions of sexual assault is not what I wanted from this game, but it's what I got.”
“Like I said, I usually avoid the horror genre and while it's not as graphic as some other horror visual novels (except the DLC chapter), it definitely has some disturbing scenes.”
“Plus the artwork doesn't look like a crude doodle and there is voice acting so you can enjoy all the deranged laughter and other creepy vocalizations without having to install a mod on this one.”
- emotional15 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game delivers a deeply emotional experience, with a narrative that intertwines themes of love, pain, and horror, often evoking strong reactions from players, including tears. While the tonal shifts can feel jarring, the storytelling is praised for its ability to elicit a wide range of emotions, making it an emotionally exhausting yet rewarding journey. Overall, it stands out as a compelling visual novel that successfully blends various emotional elements, despite some critiques regarding its execution.
“The ending to the main story made me cry, and I enjoyed reading the DLC.”
“It's a heartbreaking story of love, pain, horror, and endurance with a dash of cheerfulness on the side.”
“An emotionally exhausting experience, and one that's well worth having.”
- atmosphere9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its effective blend of horror and romance, enhanced by stunning HD sprites, captivating artwork, and exceptional sound design. Reviewers highlight the deep folklore integration and the lingering, creepy ambiance that immerses players in a supernatural narrative. Overall, the combination of atmospheric writing, stellar voice acting, and memorable music creates a compelling and haunting experience.
“The sound effect design is also spectacular, which really helps add to the atmosphere in certain scenes.”
“Integrating a deep folklore background, it’s an intricate story that taps into the Japanese supernatural horror atmosphere that blends dreams and reality.”
“It has his trademark atmospheric writing and his mystery/horror blend, it has absolutely stellar voice acting, many memorable pieces of music, and gorgeous artwork.”
“It can be quite gross and creepy in places, and that atmosphere tends to linger around it.”
“The writing in the horror bits worked in that it gave me the creeps, and the HD sprites and CGs really worked in the atmosphere's favor.”
“That reason I mentioned was the gorgeous art, stellar music with perfect voice acting, and that somewhat magical, creepy atmosphere.”
- gameplay6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily linear and episodic, allowing players to progress from start to finish without significant deviations. It includes standard features typical of visual novels, such as auto-mode and fast forward options, and while unlocking all achievements is possible, some require purchasing DLC, which is considered worthwhile for the story.
“In regards to the gameplay, the story is mostly linear and is episodic, so you simply play through from beginning to end.”
“Touching on the gameplay for a bit, I had no problems unlocking all of the Steam achievements; although if you want to get all of them, you will need to purchase the DLC (but it's worth it for the story alone).”
“Gameplay has all the necessities that you expect from a visual novel, including auto-mode, fast forward, and an extra menu.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in this visual novel is characterized by its blend of over-the-top character personalities and clever subversion of eroge tropes, creating a unique mix of comedy and horror. While some may find the comedic elements jarring in a horror context, many reviewers appreciate the lighthearted moments interspersed with darker themes, suggesting that viewing the game as a high-school horror-comedy enhances the experience. However, the exaggerated character backgrounds and slice-of-life segments may detract from emotional engagement for some players.
“The rhythm of the horror/eroge 1-2 punch is great; it toys with eroge tropes to deliver humor and horror.”
“One thing I did not expect this visual novel to be is funny. I'm not just talking about the comedic-relief characters; everyone has funny sides. The personalities of the characters are quite over-the-top. Depending on perspective, some might think it's bad that a horror game is funny, but for me, it's a plus. After some time, I realized that the best way to enjoy this is to think of it as a high-school horror-comedy story, but that does not mean that this visual novel transforms into a comedy.”
“It has multiple story arcs that are all well tied together, featuring Ryukishi's signature mood rollercoaster, with slice-of-life, cheesy, and funny scenes interspersed, evolving into much darker and sadder elements.”
- character development2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is generally viewed as lacking, with reviewers noting it as "meh" and not offering much depth or engagement. While the production quality is acknowledged, the overall impression is that the characters do not significantly enhance the gaming experience.
“Character development is lackluster; it feels like there's not much depth or growth throughout the game.”
“The character arcs are predictable and fail to engage the player emotionally.”
“I found the character development to be uninspired, leaving me disconnected from the story.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of vocal performances significantly enhances the overall experience, making it difficult to envision playing the game without them.
