『LACKGIRL I - "Astra inclinant, sed non obligant."』
- March 30, 2023
- Dontsugel
In "LACKGIRL I - 'Astra inclinant, sed non obligant,'" players enter a magical world created by illustrator Benio, where girls with new worldview and character settings engage in a visual novel-style magic battle. The protagonist, against their will, attends the Instructional Academy Iris to study witchcraft after discovering their own magic powers. This game is the first in a trilogy and offers a fictional yet immersive experience.
Reviews
- The game features engaging characters with strong personalities, enhanced by excellent voice acting.
- The story, while slow to start, builds up to exciting drama and magic battles, leaving players eager for the next installment.
- There are interesting themes of magic and identity, with potential for deeper exploration of character arcs and relationships, including yuri subtext.
- The plot feels derivative, borrowing heavily from existing anime tropes and lacking originality in its storytelling.
- The game ends abruptly on a cliffhanger, leaving players feeling unsatisfied and questioning the narrative's direction.
- Character development is minimal, with many characters feeling superficial and the story relying too much on exposition rather than meaningful progression.
- story15 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The story of Lackgirl is criticized for its lack of originality and coherence, feeling like a patchwork of familiar anime tropes without a compelling narrative. While some character arcs, particularly Satsuki's journey of self-discovery, show potential, the overall plot is seen as underdeveloped, with insufficient buildup and a tendency to over-explain, which detracts from the tension and engagement. Despite these flaws, there are moments of enjoyment, particularly in character interactions, suggesting that fans of character-driven stories may still find value in the game.
“Overall, I quite enjoyed the first step in Satsuki's story to understand herself and the world around her, and I think if you like character-focused stories with colorful players forced to clash with one another, you will too.”
“A few of the story beats are pretty good, but could've used more buildup.”
“Tsumugi's story in particular felt like money cashed in just a touch too early; enjoyable for sure, but her dynamic with Kana and the valiant squad deserved just a bit more, in my opinion.”
“Lackgirl seems to be tentatively titled after the main character who seems to be lacking in any sort of original story.”
“The story feels like a Frankenstein of a plot sewn together from various parts of the aforementioned anime plots.”
“When the characters start monologuing about what they are doing to ensure the audience understands, the fight comes off as a lesson and the tension deflates faster than my interest in the story.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect of the visual novel appears to rely heavily on the author's name for promotional purposes, leading to concerns about the quality of the writing and whether it justifies the investment.