Life After Magic
- March 23, 2023
- Team Starlight
Get on Steam"Life After Magic" is a Y2K, queer WLW visual novel focused around retired magical girls! What's a magical girl to do when the teenage years are over, and there's no more bad guys for you to fight? How about navigating lost connections? Or juggling a totally awful retail gig? Worst of all - your magical powers are fading...
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Reviews
- The game features a charming and nostalgic 90s magical girl aesthetic, with beautiful pixel art and a well-crafted soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
- The characters are well-developed and relatable, exploring themes of friendship, identity, and the struggles of adulthood, making the story both heartwarming and thought-provoking.
- It's an impressive free visual novel that offers a lot of content, including multiple romance routes and a free DLC, making it a delightful experience for fans of the genre.
- Some players feel that the gameplay is minimal, with a lack of meaningful choices and a story that can be predictable and bland at times.
- Critics have pointed out that while the game is marketed as queer, the representation is limited, with most characters fitting into traditional tropes and lacking diversity in gender identities.
- A few users experienced technical issues, such as crashes after updates, which detracted from their overall enjoyment of the game.
- story65 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 46 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story is widely praised for its heartwarming and engaging narrative, effectively subverting traditional magical girl tropes while exploring themes of friendship, identity, and adulthood. Many reviewers highlight the well-developed characters and the emotional depth of the plot, making it a compelling experience, especially for a free game. However, some critiques mention pacing issues and a few instances of predictability, suggesting that while the story is enjoyable, it could benefit from deeper representation and complexity.
“It's a really beautiful and heartwarming story.”
“Overall this game just checks off so many boxes for me, the story was compelling, the writing is so good, the characters are lovable, play this game everyone!!”
“Life After Magic is a wonderfully written story of five once-best friends (and magical girls), who must reunite after many years and many changes to save their city once more.”
“But the story is so boring.”
“While this game definitely had a lot of effort put in and they definitely really tried to make this game really well, I just can't get over the fact that the story is just so bland and boring.”
“I really do wish I could recommend this as the developers clearly did put a lot of love and time into this game, but I feel as though too much time was focused on the art and not enough was focused on the story.”
- graphics26 mentions
- 46 % positive mentions
- 42 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming pixel art style, nostalgic 2000s aesthetic, and beautiful character designs. Reviewers appreciate the cute and colorful artwork, which enhances the storytelling and evokes feelings of nostalgia, particularly for those familiar with magical girl anime. Overall, the visuals are described as delightful and fitting, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“Amazingly written story with memorable character designs, beautiful graphics, and solidly principled themes. I highly recommend this game!”
“The amazing art and characterization, the 2000's aesthetic shown in the layouts and the character design, everything makes you feel nostalgic and a part of this magical world by the first few clicks.”
“I loved the Y2K aesthetic and the designs were so pretty!”
“I don't think I'm the target demographic for this game, but it cost me $0 so I'm giving it a go!”
“Lots of interesting characters, backstories, retro-style graphics, soothing music... I'm surprised it's free.”
“---{ graphics }---”
- music21 mentions
- 48 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its charm and fittingness, enhancing the overall experience with a nostalgic 90s vibe reminiscent of magical girl anime. Players have praised the soundtrack as catchy and engaging, often expressing a desire to purchase it due to its quality. Overall, the music complements the beautiful pixel art and well-written characters, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“Also, the soundtrack is perfect; I haven't stopped listening to it since I played the game.”
“You can really tell how much love and passion went into making Life After Magic—everything from the writing to the character designs to the music has so much heart in it!”
“This is a wonderful short visual novel—well written, nice retro art, and music that fits the vibe perfectly.”
“The music is a real catjammer.”
“Really polished game with amazing pixel art, unique story, and catchy music. I only have one complaint - why does Santa not exist in a world with magical girls!”
“Edit: after a few more routes I'm going to have to ask that you give me a soundtrack or something to spend some money on here. I feel bad for getting this wonderful experience for free.”
- humor11 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in this visual novel is consistently praised for its wit, relatability, and ability to evoke genuine laughter, with many players noting the clever banter and engaging dialogue that balances lighthearted moments with deeper themes. The characters are well-developed, contributing to a charming and funny narrative that resonates with fans of cozy, nostalgic storytelling. Overall, the game successfully combines humor with emotional depth, making it a standout experience in the genre.
“It's funny, witty, relatable, it pulls at your heartstrings and makes you feel like you're being heard.”
“The game also has a great sense of humor that made me laugh out loud several times.”
“The animations and dialogue are hilarious.”
- emotional10 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its beautiful and heartwarming story, evoking strong emotional responses from players, including tears and joy. With well-developed characters and multiple endings, it offers a refreshing and inclusive narrative that balances humor and romance, making it a delightful experience for players seeking both emotional depth and wholesome connections.
“It's a really beautiful and heartwarming story.”
“This is actually such an amazing game, and I'm serious when I say I cried playing this.”
“Featuring a cute art style, really good writing, multiple endings, and very well-executed and heartwarming representation for my fellow queer folk, this game is sure to leave a smile on your face!”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily a simple point-and-click experience typical of visual novels, lacking in depth and mechanical complexity. While some players appreciate the engaging writing and art, others criticize the dialogue quality and the overall minimal interaction, suggesting that a more varied gameplay experience could enhance the enjoyment.
“Just don't expect heavy mechanical gameplay walking in and you're in for a great time!”
“[b]Gameplay:[/b] Not too involved, simple point and click, mainly choose your journey themed (except the character's personality/background/visuals).”
“But, since I loved games like Coffee Talk, Magical Snack Shop, and VA-11 HALL-A, a little more gameplay would really nail the connection between mundane battles and magical battles in the retail scenes.”
“As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
“[Gameplay]: Not too involved, simple point and click, mainly choose your journey themed (except the character's personality/background/visuals).”
“The impeccable writing, romance, and art keeps you engaged despite the lack of varying gameplay.”
- character development6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The character development in the game is highly praised for its depth and emotional resonance, with memorable designs and strong chemistry between characters. Reviewers highlight the nostalgic 2000s aesthetic and the heartfelt writing, which contribute to an engaging and immersive experience. Overall, the combination of beautiful graphics and well-crafted characters enhances the storytelling and replayability.
“Amazingly written story with memorable character designs, beautiful graphics, and solidly principled themes. I highly recommend this game!”
“The amazing art and characterization, the 2000's aesthetic shown in the layouts and the character design, everything makes you feel nostalgic and a part of this magical world by the first few clicks.”
“You can really tell how much love and passion went into making Life After Magic--everything from the writing, to the character designs, to the music has so much heart in it!”
“The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters on a meaningful level.”
“I was disappointed by the lack of growth in the characters; they seem to remain static throughout the game.”
“The characters are one-dimensional and their arcs are predictable, which detracts from the overall experience.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books to be tedious, likening it to a frustratingly slow reading experience that disrupts the flow of the narrative. However, some players express a willingness to engage in grinding for achievements, indicating a level of enjoyment that motivates them to continue despite the repetitive nature of the task.
“Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best... imagine the best novel you ever read, be that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or 2001: A Space Odyssey, but then translate that to a format where the words dribble out and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“I'm definitely going to be looking out for more releases from the devs at Chirashi Games and grinding for the rest of these achievements!”
- replayability1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's beautiful art style and character designs, which contribute to its high replayability, encouraging them to revisit the experience multiple times.
“The art style is very pretty, the character designs are wonderful, and there is a ton of replayability.”
