Lingering Fragrance
- August 10, 2018
- BLESTWORKS
- 3h median play time
Get on Steam"Lingering Fragrance" is a visual novel set in a fantasy world with elements of drama and romance. The story follows the protagonist, a young man named Wei Zhi, as he navigates his complex relationships with the women in his life while uncovering the mysteries of his past. With multiple endings and a rich, immersive narrative, players will be drawn into Wei Zhi's journey and make choices that determine his fate.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a beautifully emotional story that explores deep themes of love and government control, leaving players teary-eyed.
- The artwork and voice acting, particularly in Chinese, are praised for their quality, enhancing the overall experience.
- Despite its short length, the game offers a unique and thought-provoking narrative with multiple perspectives that challenge societal norms.
- The English translation is not very good, which can lead to confusion and detracts from the overall storytelling experience.
- There are no interactive choices, making it feel more like reading a book than playing a game, which may disappoint some players looking for a traditional visual novel experience.
- Some scenes are uncomfortable or confusing, and the pacing can feel uneven, particularly in the first story.
- story76 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of "Lingering Fragrance" is a poignant and thought-provoking exploration of love and societal control set in a dystopian future, featuring three interconnected narratives that delve into the lives of different protagonists. While the first story is seen as the weakest, the subsequent tales reveal deeper emotional layers and unexpected twists, ultimately creating a complex and tear-jerking experience. Despite some confusion regarding character perspectives and a lack of interactivity, the overall narrative is praised for its depth and ability to evoke strong feelings.
“In this brilliant, but sad love story, you start off already being in a relationship, which is a concept not often explored, so I really liked that.”
“The story takes place in a dystopian future, where nearly every aspect of a normal person's life is controlled by the government, even memories and love. It's scary; you're not allowed any of that.”
“Overall, 'Lingering Fragrance' is a kinetic visual novel that has a good story that can leave you in tears.”
“The first story is the longest, and in my opinion, the weakest overall.”
“The story itself is fairly uninspired and frontloads a lot of the setting with a few annoying gags.”
“There's no interaction between the players and the character, and you're stuck on one road throughout the story.”
- music10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game is praised for its ability to enhance the atmosphere, with dynamic changes that match the intensity of scenes and pleasant background scores that complement the artwork and voice acting. However, the soundtrack DLC has received criticism for lacking vocal tracks, making it less appealing to some players. Overall, while the game's music is well-received, the DLC may be better purchased during discounts.
“The positives are from the art, music, and story.”
“Plus the music sounded nice and changed to fit the tone of some scenes, like intense music when something bad is happening.”
“The game has great artwork in the game cover, CGs, soundtrack album cover, and achievement icons, attractive animation, pleasant background music, and believable voice acting that conveys the mood of the character well.”
“For the soundtrack DLC, it does not contain any song with vocals, which made the soundtrack DLC less appealing.”
“As such, I could only recommend both the game and soundtrack DLC when they are at a discount.”
- emotional8 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is profoundly impactful, with players describing it as heart-breaking and thought-provoking. While it includes moments of inappropriate content, the overarching narrative delivers a touching and sad experience that resonates deeply, often leading to tears and reflection on societal themes.
“This visual novel is really heart-breaking, and just understanding it more makes me even more sad.”
“It actually was a thought-provoking and touching story to the end.”
“I was a bit worried it might be one of those games that revolve around inappropriate content, and while it does have a few of those moments here and there, the overall story is quite touching and sad.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 13 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally praised for their beautiful artwork, attractive anime style, and well-executed animations, contributing positively to the overall atmosphere. However, some users noted a disconnect between the visual presentation and the game's darker themes, with adult content feeling underrepresented in terms of artwork and voice acting. Overall, the visuals enhance the experience, but the tonal contrast may surprise players expecting a lighter narrative.
“The CG, artworks, and background are really beautiful.”
“Speaking of seeing something else, the art style is great.”
“The game has great artwork in the game cover, CGs, soundtrack album cover, and achievement icons, attractive animation, pleasant background music, and believable voice acting that conveys the mood of the character well.”
“Although the title of this visual novel and the choice of colors used in the game artwork cover suggests a sweet romance and ending, it is actually far from that where all three stories become more bleak and end at a neutral or tragic ending.”
“Also, it has adult content which is neither here nor there by not having artwork, humor, or voice acting to bring it out.”
“The artwork is decent and the plot and outcome of this novel were not what I was expecting at all.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized as a pure visual novel, focusing primarily on narrative and character interactions rather than traditional gameplay mechanics.
“For those wondering about the gameplay aspect, this is a pure visual novel.”
“The gameplay is incredibly linear, leaving little room for exploration or player choice.”
“I found the mechanics to be repetitive and lacking depth, which made the experience feel tedious.”
- replayability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Many users feel that the game lacks replayability, indicating that once completed, there is little incentive to play it again.
“As such, I don't think there is any replay value.”
