Magical Eyes - Red is for Anguish
- March 30, 2016
- Pomera Studios
Get on SteamMagical Eyes - Red is for Anguish is a thrilling mystery story revolving around a series of unfathomable incidents in a town.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The story is well-written and engaging, with strong character development and a satisfying conclusion for a first chapter.
- The voice acting and soundtrack are excellent, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
- The game features beautiful character art and a unique supernatural mystery that draws players in.
- The gameplay is very linear with minimal player choices, making it feel more like a kinetic novel than an interactive experience.
- The graphics, particularly the backgrounds, are of low quality and do not match the style of the character art.
- There is uncertainty about the future of the series, as the sequel has not been released and the studio has been inactive since 2017.
- story29 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 69 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story is a well-crafted blend of horror, humor, and mystery, centered around a doll and a series of disappearances, with memorable characters and an engaging narrative. While it effectively tells a complete tale, it is clear that this is just the first chapter of a larger story that has yet to be continued, leaving some readers wanting more. The storytelling is somewhat hindered by a segmented structure and a lack of character development, but the intriguing premise and strong voice acting contribute to an overall enjoyable experience for fans of visual novels.
“The story was freaky, sweet, sad, and hilarious at times.”
“It tells a story of a group of people with extraordinary skills, dealing with trouble caused by human emotion.”
“The introduction had a great hook and showed great storytelling proficiency.”
“What I didn't like was how storytelling was forcefully cut into 'scenes' which you select from the city map.”
“While essentially telling a complete story, it’s made extremely clear that this was supposed to be chapter 1 of a larger story, which a couple of years later at the time of this review, has not panned out.”
“But it feels like we are thrown into this world and story without enough time to ease into it, and new characters appear fully developed—nobody seems to grow or change much throughout the experience.”
- music10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its quality and ability to enhance the overall experience, particularly in creating tension during key moments. Many players noted its nostalgic similarities to the Persona series, while also appreciating the integration of the soundtrack with the game's story and art. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that complements the game's atmosphere effectively.
“The soundtrack was amazing, and as you read some of the terrifying parts, the background sounds really help make you feel more tense.”
“Of course, since this is a game, you get the added bonus of lovely anime art and some pretty darn good music.”
“If you've played Persona, the map and accompanying music are extremely similar and gave me a nostalgic feeling.”
“About the music either.”
“I'm not sure what to praise more - the character art, the backgrounds, the music or how dynamic some of the scenes are.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are generally considered disappointing, with some users noting decent visuals but a lack of character representation in key scenes, leading to confusion in dialogue. While there are moments of excellent artwork, they are infrequent, and many feel the overall visual quality does not justify the game's price.
“The writing and music are amazing; the graphics are decent.”
“There is some excellent artwork to be found, but those examples can be few and far between.”
“Well firstly, the novel had pleasant graphics and animation.”
“Graphics-wise, it's a bit of a disappointment.”
“There are other issues, like scenes without character visuals, just text scrolling down the screen, making it very difficult to tell who is talking to whom.”
“$16 is definitely not the price this game is worth, considering that the game only has a few characters and that is the only real artwork in the game.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a blend of freaky and sweet elements, providing a unique contrast to its horror themes. Reviewers appreciate the moments of hilarity that emerge amidst the darker narrative, enhancing the overall experience.
“The story was freaky, sweet, sad, and hilarious at times.”
“A horror story with a bit of humor, to be precise.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for being extremely bland and lackluster, even by visual novel standards, leading to a disappointing experience for players.
“But the gameplay is very, very bland.”
“Even for a visual novel, the gameplay is lackluster.”
