Mediterranea Inferno

About

"Mediterranea Inferno" is a visual novel that follows three young men on a summer retreat in Italy, as they cope with the aftermath of the pandemic and confront their deepest fears and desires. Players decide their activities, leading to revelations about the trio's bond and the supernatural forces around them. The game explores themes of friendship, grief, and revenge, offering a sensual and mythological journey.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

97%

Audience ScoreBased on 161 reviews

story18 positive mentions

optimization3 negative mentions

Visually stunning with a unique art style and captivating audio that enhances the overall experience.
Thoughtful exploration of themes such as queer identity, friendship, and the psychological impact of the pandemic, resonating deeply with players.
Dynamic gameplay with meaningful choices that affect character development and story outcomes, making each playthrough feel unique.

The narrative can be confusing and abstract at times, which may detract from the overall engagement with the story.
Lack of voice acting for main characters and limited interactivity can make the experience feel less immersive.
Some players may find the content polarizing due to its explicit themes and portrayal of flawed characters, which may not resonate with everyone.

story
57 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
63%
5%
The story of the game is a mixed bag, with some reviewers praising its unique themes, emotional depth, and engaging character arcs, while others criticize it for being weak or confusing, particularly in its execution. The narrative, set in Italy and featuring a tragic event, is noted for its artistic direction and emotional resonance, but some players feel it lacks the gripping quality expected from a visual novel. Overall, while the art and sound design receive high marks, the story's effectiveness varies significantly among players, influencing their overall enjoyment and willingness to replay the game.
- “That said, I was pleasantly surprised by both how easy the overall story was to follow and by the unflinching but surprisingly sympathetic portrayal of the leads' inner turmoil.”
- “After experiencing this story to its fullest, each character made a lasting impression on me, and I was sympathizing with all of them.”
- “[Poignant story about the state of our world told through authentic characters, full of incredibly striking art, fitting audio that effectively sets the tone.]”
- “The story ends with just text of him being arrested the next day.”
- “I read somewhere that when you finish a single storyline, you’ve seen about 60% of the content in the game.”
- “While the plot and characters in Mediterranea Inferno are interesting, the lack of any real gameplay makes this a difficult game to recommend.”
graphics
51 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
71%
6%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their unique art style, vibrant colors, and cinematic direction, effectively conveying the themes of alienation and hedonism. While some players found the visuals breathtaking and immersive, others noted that the graphical choices could be polarizing and occasionally detracted from the storytelling experience. Overall, the game is recognized for its striking aesthetics and strong sound design, making it a visually compelling exploration of contemporary issues within the LGBTQ+ community.
- “I'm still obsessed with the artistic (almost cinematographic) direction and saturated colors, especially when in mirages.”
- “The visuals are breathtaking, with a wonderful mix of real world associations & dreamy sceneries!”
- “More than that, it's a visually striking, aesthetically confident exploration of Italian gay culture and post-lockdown (current COVID) trauma.”
- “I will commend mi for its unique graphical style below, but I’ll say as far as a game world goes, mi fails to impress - it can oftentimes be challenging to understand what the world is supposed to be, especially during 'mirage' parts, which goes completely drug-induced bonkers.”
- “Every unique thing it brings to the visual novel space (art style, mirage) has clear disadvantages that make me dislike it.”
- “While the game definitely delivers on art style and music, it's almost like those areas had more effort put into them instead of writing an engaging story.”
music
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
42%
12%
The music in the game has received high praise for its quality and emotional impact, often described as the standout feature alongside the art style. Reviewers highlight the soundtrack as both engaging and memorable, contributing significantly to the overall narrative experience, while some note that the focus on music and visuals may have overshadowed the storytelling. Overall, the audio design is celebrated for enhancing the game's themes and character depth.
- “The music, writing, and shot composition of this game absolutely blew me away.”
- “Not to mention, the OST is an absolute banger and I can't help but listen to it again and again.”
- “With a big LGBT vibe, very good visuals and music, this visual novel will do everything to convey as many emotions as possible.”
- “While the game definitely delivers on art style and music, it's almost like those areas had more effort put into them instead of writing an engaging story.”
- “The music is alright too, but I don't quite agree with what a review site, especially Eurogamer, has to say.”
- “While the music, writing, and shot composition of this game absolutely blew me away, it feels like the music was prioritized over other important aspects.”
gameplay
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
71%
14%
The gameplay in "Mediterranea Inferno" centers around a unique mirage mechanic that allows players to choose which characters receive items, impacting their confidence and mental stability. While this player choice adds a distinctive twist to the visual novel genre, some reviewers noted that the overall gameplay experience is limited, leading to mixed feelings about its recommendability.
- “As the player, you choose who you want to give these mirage items to, which results in the mirage giving the chosen character more confidence while the others become more mentally unstable.”
- “So overall, I’ll say that of the visual novels I’ve played, the mirage mechanic seems like a unique spin on normal VN play.”
- “The core mechanic (choosing who gets fruit, and, thus, who is left behind) reminded me a lot of my favorite VN: We Know the Devil.”
- “While the plot and characters in Mediterranea Inferno are interesting, the lack of any real gameplay makes this a difficult game to recommend.”
- “The core mechanic (choosing who gets fruit, and, thus, who is left behind) reminded me a lot of my favorite visual novel: We Know the Devil.”
- “Mechanics: the main unique mechanic that Mediterranea Inferno has in the guise of player choice is the mirage mechanic.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is profoundly impactful, with players expressing a deep connection to the characters and their struggles, despite differing backgrounds. The presentation is described as daring and sincere, evoking strong feelings of empathy, particularly during poignant scenes that highlight themes of loneliness and vulnerability. Overall, the game resonates on a personal level, making players reflect on their own experiences.
- “An absolutely daring presentation and heart-breakingly sincere.”
- “I saw my own struggles in the three main characters, and even if I don't have much in common with these queens of the Italian nightlife, I have never felt more strongly connected to a cast of characters on an emotional level.”
- “Andrea's nightmare really made me feel something; the isolated loneliness attacked me at my core.”
humor
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as smart, funny, and often raunchy, effectively blending dark themes with lighthearted moments. Reviewers appreciate the clever dialogue and the ability to evoke laughter amidst unsettling scenarios, though some find certain elements, like the ken-doll nudity, to be out of place. Overall, the game is praised for its confident exploration of complex topics while maintaining an entertaining and visually striking narrative.
- “Incredible visual novel with smart and funny dialogue, killer art direction and a very confident exploration of queerness, relationships and identity.”
- “Regardless of my personal bias regarding how much I can relate to the characters, this is an excellent narrative adventure game with some dark themes, exciting twists, raunchy humor and compelling structure, all tied up with a great soundtrack and overflowing visual style.”
- “An unflinching examination of post-covid society that is in turns, hilarious, painful, gorgeous and unsettling.”
optimization
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
63%
38%
Overall, the optimization of the game appears to be satisfactory, with multiple users reporting no performance issues on desktop PCs. However, there are hints of underlying complexities that may affect the overall experience, reflected in a moderate graphics rating of 6/10.
- “Beneath the performance, each of them is hiding pain rooted in something complex and human.”
- “[h1] [b] graphics (quality/ui/performance) – [6/10] [/b] [/h1]”
- “Performance: no issues with performance, played on my desktop PC.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is consistently praised as fantastically immersive, with multiple users noting its strong and engaging ambiance.
- “Fantastically atmospheric.”
- “I noticed it being quite atmospheric.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The game "Mi" offers solid replayability due to its visual novel format, featuring branching choices that encourage players to explore multiple short routes. This design promotes a cycle of replaying to experience different story outcomes.
- “Mi has some good replay value.”
- “It's a visual novel with branching choices aiming for a replayable cycle of short 'routes'.”
- “It's a visual novel with branching choices aiming for a replayable cycle of short 'routes'.”