Once on a windswept night
- October 31, 2016
- ebi-hime
Get on SteamIn "Once on a Windswept Night," a traveling merchant finds themselves in a mysterious church on a stormy night, after being betrayed by a goblin. With a 40k word script, this yuri visual novel features multiple branches and choices, as well as challenging achievements to unlock. Custom sprites and a melancholic atmosphere add to the intrigue of this GxG mystery.
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Reviews
- Once on a Windswept Night offers a touching and emotionally resonant story with well-developed characters, despite its short length.
- The game features beautiful artwork and a unique presentation style that immerses players immediately without a traditional menu.
- As a free visual novel, it provides significant replayability with multiple endings and achievements, showcasing the developer's talent and creativity.
- The lack of a main menu and slow saving system can be jarring and may disrupt the player's experience.
- Some characters feel one-dimensional initially, and not all are adequately developed, which may leave players wanting more depth.
- The game has limited CG artwork, which, while of good quality, could have benefited from more variety to enhance the visual experience.
- story38 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 82 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The game's story is praised for its depth and emotional resonance, featuring a complex narrative with multiple twists and well-developed characters, despite its short length and limited scenery. Players appreciate the interwoven storytelling that allows for exploration of different paths, each revealing more layers of the narrative. Overall, it is considered a beautifully written and engaging experience that exceeds expectations, especially for a free game.
“Such a well written and beautiful story; many laughs and tears.”
“What’s stunning about this novel is that it is an interwoven story of stories, and each attempt to find new paths reveals more and more of that story.”
“Although it's free, characters are well developed and the plot is surprising; only 5 characters but all have their elaborated stories and corresponding personalities.”
“Despite the game's short length, the story is rather dense and not accompanied by much change of scenery, so it can feel tiresome at times to read.”
“Emotional resonance from the three story flashbacks told entirely through old text style.”
“Upon starting the game, you are thrown into the story without the greeting of a main menu.”
- emotional18 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its well-drawn characters and interconnected stories that resonate deeply with players, often evoking tears through their poignant themes. The simplicity of storytelling, particularly through flashbacks, enhances the emotional impact, making it a masterfully crafted experience that stands out in the visual novel genre. Overall, players appreciate the heartfelt narratives that skillfully tug at their heartstrings.
“Surprisingly, the simplicity added to the emotional payoff, and it took different characters' lives and used a common theme to connect them all.”
“Sad emotional stories that connect via one core theme and manage to tug at our heartstrings in more ways than we expect.”
“The 'best' ending is completely heartwarming, and you'll probably find yourself shedding a few tears.”
- music4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in "Once on a Windswept Night" is consistently praised for its beauty, complementing the game's captivating artwork and characters, creating an immersive experience for players.
“Once on a Windswept Night has beautiful artwork, captivating characters, and nice music.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game features clever fourth wall breaks and sharp dialogue that elicit genuine laughter, though reactions may vary among players. Overall, the humor is consistently entertaining and well-integrated throughout the experience.
“There are some serious fourth wall rustling here that made me laugh out loud a few times (your genuine reactions are not guaranteed to be the same), especially as my computer puts itself in a deep sleep in protest.”
“Sharp dialogue and some very funny humor spread throughout.”
- graphics4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The graphics in "Once on a Windswept Night" are praised for their beautiful artwork and captivating character designs, complemented by nice music. However, some users express disappointment over the limited number of CG artworks, though they acknowledge the quality is high and consider it acceptable given that the game is free.
“Once on a Windswept Night features beautiful artwork, captivating characters, and lovely music.”
“The only dissatisfaction for me is the lack of CG artworks; they are of quality but few. However, it's a free game, so I think it's okay.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game features a short narrative that offers significant replayability, encouraging players to explore different choices to achieve challenging alternate endings.
“A short narrative with plenty of replayability, allowing players to aim for the hard-to-reach ending.”
“The game offers a short narrative packed with replayability, encouraging players to strive for the elusive ending.”
“With a concise narrative and abundant replayability, this game challenges players to achieve the difficult ending.”
“Short narrative with plenty of replayability to aim for the hard-to-reach ending.”
