Pale Cachexia
- April 14, 2021
- Argent Games
Get on Steam"Pale Cachexia" is a kinetic novel set in a gothic fantasy world, following Esther's journey to find a cure for her mysterious illness. She meets Seina, and the two girls form a bond while uncovering dark secrets in Seina's manor. The game features 48,000 words of linear storytelling, with accessibility features including closed captions, OpenDyslexic font option, and the ability to disable bright flashes.
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Reviews
- The art and soundtrack are beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game.
- The story is emotionally gripping, with well-developed characters and a poignant narrative that resonates deeply with players.
- The writing is thoughtful and immersive, creating a rich and complex picture of the characters' struggles and relationships.
- The pacing can be slow and tedious at times, making it feel like a chore to get through certain sections.
- Some characters lack depth, leading to repetitive moments in their development that can detract from the overall experience.
- The reliance on adverbs in the writing can be cumbersome, disrupting the flow and immersion of the story.
- story120 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story is a beautifully crafted gothic narrative that explores deep emotional themes through a small cast of well-defined characters, primarily focusing on a chronically ill girl in search of a cure. While it unfolds slowly, the compelling writing, atmospheric music, and stunning visuals create a profound and immersive experience that resonates with players, despite some minor loose ends and a reliance on adverbs in the narration. Overall, it is praised for its emotional depth and ability to evoke empathy, making it a memorable and impactful story.
“What a beautiful, cozy, soft, and sad story.”
“An emotionally and psychologically gripping story that I'll remember for a long time!”
“I've been playing games for 28 years and have never had a real emotional response to a game's story before.”
“The story doesn't pull you in right away, but gets interesting the more you learn of the characters and their pasts around halfway through.”
“Though the story is decently plotted and paced, and the character dialogue is charming and believable enough, the third person narration can be somewhat cumbersome, owing to the author's extensive reliance on adverbs.”
“I feel like this might come across as an unfairly nitpicky complaint, but the adverb issue was so egregious (to me, at least) that it kept throwing me out of the story.”
- music38 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its high quality and ability to enhance the overall atmosphere without being repetitive or distracting. The hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, featuring ambient pads and poignant piano, complements the visuals and narrative, creating a deeply immersive experience. Reviewers highlight how the music effectively captures the emotional depth of the story, making it a standout aspect of the game.
“One of the most important aspects of this game is the hauntingly and beautifully composed soundtrack.”
“It would've gone a long way to improve the 'flow' of the writing, which would have further heightened the gothic atmosphere that the art, music, and visual direction captured so well.”
“The music makes strong use of ambient pads paired with heart-wrenching piano, which fit the story themes and setting perfectly.”
“It's quiet piano music which helps create the vibe but at the same time doesn't take your attention away from the story.”
- atmosphere22 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 41 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its stunning visuals, haunting soundtrack, and gothic elements, creating a unique and immersive experience. Many reviewers highlight that the atmosphere is the standout feature, often overshadowing the plot, and contributes positively to the overall emotional tone of the game. Despite some critiques regarding the writing, the combination of art and music effectively enhances the game's mood and emotional depth.
“The mood and atmosphere created by the music and art matches the story so well.”
“The composers did an absolutely phenomenal job setting atmosphere, tone, and emotion here, which brings the game to life more effectively than I'd realized was possible.”
“Pale Cachexia is a beautifully drawn and scored gothic visual novel oozing with atmosphere, with a short, well-paced story and a small, but well-defined cast of characters, which is, in my opinion, let down somewhat by its writing.”
“It would've gone a long way to improve the 'flow' of the writing, which would have further heightened the gothic atmosphere that the art, music, and visual direction captured so well.”
“Pale Cachexia radiates a distinctive sense of atmosphere and feeling tones that cannot be found in many other visual novels or video games.”
- emotional16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is widely regarded as an emotional masterpiece, evoking strong feelings and even tears from players. Its non-interactive, slow-paced narrative is deeply personal and features a realistic, heart-wrenching relationship that resonates with many. The combination of a touching story and evocative music enhances the emotional experience, leaving a lasting impact on players.
“It's a non-interactive story and a slow-paced one, but it's very personal and incredibly emotional.”
“An emotionally and psychologically gripping story that I'll remember for a long time!”
“The music makes strong use of ambient pads paired with heart-wrenching piano, which fit the story themes and setting perfectly.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 60 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics are highly praised for their breathtaking visuals and gothic art style, which effectively enhance the dark and emotional atmosphere of the story. Despite featuring only three character sprites, the variety of expressions and poses keeps the visuals dynamic and engaging. Overall, the combination of visuals, soundtrack, and storytelling creates a deeply immersive experience.
“The atmosphere, soundtrack, and visuals are really nice.”
“From the first seconds when I started it, the music, visuals, and story tugged at my heartstrings.”
“+Visuals are breathtaking.”
- character development4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
Character development in the game features intriguing moments, but overall, the characters are perceived as one-dimensional, leading to repetitive experiences. While the character designs are visually appealing, they do not compensate for the lack of depth in their development.
“The character designs are compelling and drawn in a style I find quite appealing.”
“The characters have moments of intrigue but are really one-note, so you're just constantly going over moments of character development that we've already seen multiple times.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game is generally regarded as good, though there is acknowledged potential for further enhancements.
“Overall, good performance with some room for improvement.”
