Paranormal Teens
- December 28, 2016
- Godline
Based on the fictional reality TV series Paranormal Teens. Free to play.
Reviews
- The game is free to play, making it accessible for anyone interested in visual novels.
- It features unique characters and an interesting premise that combines elements of supernatural and reality TV.
- The writing is above average for a free game, with a solid grasp of the English language.
- The game suffers from technical issues, including frequent crashes when starting a new game.
- The story is heavily focused on Christian themes, which may alienate players looking for a more balanced narrative.
- Character development is lacking, with many characters being stereotypes and choices having minimal impact on the story.
- story21 mentions
- 19 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The story has been described as confusing and inconsistent, with a mix of clichés and pop culture references that detract from its depth. While some players found the premise intriguing, many criticized the underdeveloped characters and relationships, as well as the forced plot that culminates in a preachy conclusion centered around Christianity. Overall, the narrative leaves players feeling unsatisfied, with abrupt endings and numerous plot holes.
“The storyline was phenomenal; it matches the art perfectly.”
“I actually kinda liked the story, and I think the idea itself was neat.”
“So basically before I started the game, I honestly thought that it was going to be a paranormal visual novel with ghosts and stuff, but this quickly became a lot darker and more religious than just a normal ghost story.”
“The story then turns into something about demon possession, and the only way to get a happy ending is by converting to Christianity and praying to God.”
“The plot feels rather forced, and selecting any option other than 'pray to Jesus' at the final choice results in a bad ending.”
“The game has an interesting premise and a solid grasp of the English language, but the characters and their relationships are underdeveloped, and the story ends abruptly, leaving a 'what just happened?' feeling.”
- music7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its production quality, particularly in certain scenes, while others find it buggy and inconsistent. Although the soundtrack is described as bearable and occasionally amusing, it fails to impress overall, and the integration with visuals has been criticized for lacking coherence. Additionally, the presence of overly religious themes detracts from the overall experience for some players.
“Also, somehow at the bad end there's a song that plays that has shockingly good production values, but despite my searching its lyrics up on the internet, I got absolutely 0 hits.”
“I do commend the effort that was put into this, with visuals and music following a coherent style.”
“The music was bearable, even amusing at times.”
“The music itself is okay, but it is buggy.”
“Once I turned off the noisy sound effects, the music itself stopped.”
“There were also some weird things with the music at times.”
- graphics7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The graphics feature a self-drawn comic book style that some players find charming, though opinions vary widely. While there is an effort to maintain a coherent visual style, inconsistencies in the artwork and backgrounds detract from the overall experience, with some describing the visuals as underwhelming and poorly executed. Additionally, the choice of font has been criticized, further impacting the aesthetic appeal.
“The art style has a certain self-drawn comic book charm to it and is pretty okay overall.”
“I commend the effort that was put into this; the visuals and music follow a coherent style.”
“Some of the backgrounds looked like photos, while others appeared to be drawn, but not by the same person or in the same art style as the characters.”
“The art style is really weird.”
“Some of the backgrounds looked like photos, others looked like they were drawn, but not by the same person or in the same art style as the characters.”
“But the artwork is underwhelming at least, and the chosen font is ugly.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is polarizing; while some players find it amusing in an ironic, trash TV way, others feel it falls flat due to its heavy-handed religious themes and cringeworthy jokes. Although a few moments may elicit laughter, many reviewers are put off by the poor writing and art, making it difficult to appreciate the comedic elements fully. Overall, the humor may appeal to those with a specific taste, but it risks alienating a broader audience.
“If you're not easily triggered by the whole Christian stuff and the exaggeration of the characters, it might be fine as a joke reading or something like you'd watch trash TV ironically. It's funny since the setting is actually a reality TV kind of thing.”
“There were a few jokes that made me laugh, but some were more cringeworthy.”
“I've heard that the [spoiler]jesus-tastic[/spoiler] ending is hilarious, but I just can't suffer through this bad art and awful writing to get there.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Players have noted a bug in the gameplay, although there is a fix available that some users have not yet implemented.
“If I am not mistaken, there is a fix to this bug; however, I did not have the fix in my gameplay.”
- stability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The stability of the game is criticized due to significant bugs that detract from the overall experience, leading some users to feel that even a free visual novel should maintain a higher standard of stability.
“The music itself is okay, but it is buggy.”
“If this hadn't occurred, I would have given Paranormal Teens a thumbs up, but a visual novel should not be buggy, not even if it's a free VN on Steam.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 200 % positive mentions
- -400 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or multiple attempts to progress effectively.
“Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
“The grind is satisfying and offers a real sense of progression.”
“You'll need a second life for grinding.”
“The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
“I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is hindered by awkwardly loud sound effects that fail to enhance the overall experience.
“The sound effects are awkwardly loud and don't contribute to the overall atmosphere of the game.”
“The environment feels lifeless and fails to immerse players in the game's world.”
“The lighting is inconsistent, making it difficult to appreciate the game's visuals and diminishing the overall atmosphere.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game resonates with players by evoking nostalgia, particularly among those who share a background in religious or paranormal interests during their teenage years. This connection fosters a sense of warmth and fondness, making it difficult for players to criticize the game despite any shortcomings.
“I was once a religious teen interested in UFO phenomena, and 'Paranormal Teens' made me feel sort of nostalgic, so I can't really bring myself to be mad at it.”