Pyrite Heart
- September 25, 2014
- Winged Cloud
- 1h median play time
Get on Steam"Pyrite Heart" is a visual novel game that follows the story of a young engineer, Alphys, living in the underground city of Hometown. After discovering a mysterious artifact, she becomes involved in a plot to overthrow the kingdom and must choose between loyalty to her friends or following her own ambitions. The game features multiple endings, character development, and romance options.
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Reviews
- The character development is enjoyable, particularly the growth of the main character, Ahri.
- The visuals and artwork are beautiful, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
- The story is cute and light-hearted, making it a pleasant short read.
- The game is extremely short, with most players finishing it in under an hour.
- There are very few choices, leading to a lack of meaningful player agency in the story.
- The main character can be annoying and lacks depth, making it hard for some players to connect with her.
- story139 mentions
- 24 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally described as cute and enjoyable, featuring a sheltered princess who embarks on a short journey of self-discovery and romance. However, many reviewers criticize its brevity, with playthroughs lasting only 30-60 minutes, and note that the plot lacks depth and character development, making it feel predictable and rushed. While the art and music are praised, the overall narrative is seen as simplistic and not particularly groundbreaking, leaving players wanting more substance and choices.
“I think it was perfect for what it was: a short otome with two romance options, and an interesting story about a princess and a wager.”
“The story is really cute and enjoyable; in fact, I found myself smiling throughout the whole playthrough.”
“While the story does have a cute side to it, the emotional development of the characters just spouts out of nowhere far too quickly, which really subtracts from the believability of the story.”
“The story is very juvenile; you are some princess that goes into the outside world supposedly with her brother, which you never really see again.”
“The story was pretty rushed with little detail about anything, and the scenarios were exactly what you'd expect in a quick visual novel.”
“The story is incredibly short, with only two quite obvious branching paths.”
- graphics47 mentions
- 70 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful and charming art style, with many reviewers highlighting the high-quality visuals and cute aesthetics. While the artwork is considered a standout feature, some players express disappointment over the game's brevity and lack of meaningful choices, suggesting that the visuals may be the main draw rather than a compelling gameplay experience. Overall, the graphics are described as impressive and professional, making the game visually appealing despite its narrative shortcomings.
“The artwork is beautiful, making the game a pleasure to play through.”
“A very pretty, very professional anime art style.”
“The graphics were very well done, but unfortunately there is no way to see them without playing through the game again.”
“It might be considered eligible on means of display - with a pretty enough art style, yet I find myself failing to recommend it due to it being completely stereotypical and uninteresting.”
“The graphics were very well done but unfortunately there is no way to see them without playing through the game again, which is different as most dating sims have this option.”
“Even though there are multiple endings possible, only 2 are actually 'true endings' and only those have graphics.”
- music25 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 28 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some praising its ability to enhance the atmosphere, particularly the piano ballads, while others find it forgettable or average. Many reviewers appreciate the combination of good artwork and music, noting that while the soundtracks are pleasant, they often lack the impact needed to elevate the overall experience. Overall, the music is generally seen as a supportive element rather than a standout feature.
“The music and graphics are the best points of the game, as the story is a little easy.”
“The art is great and the music fits the mood.”
“The story is fun and the music is beautiful too.”
“The music is forgettable but the art is rather well-done.”
“No voice acting, no music, no sound at all.”
“Production values have no significant detractors, though the music doesn't seem as effective in setting the mood and is mostly standard.”
- humor16 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with many players finding it funny and highlighting the comedic interactions between characters, particularly the tsundere heroine. While some moments are described as hilarious and heartwarming, others feel the humor is overshadowed by the game's brevity and simplicity. Overall, the humor is a standout aspect, contributing positively to the game's charm despite its shortcomings.
“The characters were humorous and lovable, although more background and story would be appreciated.”
“The character of Ahri can be hilarious to watch if you like tsundere characters; the banter and back-and-forth between the duo has left me laughing so hard at times.”
“Very short but a heart-warming and funny story!”
- emotional13 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is described as cute, heartwarming, and capable of eliciting strong feelings, with some players experiencing tears and joy. However, many reviewers noted that the emotional development feels rushed due to the game's short length, limiting the depth of character relationships and overall impact. While there are poignant moments that resonate, the potential for a more profound emotional experience is hindered by the game's brevity and somewhat stock characters.
“So I know this sounds pathetic, but this game made me cry.”
“What an absolute amazing piece of work, such an emotional rollercoaster, and I literally felt like I was the character.”
“I haven't had this much emotional output since reading 'The Fault in Our Stars', along with 'Katawa Shoujo'.”
- gameplay13 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 54 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The gameplay of *Pyrite Heart* is notably brief, averaging around an hour per route, with some players expressing disappointment over the lack of depth and options. While the game is visually appealing and offers a sweet experience for fans of visual novels, many reviewers suggest that its short duration and limited gameplay mechanics may not justify the price. Overall, it is seen as a casual, quick experience rather than a robust gaming offering.
“It sure is a sweet little game for your 3 dollars if you are strictly into visual novel gameplay and wouldn't like to miss any of them.”
“The art of the game is quite beautiful and the soundtracks are good too, but the storyline and the gameplay could be much better than it is.”
“Pyrite Heart doesn't have tens of hours of gameplay as some of the other visual novels, but it doesn't really matter.”
“This is barely an hour of gameplay per route.”
“Lacks any gameplay.”
“Kinda short (even replaying for multiple endings only gives you about two hours worth of gameplay).”
- character development5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players appreciate the significant growth of the main character, particularly noting a transformation from annoyance to depth, others feel that character development is lacking overall. The visuals and character designs are praised, but the inconsistency in development leaves some players wanting more.
“I loved the character development, and the visuals were flawless.”
“The main character at the beginning annoyed me to no end, but she has great character development by the midway point.”
“With that character development, some humor, and the beautiful artwork, it still makes a decent game.”
“The game suffers from a lack of character development to varying extents.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game has low replayability, with players noting that it can be completed in just two to three hours, leaving little incentive to revisit once all options are explored.
“I enjoyed the game, but it doesn't have too much replay value.”
“Thus, there's very little replayability value.”
“Even so, I feel that the replayability value remains quite low.”
“As short as it is, the game has limited replay value, and you'll exhaust all the options in two to three hours, depending on your reading speed.”
