Seers Isle
- September 18, 2018
- Nova-box
- 15h median play time
Get on Steam"Seers Isle is a single-player, fantasy visual novel game with an intriguing story and spectacular visuals. As a group of shaman apprentices on a sacred island, your choices impact the fate of the characters and their relationships, with each playthrough offering a novel-sized adventure and slice of the hundreds of hand-drawn images."
Mac OS
Nintendo Switch
PC
Windows
Linux
Reviews
- The game features stunning artwork and a captivating soundtrack that enhances the immersive experience.
- The branching paths and multiple endings provide significant replay value, allowing players to explore different character arcs and outcomes.
- The characters are well-written and diverse, each with unique backgrounds that contribute to the overall narrative.
- Many players found the choices to be shallow and lacking meaningful impact on the story, leading to a feeling of being railroaded.
- The pacing of the story can be erratic, with some sections feeling rushed while others drag on, making it difficult to stay engaged.
- Several endings are perceived as unsatisfying or overly bleak, leaving players feeling disappointed after their efforts to explore different paths.
- story104 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with some players praising its atmospheric setting, beautiful art, and intriguing characters, while others express disappointment in the narrative's execution and lack of meaningful choices. Many found the story engaging enough to warrant multiple playthroughs, but some criticized it for being too linear or unsatisfying, particularly in how character fates are predetermined. Overall, while the visuals and music are often highlighted as standout features, the story's depth and player agency appear to be points of contention among reviewers.
“The art is gorgeous, the story and characters are compelling, and there's plenty of replay value as well.”
“The story is captivating.”
“A beautifully drawn game with a great adventure story and multiple playthrough options to see the fates of all the characters.”
“Unfortunately, I was so frustrated by the story and how the choices played out that by the ending, I was skipping through dialogue just to get to the ending.”
“Whatever you do, whichever choice you make, the plot doesn't diverge from its rail.”
“The story leaves the player so mercilessly in the dark that any choice loses sense.”
- music36 mentions
- 61 % positive mentions
- 31 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its beauty and ability to enhance the immersive experience, with many reviewers noting its calming and atmospheric qualities that complement the story and art. The soundtrack is described as stunning, with a mix of melodic tunes that evoke a fairy tale ambiance, although some players felt that moments of silence detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, elevating the game's emotional depth and engagement.
“The music is calming and very fitting to the story, making the visual novel feel immersive. I loved the mix of intrigue, curiosity, and confusion I felt while trying to discover the truth, especially during the first run through.”
“The art and music are gorgeous and used to full effect to convey the atmosphere of each scene.”
“The music in Seers Isle is amazing.”
“Along the edge had the same issue with when there was silence while one was playing the game and I expected to hear either music or sound effects somewhere since the game was mostly outside and usually there is always some noise happening outside.”
“It’s not the kind of songs I’d put into my mp3 player afterwards and listen over and over again.”
“The soundtrack is already somewhat neutral, but it’s a matter of everyone’s taste.”
- graphics25 mentions
- 68 % positive mentions
- 20 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Seers Isle" are widely praised for their stunning, hand-drawn artwork that creates an immersive atmosphere and enhances the storytelling experience. Reviewers highlight the unique art style, beautiful visuals, and the emotional depth they add to the game, making it one of its strongest assets. Overall, the combination of ethereal graphics and a compelling narrative has left a lasting impression on players.
“The artwork is beautiful, made even more impressive by the sheer volume of different scenes you get to experience as the story evolves; it's clear a lot of dedication has gone into it.”
“Ethereal graphics and a killer story.”
“Dear Nova-box, your watercolor artwork is a masterpiece!”
“Along the edge I consider a massively superior visual novel in everything to Seers Isle with the exception of graphics.”
“The only thing that kept me playing Seers Isle was the artwork and the promise of multiple endings.”
“I really liked the art style and music, but the characters were well written (Erik perhaps is a bit one-note).”
- atmosphere10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 10 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised for its beautiful artwork and atmospheric music, which effectively enhance the storytelling experience. While the visuals and sound contribute significantly to the overall ambiance, some players feel that the emotional investment in the story and characters is lacking. Overall, the game creates a captivating yet melancholic atmosphere, appealing to those who appreciate artistic and immersive environments.
“The setting is atmospheric and the story is intriguing.”
“Seers Isle is a spectacular text adventure with beautiful illustrations, atmospheric music, and an original story.”
“Now, if what you are looking for is a game with a sad atmosphere that gives you no reward, then this is your game.”
“Though all in all it is a pleasure to read with the music enhancing the atmosphere of the scenes.”
“The art and music are gorgeous and used to full effect to convey the atmosphere of each scene.”
- replayability7 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The game offers exceptional replayability, with users noting the vast number of endings and diverse storylines influenced by player choices. Its engaging narrative, beautiful art, and compelling characters encourage multiple playthroughs, making it a standout in the visual novel genre. Players have reported enjoying the experience enough to replay it several times without exhausting its content.
“The art is gorgeous (many scenes are illustrated in a beautifully hand-painted style), the story and characters are compelling, and there's plenty of replay value as well.”
“And such amazing replay value that I just sat down, played the whole thing through four times in a row, and still haven't even encountered everything.”
“Based on choice-consequence, it has a good replayability as different storylines can be experienced.”
“Good bite-sized gaming and has quite a few endings, so relatively replayable from a visual novel standpoint.”
“A cool story in a Celtic setting with a lot of replay value.”
“And for a visual novel, the replayability is vast.”
- gameplay7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily focused on narrative, with a choice mechanic that influences the story's progression and character arcs. While it may seem simple at first, players are encouraged to engage deeply with the plot, as multiple playthroughs reveal the complexity and depth of the characters' stories. Overall, the game effectively blends storytelling with interactive elements, making for a compelling experience.
“The game uses a choice mechanic in which you build up certain 'stats'; this is mainly used to select the route the later chapters will take.”
“While the gameplay might be considered simple, I feel the game has a great deal of depth, and the stories of the characters are extremely well written.”
“No real gameplay, besides dialogue choices... but a bit more complex than this: once you complete your first playthrough, it'll become much clearer that one playthrough isn't enough to understand the game.”
“If you find the story compelling enough to search for other outcomes and character arcs, that will be the time to better understand the mechanical side of navigating the plot paths.”
“I'd recommend on the first play to ignore the mechanical elements and just let the plot evolve through choices.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, noting that the branching paths lack the impact seen in previous titles, making exploration feel less rewarding and more laborious.
“Only this time the branches don't seem to be as impactful as they were in their previous game, so it's even more tedious to wade through the game again to try and explore.”
“I want to see the different possibilities, but the way this game is set up makes it so tedious to really explore.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a strong investment from players, prompting some to replay it, while others express feelings of frustration and helplessness, indicating a divisive impact on their overall experience.
“It really made me feel invested and drove me to replay it.”
