Seventh Circle
- September 19, 2019
- Rock Candy Games
Get on Steam"Seventh Circle" is an urban fantasy visual novel where you enter the world of arena battle mages as a modern-day mage, fresh out of college and ready to prove yourself. Engage in dynamic character routes with a diverse cast of LGBT characters, leading to over two dozen different endings, with options for both romantic and platonic relationships. Uncover a decades-old mystery as you navigate the uptight geniuses’ and hot-headed rivals’ big personalities. Will you join the Trillian?
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The art is visually appealing and well-designed, enhancing the overall experience.
- The characters are charming and well-developed, making it easy to become attached to them.
- The dialogue is engaging and the worldbuilding has intriguing potential, despite not being fully realized.
- The game is plagued by numerous bugs and glitches that hinder gameplay and progression.
- The storylines are disappointingly short, leaving players feeling unsatisfied and wanting more content.
- The promised RPG elements and magic systems are underutilized, leading to a lack of meaningful gameplay and replay value.
- story9 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's story has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it lacking in depth and coherence, often feeling confused or unsatisfied with the plot's execution. While certain characters and relationships show potential for exploration, many reviewers expressed disappointment in the overall narrative, noting that it fails to integrate its magical elements meaningfully into the storyline. Additionally, the absence of a cohesive ending that ties together various plot threads left players feeling that the story was fragmented and incomplete.
“Now, I liked most of the characters, and the storyline seemed interesting (at least, what I could see of it).”
“Seems like there could be more to explore in the storylines and relationships.”
“Also kind of wish you could save all endings, so that it doesn't all feel like separate timelines, and more like a whole story - considering the different mysteries and friendships that are there it seems like one ending with a certain character shouldn't preclude other developments.”
“When I started playing the game, I thought it was great, but now that I've played through it, I can say it was a waste of my money. The game is full of bugs and glitches, and the plot is non-existent. I would not recommend.”
“I felt like I only got pieces of the plot and was left a little confused or even got spoiled a bit, I think.”
“Also, if you were drawn to this game because it's a magic-focused story, I wouldn't recommend it, as the only RPG elements really are what it says on the tin: you get pronouns and a school of magic, and that's it, with the latter only coming up briefly in conversations and having no major bearing on the plot that I've seen.”
- graphics6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game features a simplistic yet appealing art style with a soft color palette, which many players find enjoyable. However, the significant inconsistency between the in-game graphics and the character CGs—each created by different artists—can disrupt the overall experience, particularly during key moments like character endings. This disparity often detracts from the immersion and emotional impact of the narrative.
“When you look at screenshots and the trailer, you can see a simplistic but rather pleasant art style and a soft color palette.”
“I love Aunt Jean and the aesthetics are great!”
“Imagine my surprise when I reached my first character ending (it was Bowie, by the way) and his first (and only) CG came up... in an entirely different art style.”
“Moreover, the art style difference was so immense that it totally broke the mood of the said good ending.”
“Inconsistencies between in-game art style and CG art style rarely co-exist well in visual novels, and considering that every CG in this game was drawn by a different artist, every new CG caused a significant shock.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the experience despite encountering glitches, while others found it unplayable due to persistent bugs that hindered progress across multiple routes. Overall, the presence of significant technical issues has led to disappointment among users, affecting their overall enjoyment.
“When I started playing the game, I thought it was great, but now that I've played through it, I can say it was a waste of my money. The game is full of bugs and glitches, and the plot is non-existent. Would not recommend.”
“Unfortunately, once I was actually able to play, I found it unplayable due to bugs. The game freezes at a specific point, and while you can go into the menu and save, it won't progress any further. This has happened in all four routes that I tried.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Players feel that the game's replayability is significantly limited, as switching magic classes only results in minor dialogue changes rather than substantial gameplay differences, making restarting the game feel unnecessary.
“This also greatly diminishes the replay value.”
“The only thing that changes if you decide to try out a different magic class is a couple of lines, and frankly speaking, there’s no point or replay value in restarting the game just to see some characters’ greetings change from 'Oh cool, you are also a modification mage!'”
“After completing the game once, I found no incentive to go back. The story remains the same, and the choices feel meaningless.”
“The lack of meaningful differences in gameplay or story outcomes makes replaying this game feel like a chore rather than an enjoyable experience.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players note that while the game allows for flirtation with various characters, each one carries significant emotional baggage, making the romantic interactions feel complex and often devoid of traditional romance.
“You can flirt a little with all the characters during the course of the game, but every - e v e r y - character has some emotional baggage, and thus there is nothing romantic about 'romancing' them.”
- gameplay1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The gameplay has been criticized for its lack of depth, particularly in the fighting mechanics, which some players found disappointing. There was an expectation that the romance elements would compensate for this shortcoming, but the overall experience fell short for some users.
“When I first realized there is nothing to the fighting aspect of the game (both gameplay and story-wise), I had hoped that at least the romance part would manage to deliver.”
“The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks depth, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“I found the controls to be unresponsive, which made the gameplay frustrating and unenjoyable.”
