The Agency: Chapter 1

41%
Game Brain Score Based on 18 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • gameplay
The Agency: Chapter 1 Game Cover
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"The Agency: Chapter 1" is a kinetic novel set in a dystopian, steampunk-inspired world, where a young man becomes embroiled in a thrilling mystery after joining a private investigators agency. The game features high-quality anime art, immersive steampunk music, and an addictive puzzle mini-game. This episodic series offers an engaging storyline and a unique theme that will keep you hooked.

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Reviews

41%
Audience ScoreBased on 18 reviews
story5 positive mentions
music3 negative mentions
  • The art style and backgrounds are visually appealing, contributing to the steampunk atmosphere.
  • The story has intriguing elements, including political intrigue and conspiracies, which can engage players.
  • The music is well-composed and complements the overall feel of the game.
  • The writing and dialogue are often poorly executed, leading to a tedious reading experience with excessive exposition.
  • The puzzles are simplistic and lack challenge, making them feel more like a chore than an engaging gameplay element.
  • The game fails to provide meaningful choices, resulting in a linear experience that diminishes player engagement.
  • story22 mentions

    The story has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its themes of resilience and political intrigue, while others found it underdeveloped and lacking in character depth. The pacing has been criticized for feeling slow and bloated, detracting from engagement, although the art and atmosphere were noted as positives. Overall, while the narrative shows potential for future installments, it currently struggles to fully captivate its audience.

    • “Voice acting, cool little mini puzzles, interesting story.”
    • “The storyline really got me interested and I am eager to see more.”
    • “[*] [b]story[/b]: political intrigue, conspiracies, a missing person, and a stolen jewel!”
    • “I'm paraphrasing and exaggerating a lot, but speaking for myself, I was not gripped by the story enough to be willing to either want to see what would happen or to click through to get to the puzzles.”
    • “However, it started to sink in that the reason I was having a problem with the pacing is because of all of the fat left in the story.”
    • “- bland, lifeless story/writing”
  • music7 mentions

    The music in the game is generally appreciated for its relaxing and appropriate tone, enhancing the overall atmosphere. However, some players found the lack of variety in tracks disappointing, as the repetitive nature of the music became monotonous over time. While it is described as nice and fitting, a greater diversity in the soundtrack would have improved the experience.

    • “On the plus side, the music is nice and some of the loading screen art is extremely pretty.”
    • “The music was very appropriate towards the feel and the style of the novel.”
    • “The music became a bit of a bother since they waited later in the game to bother changing it at all, or the tracks sounded so similar that I couldn't tell which is even worse.”
    • “In particular, it didn't sound 'bad'; a new song for different areas or something would have been nice though, it just about put me to sleep.”
    • “I relaxed for 5 minutes listening to this music, long enough to realize that I would be okay.”
  • gameplay4 mentions

    The gameplay in this visual novel is largely criticized for its lack of depth, featuring poorly written dialogue and minimal player choice that fails to impact the story meaningfully. While there is an image puzzle component, it does not significantly enhance the overall experience, leaving players feeling underwhelmed.

    • “There is gameplay though, in the form of an image puzzle game.”
    • “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
    • “Besides that, the mechanics of the puzzles were awful.”
    • “The choices didn't affect anything as far as I know (except maybe minor bits of dialogue), but this isn't the first visual novel I've played that's done that, so I'm not too disappointed.”
  • graphics4 mentions

    The graphics of the game feature a neat art style that enhances the puzzle experience, providing a relaxing atmosphere. However, the lack of resolution options and limited character expressions detract from the overall visual appeal, making the aesthetic choices feel more superficial than impactful.

    • “Honestly, the puzzles have a neat looking art style and although it isn't particularly challenging, it's kind of relaxing to do them.”
    • “There's no option to change the resolution and no useful graphics tweaks.”
    • “I liked the art style, but the lack of expression on the characters (maybe Fio had one or two expressions besides her normal one) was not nice.”
    • “The decisions are more 'aesthetic' than anything else and are more a means to get more information and immerse oneself better in the world of this game.”
  • grinding2 mentions

    Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books to be tedious and repetitive, likening the experience to a frustratingly slow reading process where each sentence requires a click to advance, detracting from the overall enjoyment. While some acknowledge it as generally harmless, the repetitive nature can diminish engagement.

    • “Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best... imagine the best novel you ever read, be that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or 2001: A Space Odyssey or Twilight (if you have terrible taste in literature), but then translate that to a format where the words dribble out and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
    • “It can get a bit tedious and repetitive at times but were in themselves generally harmless.”
  • atmosphere2 mentions

    The atmosphere is a unique blend of steampunk aesthetics, post-World War I themes, and private investigation elements, creating an engaging and immersive experience. Reviewers appreciate the art and story, suggesting that the overall atmosphere justifies the game's price for those interested in these themes.

    • “The atmosphere is a captivating blend of steampunk, post-World War I elements, and private investigation themes.”
    • “The art, story, and atmosphere create an immersive experience that justifies the price, especially if it aligns with your interests.”
    • “The atmosphere is a combination of steampunk, the end of World War I, and private investigating.”
    • “That said, the art, story, and atmosphere are worth it for the price as long as it's at least sort of what you're looking for.”
  • humor1 mentions

    The humor in Chapter 1 is polarizing; some players find it either amusingly bad or perfectly aligned with their tastes, suggesting a subjective experience that may resonate differently with each individual.

    • “Chapter 1 wasn't anything special, and I can't be sure if it was so bad it was hilarious or if the humor was actually right up my alley.”
  • character development1 mentions

    Character development received mixed feedback, with some users feeling it could have been improved, although they appreciated the overall story.

  • monetization1 mentions

    The monetization strategy is positively received, with users noting effective advertising on the store page that likely enhances visibility and appeal.

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