The Ballad Singer

About

The Ballad Singer is a single player role playing game with a fantasy theme. It was developed by Curtel Games and was released on February 15, 2019. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

"The Ballad Singer" is a narrative-driven RPG with a choice-driven narrative and tactical combat system. Explore a fantasy world through the intertwining stories of four distinct characters, making choices that impact their fates. The game features hand-drawn illustrations and a unique card-based combat system, offering a deep and immersive role-playing experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

63%

Audience ScoreBased on 54 reviews

story10 positive mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and a well-done soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
The voice acting is excellent, with varied accents and modulation that add depth to the characters.
There is a high level of replayability due to the multiple protagonists and the different paths the story can take based on player choices.

The death mechanic is frustratingly unfair, with many choices leading to random deaths without clear hints, making the gameplay feel more like an exercise in memory than meaningful decision-making.
Character development is lacking, with protagonists feeling underdeveloped and not engaging enough for players to care about their fates.
The story is choppy and lacks coherence, often leaving players confused about the context of their choices and the overall narrative.

story
70 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
82%
4%
The story is described as intricate and well-written, featuring multiple characters and narrative choices that influence the outcome, but it suffers from inconsistency and a lack of depth. While the artwork and voice acting are praised, many reviewers feel that the storytelling is choppy and at times shallow, with some choices leading to frustrating or nonsensical outcomes. Overall, the game presents a mix of engaging elements and significant flaws, leaving players divided on its effectiveness as a narrative experience.
- “The story is well written overall, and it has many narrative choices along the way that lead to different paths.”
- “Even your character's death (if it happens) has consequences on the development of the story.”
- “I love a good story, and now I have options to shape this saga according to my choices.”
- “Sooner or later a choose your own adventure story like this has to deliver an actual story, and that's where things go wrong in just about every way you can imagine, and some you probably couldn't.”
- “But the story lacks consistency and is desperately shallow.”
- “Genuine character development is replaced--in one of the most bizarre design choices I've ever seen--with the opportunity to abandon the main story altogether and go off on a random tangent that has nothing to do with the quest they've spent the whole time setting up.”
music
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
56%
19%
The music in the game is highly praised for its beauty and cinematic quality, featuring a diverse range of appropriate themes that enhance the storytelling experience. Reviewers note that the soundtrack is dramatic and immersive, effectively complementing the game's visuals and narrative. Additionally, the ability for music to shift unexpectedly adds a dynamic element to the overall audio experience.
- “That soundtrack is beautiful.”
- “It's all brought to life with dramatic music and page after page of colorful illustrations.”
- “Music comparable to the soundtrack of a film.”
- “Even the music cuts off, and sometimes a different score starts playing regardless of whether you've changed scenes or not.”
- “- music comparable to the soundtrack of a film”
- “(3) large number of appropriate musical themes.”
graphics
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
86%
14%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beautiful artwork and unique art style, which enhance the storytelling experience. Reviewers note that the visuals stand out compared to typical visual novels, as they feature intricate illustrations rather than simple sprites and backgrounds. Overall, the graphics contribute significantly to the game's appeal, despite mixed opinions on the story itself.
- “I could say that it has beautiful graphics, is fully voiced, has an intricate story with 4 characters who sometimes cross with each other, has a nice soundtrack, and several quality of life features, like the ability to double the speed of the narrator's voice to speed up the game.”
- “Fascinating art style and interesting stories for each character.”
- “The big difference between this and most visual novels is that instead of a sprite and general background, you have beautiful artwork describing most of the story.”
gameplay
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
The gameplay is marred by an unfair death mechanic and frustrating choices, which detract from the overall experience and are not justified by the game's fate system or second life features.
- “But all of this gets completely ruined by an absolutely unfair death mechanic and bad choices.”
emotional
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of depth in character development, leading to a disconnect between players and the characters' experiences. Quick introductions and superficial backstories fail to create meaningful connections, resulting in players feeling indifferent to pivotal moments, such as character deaths. Overall, the game does not effectively engage players on an emotional level.
- “There are a few token efforts to establish their various pasts, but for the most part you don't get to experience anything that engages you emotionally and helps you connect with them as people.”
- “Quick introduction to characters and throwing them into heart-felt decisions you need to take without establishing a connection between the player and the character (aka, 'why should I care that x died, I know him for 5 minutes...').”
- “If you came here with one thumb on your lighter, ready to lose yourself in some heart-wrenching ballads, I'm afraid I've got bad news for you.”
character development
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game has been criticized for lacking depth, as players feel it is overshadowed by the option to divert from the main storyline into unrelated tangents, detracting from the overall narrative cohesion.
replayability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The reviews indicate that the game's replayability is limited, with many players feeling that once completed, there is little incentive to revisit it. Some users mention that while there are different paths or choices, they do not significantly alter the overall experience. Overall, the consensus suggests that the game may not offer enough variety to encourage multiple playthroughs.