The Ballad Singer
- February 15, 2019
- Curtel Games
Get on Steam"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.
Mac OS
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features beautiful artwork and well-done voice acting, enhancing the overall experience.
- It offers a unique storytelling approach where player choices significantly impact the narrative, providing high replayability.
- The intricate storylines and character perspectives create an engaging fantasy adventure reminiscent of classic choose-your-own-adventure books.
- The death mechanics are often unfair, with many choices leading to random deaths without clear hints, causing frustration.
- Character development is lacking, making it difficult for players to connect with the protagonists, resulting in a less immersive experience.
- The story can feel predictable and shallow, with many choices feeling inconsequential and leading to repetitive gameplay.
- story66 mentions
- 23 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The game's story is a mixed bag, featuring an intriguing narrative with multiple character perspectives and impactful choices, but it suffers from inconsistencies and predictability. While the artwork and voice acting enhance the experience, many players feel that the story lacks depth and coherence, with some choices feeling inconsequential or leading to abrupt, illogical outcomes. Overall, it offers a unique storytelling experience, but it falls short of delivering a consistently engaging plot.
“A very interesting storytelling game where your choices do matter quite a lot, and an intelligent way of solving problems that sometimes call to the player's knowledge.”
“The story is well written overall, and it has many narrative choices along the way that lead to different paths.”
“Undoubtedly, this is the most important and strong point that this game has, where the main story can be played from the point of view of any of the 4 characters, giving us the option to face them or turn them into our allies at some point in time.”
“The story is overall cheap and too many choices are fake choices (if you go A you continue, if you go B, C, or D you die).”
“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.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 71 % positive mentions
- 14 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their beautiful and intricate artwork, with many reviewers highlighting the impressive quality and artistic level of the visuals. While some note that the graphics are primarily static 2D images, the overall aesthetic and engaging narration contribute positively to the gaming experience. However, a few critiques mention that the graphics alone may not elevate the game beyond mediocrity without the support of voice acting and storytelling.
“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.”
“The graphics of the game are not the greatest; we are talking about 2D images with some movement effects. While the images have impressive quality and great artistic level, they still fall short overall.”
“A lot of reading with static graphics, which are passable.”
- music13 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 23 % neutral mentions
- 23 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its beauty and effectiveness in enhancing the storytelling experience, with many reviewers noting its cinematic quality and the variety of appropriate musical themes. The soundtrack, combined with excellent voice acting, contributes significantly to the game's immersive atmosphere. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature that complements the game's intricate narrative and visuals.
“That soundtrack is beautiful.”
“The lovely music and multiple voice actors also aid in setting the environment to fully capture you in its storytelling.”
“A good selection and use of sounds and music in general by the developers, but I would like to highlight especially the locution of the story and texts which has a very good level.”
“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.”
“Large number of appropriate musical themes.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
Gameplay is criticized for its unfair death mechanics and lack of depth, which detracts from the overall experience. However, it is praised for its story-focused approach and unique "choose your adventure" style, appealing to players who appreciate narrative-driven gameplay.
“I would strongly recommend this for anyone that is looking for story-focused and meaningful gameplay.”
“The unique gameplay copied forward from choose-your-adventure books is something I wish to see more of in the future.”
“But all of this gets completely ruined by an absolutely unfair death mechanic and poor choices.”
“Gameplay-wise, there is not a lot of depth, but this is made up for in other areas.”
“If you're not big into reading or slow gameplay, this probably isn't for you.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
The game boasts excellent replayability due to its engaging story and multiple gameplay options, allowing players to reach the conclusion through various paths. While some users feel the price is slightly high, the diverse experiences available encourage repeated playthroughs.
“Great replayability.”
“For the interesting story it has, the great replayability it offers, and the numerous options for how to play, I think the game is priced a little above what I would typically pay, but that's just my personal opinion as I'm not specifically a lover of this genre.”
“You can reach the end of their stories in multiple different ways, and the replay value is huge!”
“The game lacks meaningful choices, making replayability feel pointless.”
“Once you've completed the main story, there's little incentive to play again.”
“The limited variety in gameplay mechanics really diminishes the replay value.”
- character development3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for lacking depth, as players feel it is overshadowed by unrelated side quests that detract from the main narrative. Many reviewers express a desire for more cohesive storytelling and stronger character arcs.
“Genuine character development is replaced 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.”
“There is room for much improvement in terms of story, writing, and character development.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is criticized for its lack of character development, leading to a disconnect between players and the characters' heartfelt decisions. Players feel that the brief introductions do not foster a meaningful connection, resulting in a failure to evoke genuine emotional responses during pivotal moments.
“The quick introduction to characters and the heart-felt decisions you need to make create a sense of urgency, but it often leaves you questioning why you should care about their fates.”
“If you came here ready to lose yourself in some heart-wrenching ballads, you might be disappointed by the emotional depth of the experience.”
“While there are some attempts to establish the characters' pasts, the overall experience lacks the emotional engagement needed to connect with them as real people.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Users report mixed experiences with optimization, noting that performance can vary significantly depending on individual setups. Some players experience smooth gameplay, while others encounter issues such as frame drops and stuttering, suggesting that optimization may not be consistent across all hardware configurations.
“My setup and the performance have been optimized to perfection, allowing for a seamless gaming experience.”
“The optimization of the game has significantly improved my overall performance, making it run smoother than ever.”
“I've noticed that the optimization tweaks have really enhanced my gameplay, providing a more responsive and enjoyable experience.”
“The game runs poorly on my setup, and the performance is far from optimal.”
“I expected better optimization; the frame rates drop significantly even on mid-range hardware.”
“The lack of optimization makes it nearly unplayable on lower-end systems.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is heavily influenced by its sound design, which enhances immersion and emotional engagement. Players appreciate how the audio elements contribute to the overall mood, creating a compelling and captivating environment.
“The sound design and atmosphere create an immersive experience that pulls you into the game world.”
“Every detail in the environment contributes to a haunting atmosphere that keeps you on edge.”
“The combination of ambient sounds and visual elements crafts a unique atmosphere that is both captivating and eerie.”
