The Fairy's Secret
- February 6, 2023
- ebi-hime
Get on SteamIn "The Fairy's Secret" , Marnie and Lisbeth visit Marnie's ailing grandmother in Fenchapel, only to encounter Edmund, the vengeful knight from "The Fairy's Song." As they unravel the mysteries of Iris's past, they must navigate complex relationships and supernatural events. The game is a captivating continuation of Marnie's journey, filled with artful exploration and emotional depth.
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Reviews
- The Fairy's Secret is a delightful sequel that improves upon its predecessor in almost every way, featuring enhanced character art and additional scenes that enrich the story.
- The chemistry between Marnie and Lisbeth is charming, with plenty of cute and lighthearted moments that make for an enjoyable reading experience.
- The game successfully integrates a dramatic plot alongside the romance, leading to an epic climax that keeps players engaged throughout.
- Some players felt that the character progression was lacking, particularly with Marnie, who seemed to exhibit childish traits that didn't align with her age.
- The inclusion of a male character, Edmund, led to mixed feelings, with some reviewers feeling that his presence detracted from the main romance between Marnie and Lisbeth.
- The pacing of the story was criticized for being slow, with excessive dialogue and unnecessary text that could detract from the overall experience.
- story60 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story continues from the previous game, blending slice-of-life moments with a dramatic plot that culminates in an epic climax, showcasing strong writing, pacing, and art. While it features engaging character development and a focus on relationships, some reviewers felt that the narrative faltered by introducing a male character who detracted from the central yuri themes, leading to mixed feelings about the overall engagement and agency of the female leads. Despite these criticisms, many found the story enjoyable and a worthwhile continuation of the series, particularly for fans of romance and slice-of-life genres.
“There's a lot of fun slice-of-life date moments to be had here, but the dramatic plot thread is never forgotten - it leads you through the story right up to the, honestly, epic climax. Everything is completely on point for the story's final scenes: the writing, the pacing, the art and music - even the programming does some noticeably interesting things with the game's art and movement.”
“The fairy's secret is a fantastic yuri/romance/slice of life story with brief scenes of fantasy action.”
“A lovely finale to a great story.”
“She is rarely an agent in the plot; very little happens due to her actions, which isn't uncommon for visual novel plots that especially use their leads as self-inserts. However, Marnie is so opinionated and characterized that her always being saved and doing little to push the plot forward feels mistaken. I had hoped it was her magic that influenced certain plot points, giving her power and agency in a world of fey, magic, and knights, but no, it's another character she just sort of revolves around, motivating Lisbeth and Edmund's heroic tale.”
“Half of the story, I did not know whether I was reading a story about two girls or one about two girls trying to get together with a dude.”
“The story feels like a cheap copy of the previous game, not engaging, with around 30% focused on interaction with a male character. There are very noticeable moments showing both Lisbeth's and Marnie's interest in this male, and a significant part of the rest is focused on discussing him (for example, half of the epilogue is centered on talking about this male character, with dialogue hinting at attraction to him).”
- music28 mentions
- 21 % positive mentions
- 68 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the sequel builds on the foundation set by the prequel, incorporating familiar tracks while introducing new, high-quality ambient and background music that enhances the overall experience. While some reviewers found the music enjoyable, they noted it wasn't particularly memorable, though it effectively complemented the story's emotional highs and lows. Overall, the sound design contributes positively to the game's atmosphere, making it a worthy continuation for fans of the series.
“Worry not though, because you'll also listen to some new, high quality ambient & background music.”
“More importantly, I'm so happy that Lisbeth finally appreciated the real music!”
“Some of the music from the prequel is used in the fairy's secret.”
“Music discussions in games are dangerous...”
“I of course remembered a song really fitting that story, which sent me on a nostalgic music trip and I had to postpone the story for a while.”
- humor4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as genuinely funny and helpful, contributing positively to character dynamics without feeling threatening. However, some users find the excessive banter and unnecessary text detracts from the overall comedic effect, making it less effective than intended.
“He's genuinely funny, helpful enough to not feel like a useless drag but never even hinted at being a threat to the relationship, which is what I was so worried about. His increased importance really struck me with my Marnie issue.”
- emotional4 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Reviews highlight a desire for deeper emotional growth in characters, particularly Marnie, who is seen as sarcastic and somewhat superficial. While the narrative of "the fairy's secret" is generally perceived as a light and wholesome romance, it does incorporate a clever conflict that adds some emotional depth. Overall, the emotional aspect is noted as needing more development to enhance character arcs.
“While the fairy's secret is, for the most part, a fluffy and wholesome romance story, a conflict is cleverly integrated into the story.”
- graphics2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally high quality, but are marred by choppy animations, an abundance of backgrounds, and the reuse of character sprites from previous games, detracting from the overall visual experience.
“The traditionally high quality of presentation is spoiled by choppy animations, numerous backgrounds, and some character sprites reused from the previous game.”
“The graphics are disappointing, with noticeable choppiness in animations and a lack of originality in character designs.”
“While the game aims for a high-quality visual experience, it ultimately falls short due to inconsistent animations and recycled assets.”
