The Fruitless Flower
- March 9, 2018
- 凝冰剑斩
Get on Steam"The Fruitless Flower" is a single-player Role Playing game with an interesting plot and a wholesome story. Set in a fantasy world, the game follows the story of two protagonists escaping from a fascist country and experiencing the country's changes through the point of view of a normal little girl. The game is a visual novel with RPG elements, where players collect collectibles and complete sub-storylines to discover the four different endings. The game also contains Yuri-love.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features a deeply emotional story that effectively explores heavy themes, making players feel a strong connection to the characters.
- The relationship between the main characters is well-paced and depicted with care, providing a sweet and innocent yuri romance experience.
- Despite translation issues, the game is a passion project that offers a unique narrative and is very affordable, making it accessible for fans of the genre.
- The translation quality is poor, with numerous grammatical errors and untranslated text that can detract from the overall experience.
- The gameplay is simplistic and relies heavily on RPG Maker assets, which may not appeal to players looking for a more polished experience.
- The story's heavy themes, including political oppression and ethnic cleansing, may be off-putting for some players who prefer lighter narratives.
- story33 mentions
- 18 % positive mentions
- 73 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The story is a poignant yuri romance set against a backdrop reminiscent of totalitarian regimes, exploring themes of love, loss, and survival amidst political oppression. While the narrative is straightforward, it evokes a strong emotional response through the well-developed relationship between the two main characters, despite some pacing issues and translation flaws. Overall, it offers a heartfelt and impactful experience, though it may not appeal to all due to its heavy themes.
“The story is simple, yet can make one experience a different set of emotions throughout the game; the relationship between the girls is well-paced and well-written, from childhood friends to inseparable lovers.”
“A real tear-jerking story of a pair of lovely, innocent girls caught slap bang in the middle of the rise of a totalitarian regime and suffering all the tragedies that came with their struggles.”
“The characters and plot are well written and make you want to care about the protagonist and her plight throughout the game.”
“It's the yuri romance type, but imagine the Holocaust in a universe where there are witches, spirits, and magical beings, and a certain political party takes over the government and starts an ethnic cleansing campaign in the name of the human race. You can already imagine where the story is going.”
“The interactions between the two main characters may not be fully fleshed out, as the plot moves at a rather fast pace, and some aspects of their personalities (Flora's being somewhat weak in this regard, maybe because of her role in the story), but it lets you infer a lot from what is presented and you can feel the connection between them.”
“Again though, the translation needs work and I would suggest they work on a new patch with an editor, as much of the dialogue is wooden in places and outright grammatically inaccurate in others, which seriously hurts the flow of the storytelling.”
- emotional7 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game delivers a profound emotional experience, effectively blending heart-wrenching narratives with political themes, despite some translation issues. Players report feeling a range of emotions, from curiosity and excitement to fear and guilt, as they navigate the story of two young girls in a war-torn environment. Overall, it is highly recommended for its impactful storytelling and emotional depth.
“The game is very heavy emotionally; it has some translation issues, but even so, it conveys very strong emotions.”
“This is a heart-wrenching tale of two young girls living in a war-torn land of ethnic hatred and distrust.”
“All in all, this is one of the most heart-wrenching and heartwarming tales I have ever played through, and I would gladly recommend it to others who may be willing to try it out.”
- music4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game is highly praised for its quality and ability to enhance the storytelling, with well-chosen tracks that perfectly match various situations, contributing to an immersive player experience. Additionally, the accompanying artwork complements the music, further enriching the overall atmosphere.
“The music is really well done and accentuates the story most of the time.”
“There is some amazing artwork and music done for this game.”
“They picked songs that worked for each situation and make the player feel more immersed in the game while listening.”
- graphics3 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are hindered by the limitations of the RPG Maker engine, resulting in poor fullscreen performance and a lack of HD support or customization options, which may disappoint modern PC gamers. However, the game features impressive artwork and a consistent art style that enhances the overall aesthetic experience.
“There is some amazing artwork and music done for this game.”
“As with all RPG Maker games, the poor quality engine displays badly in fullscreen and doesn't have full HD support or any graphics tweaking options, making this unacceptable for any dedicated modern PC gamer.”
“They picked an art style and stuck with it the whole way.”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The gameplay is criticized for its low quality, resembling typical RPG Maker titles with poor pixel art and limited mechanics. However, fans of yuri and visual novels may find value in the game's content and character relationships.
“Overall, if you like yuri (there are plenty of couples, not just the two main characters) and visual novel-style limited gameplay, this game is well worth the money.”
“Like most RPG Maker shovelware and asset flips, the game features extremely low-quality, copy-pasted 2D retro pixel art, looks awful, and has even worse gameplay.”
- character development1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development is noted for its interesting yet poignant narrative, featuring aesthetically pleasing designs and a respectful portrayal of relationships.
“The character development is fascinating, with a deeply emotional story that resonates throughout the game.”
“The character designs are beautiful, and the relationships are portrayed with a great deal of respect and nuance.”
“I was captivated by the way the characters evolved, making their journeys feel authentic and impactful.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect frustrating due to poor translation and readability issues, which hinder the experience, along with the absence of a skip button that makes exploring different endings tedious.
“The translation is shoddy, the text is barely readable during certain scenes, and the lack of a proper skip button really makes finding different endings tedious.”
