The Hungry Lamb: Traveling in the Late Ming Dynasty
- April 22, 2024
- 零创游戏(ZerocreationGame)
Get on SteamIn "The Hungry Lamb: Traveling in the Late Ming Dynasty," players assume the role of Liang, a bandit tasked with escorting four girls to a wealthy lord in Luoyang. Traverse through dangerous territories, encounter various events, and uncover the hidden truth behind the girls' journey, all while trying to keep them safe from a sinister secret. This action-adventure game is set during the Chongzhen Reign, a period marked by land annexation, domestic issues, foreign invasions, and widespread starvation.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The Hungry Lamb features a well-written story that intricately weaves themes of revenge and redemption within the historical context of the late Ming Dynasty.
- The game offers a captivating experience with strong character development, emotional depth, and multiple endings that encourage replayability.
- The art, music, and voice acting enhance the immersive experience, making the dark themes and historical setting feel impactful and engaging.
- The game contains mature themes and graphic content, including depictions of violence and child abuse, which may be disturbing for some players.
- Some players found the translation to be inconsistent, with occasional grammatical errors that detracted from the overall experience.
- The pacing can feel rushed towards the end, leaving some players wanting more depth in character arcs and resolutions.
- story254 mentions
- 47 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The story of the game is a compelling exploration of revenge and redemption set against the backdrop of the late Ming dynasty, intertwining fictional characters with historical events and figures. While praised for its emotional depth, character development, and immersive setting, the narrative also delves into dark themes such as cannibalism and human trafficking, which may not be suitable for all players. Overall, the storytelling is well-crafted, engaging, and offers significant replay value through multiple endings, though some translation issues and pacing concerns were noted.
“The story is wonderfully breathtaking, and I can assure you that the end will make you satisfied.”
“The characters are well thought-out, the setting is marvelously explained, the story is very well written, and the consequences of your decisions are disturbingly realistic.”
“The storytelling is phenomenal with compelling characters and no shortage of heart-wrenching moments paired perfectly with its music.”
“The story takes place in 1628-1632, and touches upon the issues at that time, such as low life expectancy, starving families, kidnapping and enslavement of children, cannibalism, etc. Unfortunately, these issues are historically accurate, so it would be absurd to ignore these sad events... if you don't want a story with these elements, this game might not be for you.”
“I heard the good reviews of this game and I barely played any game developed by Chinese companies, so I wanted to show my support, but this game's plot is a bit uncomfortable because it has some plots that are kind of sexualizing underage child characters, which is disgusting, to be honest.”
“The only part that felt like it could've used more time was the start of the journey, where it felt like the other children warmed up to Liang a bit too quickly, but exactly how this change in their attitudes towards Liang came about is ultimately not very important to the main story and themes.”
- music58 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its emotional depth and ability to enhance the storytelling, with many reviewers noting its fitting atmosphere and cultural relevance. While the soundtrack is described as powerful and well-integrated, some users mention a lack of variety, with a few repetitive tracks. Overall, the combination of music, voice acting, and visuals contributes significantly to the game's immersive experience.
“The soundtrack is phenomenal; even after finishing the game, I still go back to listen to the beautiful songs that really capture the atmosphere and time period the game is in.”
“The music is so well made and sets the atmosphere so well; characters are great in their reasoning, backstory, etc., the voice actors did an incredible job, and my god, the art is beautiful.”
“The voice acting adds emotional depth to the characters, while the haunting soundtrack underscores the game's themes of despair and hope.”
“Much of what was used had an older feel; there was no modern-sounding soundtrack helping add to the immersion of being present in ancient China.”
“The soundtrack, unfortunately, kinda lacks diversity, but still does a pretty good job at setting up the mood.”
“Despite a few translation issues and some repetitive music, the audio-visual presentation significantly enhances the narrative experience.”
- emotional50 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highly praised, with many players noting its compelling and heart-wrenching storytelling that explores dark themes and historical contexts. The characters are well-developed, and the combination of beautiful art, music, and voice acting enhances the emotional depth, leading to a range of feelings from sorrow to reflection. Overall, it is described as an immersive experience that can evoke strong emotional responses, making it a standout visual novel for those who appreciate rich narratives.
“The storytelling is phenomenal with compelling characters and no shortage of heart-wrenching moments paired perfectly with its music.”
“Its touching and tragic story made me reflect on my own life, values, and family.”
“The voice acting adds emotional depth to the characters, while the haunting soundtrack underscores the game's themes of despair and hope.”
- graphics33 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 24 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning artwork and unique art style, which blends traditional Chinese influences with modern animation, creating a captivating aesthetic. While the visuals are described as beautiful and detailed, some players noted a lack of variety in environments and a desire for more animated elements. Additionally, the game features darker themes that may be unsettling for some, but the overall presentation, including voice acting and music, complements the visuals effectively.
“In terms of its non-flashback scenes, it's got a really great art style inspired by anime but still has its own originality.”
“Jaw-dropping artwork and a captivating cast, this game was really worth playing.”
“The game’s visual style combines traditional Chinese art with modern animation, creating a distinct aesthetic that reflects the historical setting.”
“The graphic scenes get too descriptive in my opinion, but it does work in setting the tone of the story.”
“Moreover, I wish there were more visuals in the game.”
“They're beautifully drawn, but I wish there were some variations of the forest and inn visuals because they're frequently used in the game.”
- atmosphere11 mentions
- 45 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is described as dark and immersive, enhanced by beautifully crafted art, particularly in flashback scenes, and a phenomenal soundtrack that captures the game's time period. The engaging writing and strong voice acting further contribute to the overall tension and enjoyment, although some users noted occasional immersion-breaking moments. Overall, the unique historical setting and solid design elements create a compelling atmosphere.
“The art is really well done in its flashback scenes; it has these beautifully crafted ink drawings that are amazing and really enhance the atmosphere of the visual novel.”
“The soundtrack is phenomenal; even after finishing the game, I still go back to listen to the beautiful songs that truly capture the atmosphere and time period of the game.”
“The music is so well made and sets the atmosphere perfectly. The characters are great in their reasoning and backstory, the voice actors did an incredible job, and the art is beautiful.”
“The atmosphere and the whole (pretty rare) late Ming setting is pretty cool, but delivery sometimes off, breaking the immersion.”
“6 only for the uncommon historical setting and solid atmosphere in design.”
“The translation was solid and effectively conveyed the game's atmosphere.”
- character development6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highly praised, with reviewers noting that it significantly enhances the storytelling experience. The characters are well-designed and their growth is integral to the plot, contributing to a compelling narrative filled with themes of villainy, revenge, and redemption. Overall, the combination of expressive art, music, and voice acting further enriches the character arcs, making them impactful and memorable.
“Characters: 9/10. I love the character designs and the character development here.”
“What makes stories great is character development, and this game does a fabulous job.”
“All aspects of the work are high quality, with expressive art, tone-setting music, fluent voice acting, wonderful character development, and a compelling plot all interweaving to tell a touching story of villainy, revenge, and redemption.”
“This could be compared to watching a movie 1/10 of the way and thinking it terrible, without seeing its plot twists or character development, deciding that it would be worthy of a 1/10.”
“I don't want to explain the scene because it's important for their character development, but there is an entire dialogue (and internal monologue) in regards to how crazy such an idea is and how can someone even dare to think of such a possibility.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game offers high replayability due to its branching narrative and multiple endings, encouraging players to explore different paths and outcomes. Users appreciate the beautiful story and educational elements, which further enhance the desire to replay until all chapters and endings are experienced.
“Beautiful story, surprisingly educational for the non-Chinese player, and incredible replay value until all chapters are read and endings reached.”
“The branching narrative and multiple endings provide replayability, allowing players to explore different paths and outcomes.”
“Multiple endings influenced by player decisions enhance replayability.”
- gameplay3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -67 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Gameplay is highly praised for its emotional depth, effectively conveying feelings of hunger and poverty that foster a strong connection to the characters. While the mechanics are well-executed with good functionality, the overall experience is somewhat limited by its short duration of approximately 5-6 hours.
“The feelings during gameplay—hunger, poverty, the emotions of the characters—make you feel deeply connected.”
“10/10 for the visual novel, with the only small downside being that it is a bit short in terms of gameplay, roughly 5-6 hours.”
“Mechanics (GUI + programming): nicely done, good functionality, has story representation sections; the main menu and log are a bit simple, but that's fine.”
“The gameplay is a bit short, lasting only about 5 to 6 hours, which is a small downside for an otherwise excellent visual novel.”
“The feelings during gameplay—hunger, poverty, and the emotions of the characters—make you feel deeply connected.”
- optimization2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its strong story and overall performance, with particular commendation for the beautiful art and the voice cast's contributions, indicating effective optimization in these areas.
“Nice story and performance, hands down, the best.”
“The beautiful art and performances of the voice cast made sure of that.”
- grinding1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players express frustration with grinding, particularly in farming mechanics, as the effort put into farming often does not yield sufficient rewards to justify the time and resources spent.
“I've been trying my hand at farming since last year, but the sales don’t even cover the water bill.”
“The grinding feels endless, and the rewards just aren't worth the time invested.”
“I spend hours grinding for resources, only to find out they barely make a dent in my progress.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is characterized by a blend of bittersweet and uplifting moments, providing players with both laughter and emotional depth.
“It's not without its bittersweet and happy or funny moments!”
“The humor in this game is absolutely top-notch, making every interaction a joy!”
“I found myself laughing out loud at the clever jokes and witty dialogue throughout the game.”
