The Radiants
- July 31, 2023
- Rose Arcana Games
"The Radiants" is a magical adventure where an ordinary college student must take the place of a young woman who dies before her eyes. With a customizable personality and simple stat raising, players will navigate a world of magic and danger, encountering 3 possible love interests and many colorful side characters. Multiple endings await depending on your choices and actions.
Reviews
- The artwork is stunning and beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall experience of the game.
- The characters are well-written and dynamic, providing engaging interactions and multiple romance options.
- The game features a unique stat-raising system that adds depth to gameplay and allows for varied playthroughs.
- The game suffers from numerous bugs and glitches that can disrupt gameplay and immersion.
- The story feels rushed and lacks depth, with predictable plot points and unsatisfying endings.
- Promised updates and additional content have not been delivered, leading to disappointment among players.
- story54 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The story in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players appreciating its engaging characters and romantic plotlines, while others find it flat and underdeveloped, often feeling rushed or predictable. Many reviewers highlight the beautiful artwork as a major draw, suggesting that the narrative could benefit from deeper character development and a more fleshed-out plot. Overall, while the game offers enjoyable moments and choices, it struggles with pacing and coherence, leaving some players wanting a more substantial story experience.
“The story is crafted in a way that implements any romance route you take and runs with it smoothly.”
“The artwork is beautiful, however it feels like the only reason you would play is to see the art as the story is compacted into 12 weeks and not a lot of story is given other than small bits and pieces you get along the week that leaves you wishing for a more developed story of all these characters' lives and connections.”
“Absolutely lovely game, played the demo all through and both art and story/characterization were phenomenal.”
“I wish more effort had been put into the story and character development.”
“It feels rather hollow; the story is not fully fleshed out and feels more rushed than anything.”
“However, the plot is flat and predictable; the main character is quite oblivious, and there were some very obvious shady characters that she was just friendly with.”
- graphics14 mentions
- 93 % positive mentions
- 7 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning artwork and character designs, with many reviewers highlighting the beautiful visuals and 3D animations. While the character movements received mixed feedback, the overall art style elevates the experience, making it a key reason to engage with the game despite some narrative shortcomings. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal.
“The little details of models moving in accordance to what they're saying and overall art style put this one a step above other visual novel style games.”
“Beautiful, stunning artwork and 3D animations with perfect CGs and great characters.”
“Gorgeous visuals, nice character designs, and a main character who isn't annoying or particularly incompetent.”
- music7 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and thematic fit, enhancing the overall experience with ethereal compositions that complement the artwork and storyline. While some users noted occasional overlapping when skipping tracks, the general consensus is that the music significantly contributes to the game's appeal.
“The art, the music, the writing - all good.”
“For many visual novels, the music and sound is the make or break for me, but this time it was truly lovely!”
“The game has a good storyline, beautiful artwork, and music.”
“Music will sometimes overlap if you press the skip button.”
“For many visual novels, the music and sound are the make or break for me, but this time it was truly lovely!”
“The music changes at times and is certainly very ethereal, fitting the theme of the game.”
- stability6 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game suffers from significant stability issues, with frequent glitches occurring throughout gameplay, including critical moments like the final scene. Many players report a generally buggy experience that detracts from overall enjoyment, suggesting that the game could have been improved with better stability and polish.
“After you play the game once, glitches happen constantly.”
“Even the final scene where you choose what you want to become glitches out so that you can't see the choices.”
“I feel like this game could have turned out even better if the glitches were fixed.”
- gameplay5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The gameplay is characterized by a stat-raising system that can feel repetitive, yet it is complemented by beautiful art and well-developed characters, making it enjoyable overall. While the mechanics are forgiving and allow for easy replayability, some players may find the gameplay monotonous and lacking in romantic interactions. Despite these drawbacks, the game offers substantial content and hours of exploration.
“A fun magical school visual novel whose strengths lie in its interesting characters, beautiful art, and mechanics that make the game easy to replay (it's a scheduling game, but a forgiving one).”
“Not only are the characters and protagonist extremely well written, but there are literally hours of gameplay and content I have yet to unlock.”
“Although some of the recurring events (for the classes) can be a bit repetitive, the gorgeous art, lively characters, and compelling story more than make up for the inherent limitations of the mechanics.”
“The gameplay can be a little monotonous and with little to no romance time (just one or two kisses).”
“Although some of the recurring events (for the classes) can be a bit repetitive, as they so often are in games with this sort of stat-raising system, the gorgeous art, lively characters, and really quite compelling story more than make up for the inherent limitations of the mechanics.”
“I can accept mediocre writing and bad mechanics if they come from someone who truly tried their best.”
- character development4 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Character development in the game has received mixed feedback, with some players expressing a desire for deeper storytelling and more romantic elements. While the visuals and character designs are praised, the overall character development feels limited, though there are hints of future updates that may enhance character interactions. The main character is generally well-received, being neither annoying nor incompetent.
“Gorgeous visuals, nice character designs, and a main character who isn't annoying or particularly incompetent.”
“It wasn't that much character development or romance stuff, but the moments were good, and I read they were going to put in more 'character events'.”
“Nice visuals and character design.”
“I wish more effort had been put into the story and character development.”
“There wasn't much character development or romance, but the moments were good, and I read they were going to add more 'character events'.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be repetitive and tedious, often feeling stuck in a cycle of viewing the same screens and text without any means to expedite the process. Many express disappointment over the missed opportunity for more engaging character encounters, leading to a chore-like experience that quickly loses its appeal.
“It was very repetitive and tedious, as I felt like I was looking at the same screen with the same text over and over again, with no way to speed it up.”
“Honestly, there was potential for more character encounters here, but instead you get a chore that quickly becomes tedious - especially when skipping.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its numerous romance options that are not solely influenced by player stats, allowing for diverse endings and experiences. While the choices may not be critical to the main plot, exploring different traits and relationships enhances the overall replay value.
“There are plenty of romanceable options that aren't determined by your stats, as the game ending is what the stats determine. This provides a lot of replay value, not just for the different romance options, but also for the game endings.”
“I wouldn't say any choices seem integral to the plot; it doesn't seem like you'll fail if you pick one trait over another. However, it does add to the replayability to explore the various options.”
“Plenty of romanceable options that aren't determined by your stats (the game ending is what the stats determine), so there's lots of replay value not just for the different romance options, but also for the game ending.”
“I wouldn't say any choices seem integral to the plot - it doesn't seem like you'll fail if you pick one trait over another, but it does add to the replayability to see the various options.”
- humor2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the charming and funny main character, who adds a lively dynamic to the narrative. Despite the serious premise of death, the overall tone remains light-hearted, as characters often find themselves in humorous situations where they are rarely in real danger.
“The best part is that the main character has personality and is not bland in any way; in fact, they are very charming and funny!”
“Characters are rarely truly in danger, which is kind of funny for a narrative that literally begins with someone dying in front of you.”
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its strong connection to the plot, creating an immersive experience that extends beyond gameplay, making it enjoyable even as a standalone audio experience.
“It resonates with the atmosphere and the plot, and is a great listen even outside the game.”