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The Waters Above: Prelude

93%Game Brain Score
story, graphics
character development, gameplay
93% User Score Based on 80 reviews

Platforms

PCPCWindowsWindowsLinuxLinuxMac OSMac OS
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About

A yuri kinetic novel about sea nymphs who tend to the stars. The Waters Above: Prelude is a free prequel to The Waters Above.

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The Waters Above: Prelude screenshot
The Waters Above: Prelude screenshot
The Waters Above: Prelude screenshot
The Waters Above: Prelude screenshot
The Waters Above: Prelude screenshot

93%
Audience ScoreBased on 80 reviews
story14 positive mentions
grinding3 negative mentions
  • The visuals are stunning and beautifully crafted, making the game a visual treat.
  • The characters are cute and engaging, with interesting dynamics that draw players in.
  • The prelude offers a glimpse of a promising story and unique world, leaving players eager for more.
  • The project has been cancelled, leaving players disappointed and without a full game.
  • The story feels disjointed and lacks depth, making it hard to fully engage with the narrative.
  • As a short demo, it may not provide enough content to satisfy players looking for a complete experience.
  • story
    61 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its intriguing hooks, beautiful artwork, and immersive atmosphere, while others criticized it for being disjointed, bland, or incomprehensible. Some users expressed a strong desire for a more developed narrative in a full version, highlighting the potential for deeper character exploration and storytelling. Overall, while the visuals and presentation are often lauded, the story's execution leaves room for improvement, with many hoping for a more cohesive and engaging experience in future installments.

    • “I was completely immersed in the story as the stellar illustrations alone were enough to keep my attention afloat.”
    • “With a colorful cast of lovable characters, character dynamics, and an interesting prelude towards the potential story and lore, I'd love to see this get made into a full-length visual novel.”
    • “The art, design, writing, music, and story are all so perfectly suited to one another.”
    • “In this case, the story is just horrible.”
    • “Instead of the story going further and explaining something, it becomes more and more messy and incomprehensible with every chapter.”
    • “Unfortunately, the characters are bland as well as the story.”
  • graphics
    24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics in the game are widely praised for their stunning and adorable art style, creating a vibrant and atmospheric experience that enhances the storytelling. Players appreciate the beautiful visuals and charming character designs, noting that the artwork is a standout feature of the game. Despite some critiques regarding the story, the overall aesthetic and quality of the graphics are consistently highlighted as exceptional.

    • “A glimpse at what would have been an amazing visual novel with super cute and fun characters and a really stunning and impeccably done set of visuals all throughout the 4 short stories available.”
    • “The visuals are gorgeous and innovative for a visual novel.”
    • “Gods, I love the art style so much.”
    • “Despite all my love for the artwork and music in Waters Above: Prelude, I cannot recommend the game.”
    • “If you are yet to play this game, you may know whether the graphics are suitable for you or not by watching the promotional video and preview pictures.”
    • “The technical aspects can be problematic; during the 'graphic-novel' mode, the characters' speech sometimes goes a bit too fast.”
  • music
    23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and emotional impact, enhancing the overall experience and complementing the visuals beautifully. While some reviewers note that the soundtracks may not be as memorable as those from other titles, they agree that the music effectively supports the narrative and evokes empathy for the characters. Overall, the combination of lovely, jazzy tunes and calming background scores contributes significantly to the game's charm.

    • “The visuals are just gorgeous and the music is lovely.”
    • “The art, design, writing, music, and story are all so perfectly suited to one another.”
    • “The music fits the mood.”
    • “Despite all my love for the artwork and music in The Waters Above: Prelude, I cannot recommend the game.”
    • “The art's alright, but the writing and music were putting me to sleep.”
    • “What The Waters Above: Prelude lacks in intriguing characters or story is redeemed in its mesmerizing art and touching music.”
  • atmosphere
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its beautiful art style, engaging storylines, and comfortable background music, which collectively immerse players in the experience. Reviewers express a strong desire for more content that maintains this captivating atmosphere.

    • “Although there are only short stories for the waters above, I really enjoyed the art style, the atmosphere, and the stories.”
    • “I only hope to see more of this story at some point and with this style and atmosphere.”
    • “It has a wonderful atmosphere and really gets you into the story.”
  • emotional
    4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of "The Waters Above: Prelude" is highlighted by its initial cute and wholesome tone that shifts to darker themes, evoking strong feelings in players. While some reviewers note a lack of depth in characters and story, the game's stunning art and moving music contribute to a heartfelt experience that can elicit tears.

    • “At first, I thought it was just going to be a cute and wholesome short visual novel; I was right for the first portion of it, but after that, it gets dark.”
    • “"What 'The Waters Above: Prelude' lacks in intriguing characters or story is redeemed in its mesmerizing art and touching music.”
    • “Actually made me cry, and that's pretty hard to do.”
  • character development
    3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game shows promise, with a decent story and vibrant character designs that enhance the fantasy world. However, some characters are perceived as bland, indicating room for improvement. Overall, while the visuals and writing are praised, the demo leaves players wanting more depth in character exploration.

    • “The backgrounds, music, character design, and writing are top-notch!”
    • “The wonderful background gives players a sense of the fantasy world that the author wants to illustrate. The character designs are colorful and detailed, with layers that enhance the experience. This style is perfect for a visual novel.”
    • “Decent story; albeit, some characters were a bit bland. This game has a lot of potential. I love the character design, but sadly we're stuck at this demo. This could have been a great visual novel.”
    • “Not to mention that the wonderful background can give the readers or players a sense of the fantasy world that the author wants to illustrate. The character designs are also colorful and drawn in detail with layers, which is very good. However, the illustrations are not plain; that style is more suited for animations, not for a visual novel or galgame.”
  • gameplay
    2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay is straightforward and lacks complexity, with users indicating that it primarily focuses on the core mechanics without any additional layers or features.

  • grinding
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players indicate that grinding in the game can be quite demanding, often requiring significant time investment or additional lives to progress effectively.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
    • “I spent hours grinding, and it felt like I made no progress.”
  • humor
    1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Players appreciate the humor in the game, particularly highlighting a silly bonus for those who played the demo of "Heart of the Woods," which adds an extra layer of enjoyment and comedic value.

    • “There's also a very silly bonus for anyone who played the Heart of the Woods demo, which I highly recommend doing both because it's fantastic and because the bonus content is very funny.”

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