The Waters Above: Prelude

About

The Waters Above: Prelude is a single player action game. It was developed by Studio Élan and was released on June 27, 2018. It received very positive reviews from players.

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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Play Modes

Single-Player

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90%

Audience ScoreBased on 84 reviews

story14 positive mentions

gameplay1 negative mentions

The art and visuals are stunning, with beautiful character designs and vibrant backgrounds that enhance the overall experience.
The atmosphere and music create an immersive environment, making the short stories engaging and enjoyable.
Despite being a prelude, the game introduces interesting characters and hints at a deeper narrative, leaving players eager for more.

The story is disjointed and lacks coherence, making it difficult for players to fully understand the plot or connect with the characters.
As a prelude, the content is very short, leaving players wanting more but ultimately feeling unsatisfied with the limited experience.
The game has been cancelled, which means players are left with an incomplete narrative and no promise of a full release.

story
62 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
72%
5%
The story aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing a strong desire for more content due to the engaging settings and intriguing premises, despite the brevity of the demo. While some found the narrative promising and immersive, others criticized it for being disjointed or lacking depth, leading to a sense of confusion. Overall, the art and atmosphere were praised, but the story's execution varied significantly, leaving players hopeful for a more cohesive and developed narrative in a potential full release.
- “I was completely immersed in the story as the stellar illustrations alone were enough to keep my attention afloat.”
- “The art, design, writing, music, and story are all so perfectly suited to one another.”
- “Despite the short timeframe you'll spend with these characters, through its unique storytelling structure and use of speech bubbles and animations on top of its already quality writing, the game's cast and world will leave you enchanted and wanting more before you're even halfway through what the waters above: prelude has to offer.”
- “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.”
- “Honestly, I cannot understand the main theme of the storyline and can only catch some keywords about the story.”
graphics
23 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
48%
39%
13%
The graphics in "The Waters Above: Prelude" are widely praised for their stunning and adorable art style, creating a vibrant and atmospheric experience that enhances the storytelling. Reviewers highlight the beautiful visuals and charming soundtrack, noting that the artwork is a standout feature of the game, despite some technical issues with dialogue pacing. Overall, the game's graphics are considered a major strength, contributing to its appeal as a visual novel.
- “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 just gorgeous and the music is lovely.”
- “The visuals are gorgeous and innovative for a visual novel.”
- “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
48%
39%
13%
The music in the game is widely praised for its quality and ability to enhance the emotional experience, with many reviewers noting its calming and jazzy qualities that complement the visuals and narrative. While some feel it lacks standout tracks compared to other titles, the overall consensus is that the soundtrack effectively supports the game's atmosphere and storytelling. Despite mixed opinions on other aspects, the music remains a highlight for many players.
- “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
75%
25%
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its beautiful art style, engaging storylines, and comfortable background music, which collectively create an immersive experience that draws players into the narrative. Users express a 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
100%
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.”
gameplay
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The gameplay is minimal and primarily consists of clicking through poorly written dialogue, leading to criticism regarding the quality of the writing and questioning how the game was published on Steam. Overall, it lacks engaging gameplay elements typical of more developed titles.
- “As a visual/interactive novel, this doesn't feature any notable gameplay; it's just a lot of clicking through badly written dialogue that would never have been accepted or published in print, which poses the question, 'how did something this badly written end up on Steam?'”
monetization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy for this e-book has been criticized as misleading, with users labeling it as an incomplete product that serves primarily as an advertisement rather than a legitimate offering. Reviewers express frustration over the lack of transparency and the improper launch process, suggesting that it prioritizes marketing over genuine content.
- “This isn't even a complete e-book; it's just an advertisement, but the rest of the e-book hasn't been written yet, so you can't buy it.”
- “There's a correct process to launch demos on Steam, and the 'author' of this complete garbage deliberately ignored the correct process to mislead gamers and push an advertisement where it doesn't belong.”
- “And what is this advertising?”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
67%
Character development in the game shows promise, with well-designed and colorful characters that enhance the visual experience. However, some users feel that certain characters lack depth, suggesting that while the potential is there, the current demo does not fully realize it. Overall, the writing and artistic elements are praised, but the character depth could be improved.
- “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.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels and e-books tedious, likening it to a frustrating experience where progress is slowed by the need to click through text at a snail's pace. This repetitive clicking detracts from the enjoyment of the narrative, making it feel laborious and time-consuming.
- “Grinding in this game is incredibly rewarding and keeps you engaged.”
- “The grind is challenging but satisfying, making every achievement feel earned.”
- “Visual novels/e-books are tedious at best... imagine the best novel you ever read, be that Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy or 2001: A Space Odyssey or Twilight (if you have terrible taste in literature), but then translate that to a format where the words dribble out and you have to click your mouse every time you want to read the next sentence, instead of just turning the pages.”
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized by its clever and absurd elements, with users highlighting a particularly amusing commentary on its limited demand and a humorous bonus for players who experienced the demo. Overall, the comedic aspects are well-received and add to the game's charm.
- “The funny thing is, if you wanted to print this book, you'd only need to print 10 copies to satisfy the entire world's demand for it.”
- “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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Frequently Asked Questions

The Waters Above: Prelude is a action game.

The Waters Above: Prelude is available on PC, Mac OS, Windows and Linux.

The Waters Above: Prelude was released on June 27, 2018.

The Waters Above: Prelude was developed by Studio Élan.

The Waters Above: Prelude has received very positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its gameplay.

The Waters Above: Prelude is a single player game.

Similar games include First Snow, Eternal Hour: Golden Hour, Dysfunctional Systems: Learning to Manage Chaos, Invisible Apartment, Juniper's Knot and others.

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