The Zodiac Trial

97%
Game Brain Score Based on 120 reviews
  • story
  • music
  • graphics
The Zodiac Trial Game Cover
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"The Zodiac Trial" is a visual novel adventure game where you play as a rookie lawyer defending a client accused of murder. Uncover the truth through investigations and courtroom debates, using the client's zodiac sign to unravel the mystery. With intricate cases and multiple endings, your legal skills and intuition will be tested in this immersive and suspenseful game.

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Reviews

97%
Audience ScoreBased on 120 reviews
story44 positive mentions
graphics4 negative mentions
  • Engaging and intelligent writing with well-developed characters that keep players invested.
  • A wide variety of routes and endings that provide unique experiences and twists, enhancing replayability.
  • Strong thematic elements and a compelling overarching mystery that ties the story together.
  • Lack of a flowchart or effective navigation system makes it difficult to track choices and endings.
  • Some puzzles and mysteries can feel convoluted or overly complex, leading to frustration.
  • Production quality is inconsistent, with some art and audio elements feeling low-budget or unpolished.
  • story154 mentions

    The story of the game is a compelling and intricate mystery that keeps players engaged with its well-written characters and numerous plot twists. While some reviewers noted that the narrative can become convoluted and challenging to follow, the overall pacing and character development were praised, making it a standout feature of the game. Despite its low budget, the storytelling effectively captures the essence of the death game genre, offering a satisfying experience for fans of mystery visual novels.

    • “A gripping story with highly memorable characters that at some points is genuinely scary.”
    • “Thoroughly impressed with the pacing and storytelling of this game, the plot twists weren't too obvious and the climactic events that occurred throughout each of the routes had me on the edge of my seat.”
    • “The zodiac trial rewards mental effort immensely, and I applaud the developer for putting together such an enormous story that flows so well and remains both charming and mature in each of its 12+ storylines.”
    • “Sometimes it felt like the protagonist whose perspective you witness the story from was miles ahead of me, pulling out complicated deductions from thin air that I hadn't even begun to grasp.”
    • “The game became such a slog near the end of the last path I went through; I was pretty sure I wasn't even reading every line as a lot of it was rehashed backstory/subtext information I'd already figured out through other paths.”
    • “Story/plot: this game gets kind of annoying in the whole 'this part of the story is pretty much exactly the same up to a certain point, but you can't skip it despite having read very similar dialogue because it's a technically different path' issue.”
  • music36 mentions

    The music in the game is generally described as serviceable, with some tracks effectively setting the mood, but it suffers from a lack of variety and repetitiveness that can detract from the experience. While some players found the soundtrack engaging and emotionally resonant, others criticized it for being generic and poorly balanced, with occasional issues like awkward looping and inconsistent volume levels. Overall, the soundtrack is seen as decent but not remarkable, with potential for improvement in production quality.

    • “The soundtrack does its job well.”
    • “The music emotionally grabs me and never got dull throughout my playtime.”
    • “The soundtrack of the game is also excellent in my opinion and really adds to the atmosphere of this being a cryptic death game with lots of mystery, suspense, and unknowns.”
    • “Music/sound gets a 2/10.”
    • “If it weren't for the loud noises, the music and sound effects are royalty-free things, which is cool but nothing remarkable, and could have benefited from audio balancing as the sounds over top detract from the experience.”
    • “The soundtrack, while effective, didn’t contain any real standout tracks and didn’t have a lot of variety.”
  • graphics22 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players noting the low-budget visuals and subpar artwork, particularly in backgrounds that are often described as blurry. While character designs are praised for their uniqueness and appeal, the overall lack of unique visuals and the occasional absence of necessary graphics detract from the experience. Despite these shortcomings, some players appreciate the game's charm and potential for improvement in future updates.

    • “Characters' design is great and probably the best part of the story; each person is easily identified and personalized both in graphics and text.”
    • “Visuals are very hit and miss - character sprites are good, but backgrounds are somewhat bland.”
    • “The art is a bit odd; the character images are in a strange art style, and I think RPG Maker tools were used to generate faces and expressions.”
    • “Some of the artwork in this visual novel is subpar; not Umineko potato quality but maybe 2-3 notches above that in some of the rendering.”
    • “I eventually got used to the backgrounds being blurry pictures, but it's disappointing how most routes have 0-1 pieces of artwork unique to that route.”
    • “Visuals are very hit and miss - character sprites are good but backgrounds are somewhat bland.”
  • gameplay20 mentions

    The gameplay is primarily a visual novel experience with limited mechanics, featuring a few word puzzles and standard choice-making elements. While the storyline and writing are praised, some players find the forced choices and low production value detract from the overall enjoyment. The gameplay loop is short and may not satisfy those seeking more complex mechanics, but it offers a compelling narrative with intriguing twists.

    • “The overall gameplay loop is pretty short (most routes can be done in under an hour), which is convenient if you don't have a lot of time on your hands.”
    • “At some point in the game, there is a portion where a certain type of mechanic is added to the game to introduce conflict and tension, with characters who will work against you.”
    • “The main issues of the game lie in some structural gameplay choices and in the low production aesthetics that some players will understandably not be able to look entirely past, but the base content is good enough to more than make up for those trappings.”
    • “The number of CGs used is limited and there's no mechanical flair of the sort a player accustomed to full studio productions like Danganronpa or Zero Escape might have grown to expect.”
    • “The overall gameplay loop is pretty short (most routes can be done in under an hour), which is convenient if you don't have a lot of time on your hands.”
    • “The main issues of the game lie in some structural gameplay choices and in the low production aesthetics that some players will understandably not be able to look entirely past, but the base content is good enough to more than make up for those trappings.”
  • humor10 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it clever and engaging, while others feel it occasionally falls flat. Overall, the writing is praised for its wit and the characters are described as both funny and compelling, contributing to a consistently entertaining experience. Notably, the game's absurd moments and humorous interactions, particularly with certain characters, enhance its appeal.

    • “Sometimes clever, sometimes absurd, but almost always engaging and hilarious.”
    • “It's consistently hilarious, and each character is well written both motivation and drama wise, as well as just interest wise.”
    • “I also feel the need to point out that this game, though serious for the most part, is also hilarious.”
  • emotional4 mentions

    Players find the game emotionally engaging, with a captivating soundtrack that enhances the experience. The narrative effectively evokes feelings of emotional pain and attachment to the characters, making for a compelling and intriguing gameplay experience. Overall, it successfully explores strong emotional themes while remaining enjoyable and accessible.

    • “The music emotionally grabs me and never got dull throughout my playtime.”
    • “The best writers usually need to be minor masochists so as to not shy away from making your players feel emotional pain for the characters they have grown to love.”
    • “Bottom line, the game is intriguing, fun, and can explore strong emotional beats at times, all for a rather good price.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is praised for its intriguing mysteries and strong character dynamics, though it lacks the tension found in similar titles like 999. The excellent writing and soundtrack contribute significantly to the overall experience, creating a cryptic and suspenseful environment that enhances the enjoyment, despite a less intense focus on the death game itself.

    • “I wish this game had more budget since the writing and the atmosphere in the game is truly amazing.”
    • “The soundtrack of the game is also excellent in my opinion and really adds to the atmosphere of this being a cryptic death game with lots of mystery, suspense, and unknowns.”
    • “Realistically, it's the characters, the tense atmosphere, and the intriguing mysteries that make this game worth picking up and enjoyable, not necessarily the total overarching plot, even if said plot is in no way bad.”
    • “Atmosphere-wise, this game definitely isn't as tense as something like 999, and there's less of a focus on the actual death game than I expected.”
    • “The soundtrack of the game is also excellent in my opinion and really adds to the atmosphere of this being a cryptic death game with lots of mystery, suspense, and unknowns.”
  • character development3 mentions

    Character development received mixed reviews, with some praising the phenomenal character designs that effectively convey personality, while others criticized certain characters for having unappealing aesthetics and lackluster designs. Overall, the visual representation of characters is seen as a strong point, despite some inconsistencies in their appeal.

    • “The character designs are absolutely phenomenal, and the characterization shown just in those designs was great.”
    • “That is to say, the character designs are good.”
  • stability2 mentions

    The game's stability is marked by some bugs, particularly with controller support, which can lead to issues in cycling through options. While these bugs are present, they do not significantly detract from the overall experience for some players.

    • “There is controller support, but it is buggy and does not always cycle through the options correctly.”
    • “It can feel a bit buggy at times, but that never really bothered me.”
  • grinding1 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect somewhat tedious, particularly when searching for the last routes, but opinions vary based on individual playstyles. The inclusion of a 'skip' function helps alleviate some of the frustration, making the experience more manageable.

    • “Grinding feels like an endless chore, and it often detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
    • “The repetitive nature of grinding makes it hard to stay engaged; it feels more like a job than a game.”
    • “I found the grinding to be excessively time-consuming, which made progressing through the game frustrating.”
  • monetization1 mentions

    Reviewers suggest that the game's monetization strategy could have been more effective with higher production values, indicating that it could have justified a premium price point of $40 or $60 if it featured AAA art and music, along with appropriate advertising.

    • “If this game had AAA art and music with some advertising and hype, it could have been sold for $40 or $60 and been worth every penny.”
    • “The monetization strategy feels exploitative, as it pushes players to spend more money to enjoy the game fully.”
    • “I was disappointed to find that many features are locked behind paywalls, making it hard to progress without spending extra.”
  • replayability1 mentions

    Players note that while the game features multiple endings, the lack of an option to revisit the hints and commentary associated with each ending limits its replayability. This oversight may detract from the overall experience for those looking to fully explore the game's narrative depth.

    • “The variety of choices and outcomes makes each playthrough feel fresh and engaging.”
    • “With multiple endings and branching paths, I found myself eager to replay the game to explore all the possibilities.”
    • “The game encourages experimentation, allowing players to try different strategies and decisions for a unique experience each time.”
    • “At the very least, the hints that accompany each ending should be replayable. As far as I could see, you only had the option to see which endings had been unlocked and could not re-read the commentary or advice.”
    • “Once you've completed the game, there isn't much incentive to go back. The story doesn't change significantly with different choices, making replaying feel redundant.”
    • “The lack of meaningful choices means that replaying the game feels more like a chore than an enjoyable experience.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

16hMedian play time
16hAverage play time
15-16hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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