This World Unknown

About

This World Unknown is a single player action game with fantasy and romance themes. It was developed by ebi-hime and was released on September 2, 2016. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

In the war-torn country of Aslande, Rhea lives a quiet life until her friend Luca returns from battle, changed. As she cares for a patient with a mysterious illness, Rhea must navigate a branching storyline with four potential love interests in this 300k+ word visual novel. 'This World Unknown' offers around 10-15 hours of reading.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

Skip User Reviews

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 43 reviews

story10 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

The game features well-developed characters with interesting backstories and personal growth throughout the story.
The art style, while initially different, grows on players and complements the emotional depth of the narrative.
The story addresses mature themes and social commentary in a thoughtful manner, making it more than just a typical otome game.

The game suffers from excessive filler dialogue that detracts from the main plot, making it feel tedious at times.
Visual inconsistencies, such as blurry backgrounds and awkward character proportions, can be visually unappealing.
Some routes and characters are perceived as less engaging, leading to a lack of interest in completing the game.

story
74 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
81%
5%
The story is a blend of romance and social commentary, set in a small village where the protagonist, Rhea, navigates her role as a nurse amidst various personal and societal challenges. While many reviewers praised the character development and emotional depth, some criticized the pacing and excessive filler dialogue that detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the narrative is well-crafted and engaging, though it may require patience due to its slower moments.
- “The story, in a typical Ebi's fashion, takes classic tropes and then exceeds all expectations by creating something much deeper and more impactful.”
- “The plot is well written, with a cast of characters that play well off each other.”
- “The story flows well, and I felt the characters themselves were written in a more genuine way, a little less like tropes and more like real people.”
- “The story is basically just 90% filler text and the artworks are not my cup of tea either.”
- “There was a lot of completely useless dialogue that has absolutely no relevance to the story and it was quite boring in the beginning.”
- “In all honesty, the story can drag in parts, and I found myself getting bored as I crawled through the slice of life stuff.”
music
14 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
29%
21%
The music in the game is generally praised for being tasteful, relaxing, and well-suited to the story's themes, enhancing the overall experience. While some players found certain tracks less appealing, the majority appreciated the soundtrack's ability to evoke emotions and complement the gameplay. Overall, the music is considered a strong aspect of the game, with many expressing a desire for additional music-related content.
- “The music in this story is tasteful and simply does what it needs to do.”
- “The dialogues are not voiced but accompanied by a few sound effects and background music that matches the mood of the scenes you are going through.”
- “The music was lovely, the character designs were cute, and the stories for each route were well written.”
- “The casual soundtrack did also get on my nerves at some point as I didn't like it for whatever reason - which is not a critique per se since it isn't *bad*.”
- “The dialogues are not voiced but accompanied by few sound effects and background music that matches the mood of the scenes you are going through.”
- “I was wrong; the backgrounds, the music, are subdued in a way that matches the story because it touches on dark themes at times.”
graphics
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
11%
33%
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising the stunning visuals and unique art style, while others find it unappealing and not to their taste. Overall, the artwork is described as cute and different, contributing positively to the storytelling experience for some, despite a few criticisms regarding character design. The accompanying soundtrack is also noted as a relaxing complement to the visuals.
- “What else is also enjoyable are the stunning visuals that ebi prepared for us.”
- “The graphics are nice and the soundtrack is chill and relaxing... I don't usually play this kind of game, but the ebi-hime games are really great!”
- “I liked the art style quite a lot; it’s pretty cute and different, and the story is also good.”
- “The story is basically just 90% filler text and the artworks are not my cup of tea either.”
- “For the visual part of the novel, you'll have to judge for yourself, since some people do like the art style that the characters are made with; I personally don't.”
- “I don't usually play visual novels with this type of art style, and because of it, I thought it would be more of a cute, light-hearted story.”
humor
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as hit-or-miss, with some players finding it charming and endearing at times, while others consider it dull and bland overall. Although there are moments of funny dialogue and cute art, the writing quality varies, and the story's lack of depth detracts from the comedic impact for some players. Overall, it elicits a mix of laughter and emotional engagement, but opinions on its effectiveness vary widely.
- “The writing is easy to follow and funny with only a few misspellings.”
- “Anyway, overall, this VN made me laugh, cry, and made me fall in love with Val.”
- “Despite its problems, I did find it charming and endearing in parts, as well as funny and gripping in others.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Many users find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and dull, with some expressing frustration over the lengthy dialogue and lack of rewarding payoff after completing routes. While opinions vary, a common sentiment is that the experience can feel laborious, contrasting sharply with the generally positive reviews.
- “The visual novel gets really tedious at times.”
- “I found it quite dull and tedious to get through.”
- “Obviously this is just my personal opinion, but the reviews were so positive and I was thrown when playing the game, wondering why the reviews didn't really point out how tedious reading through it felt and there was very little payoff after going through the routes.”
emotional
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game elicits a wide range of feelings, from sadness during poignant moments to joy and laughter during lighter scenes, creating a dynamic experience. While some character interactions may feel intrusive, the overall narrative effectively engages players' emotions, pulling them through various dramatic turns with both heartwarming and humorous elements.
- “I couldn't help but be sad when reading about heartbreaking moments, but at the same time, I giggled a lot during happy moments, often with a goofy grin on my face.”
- “The story is making me laugh and smile, and has pulled me along by the heartstrings across every emotional and dramatic turn thus far!”
replayability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game offers strong replayability through its choose-your-ending mechanic, allowing players to explore various romantic outcomes and deepen their engagement with the warm and intimate relationships among the colorful characters in a rural town.
- “It is a pretty fun read with choose-your-ending (romantic partner) based replayability; the subject matter being the fun and sometimes not so fun, but always incredibly warm and intimate relations between the colorful characters of a rural town, told in third person from the perspective of Rhea, the female lead character.”
- “The game offers multiple paths and endings, making each playthrough feel fresh and engaging. I love discovering new storylines and character interactions every time I start again.”
- “With its branching narratives and diverse character choices, replaying the game feels like experiencing a new adventure each time. There's always something new to uncover!”
gameplay
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The gameplay is straightforward and intuitive, allowing players to navigate routes without guides. However, it is limited in depth, primarily involving initial choices that lead to one of four story branches.
- “There isn't much for actual gameplay; you make some initial choices that determine which of the four story branches you take.”
- “The gameplay is really easy, and with a bit of intuition, it is possible to complete the routes without the use of guides.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Character development is praised for its well-written stories that enhance the charm of the cute character designs, contributing to an engaging narrative experience.
- “The music was lovely, the character designs were cute, and the stories for each route were well written.”