Tyrania: A Kinetic Visual Novel
- May 27, 2020
- Leviathanimation
Get on SteamTyrania is a kinetic visual novel, meaning a text-based game with a one ending linear story. The story is focused on the opposition of two different ideas of Justice when dealing with crime and terrorism.
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Reviews
- The story is engaging and thought-provoking, exploring themes of justice, morality, and the consequences of war.
- The game is free to play, making it accessible to a wide audience, and it features some impressive animations and artwork for an indie project.
- Many players appreciated the emotional depth and character development, particularly the main character's journey and the moral dilemmas presented.
- The writing suffers from grammatical errors and awkward phrasing, which detracts from the overall experience and immersion.
- The pacing is often criticized for being rushed, with significant time skips that leave character development feeling incomplete.
- Some players found the dialogue repetitive and lacking in depth, making it difficult to connect with the characters or feel invested in the story.
- story114 mentions
- 31 % positive mentions
- 62 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The story of this visual novel is a mixed bag, with some reviewers praising its ambition and thought-provoking themes related to justice and war, while others criticize its pacing, plot holes, and writing quality. Many found the narrative engaging and emotionally impactful, though some felt it lacked depth and character development due to its rapid progression. Overall, while the story has potential and interesting ideas, it suffers from execution issues that detract from the overall experience.
“This is a story that, while it was not made with the greatest of techniques, was created with the greatest of heart.”
“A powerful story that is worth reading.”
“The depth of the story and the characters (especially the main character) will for sure make you think.”
“The pacing also fails to involve more information regarding the Leviathan as we encounter them in one portion of the story, but throughout time it is eventually unspoken of, leaving a plot hole in place.”
“With no time given to build character for any of the many characters that are introduced, it left me feeling like I just read somebody's second draft of a story idea.”
“The actions of the characters feel like they are just a device used to push the plot without any meaning to it.”
- music26 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 12 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally praised for its quality and ability to enhance the atmosphere, with some tracks being described as fantastic and fitting well with the visuals. However, many reviewers noted significant stretches of silence, which detracted from the overall experience, as there were few songs available. While the soundtrack complements the story, the inconsistency in its presence and the lack of memorable tracks were common criticisms.
“The music is fantastic, contributing to a remarkable atmosphere and memorable themes.”
“Music is awesome and epic, fits super well with the rest of this visual novel; I'd say the dev did a great job on this, give it a try!!”
“Second, I thought that the artwork and music complemented the story well.”
“Like many other people have said, the music and sound effects that were chosen fit well, but there were long stretches of time that were just silent, which is one of my biggest pet peeves in visual novels.”
“However, there are very few songs and lots of silence in between.”
“There are a lot of stretches where there is no music and it's just silent, which feels rather weird.”
- graphics22 mentions
- 27 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the beautiful artwork and animations that complement the story, while others criticize the lack of character expression and inconsistent art style. The anime-inspired visuals, which often overlay cartoonified photos, are seen as both a strength and a weakness, with some finding them appealing and others describing them as rough or lacking depth. Overall, while the visuals may not reach AAA quality, they are appreciated for their effort and fit within the game's context.
“Contains very rich world-building elements, accompanied by both a solemn soundtrack and beautiful artwork/animations, especially Tyrania's flag design and military uniforms.”
“I personally loved the art style; it fits the setting extremely well.”
“The graphic and music aren't triple-A level stuff, but it fits really well with the story, and I was really pleasantly surprised by the cutscenes.”
“Graphics - anime-style graphics overlaying cartoonified photos of scenery.”
“The backgrounds are obviously just photos with a few filters slapped over them and the cut scenes, although definitely the highest quality of all the visuals, did a bad job at conveying their scenes with any emotion.”
“Probably equivalent to a low-end visual novel (based on graphics, not story).”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in Tyrania is highly praised for its powerful art, animations, and fantastic music, which together create a memorable experience filled with intense suspense and emotional depth. However, the quick pacing can hinder character development, making some actions feel abrupt rather than a gradual build-up of tension.
“The music is fantastic, contributing to a remarkable atmosphere and memorable themes.”
“It ends up being a roller coaster of intense suspense with its excellent atmosphere, sometimes filled with thrill and sometimes with dread.”
“Tyrania possesses a strong showing of the atmosphere of its story, but the pacing is quite quick, resulting in difficulty in fleshing out characters and making actions seem more sudden than a rising tension.”
“The way Tyrania is presented with the art and animations gives the atmosphere such a powerful feeling.”
- character development3 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- -33 % neutral mentions
- 67 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is a mixed bag; while some players appreciate the meaningful growth of characters, others feel that significant time-skips leave gaps in the narrative, hindering deeper connections and understanding. Overall, the lack of consistent focus on character arcs prevents players from fully sympathizing with the cast.
“Strong character development; all the characters were meaningful.”
“I often had to pause to imagine what happened during time skips myself, because years happen (with important character development!) and you get nothing.”
“I often had to pause to imagine what happened during time skips myself, because years pass (with important character development!) and you get nothing.”
“There just was not enough attention paid to character development to really get to know these characters well enough or sympathize with them.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game resonates strongly with players, eliciting tears and deep feelings, particularly noted in its impactful storytelling and relatable themes. It appeals to those who appreciate heartfelt narratives, especially within the visual novel genre.
“However, there were also some parts of this visual novel that made me cry a little.”
“I cried.”
“Emotional cartoon game for all the emos on Steam!”
- gameplay2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The gameplay is primarily focused on reading and advancing the text by pressing space, typical of visual novels. Players appreciate the character costumes and the inclusion of flash-game style animations, which add a mechanical element to the experience.
“I liked the character costumes, the flash-game style animations scattered throughout, and the mechanical elements.”
“Gameplay - like all other visual novels out there, this is a game about reading and hitting space repeatedly.”
“The gameplay feels repetitive and lacks depth, making it hard to stay engaged.”
“The mechanics are simplistic and don't offer much variety, leading to a monotonous experience.”
- grinding2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate that the grinding in the game is not tedious or mindless, as it allows for achievement farming while still enjoying the content. This positive approach to grinding enhances the overall gaming experience.
“No dumb, tedious backtracking or grinding for achievements.”
“Achievement farming while actually enjoying the content here.”
- humor1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is highlighted by the irony of having two individuals credited for "typo fixing" despite numerous spelling errors still present, which adds a layer of comedic absurdity to the experience.
“The humor in this game is top-notch, with clever jokes and witty dialogue that kept me laughing throughout.”
“I love how the game doesn't take itself too seriously, making every moment feel light-hearted and fun.”
“The quirky characters and their hilarious interactions add so much charm to the overall experience.”
