Vampires' Melody
- October 2, 2020
- AsicxArt
- 10h median play time
"Vampires' Melody" is a rhythm game where players help a vampire named Adrian restore his lost powers by gathering musical notes. With a selection of pop, rock, and electronic music, players must hit notes accurately in time with the rhythm to progress through various levels and stages. The game features a unique story mode, as well as free play and multiplayer options.
Reviews
- The game features a very good story with engaging characters and emotional depth.
- High production value with beautiful artwork, animations, and voice acting, especially for the main character Yella.
- The flowchart system allows players to easily navigate choices and explore multiple endings, enhancing replayability.
- Some characters appear poorly designed compared to the main heroine, which detracts from the overall visual quality.
- The translation quality is inconsistent, with awkward phrasing and grammatical issues in some parts.
- Certain decision points can lead to abrupt endings, and the lack of a skip feature for previously seen dialogue can make replaying routes tedious.
- story240 mentions
- 41 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 4 % negative mentions
The story of the game is generally well-received, featuring a charming narrative centered around a vampire girl and a human navigating modern society after being transported 300 years into the future. While some players note plot holes and rushed elements, many appreciate the engaging character interactions, multiple endings, and the balance of humor and emotional depth. Overall, it is described as a cute, light-hearted romance with a solid premise, appealing visuals, and a user-friendly branching system that enhances the storytelling experience.
“The story is great, the music is nice too.”
“The story is about the struggles of a vampire girl and a human guy from the 17th century trying to adjust to the modern day, and on paper it sounds really simple but the story is well-rounded and interesting.”
“Vampires' melody delivers a hauntingly beautiful experience that will appeal to fans of dark fantasy and gothic storytelling.”
“Some plot points just kind of jump into existence.”
“The story lost me about halfway through when the 'antagonist' was introduced and didn't really catch my attention again.”
“The game's biggest problems are hidden behind the lack of fast-forwarding function through read text, the omnipresence of plot holes and unexplained logic, the bland music, the on-again, off-again voice acting, the imposition of several bad ends to highlight the visual novel option system and the occasional disproportion of the illustration.”
- music66 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its catchy and well-composed tracks that enhance the overall atmosphere and immersion. While some users found the music to be merely average or generic, others highlighted specific soundtracks as outstanding and integral to the storytelling experience. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a strong point of the game, contributing positively to its charm and emotional depth.
“The music is extremely well composed.”
“Even the music is just outstanding, full of such chilling beauty that it becomes part of the very atmosphere of the game and thus one with the immersion into it.”
“The music fits like a glove to the story, and the voice acting is superb.”
“The game's biggest problems are hidden behind - the lack of fast-forwarding function through read text, the omnipresence of plot holes and unexplained logic, the bland music, the on-again, off-again voice acting, the imposition of several bad ends to highlight the visual novel option system and the occasional disproportion of the illustration.”
“The soundtrack is serviceable but feels really generic.”
“But the music is just mediocre.”
- graphics47 mentions
- 64 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their stunning visuals and high-quality artwork, particularly the use of Live2D sprites that enhance character animations and immersion. While the overall art style is considered beautiful and fitting for the genre, some users noted inconsistencies in character designs that detracted from the experience. Despite minor flaws, the combination of compelling visuals and atmospheric soundtracks contributes to an engaging and immersive gameplay experience.
“The game's stunning visuals and haunting soundtrack create a darkly atmospheric world that draws players in and refuses to let go.”
“The artwork, character design, and the CGs (of which there is a surprising amount) are absolutely gorgeous, as one can tell from the screenshots alone.”
“Vampires' Melody offers the known high-quality art style in native 1080p with the same resolution upscaling up to 4k.”
“The art is great overall and it fits in the visual genre, but what brings it down from a 100/100 is the fact that some of the characters have a crisp and detailed art style that visual novels are known for, while others have a more simple design where you can tell the obvious difference.”
“The discount price for this game is a highway robbery; the art visuals are lacking.”
“It was tedious... the artwork was well done and beautiful in some sections; however, sometimes just listening (reading) the script bored me to no end.”
- emotional21 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its heartwarming romance between a vampire and a cook, set against the backdrop of modern society. Players appreciate the well-written characters and engaging storyline, which evoke a range of feelings from innocence and curiosity to deeper emotional resonance, particularly in the impactful endings. Overall, the game is praised for its ability to blend wholesome moments with emotional depth, making it a memorable experience.
“The characters and visuals are its strongest elements, and the storyline offers enough intrigue and emotional depth to keep players engaged.”
“The endings are all great and the true ending moved me as I cried like a baby.”
“This visual novel made me want to cry, both because of the visual novel and because of the story.”
- humor18 mentions
- 94 % positive mentions
- -11 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is described as a mix of quirky and light-hearted moments, with some genuinely funny dialogues and interactions between characters, particularly the protagonist and the female lead. While the writing has its flaws, it manages to deliver several laugh-out-loud scenarios and amusing endings that keep players engaged. Overall, the game balances humor with more serious themes, creating an entertaining experience that resonates well with players.
“I loved the humorous moments throughout this; the story kept me interested to sit and play through it all at once.”
“The interaction between the main character and the female lead was hilarious; granted, there are moments where the reactions are a bit over the top, but that’s pretty much the norm in most visual novels.”
“There is plenty of quirky humor here.”
“It's supposed to be funny, but it really isn't, mostly because there is never a straight man to play off of.”
“The jokes fall flat and often feel forced, lacking any real wit or cleverness.”
“I found the humor to be juvenile and unoriginal, making it hard to stay engaged.”
- gameplay10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this visual novel is primarily focused on reading and decision-making, lacking significant interactivity or engaging mechanics, which may disappoint players seeking more action-oriented experiences. While the artwork and subtle animations are appreciated, the poorly written dialogue and limited player choices detract from the overall experience. Additionally, technical issues like cursor visibility and hitbox problems persist, although the game is well-optimized with fluid performance.
“The music is both peaceful in the menus and haunting during gameplay.”
“Game is well optimized - no crashes, fluid gameplay.”
“You can adjust audio, display, gameplay, and language preferences from 'options'.”
“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?'”
“However, it might not appeal to players looking for more interactive or action-oriented gameplay, as the visual novel format relies heavily on reading and decision-making without much direct interaction.”
“The artwork is nice and I like the subtle animations, but honestly the story took forever for me to get into and there are not enough player choices throughout the gameplay.”
- character development9 mentions
- 56 % positive mentions
- 11 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is highlighted by unique and memorable character designs that enhance emotional depth, particularly through subtle expressions and movements. The protagonists, including a male lead and a vampire character, experience significant growth as their backstories unfold, especially within the context of a romance narrative. Overall, the combination of beautiful artwork, voice acting, and player choices contributes to a rich character development experience.
“The character designs are unique and memorable, using the most minor details in expressions and movement to add depth and emotion to their personalities.”
“Mc and Yella (vampire) have some good character development.”
“The male protagonist has a face seen on quite a few CGs, and both of them have a background story that is explored with time and character development (at the very least because this is a romance story and they have to grow feelings for each other).”
“I found the character design of the heroine was really cute.”
“First, the character design.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a complex blend of loneliness, eeriness, and otherworldly elements, enhanced by stunning visuals and a haunting soundtrack that deeply immerse players. This compelling setting, combined with a strong narrative, creates a darkly captivating world that resonates emotionally, despite occasional distractions from side characters. Overall, the atmosphere is praised for its chilling beauty and ability to draw players into its romantic yet ominous ambiance.
“At its core, Vampires' Melody is driven by its compelling narrative and atmospheric setting.”
“The game's stunning visuals and haunting soundtrack create a darkly atmospheric world that draws players in and refuses to let go.”
“Even if the setting were perfect, almost all the content that I've ever consumed included unnecessary side characters for no reason and ruined the atmosphere, romanticism.”
“The game's atmosphere is pretty difficult to describe; it's somewhat lonely, ominous, otherworldly, and eerie, but in a good way. It's really complicated, but I genuinely just love it.”
- replayability4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -25 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
While "Vampires' Melody" features multiple endings and choices that enhance its replay value, many players feel that the overall replayability is limited once all paths have been explored.
“The choices throughout the game allow for different outcomes, adding to its replay value.”
“While 'Vampires' Melody' offers multiple endings, some players have noted that the overall replayability is somewhat limited once all paths have been explored.”
“There seems to be some replayability here, but not a whole lot.”
“[*] [b]Limited replayability:[/b] While Vampires' Melody offers multiple endings, some players have noted that the overall replayability is somewhat limited once all paths have been explored.”
“[*] [b]Limited replayability:[/b] While Vampires' Melody offers multiple endings, some players have noted that the overall replayability is somewhat limited once all paths have been explored.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Users find the grinding aspect of visual novels to be tedious, as the repetitive nature of clicking through text for 100% completion can lead to frustration and boredom. While the artwork may be visually appealing, the constant need to revisit paths and scenes detracts from the overall experience, making it feel laborious rather than engaging.
“One problem with visual novels is that if you try to go 100% with all the endings, it can get a little to extremely tedious constantly repeating the same lines of text over and over again just for that one new scene. There's also the problem of trying to figure out what path you're on and if you've already done that path.”
“This is, however, really tedious and the route splits around the halfway mark, which makes it annoying for 100% completion.”
“It was tedious... the artwork was well done and beautiful in some sections; however, sometimes just listening (reading) the script bored me to no end.”
- stability1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players have noted that the game experiences occasional technical issues, including glitches and bugs, which can disrupt immersion. Overall, while stability is generally acceptable, these issues may affect the gameplay experience for some users.
“Some players have reported occasional technical issues, such as glitches and bugs, that can disrupt immersion.”
“Frequent crashes and instability make it hard to enjoy the game.”
“The game suffers from constant lag and performance drops, which severely affect gameplay.”
- monetization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
The monetization aspect includes minimal advertising, occurring only once, but some users find it off-putting, particularly when it promotes the developer's other game in one of the endings.
“The monetization strategy feels overly aggressive, making it hard to enjoy the game without being constantly bombarded by ads.”
“I found the in-game purchases to be overpriced and unnecessary, which really detracted from my overall experience.”
“The presence of ads in the game, especially during critical moments, was frustrating and took away from the immersion.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its strong optimization, featuring no crashes and providing a smooth, fluid gameplay experience.
“The game is well optimized, resulting in no crashes and fluid gameplay.”
“I appreciate the optimization; it runs smoothly even on lower-end hardware.”
“The developers have done a fantastic job with optimization, ensuring a seamless experience.”