Vanilla: Garden of Judgement
- October 19, 2018
- Kaoru Nekofuji
Get on Steam"Vanilla: Garden of Judgement" is a visually striking visual novel that explores themes of life, death, and sin. The game features a full voice cast, over 50 CGs, and a gripping, mature story. With grotesque, violent, and sexual content, it is intended for mature audiences in mind and is not suitable for those under 15 years old. The player will uncover the destinies of the characters as they confront their past sins and face judgment.
Reviews
- The game features strong endings, particularly the true ending and bad ending 2, which are well-crafted and impactful.
- Charon's writing is praised for its depth and relatability, with unique themes and character backstories that resonate with players.
- The art and music are well-received, contributing to a beautiful and haunting atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- The midsection of the game suffers from pacing issues and a lack of engagement, making it feel less polished compared to other works by Charon.
- There are significant technical issues, including the absence of English voice acting and typographical errors in the translation.
- Players expressed frustration with the forced 'bad' decisions that lead to endings, feeling that the narrative could have been better fleshed out.
- story28 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 57 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The story is praised for its emotional depth and compelling character backstories, particularly that of Sima, which resonates with many players. While the narrative features a unique and dark theme, some reviewers felt that certain plot points lacked sufficient development due to the game's length. Overall, the writing is described as both simplistic and profound, successfully blending traditional storytelling with deeper psychological elements.
“Charon's writing is as great as always in this relatively unique story.”
“A lot more meaningful and psychological in the main plot line than a lot of other Charon games, but still having four incredible dark and humanizingly painful backstories that perfectly capture what I think is a great Charon plot.”
“Not only does it retain all the unique traits of Charon's previous novels, the story is also deep and meaningful.”
“I felt like these plot points could have been justified more if the story was more fleshed out, but given the length of the game, there couldn't have been enough time.”
“Perhaps with a more fleshed-out story, this game would be easier to recommend.”
“It was the red choices part of the story that I really had trouble agreeing with.”
- music9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 22 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed feedback; while some players appreciate the gentle and contemplative nature of the soundtrack, noting its beauty and appropriateness for the visual novel, others criticize the limited variety, with a single track dominating most of the gameplay. However, fans of the composer Ryo Lion find a refreshing change in style compared to previous works, enhancing their overall experience.
“Looking at the lovely character artwork and gentle music, I often felt extremely at peace and contemplative reading this.”
“It was a beautiful game in art, music, and story.”
“Music: [+] easy on the ears and appropriate with the visual novel.”
“Why does this game have like 10 songs but for 90% of the game only a single one plays.”
“The music, if you're familiar with the presence of music, who composed most of Charon's songs in previous works, and like me... fed up with replaying the same rhythm over in your head for the past years, will surely enjoy the new breeze that Ryo Lion brought about.”
“The music, if you're familiar with the presence of music, who composed most of Charon's songs in previous works, and like me... fed up with replaying the same rhythm over in your head for the past years, will surely enjoy the new breeze that Ryo Lion brought about.”
- graphics8 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 25 % negative mentions
The graphics are generally praised for their beautiful art style, reminiscent of Tsukimi Planet, which enhances the overall experience. However, some users noted issues with the display format, such as a large black bar on the right side when maximized, and typographical errors in the English translation. Overall, the visuals and audio contribute positively to the game's atmosphere, creating a peaceful and contemplative experience.
“I'm a fan of this type of art style, which was primarily what got me to buy the game.”
“Looking at the lovely character artwork and gentle music, I often felt extremely at peace and contemplative reading this.”
“The art is gorgeous, similar to Tsukimi Planet art style.”
“The visuals are either viewed in a small window, or if maximized, you get a larger picture but it’s set all the way to the left of your screen with a large black bar on the right side.”
“There's also the matter of typographical mistakes in the English translation.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its meaningful and psychologically rich plot, featuring four deeply impactful backstories that resonate with players. While not everyone may cry, the narrative's ability to evoke strong feelings, particularly in the true ending sequence, showcases its effectiveness in delivering a poignant experience.
“I'm not going to lie and say that I cried reading this, but then again, I'm quite a good liar.”
“A lot more meaningful and psychological in the main plot line than a lot of other Charon games, but still having 4 incredible dark and humanizingly painful backstories that perfectly capture what I think is a great Charon plot, emphasizing mostly the 4th one, which made me cry about 3 different times, not counting the one during the true ending sequence.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 100 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character designs, particularly of the female characters, are highly praised, indicating a strong visual appeal and thoughtful artistic choices in their development.
