Will: A Wonderful World
- January 11, 2020
- WMY Studio
Get on Steam
Get on Apple Store"Will: A Wonderful World" is a narrative-driven adventure game that tells the interconnected stories of various characters through the use of a magical notepad. Players will solve puzzles and make decisions that affect the outcomes of these stories, exploring themes of fate, connection, and the power of words. The game features a distinctive art style and a unique narrative structure that challenges players to piece together the complex relationships between the characters they encounter.
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Reviews
- The game features a unique gameplay mechanic where players can rearrange sentences in letters to change the fate of characters, providing an engaging and interactive experience.
- The storylines are well-written and emotionally impactful, with diverse characters that players can connect with, making for a compelling narrative.
- The art and music are beautifully crafted, enhancing the overall atmosphere of the game and contributing to the emotional depth of the story.
- The game contains graphic and disturbing themes, including child abuse and sexual violence, which may be triggering for some players and are not adequately warned about in the game's description.
- Some puzzles can feel illogical or arbitrary, leading to frustration as players may resort to trial and error rather than logical deduction.
- The pacing can be inconsistent, with some story arcs feeling rushed or lacking closure, leaving players wanting more resolution for certain characters.
- story480 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The game's story is a complex tapestry of interconnected narratives featuring diverse characters, each grappling with dark and often disturbing themes such as abuse, trauma, and violence. While the premise and character development are praised, many reviewers note that the handling of sensitive topics can feel excessive or poorly executed, leading to emotional whiplash. Overall, the storytelling is engaging and thought-provoking, but it may not be suitable for players sensitive to graphic content or seeking lighter themes.
“The storylines of each character form a web of love, deceit, and obsession, and the unveiling of the true world takes it to another level.”
“The story is engaging and heart-wrenching at times, and puzzles are challenging yet fair, with every failure giving you another interesting piece of narrative that you wouldn't experience in any other game.”
“The characters are very interesting and endearing, and the story is rich, magical, dark sometimes yet still full of humanity.”
“The storylines revolve around and/or heavily feature somewhat graphic descriptions of [spoiler]suicide, stalking, child abuse, human trafficking, rape, gang-related violence, torture, mutilation, drugging and experimenting on people, psychological terror[/spoiler], you name it.”
“The emotional whiplash you'd feel after watching the most disgusting thing illustrated on-screen in the game to reading about someone's high school love story is neck shattering.”
“Call me a wuss, but I think that the writer handled the themes in the story a bit poorly.”
- gameplay164 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The gameplay of this visual novel is characterized by its unique mechanics that involve rearranging text to influence character fates, offering a fresh take on narrative interaction. While many players find the concept innovative and engaging, some criticize it for becoming tedious and occasionally illogical, with a mix of clever puzzles and frustrating moments. Overall, the gameplay is seen as a standout feature, though it may not appeal to everyone due to its complexity and the sometimes dark themes presented.
“The gameplay is very different from most and is quite a bit of fun, although some of the interesting mechanics only get used once or twice, which is a shame.”
“The interchanging of phrases between stories to alter the course of events is an amazing new mechanic that I suspect will be copied in the future. Alterations can lead to multiple outcomes, and if you are anything of a completionist, you will find yourself spending dozens of extra hours finding every possibility.”
“The gameplay itself was also intuitive and kept you on your toes just enough to never get stale.”
“The gameplay, while unique at first, does get a bit tedious once you just want to hurry up and progress in the story.”
“The actual gameplay can be incredibly frustrating, and the subject matter went from being kind of dark to incredibly disturbing.”
“I believe that the biggest drawback of this game is the actual gameplay, which is ironic, as that is what drew me to the game in the first place.”
- music122 mentions
- 57 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its quality and emotional resonance, with many reviewers highlighting its ability to enhance the storytelling and atmosphere. While some noted that certain tracks can feel repetitive or are not original, the overall soundtrack is described as beautiful, diverse, and fitting for the game's themes, making it a standout feature. Many players expressed a strong appreciation for the music, often considering it their favorite aspect of the game.
“A delightful game with a fun premise and a pleasant soundtrack, without spoiling anything the game has a diverse cast of compelling characters and a fairly solid plot that keeps you engaged to the end.”
“The music was amazing and added to the emotion of the game very well.”
“Music is fantastic and I recommend it to anyone looking for a good but challenging visual novel.”
“My only issue is that the song 'Whispered Feeling' isn't in the OST, and I don't know where else to find it.”
“Sound: decent soundtrack, but some of the tunes are short and used many times and got repetitive after a while.”
“Now for the art and sound, most of the music is reused and none of it was really memorable but the opening theme (ω2π∀) was pretty good.”
- emotional64 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The game is praised for its deeply emotional storytelling, with players becoming highly invested in the characters and their journeys through heartwarming and heartbreaking experiences. Reviewers highlight the emotional rollercoaster of the narrative, which skillfully blends humor, darkness, and poignant moments, often leaving players in tears. Overall, it is described as an immersive experience that challenges players emotionally while delivering rich, touching stories.
“This is such an emotional, challenging, beautiful story.”
“Halfway through the game, I had become really invested in almost every single one of these characters, simply due to the fact that I got to follow them through some of the most emotional and stressful days of their lives, learned about their backstories, and saw the world through their eyes.”
“The story is engaging and heart-wrenching at times, and puzzles are challenging yet fair, with every failure giving you another interesting piece of narrative that you wouldn't experience in any other game.”
- graphics46 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 61 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game are described as well-made but sparse, typical of a visual novel format, with limited character illustrations and a focus on text. While some players appreciate the artwork and its ability to convey the story, many express discomfort with the graphic depictions of disturbing themes, particularly child abuse, which overshadow the visuals. Overall, the aesthetic contrasts sharply with the dark subject matter, leading to mixed feelings about the appropriateness of the graphic content.
“Really excellent story and artwork, very much worth looking into.”
“One of the best games I've honestly ever played, I love the story and art style!”
“Pleasant visuals and sound, stellar writing, and even an occasional bit of surrealist humor (such as one of the protagonists getting a weird superpower in the end) to 'dilute' all the seriousness a little.”
“The title and the pleasing visuals are misleading for the type of content that happens in the game.”
“There is quite a bit of unavoidable graphic content (sexual assault, pedophilia, gang violence, etc.) that surprised me given that it was tagged with words like cute and casual.”
“Visuals: okay, it's mostly text and people's silhouettes, with relatively few CGs in a supporting role.”
- humor32 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is a complex blend of dark, ironic, and absurd elements, often juxtaposing tragedy with comedic moments, making misery appear almost cartoonishly funny. While approximately 75% of the narrative contains humorous content, it is interwoven with themes of sadness and shock value, leading to an experience that can be both hilarious and heartbreaking. Overall, the game offers a unique take on humor, where the comedic aspects serve to highlight the darker themes rather than provide a straightforward comedic experience.
“The biggest one is that it sometimes makes misery seem almost cartoonishly funny.”
“I think the constant barrage of literally everything going wrong for these characters made me lose my mind because I ended up laughing my ass off.”
“But this ended up being one of the most unintentionally hilarious games I’ve played in a while because this is a visual novel that just tells you that life just sucks sometimes, I guess.”
- character development8 mentions
- 75 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The character development in "Will: A Wonderful World" is highly praised, with reviewers noting that it features a compelling and engaging story that surpasses many AAA titles. While the artistic elements are beautiful, some players feel that additional character graphics could enhance the experience and alleviate the monotony of extensive text. Overall, the game is celebrated for its rich narrative and character growth.
“Is the story told in a compelling and engaging fashion with tons of character development?”
“Tldr: fantastic story with great character development.”
“"Will: A Wonderful World" is a love letter to the written word that offers plot design and character development at a caliber exceeding most AAA titles, easily compensating for the lower, more identifiably 'indie' quality of other assets such as the spotty voice acting.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be initially engaging but ultimately tedious, especially when trying to progress through the story or achieve 100% completion. Despite this, the game is praised for its heartwarming narrative and emotional depth.
“The gameplay, while unique at first, does get a bit tedious once you just want to hurry up and progress in the story.”
“Can get a bit tedious if you're going for the full 100% achievement, but overall a heartwarming (and occasionally tear-jerking) little story to experience.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere of the game is highly praised for its beautiful design and immersive storytelling, with players noting that the music complements the emotional tone of each narrative path effectively. The variety of stories and endings further enhances the overall experience, creating a rich and engaging environment.
“Nice stories, many different paths and endings, beautiful atmosphere.”
“Each piece of music fits very well with the atmosphere that each letter is trying to convey, which is good.”
- replayability2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Replayability is negatively impacted by the requirement for players to achieve high scores in nearly every section, which can feel restrictive. Additionally, the rushed finale of the main story undermines player engagement and understanding, further diminishing the incentive to replay the game.
“The replayability is harmed by the fact that it is almost necessary to have decent scores in almost every section, and the finale of the overarching story of the two main characters kind of defies the suspension of disbelief, as it is clearly a bit rushed and does not give the player enough time to understand what happens.”
