Yukie: A Japanese Winter Fairy Tale
- July 14, 2017
- Vaka Game Magazine
Get on SteamIn "Yukie: A Japanese Winter Fairy Tale" , the demon Yukie has plunged the world into an eternal winter, feeding off human lives. Players take on the role of Yukiji, the youngest heir of a lineage burdened with the fate of defeating Yukie. With a blade in hand, players must journey to the mountain where Yukie resides and end her reign of terror. The game features RPG Maker engine exclusive features and is not compatible with Steam Overlay's screenshot function using F12.
PC
Windows
Reviews
- The game features beautiful artwork and a captivating story that unfolds like a visual novel.
- The Japanese voice acting adds an immersive quality to the experience.
- The atmospheric soundtrack and monochrome style complement the game's theme well.
- The battle system is clunky and repetitive, leading to a tedious gameplay experience.
- The game suffers from technical issues such as crashes, lag, and unresponsive controls.
- The narrative is criticized for being shallow and cliched, with some players finding it overtly sexist.
- story22 mentions
- 36 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The story is described as a movie-like experience with a slow, well-paced unfolding that allows for character development, particularly through the protagonist's journey. While some reviews note shallow characters and clunky controls, others appreciate the coherent storytelling reminiscent of classic Japanese narratives, highlighting intriguing twists and a unique theme centered around a romance in an eternal winter setting. Overall, the narrative is seen as a strong point, despite some criticisms.
“The story, the gameplay, the graphics, the sound - everything is coherent here, no random elements.”
“Overall, just a great way to see the story of eternal winter and the romance between humans and the snow maiden in an utterly different way.”
“It has shallow characters and there's barely a story.”
“A neat little storytelling experience held back by clunky controls and low-res art.”
“The story unfolded slowly, but was paced well with Yukiji's cold slow trudge through the snow as we understood his past and he understood himself.”
- graphics10 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- 30 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game, developed in RPG Maker 2000, are generally considered modest, with some users noting a lack of high-quality visuals. However, many appreciate the beautiful artwork and coherent art style, which contribute positively to the overall experience. Players are advised to manage their expectations regarding graphic quality, as the focus lies more on storytelling and gameplay.
“The story, the gameplay, the graphics, the sound - everything is coherent here, no random elements.”
“Beautiful artwork.”
“The art style is beautiful and the voice acting is also beautiful.”
“I appreciate it was made in RPG Maker and wasn't expecting much graphics-wise, but from the many positive reviews, I was expecting a game with a lot more substance than I was presented with.”
- gameplay8 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 38 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The gameplay features basic movement and combat mechanics, including fight or flight choices and timing for sword swings, but it suffers from glitches, particularly with the menu freezing during key presses. While the gameplay is coherent with the overall game design, these technical issues detract from the experience.
“Gameplay elements of 'moving forward', fight or flight choices, and there is a bit of timing with sword swings.”
“The story, the gameplay, the graphics, the sound - everything is coherent here, no random elements.”
“First and foremost, this game does have gameplay (as in you do move and fight), and that's where it went wrong for me.”
“Several glitches with the menu that I experienced during gameplay occurred when I pressed the shift and movement key, causing it to mess with the menu and freeze at times.”
“Gameplay elements include 'moving forward', fight or flight choices, and there is a bit of timing with sword swings.”
- atmosphere4 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
While some users noted that technical issues like crashing and lagging detracted from their overall experience, many praised the game for its strong atmospheric quality, highlighting it as a standout feature despite the frustrations.
“The only good point I can credit this game with is its atmospheric quality.”
“It crashed, it lagged, it froze, which ruined the atmosphere and just made the whole experience not worth it.”
- grinding4 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be boring and tedious, with repetitive battles and monotonous walking that detract from the overall experience.
“Boring, tedious game that tries to be deep.”
“The walking is tedious, the battles repetitive.”
- music2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The music in the game features a predominantly monochrome style that pairs well with the Japanese audio track, creating a cohesive and immersive auditory experience.
“The soundtrack, predominantly monochrome style and Japanese audio track complement each other nicely.”
