![]() The CG and backgrounds don’t disappoint either. the clunky animation from the 2016 edition of Go! Go! Nippon!). It’s obvious that a lot of work has gone into the sprites and scripting of all the scenes, making it more natural-looking and seamless than most attempts that I’ve seen, including some Japanese VNs (ex. ![]() The Live2D animations are pretty subtle, making the scenes feel more alive, but very rarely going overboard with the gimmick in a way that would make it distracting. What came after those was similarly pleasing to look at – the Live2D-animated sprites are highly detailed, expressive and more often than not really nicely designed (Leanna is actually my least favourite character in this respect, mostly because of slightly weird proportions and head shape, but I wouldn’t go as far as calling her design bad and I had no issues with most other sprites). While definitely a bit saccharine, these first moments honestly impressed me and got me excited about exploring the game further. The intro animation and the original song accompanying it (performed by Amanda Lee, the VA of the main heroine, Leanna) are pretty endearing, and the title screen gre et s you with an absolutely gorgeous, animated background and upbeat music. From the very first moment s, Crystalline proves to the reader that its impressive budget (provided not only through the KS campaign, but also a significant Patreon support) was well-spent. In my opinion, it’s still one of the best EVNs ever released, with few real issues be yond the somewhat abrupt, anticlimactic ending and the overly simplistic "gameplay" elements.Ī bit atypically, I’ll start my review with the visual side of the game, because there’s a lot to talk about here. Initially funded on Kickstarter as Kendo Crush, it went through a curious evolution from a generic-looking, sports-themed game into a futuristic story about mecha battles but regardless of all the tribulations, the end effect was a highly refreshing, all-ages experience with a satisfying mix of light drama, non-violent action and mystery. It was also pretty atypical in its storytelling, featuring a mostly college-age cast, choosing a very tame approach to romance and avoiding the fanservice endemic to this kin d of lighthearted, SoL-focused VNs. Their first project, Ace Academy, offered some features rarely seen in Western VN of similar scale (~10h of content), such as good-quality, full voice acting and lots of impressive-looking, stylistically consistent artwork. PixelFade is a studio that from the very beginning showed an unusually ambitious approach to EVN development.
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