Comet Angel

[b]Note:[/b] An awesome friend gifted me a copy of this game although a review copy was sent via curator connect. ^^ [h1]Finding love and discovering oneself ^^[/h1] [h2]Introduction[/h2] [i]Comet Angel[/i] is a yuri, sci-fi adventure visual novel with point-and-click elements and puzzles developed and published by Cross Couloir. You take on the roles of teenagers Izzy and Nat. Izzy drops by Nat's house, excited to tell Nat about the comet that she saw, and she asks Nat to come with her to the lake. Nat agrees, and the two of them make their way to the lake. However, it's too dark, so they return the next day, and to their shock, they discover an alien creature. The alien creature, whom they name Faerie, is only able to communicate with Nat, so she serves as a go-between. Basically, Faerie needs metals to return home, and in return for their help, Faerie promises to show them their future. Excited over the idea, Nat and Izzy agree to help. Will they be able to find enough metal for Faerie to return home, and what might they discover about themselves along the way? With the gameplay, there are no choices. However, three endings are available. You get three scenes in wh…

This is a very good yuri visual novel. It has an intriguing premise, with a strange alien offering the two main characters offered a glimpse of the future in exchange for metal. It's also set in rural America, not a place where many LGBTQ stories take place, but a setting that is near and dear to me. The two main characters are written and voiced in such a way that they feel like very real teenage girls, and they both have some trauma in their past that is uncovered in the course of the story and it's all treated in a very grounded, very real way despite the sci-fi premise. It is very tightly written, with just about every scene moving the story forward in some way, and even the puzzle sections were enjoyable. I really liked every ending. Each of them is beautiful in their own way. The artstyle is perhaps a bit amateurish, but I found it added to the charm. Overall, it's an emotional and beautiful story with a whole lot of heart.

This game... it hit me in ways I don't think a story ever has before. Everything about it is so wonderfully made. Deep beautiful story with masterful writing, amazing characters (everyone needs a Helen in their life, and I will die on that hill), adorable chemistry between the main duo, such cute art, sweet CGs, amazing voicework. Made me laugh, and even rarer these days, brought me to tears. Outside of miniscule nitpicks, the only fault I can address is a single puzzle in a late-game area that feels like a guessing game without a findable hint or any conveyance that it is possible to complete there and then without doing something else first (the 4th toggle being inaccessible threw me off at first). Even then, it is only a small part of an otherwise incredible experience. In terms of performance, I didn't encounter a single bug or fault during my playthrough. If you like puzzle games with a story that feels real, and charming characters all the way, pick up this game today!

Comet Angel is quite the achievement in development in this genre; it combines fantastic voice acting and overall quality with a heartfelt story, punctuated by some interesting puzzles. Don't want to give away the story too much, but love the character development and interplay between the leads. There's something about the art style that brings their emotions to life while keeping a bit of that impressionistic or comic quality to them. Highly recommend, especially for fans of the genre. As a side note, it was a nice surprise (maybe I'm behind the times with this) that it works perfectly on Mac as well as PC, since not all Steam games do.

Full disclosure, I arranged to play and stream this game with the developers. That said, I paid for this game out of pocket, and at no point did the Cross Couloir and I exchange any communications. All opinions are my own. Positives: The narrative is quite engaging and incredibly vulnerable. I didn't even try to guess where it was going. The characters and their arcs were wonderfully executed. The music fits pretty well, and the art - while a bit rough - has a lot of love and detail put into it. I was engaged well enough with the story that I wasn't even trying to guess where things were going. Critiques: I wish there were more puzzles. Or, at the very least, more opportunities to interact with the game, vignettes, and the like. I have beaten nearly every main line Professor Layton game. I crave puzzles. Aside from that, there were a few moments in the final chapter where voices and sounds would just cut out as I advanced the story, before coming back in. All in all, incredible game for the price. Support this labor of love!

An emotional, touching, and poignant story of young people learning to navigate the complexities of life - pain, loss, mental health, and love - wrapped up in a neat little package of aliens and comet-gazing. I played the demo for a Steam Next Fest and fell for the protagonists Nat and Izzy instantly. I felt such connection, especially to Nat, which goes to show the talent of the writers to create such relatable characters. The snippet gives just enough to lure you in, introducing the most adorable alien you've ever seen. But boy when you start exploring deeper in the full game it turns from a cute experience into one that changed me to my core. I cannot tell you how many tears were shed. As spoiler free as I can say it, the journey of self-discovery the characters go through is relatable to so many. It explores the complexity of processing very big worldly and personal concepts and emotions. An LGBT and disability friendly story, telling the difficult story of two wonderful young people just trying to find their place in the world. Even if just for the wonderful writing, funny and well-sculpted dialogue, stunning hand-drawn artwork, and interesting mini-games and puzzles, you w…