When The Night Comes

I would leave a mixed review if I could. I don't want to refund the game as I did play through it in full (Omen's route) and I want to support small studios making inclusive games. Now, my expectations are high for fantasy visual novels due to having played some real gems. I did skim the reviews before playing and my overall experience ended up being what I predicted. The best way I can describe playing this game is that it's like riding on a moving walkway in an airport. Did I have a bad time? No. There was some nice scenery. Did I have an exciting time? No. It was a flat ride and I could see my destination ahead. Other negative reviews hit the mark in that the main storyline is very linear, with no real twists, and the 'bad guy' is incredibly easy to guess (and in my opinion, not very interesting). The story beats between the introduction of 'the problem' and the resolution feel pretty lackluster. All in all, the storyline isn't BAD, it just isn't very unique or gripping. My main point of contention is that player agency in the game feels lacking. I get the impression there aren't really branching paths in the plot and that the only major deviation is something that occurs…

This is one of those games that I would rate "Meh, It depends" because there's so many things wrong with it, but there's just enough good about it to where I still enjoyed the game to spend 24 hours playing it (and this is just one playthrough too, which i did improperly & plan on trying to go back and redo some choices to hopefully get a more pleasant ending. So at the very least, you get plenty of things to read for your buck!) First of all, the biggest issue I had that kept bringing me out of the experience was just how often something would be hinted at in the story, in a way that implied it would be relevant later on, or come back as a "point of interest" somehow for the investigation*, and then Never get brought up again. There's multiple instances I had where the MC would think something or point a detail out as I guess a mental note to come back and look more into it in the future? But then these would straight up just never get mentioned again. Ever. Not even by NPCs. Even when you return to these locations, it's as though the idea never even happened. The most notable moments I can remember of this happening off the top of my head are (Spoilers, kinda) [spoiler] First, A…

I've actually enjoyed the narrative, with all its turnarounds and twists. The characters were quite charming, and the dlc was awesome, loved the new character.

I've been craving something like The Arcana Game and seen reviews elsewhere that recommend When The Night Comes. Personally, I find When The Night Comes to both satisfy that craving and surpass it. The story itself isn't world shattering, but it is steady and consistent. The world truly feels lived in. The characters, their interactions with another and the playing character are crafted with care, respect and obvious passion. It gives me reason to replay, to want to learn more about the cast. I believe the price is more than fair for the polished quality, even for a single play through. I think my first play through was roughly 13 hours and as of this post, am early into a second play through.

I wasn't prepared for just how much I got into this visual novel. I wasn't quite sure what to expect from this, but the story, voice acting, and characters really grabbed me and refused to let go. Jonah Scott and Gideon Emery were a delightful surprise along with some of the tender moments with characters. As with any of these games, it feels like the writers had some of their favorites (which isn't a point against them as it's a common aspect to romance games), but I would recommend this game for those who like supernatural dating sims. Also it's got poly options which more games absolutely need xoxo There are a few flaws with the game but they're pretty small and far between in my opinion. I do wish there was a bit more, but I also understand that small studios only have so much time and resources. The universe they created is vastly interesting and I wish there was opportunity to explore it more (or dive deeper into some of the things that are skirted over quickly). But flaws not enough for me to not love this game <3

Some of the romances are super duper not for me, but the ones that are - ARE. And Gideon Emery plays the vampire, so.