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The House in Fata Morgana |OT| Obsession. Sadism. Avarice. Zealotry. Death.

emag

Member
Is THiFM the best choice for a smart English PC-exclusive VN at the moment? Should I even consider Root Double or eden*?
 

Wichu

Member
I played all three last year, and I would say Fata Morgana > Root Double > Eden. Root Double and Eden are both great (my ordering is probably because I prefer mystery over romance), but Fata Morgana is brilliant.
 

Antiwhippy

the holder of the trombone
Mid door
5
spoiler/thoughts:
I am loving the real version of Michel. He is such a dick to Giselle and a bit eccentric that he's such an improvement over his "perfected" fabrication of the previous chapter.

Michel is seriously one of the best characters I've encountered in awhile. You'll find out why soonish.
 

daveo42

Banned
You really aren't.

Nope. Totally wasn't.

Mid Door 6 -
Finished the Rhodes telling from The Maid's perspective.
Absolutely lost it when Michelle showed up. Hayden's death and the Giselle's decent into becoming the lifeless Maid were just window dressing to how absolutely devastating it was to see the two of them together and what was left of Giselle's spirit crack.

And I still have
a few more eras to endure with Giselle still waiting...
 
Going to finally pick this up tonight from the Steam sale. I've been putting it off for far too long.

My apologies if it's been mentioned - is there a spoiler free guide I should refer to in order to get any "best endings", ala 999?

Looking forward to starting this!
 

Knurek

Member
Is THiFM the best choice for a smart English PC-exclusive VN at the moment? Should I even consider Root Double or eden*?

Umineko is on par with Fata, slight pacing issues and (disappointing to some) ending notwithstanding.
 
Going to finally pick this up tonight from the Steam sale. I've been putting it off for far too long.

My apologies if it's been mentioned - is there a spoiler free guide I should refer to in order to get any "best endings", ala 999?

Looking forward to starting this!
This guide lists chapter names and dialogue options, but it's otherwise spoiler free. You'll probably be fine for the most part with just pulling it up during choices if you don't scroll any farther down. I'd recommend making a few extra saves either way. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=685653577
 

Taruranto

Member
Fata is like Umineko, but
good
.

There are a lot of similarities in themes/atmosphere, curiously they both have a character (huge spoiler for both games)
with Gender dysphoria
,though Yasu and Michel are fundamentally different once you get past the first impression.

I remember a lot of people asking Novectale if they had played Umineko on their "ask me stuff" site lol.
 
Fata is quite like Umineko in many ways.

-A mansion is the main setting
-The OST is impeccable, diverse, and memorable (Fata wins out for me though <3)
-Blurry backgrounds (really love Umineko's on this front, but I'm alone on that lol)
-A greatly poignant journey
-Episodic (this one's a stretch, the episodes' natures differ)
-(Originally) no voice acting and 4:3

But I'd say that they're really different in many ways, too...
-The fundamental message is different (SPOILER FOR BOTH)
Fata's message is that you should let go of the past but not to forgive those who deserve no forgiveness,
but for your own sake. Umineko, in contrast, is more about believing in love and that those you love are good people.
-Umineko is far more obtuse/complex.
-Fata has a bigger focus on vocals in its music.
-Umineko is FAAAR longer (120+ hours)
-Umineko has a much larger cast

That said, from an objective level, Umineko is probably the highest-quality VN I've read after Fata. (That said, I still like the first two Zero Escapes and the Infinity games more than Umineko lol)
 

Taruranto

Member
I think Umineko is a mess, I say if you are looking for something with an "European" feeling like Fata, art different from the usual VN art and a somehow unusual set-up check Sharnoth.
 

Loz246789

Member
Umineko is definitely worth playing at some point. The highs are worth it, and the music is ALMOST always consistently great, which considering how much of it there is says a lot. It's not super similar to Fata, but I feel like that if you enjoy one, you'll find something to like in the other.

That being said, I honestly think you could cut out almost half of Umineko's playing time by streamlining the script a bunch. It meanders, a lot. There's some cool bits and pieces in the slower sections, but they're also largely that - slow. (The game also isn't entirely out yet officially in english, which you know. Doesn't help recommending it.)
 

kewlmyc

Member
I think Umineko is a mess, I say if you are looking for something with an "European" feeling like Fata, art different from the usual VN art and a somehow unusual set-up check Sharnoth.

The premise of Umineko is good as well as the first 4 episodes. It's around episode 6 where it all comes crashing down.
 

Aki-at

Member
So is Umineko worth picking up? I've heard it's a mess too but I might save it for whenever I get another visual novel itch, helps that I like the look of the cast.

Chapter
6 end: That was an experince, Morgana is quite a twisted character, it's neat now knowing the whispers in the beast's head wasn't his own thoughts but the witch herself. Poor Giselle was so broken each time that I felt devestated for her, this game is one of the few ones where I feel I've got to "save" the character. Also the end of the chapter and the music lined up so well with what I was reading it gave me goosebumps, first the music picked up when Morgana appeared and then when it restarted and picked up again when the words The House in Fata Morgana: The Story behind the Story text appeared. Fantastic.

Michel is seriously one of the best characters I've encountered in awhile. You'll find out why soonish.

Yep definitely a great character, this cast is ace in my books.
 

Vazra

irresponsible vagina leak
Hey, that's not true. A Requiem for Innocence is still coming.
:p
Hmmm its good but its not on the same level as Fata Morgana. It works for what it is and its done well but it doesnt have the layers to compete.
 

OniBaka

Member
The real despair of this game is the realization that it's all downhill from here if you wanted to play more VNs.
Having hard time playing single player games in general now. Don't think I've beaten anything since.

Just fighting games and FFXIV now.
 

Aki-at

Member
Door
7: Yeah I guessed right, I picked up on Michel's mum mentioning her daughter being taken away from her earlier in the game and even Michel mentioning he was missing "something" earlier so I figure his body may be different. As horrible as it might be for Michel growing up in that time period as such, I feel sympathetic towards Giselle too, poor girl. But it seems even initially if Michel came as a girl, even as the maid she would have gladly welcomed him back as a woman, I suspect in the end her feeling will ring true to their love, perhaps she was nothing but an illusion by Morgana calling him disgusting? I mean at least I hope but you never know more despair despair despair.

The real despair of this game is the realization that it's all downhill from here if you wanted to play more VNs.

It's okay, thanks to Steam summer sales I won't be touching a visual novel in a long time.
 

Aki-at

Member
Door
7 end: Man that was absolutely painful end, recalling what Didier said to Michel, that he was a member of the Bollinger family and nothing more, then ending his life with the last ounce of belief Michel had in his brother left me teary eyed. I wished at least one of his brothers stuck by Michel until the very end, it hurt a lot to see such betrayal. The scene had such impact, especially as I had hoped just one member of his family mourned for him, even Georges with a highly inappropriate comment but with no ill intent would have been a relief, alas it was not meant :(

Beginning of Final Door:
But man the enthusiasm Giselle brings to this story now is so great, seeing her embarrassed that Morgana may have spied on Michel visiting the bathroom and becoming all flustered at that thought got a good chuckle from me. Anyway time to get back and save Morgana, a character I thought I'd despise but the more you learn of her, the more you feel pity and a need for salvation for the character.
 

Aki-at

Member
^^^^^^^

Just so you know, we're spoilering door numbers.

Duly noted.

Door
8
mid spoilers:
This game can be pretty charming and awkwardly funny when it wants to be. I had to pick all of the multiple choice relationship options and they all got a hefty chuckle out of me, Nellie trying to hook Michel and Mell up together so she could keep them both forever got a chuckle out of me. Must say the game is giving me such a positive vibe that I'm worried how this chapter will end...
 
It's crazy to look at this thread's history and see that that the large majority of posts in it came a year after its release. I'm so glad that word of mouth has carried.
 
I finally started this after picking it up last year. Finished the second door and I'm loving the story so far. Sounds like it only picks up from here, so I'm expecting some great things based off of impressions. The OST is already fantastic enough.
 

sonicmj1

Member
I'm in the Misty Manor chapter. As much as I enjoyed the previous story (which felt less... contrived? Manipulative? than the last tales), this feels like another step up yet again because of how tightly connected it feels with the larger meta-plot. The sound design is also even more haunting than before. It's tough to step away from.

As someone who's in the middle of the game now, I'm not a big fan of how people are spoiler-tagging door numbers, because it kind of violates the biggest rule of spoiler-tagging: you have no way of knowing if you've reached the spoiler point until you already see the spoiler.

What does the "Lock" function do to saves? Why is it there?
 
Yep, spoiler tagging door numbers makes absolutely no sense unless you are putting the number behind a different spoiler tag.

What does the "Lock" function do to saves? Why is it there?
It prevents you from accidentally overwriting it. It's a feature some VN engines have.
 

Kevdo

Member
I just finished door 5. Mixed feelings.

On the one hand, this is the first time that the music has stood out to me as actually enjoyable and complementary to the game. Though still pretty much only the non-vocal parts :p And then
the more detailed, real interaction between Giselle and Michel started off really well and I was interested to see how it ended up differently.

On the other hand,
it didn't. Maybe I need to think a bit deeper on it, but isn't the only real difference between door 4 and 5 the depth of description/nature of their relationship? In both cases, they meet, distrust, eventually fall in love, and are killed.
I guess there must be future things that I don't know yet, but it seems like the end result of door 4 (don't remember the past and stay with me forever!) isn't that bad a deal when the alternative is "remember all this trauma and then stay with me forever!"

Which is really only a minor gripe, there's obviously still a lot left to go and it's gripped me well enough to want to see it through. Except for mid-door 5 during
budding Michel/Giselle romance when the whole plot went full anime, accidental titty-groping and all. Fuck that part. And isn't this supposed to be the 11th goddamn century? They went through so much effort to make, say, Mell and Nellie speak all noble and historical, but then Giselle throws out modern diction and idioms like there's no tomorrow. It was honestly really grating. I'm shocked I never read her tell herself, "Yeah! You go, girl!" in true 1099 hip fashion.
 

Taruranto

Member
I just finished door 5. Mixed feelings.

On the one hand, this is the first time that the music has stood out to me as actually enjoyable and complementary to the game. Though still pretty much only the non-vocal parts :p And then
the more detailed, real interaction between Giselle and Michel started off really well and I was interested to see how it ended up differently.

On the other hand,
it didn't. Maybe I need to think a bit deeper on it, but isn't the only real difference between door 4 and 5 the depth of description/nature of their relationship? In both cases, they meet, distrust, eventually fall in love, and are killed.
I guess there must be future things that I don't know yet, but it seems like the end result of door 4 (don't remember the past and stay with me forever!) isn't that bad a deal when the alternative is "remember all this trauma and then stay with me forever!"

Which is really only a minor gripe, there's obviously still a lot left to go and it's gripped me well enough to want to see it through. Except for mid-door 5 during
budding Michel/Giselle romance when the whole plot went full anime, accidental titty-groping and all. Fuck that part. And isn't this supposed to be the 11th goddamn century? They went through so much effort to make, say, Mell and Nellie speak all noble and historical, but then Giselle throws out modern diction and idioms like there's no tomorrow. It was honestly really grating. I'm shocked I never read her tell herself, "Yeah! You go, girl!" in true 1099 hip fashion.

(Door 5)

The groundwork is the same (It is, after all, a fairy-tale like version of the real story), but I don't think it's the same. Michel and Giselle truly hurt each other during door 5, he pulled a knife on her, she led the villagers to him. More so, Giselle had a real trauma during door 5 and they actually get to know each other, while the WHG pretty much randomly falls in love with him. In door 5 they are actually people, in door 4 they are characters from a fairy-tale.

And well... door 4 didn't feature Giselle at all. She basically wrote herself out of the story.

The boob scene was awkward, but I think it was just there to illustrate how awkward Michel was and inject a bit of humor.
But the novel definitely has a lot of anachronisms, yeah.

It's a bit hard to discuss this stuff, because as you can guess you are still not done with the story.
 

Ascheroth

Member
It just got its first negative review on Steam today. RIP 100%
God dammit :/

"I stopped during chapter 2 and looked up the rest of the story online so let me tell you how stupid the storytelling is. That I didn't experience, but I read a summary so I'm an expert." (paraphrased) <.<

I hate those kinds of reviews. Like, it's totally a valid opinion to not like it, drop it during chapter 2 and say as much in a review. But don't try to sound like a smart-ass by complaining about the parts you didn't play.
/rant
 
God dammit :/

"I stopped during chapter 2 and looked up the rest of the story online so let me tell you how stupid the storytelling is. That I didn't experience, but I read a summary so I'm an expert." (paraphrased) <.<

I hate those kinds of reviews. Like, it's totally a valid opinion to not like it, drop it during chapter 2 and say as much in a review. But don't try to sound like a smart-ass by complaining about the parts you didn't play.
/rant

Oh, fuck that
 

Loz246789

Member
The thing is, there are legitimate complaints to be made at that point in the story if you wanted a concrete reason to not like the game, and "the game just isn't for me" is totally one of them. There's a lot of reading, and the story itself is pretty dark, and both the art and the music haven't really hit their stride yet, so someone may take chapter 1 as indicative of the rest of the game. I could also easily see the door structure of the game not clicking with some people, especially early on.

But to say "I looked up a summary of the plot, and SHOCKING NEWS, the summary didn't do a good job at selling a cohesive, emotional narrative", and then review a game badly for it, is just... ugh.

Oh well. Had to happen eventually. May the next negative review actually be well written.
 
If it's downvoted enough, it'll be removed, perhaps- someone had left a troll negative review in Chinese a few months ago and it disappeared.

I'm extremely disappointed for some reason that the game doesn't have 100% positive reviews now :(

That good, eh? It's on par with the heavy hitters, like YU-NO, Infinity series, Muv-Luv, etc.?
I see Muv Luv as trash, but I love YU-NO and Infinity, and I gotta say, Fata is simply the best
 

1upsuper

Member
Haven't play those but I consider this the best VN.

Definitely getting the vita version of it if does get localised.

If it's downvoted enough, it'll be removed, perhaps- someone had left a troll negative review in Chinese a few months ago and it disappeared.

I'm extremely disappointed for some reason that the game doesn't have 100% positive reviews now :(

I see Muv Luv as trash, but I love YU-NO and Infinity, and I gotta say, Fata is simply the best

That's pretty high praise. I'll check it out.
 
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