Developer: Novectacle
Publisher: MangaGamer
Genre: Visual Novel
Release Date: May 17th, 2018
Edited by KnightAvenger
Two years of waiting. There are many games that release a new version every two to three years, but there aren’t many visual novels in the English market that do so. Once the story is done, it’s done, even if you want more. However, our friends at Novectacle (developers of The House in Fata Morgana [Fata Morgana]) have delivered more on a story that we already knew. Published and localized in English by MangaGamer, The House in Fata Morgana: A Requiem for Innocence (Requiem) tells us the story of Morgana and Jacopo in even greater detail than before. Many thanks to MangaGamer for the review key.
First, if you haven’t already read or finished the original game, do NOT read further. Requiem is a greater-detailed version of the end game of the original visual novel. For a person who hasn’t read the first game, it will spoil much of the suspense that made the latter half of Fata Morgana so great. To allow myself to not tell you, the reader, this fact before going into the review would be a disservice I could never forgive. So, take my hand as I lead you away from here and to the first interview I did with the localization staff. Why? Because you might get excited at the prospect of reading the first game. However, just don’t let go of my hand while walking. You haven’t seen what lurks in Crims’ backend closet. Also, bad reader. I told you not to read further, you disobedient person.
If you HAVE read the first game, then Requiem is definitely for you. Kiss the feet of a six-year-old, drink the blood of a nine-year-old, sell sad men happiness, and cut off the arm of a teenager in this gruesome story of love and deception. Morgana’s and Jacopo’s sad story from the original game is expanded and it’s so much more detailed, as you’re not being told the story but actually living through it. You learn exactly how a brainwashed little girl ends up becoming known as a witch and dying in a church tower… after hundreds of people drank her blood… If you think that’s a spoiler, then you clearly didn’t heed my warning in the second paragraph. Bad reader.
The story is told excellently and was well worth the feels I had. In particular, the ending of the main game is especially strong. In fact, I was so messed up by the ending that it ruined the nice schedule for streaming that I had set up for myself. I was absolutely torn with emotions after that ending. And yes, I’m trying to tell you that the game does not end the way you think it ends. Just because you know the story plot, the characters, and what happens to them after they all die does not mean you know how this story ends. I learned well that lesson myself. And again, if you think that’s at all a spoiler, you obviously let go of my hand in the second paragraph and didn’t heed my warning.
Unfortunately, I didn’t take the time to see if the backlog had any storytelling elements like the previous game. In case you didn’t know, there are several parts in the backlog where there is text that doesn’t appear in the main text that appears as you click through the game. It was a storytelling element that is rarely used to actually tell a story besides what you read in the main text. As for why I didn’t take the time… I was too engrossed with the story. The new characters, settings, and fine details totally enraptured me while I streamed the game. It was too intense at times, causing me to stay up wayyyy too late just to read more. I absolutely loved to get that enveloped by the game’s story, dirty jokes, and overall feel.
The artwork is just as beautifully done as the first game. While the story is obviously what got me the most in the game, the artwork for the sprites was something that I really liked. In addition, the sprite animations were superbly done, especially during the more lighthearted moments. In fact, I’m pretty sure I hacked up a lung during a particular incident. At the same time, the backgrounds were wonderful even though they’re not nearly as detailed as the sprites. It allowed you to fill in details within your story experience, just like the first game.
Click this link to go to Lolinia’s channel and see him act a fool on streams
All in all, Requiem is a game that I highly recommend to anyone who wants more out of their Fata Morgana experience. If you’ve never read the first game, then I hope you enjoyed getting spoiled to high hell and back. You let go of my hand and didn’t heed my warnings, so don’t come to me if you feel all spoiled now. For the price of $14.99 USD on Steam, I recommend getting this game. It’s even on sale for 15% off during the Steam Summer sale, right now. Also, you can get the bundle that includes the first game, this game, and both OSTs. While you may have spoiled yourself on the end game, I said nothing about how we got there, so you should still enjoy the first game… Just don’t, for the love of the saint, read the side stories until you played the first game.
Pros:
– Excellent storytelling
– Nourishing character development
– Ceren
– Art is really nice
– Maria
– Pretty backgrounds
– Massive amount of feels
– Evil blood-drinking king that ISN’T a vampire
– Nifty sprite animation
– Totally awesome game in general, but…
Cons:
– Big amounts of time skips as we near the end of the story make it feel rushed
– Odd jokes aren’t used enough. I need more prostitute jokes in my brothel scenes.
– Overall, feels too short. I want more.
Lolinia gives The House in Fata Morgana: A Requiem for Innocence a Drastik Measure of 9.2 out of 10.0 (92).
PS. You can have a lot of fun just changing a few lines as you read them…
… Truly acting a fool on streams… again, you can click this link to follow him if you want.
