Shan Gui PC Review written by Eivmoe of We Touch Games – Edited by Lolinia of We Touch Games – Developer: Magenta Factory – Publisher: Ju Cai – Genre: Kinectic Visual Novel
Eivmoe gives Shan Gui a Drastik Measure 7.0 out of 10.0 (70).
Loss. We all deal with loss in different ways, but there are things that we all share together: the feeling of nostalgia and remembering something in a better light than it may actually be. In a way that is nearly impossible to replicate, even the fondest memories are only fond when they stay memories. Losing someone may bring you down or even cause you to look for a way to escape. The event may even bring you on a journey to find something from your childhood in hopes of remembering something that may have been long gone.
Shan Gui is just that: a journey of escaping loss. The impossible to recreate memory, yet you end up finding yourself and seeing those whom you may have lost in a new light. It will take you on a journey of learning and self-reflection. The game tries to teach in a subtle way that what you seek may not always be what you need, and that the world is too short to be fighting with friends and family, may they be dear to you or not they are part of your life.
Shan Gui is a short kinetic visual novel fully voiced in Chinese, and has a text-to-speech option for the parts that are not voiced. It is developed by Magenta Factory and published by Ju Cai. Shan Gui was Steam greenlit and released on the 19th of August in 2014. It currently sells for $2 USD and the soundtrack comes as an optional, free DLC.
The artwork is simply amazing; it is some of the most beautiful artwork I have seen in a visual novel alone, or in most modern games. The details of every single background are stunning. It changes often and gives you plenty to look at and admire. It’s even worth it to stop reading to just stare at the backgrounds that this game offers.
The story is decent; it has a great attitude and goal that it wants the reader to understand. While it doesn’t shove it down your throat, it is obvious that the game wants the reader to think in a positive light and may help them get there in that thinking; however, the story is sadly a little rushed. The game will take around 2-3 hours to complete based on how fast of a reader you are, if you listen to the voices, look at the backgrounds, or stop to listen to the music.
Characters are, sadly, a little shallow. Not much is known about the main character until you are about half way through the game. They could have easily been much deeper in character and expanded this game. The female you meet early on in the game is really shallow with no real information given to you except at the end, or the little you get from her personality.
Another strong point of Shan Gui is the beautiful soundtrack, which is also free with the game as DLC. The soothing piano music is finely tuned to the surroundings that you are presented with inside of the game itself. While this game is good, it is nowhere near an amazing game, nor a long one, and doesn’t have much re-playability. However, for its current pricing, it is an amazing title worth picking up for an experience that many often might forget in their own depression.
Story: 6/10
Art: 10/10
Music: 8/10
Characters: 3/10
Verdict:
Shan Gui is a good, but short game and recommended to anyone who likes story rich games and amazing art. On the other hand, this is not the best of games if you are looking for an introduction to visual novels, or don’t like reading much. Even though it is fully voiced, it is only voiced in Chinese, and the text-to-speech option is a robotic voice in the language of which you are reading the game.
