#gore warning for cgs and also spoilers for the whole game

[chipchopclipclop]

i have finished death mark 2...... thoughts.....

general thoughts is the overall story was.... BAD. LOL.

I'll start with the good. The interactions between Yashiki and alot of the returning cast i really liked, the writing especially in the first few chapters. An example being alot of Yashiki and Daimon's chatter, especially the whole weight of saving lives things that comes back at the end, alot of it was quite sweet and heartwarming similarly between him and other mark bearer characters.

^^^ BEST CG EVARRRRR....

I liked the choice of Hiroo and Mashita being the two that come in when he's at his lowest, their curtness and refusal to take his attitude was really refreshing, felt really like what he needed at the time lol. In that same vein i enjoyed his characterization alot in the early-mid game, and how it develops. He's such a sensitive guy lollll and it comes through well with how much he cares but near the latter chapters it kind of.... sours.

Though there were a few new characters i liked his interactions with, Abe and Maruhashi specifically i found endearing of the new cast, Alot of them just Die. Or theyre Hime and Michiho AKA the bane of my fucking existence with this game.

They are the two pushed front and center and it is truly its worst aspect, as characters they're shallow personality wise and though you could say that about others in the cast, them being in love with Yashiki on top of it makes it so much worse.

They barely have any scenes where they actually properly interact and feel like they bond at all but for some reason im expected to believe they're suddenly in love with him?? -and in the end they were also dead the whole time, and not even themselves. So it wasn't even real, and somehow any of this is meant to hold any weight to the audience...?? explaining it as the ghosts being desperate for him instead doesnt really make it.. any more compelling (lol the scene at the end where hes like maybe they just wanted those beautiful normal school days they spent by me.... when did that happen yashiki)

I understand Yashiki is probably saddened by the deaths of two young girls but they're treated with so much more weight and gravitas than anyone else in the cast and its so unearned, especially when alot of the other ghosts are somehow way more compelling in that aspect.

He also becomes borderline ooc around them like in what world am i expected to believe he emotionally dumps his burdens on the two highschool girls he barely knows because of how sad he is when hes got like how many other people he knows FROM THE OTHER GAMES he could do that with...????? (AND BASICALLY DOES... ALREADY...?) and it lifts his heart like truly wtf was i reading. HE WOULD NOT FUCKING SAY THAT.JPG

Chapter six is really where it falls off the cliff with this, after hanging out with Hiroo, Mashita and Yasuoka and solving that case they just dissapear from the narrative for a day so he can......... hang out with michiho...?? i couldn't even enjoy murder yashiki in this game because of how ludicrous it felt that the rest of yashiki's companions just dissapeared to make it happen, and no one calls or anything lmfao. I cant imagine how much more compelled i would have felt if he was dealing with that situation with any of the other three around instead of HIME. LIKE I AM ACTUALLY SO INCENSED ABOUT THIS SCENARIO BEING RUINED SO HARD WHEN IT COULD BE SO GOOD BUT I DIGRESS (RIPPING MY HAIR OUT) (CRYING BC I LOVE BLOOD AND HORROR)

Even the first two games weren't as bad as writing women as this!? EVEN IF I HAD TO SEE MASSIVE TITS ON SCREEN THEY WEREN'T TRYING TO JUMP ON YASHIKI AS WELL AS A CENTRAL PLOT POINT (lol kakuya) congrats exp you have outdone yourself with the misogyny.

To continue on the topic of new characters, it feels like so many of them were given so little screen time to make you actually care about them. For how prominent Abe is he barely actually does anything, and Maruhashi instantly dissapears when shes no longer a red herring. On top of this game basically killing off any other character that appears, its hard to get invested in them as characters at all.

You have no opportunities to actually effect their fate as you do in the other two games, so there's even less attempt to immerse you there. Horikoshi comes the closest behind the other two but its because her case with Hanako was easily the strongest and most resonant of the game (lgbt win). Its not even like this is the first time Yashiki saves the lives of kids and bonds with them after, especially with the caveat of being a teacher, like how did you fuck this premise up so bad.

They either needed to commit to more scenes and writing in general to attach you to the new characters or just not have any returning ones show up so prominently if they're not also going to further interact with them.

The overall mystery suffers for it, and while i like the twist of the doll being helpful in this game actually, it is so easy to guess michiho and hime are the departed, and i already didn't even like them so it doesn't hit at all emotionally. Like, i was not feeling very betrayed or anything lol.

Further critiques -> though running around is very fun, the horror in this game really didn't at all compare to the others with the loss of that first person perspective for alot of the exploration, sad.

I also feel like we got more horny shit than we did in NG which is also like lol one step forwards two steps back. Even the gore wasn't as good............... kind of mid in every regard there. I did like the mushroom and scissor stuff, but the bugs and mold ended up just kind of ..... eh...

Mary continues to be the best antag in these games, she slayed and she continues to keep slaying. The sisters were really kind of a letdown in the end, especially since i think i could have enjoyed it if they pulled them off better.

As for my yaoi cocaine score though thats a 10/10 they made yashiki and mashita meow and hiss like cats in this game for some reason, i genuinely think that shattered my mind a little.

I also can't believe they gave us these two panting in unison asmr as well so you could make your own [REDACTED] if you wanted. The departed getting jealous mashita was standing next to him in that one confrontation too like she's calling him a homewrecker..... lol...... also the part where mashita jokes abt him keeping the gun and if you make yashiki go 'then i will 😇' and him immediately backpedaling like okay i was kidding. give it back. very moe very powerful.

I feel like the entire time mashita was on screen he was basically acting as yashiki's brain to keep him from getting too lost in his emotional attachments, truly everyone needs a bitch wife to keep them sane.

TL:DR this game could be so good (average) if it wasn't so fucking badDDDDDDDDDDDD easily the worst entry in this series...... dont buy it unless its on sale for 4 bucks (this applies to every game) or just watch in on youtube lol.

anyway. beautiful yashiki collection. I CANT BELIEVE MASHITA DIDNT GET A BAD END CG ACTUALLY < / 3 BUT YASHIKI'S IS REALLY GOOD < / 3 SMALL WINS < / 3

[hypodermicfroggy]

= PROJECT MOON LORE GUIDE =

(I've posted a guide like this on Steam, but I figure it couldn't hurt to put an updated version on Tumblr, too. Also, a warning: This post is going to be very, *very* long.)

Hello, current Project Moon fandom and future/want-to-be fans!

Do you enjoy Limbus Company but don't know how to get into the other games and media to appreciate the greater lore of the series? Do you not actually have the money, time, or patience to endure a brutally punishing (and sometimes even janky) roguelike management sim, deckbuilder, or gacha game because we live in a capitalistic hellworld like the one this very series criticizes? Struggle with getting access to supplementary materials due to controversies and language barriers?

(Pictured: PM Twitter and the Limbus Steam Forums, on any given day. Seriously, what is wrong with some of you people.)

And especially important: hate how Reddit and Steam are full of dudebro coomers who are openly hostile to F2P, non-day one players who might grapple with all the previous issues on top of being more invested in story than waifus?

Then read on under the cut!

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

This guide contains a comprehensive list of resources for you to be able to enjoy the Project Moon series to its fullest, including links to wikis, playlists, and more. Even if you can't play the games, I personally think those who can actually appreciate the series shouldn't be gatekept from the truly fantastic story and world that the games hold. Except Canto 6, we don't talk about Canto 6.

AND AN IMPORTANT REMINDER: THERE WILL BE SOME SPOILERS FOR CERTAIN PARTS OF THE SERIES, AND PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONTENT WARNINGS BEFORE YOU GET INTO ANYTHING HERE! This is a very dark series that tackles and shows very heavy topics and content!

For those who can't read the text on the image, some of the common trigger warnings for this series includes:

Animal Cruelty

Drug Use

References to Alcohol and Tobacco

Injury and Dismemberment

Homicide and Suicide

Violence and Torture

Cannibalism

Kidnapping, Abduction, and Captivity

Psychosis

Diseases, Seizure, and Dyspnoea (aka shortness of breath)

Familial Homicide and Domestic Violence

Reference to Clowns (Coulrophobia)

Themes of Occultism and Spiritualism

Audiovisual Depictions of Gore

Uses of Sharp and Pointed Objects

Hospital and Medical References

References to Gaslighting and Bullying

Body Modification and/or Deformation

Flashing Lights (Photosensitivity)

Disorientation Induced by a Shaking Camera

Strong Language and Demeaning Words

Reference to Traffic Accidents

Uses of Guns and Instruments of Violence

Discriminatory Violence

Religious Torture and Violence

Enforced Ideology and/or Actions

War and Mass Conflict

Anyway, if all that didn't scare you off, on to the guide!

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=WIKIS:

When in doubt, there's always the wikis for being references and useful sources, from gameplay to story elements!

>>Cogitopedia - A WIP wiki run by members of the community, working on adding in-depth content for all of the games and supplementary materials.

>>LobCorp Wiki - Has data on every abnormality, including inaccessible ones and cut ones (such as Price of Silence).

>>Library of Ruina Wiki - Has the lore from key pages, and also has cut content like the CGs from the original planned ending.

>>Limbus Wiki.gg - Has ID Uptie stories and info about Mirror Dungeon encounters. (DO NOT USE THE LIMBUS FANDOM WIKI, IT HAS BEEN ABANDONED/VANDALIZED.)

>>Library of Project Moon - A WIP fan blog whose purpose is to consolidate translations of the literary source novels and related works for Limbus Company and the PM games as a whole.

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=LOBOTOMY CORPORATION:

Summary: Lobotomy Corporation is the first game in the series. It is a roguelike management sim where you play as "Manager X", tasked with handling employees and various monsters known as Abnormalities in order to generate daily quotas of a power source substance known as Enkephalin and a mysterious "Seed of Light" project. You are aided by an alleged team of AIs known as the Sephirot, and your very own personal assistant AI, Angela. It's often been likened to "anime SCP Foundation."

This is the game where everything begins, and without it, we wouldn't have the plot of Limbus (or anything else for that matter). This is where the Golden Boughs come from, this is where Abnormalities come from, this is even where Distortions come from - but we're getting ahead of ourselves on that front.

>>This playlist will allow you to watch all the cutscenes from the game, in order, for the canon ending.

>>This video also has the cutscenes, albeit not in order, HOWEVER, it does have the alternate, non-canon endings A and B (which are timestamped in the link for convenience).

>>WordsmithVids (also on YouTube) also has what is generally considered to be the most popular summary of the game.

(NOTE: Some people disagree with WordsmithVids and his interpretations of some of the characters as well as his content being "meme-y," so I advise you to watch at your own discretion and draw your own conclusions. That being said, if people have better recommendations, please send them to me instead of just complaining and bitching without offering solutions like that one guy on Steam did, thank you.)

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=WONDERLAB:

Summary: Wonderlab was a webcomic by the artist MIMI/Whitezombies, originally posted on the Project Moon Postype account. It follows the adventures of several employees - often called "nuggets" in fan parlance - Catt, Taii, and Rose, in a Lobotomy Corporation branch facility as they go about their day to day activities.

This webcomic was taken down after the Summer 2023 Incel Controversy, when incels stormed the Project Moon office in Korea and made enough credible threats that the former Limbus CG artist known as Vellmori was fired, and it is currently part of a second conflict over copyright. However, primarily for archival and personal reference purposes, the comic has been saved and rehosted in several forms.

>>Internet Archive version. This has just the comic in an on-site readable format.

>>A backup archive on Google Drive. This features the individual pages, a downloadable .zip of the archive, and a readable Google Docs version.

For those who may have ethical concerns about downloading a webcomic that was pulled due to controversy (understandable), once again, >>WordsmithVids has a summary.

(NOTE: This is NOT the place to discuss either the Summer 2023 incel controversy *or* the current (Summer 2024) copyright conflict. There are far better places to do that with people who are far better informed on the topic than I am. This post is solely for providing references and archives of lore material to help guide people into this series. DO NOT attempt to bring up the controversies here, I will not be acknowledging them outside of mentioning why certain supplementary materials may have been pulled and have had to be mirrored. I am just an archivist, not a lawyer or discourser.)

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=LIBRARY OF RUINA:

Summary: Library of Ruina takes place some months after the events of Lobotomy Corporation. A "Grade 9 Fixer" known as Roland finds his way into the mysterious, tower-like Library that has sprung up in place of the former main facility of L Corp, where he encounters Angela and the other Sephirot (all now Librarians). He begins assisting her in finding "the perfect book", which involves enticing people to come to the library through the sending out of curious invitations.

Now, unfortunately, there is not a playlist that splits up the cutscenes or puts them in order for Ruina.

>>These two videos have them all in compilation.

HOWEVER. A wonderful and dear friend of mine (@citroncynique <3) has allowed the guide they sent me to be reproduced/copied.

>>As such, there is a guide on how to watch the cutscenes in the order that makes the most sense, utilizing the timestamps of the previous two videos. It is not a perfect system, but it works at least.

>>WordsmithVids also has at least two summary vids out.

However, due to financial issues at last update, he has not been able to continue his summary of Ruina. I am including them regardless. >>As well as his Patreon in case people want to support him in hopes of making it easier for him to work on the vids again.

>>There is also an almost FOUR HOUR LONG video essay that delves into Angela's character specifically after the events of LobCorp and Ruina. It is not required viewing like the rest of the materials here, however, I think it still deserves a mention just for the amount of effort and care that went into it.

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=DISTORTION DETECTIVE:

Summary: Taking place at roughly the same time as Library of Ruina, two Fixers known as Ezra and Moses and an N Corp. Taboo Hunter known as Vespa investigate the Distortion Phenomenon that is rapidly starting to spread across the City after the events of the previous games.

Originally released as a webnovel on Project Moon's Postype, Distortion Detective has 42 chapters and is technically incomplete/on hiatus. Project Moon, surprised at how popular the webnovel was, decided they wanted to potentially make an entire game based on the story. As of this writing, that has not happened (yet) but at least one character from the novel has appeared in Limbus Company, so there is still hope yet.

>>The DD series in its original form on Postype. This version was posted chapter-by-chapter, on Project Moon's Postype account and is (as of this writing, at least) still readable there.

>>A backup archive on Google Drive. This has the entire webnovel in a single document format (both Docs and downloadable PDF) featuring NishikujiC's official chapter illustrations up to Ch. 26, and includes the now-cut comic adaption of Ch. 19 by the artist Monggeu/koug99.

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=LEVIATHAN:

(Lord, this one. Like it wasn't a big enough pain in the ass already.)

Summary: After the events of Library of Ruina, and operating as a direct prequel to Limbus Company, Leviathan follows the Color Fixer Vergilius (aka the Red Gaze) as he grapples with his own personal traumas and comes into conflict with the Ring Syndicate, before being recruited as a guide for the LCB.

Leviathan originally started as a webcomic by Monggeu/koug99. Health issues with the artist resulted in the comic being discontinued and turned into a webnovel, whose translation was never completed and had to later be finished by fans. The comic portion has since been taken down as of the Summer 2024 copyright conflict and controversy, much like Wonderlab was. Once again, however, this has been mirrored for archival and reference purposes.

>>Original source of Leviathan on Postype. Due to the copyright conflict and the translation hiatus, the only chapters available are Ch. 12-15. The link is still included for posterity reasons and just in case the copyright conflict results in the chapters being restored.

>>A backup archive on Google Drive. This link includes the comic chapters, as well as the SnakeskinFS English fan translations for the last five chapters that were never completed, all in PDF form.

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=LIMBUS COMPANY:

Summary: After all the events of the previous games, a mysterious up and coming business known as Limbus Company has taken it upon themselves to send a group composed of 12 "Sinners" and their mysterious clock-headed Manager Dante to delve into the now-abandoned L Corp facilities in search of mysterious artifacts known as Golden Boughs.

Finally we come to the end of the shrubbery maze. Limbus Company is the latest chapter in the currently unfolding story of Project Moon and the City, a gacha game being used to fund other projects under the company umbrella.

Many people, once again, have ethical concerns about patronizing a gacha game. I for one agree with them, even as one of those patrons.

>>This playlist features all of the cutscenes for each part of the game story released so far (up to Intervallo 6.5-2/Murder on the WARP Express as of this writing).

>>There is also this site, which operates as a pure datamined text archive of all the story content.

>>And this site, which has all the in-game Observation logs as told by the Sinners, about the Abnormalities and enemies encountered in-game.

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=BONUS/SUPPLEMENTARY:

This section, liable to be updated at any given time, is for links to materials or fan-creations that don't necessarily fit with the strictly canonical story materials found in the games and webnovels themselves but which otherwise provide useful resources or analysis. Note that the vast majority of material here is supplementary and not required, but recommended.

(Except the literary sources. You will read those, and that is a threat. I can't take another Wings-forsaken illiterate opinion on Canto 6, I'm going to start Distorting and biting people if YOU PEOPLE DON'T READ THE DAMN SOURCE NOVELS.)

YouTubers and Video Essayists:

Frey Chaqma - Frey has done lots of work for the PM community, such as spearheading the Absolute Pride Resonance charity event for Pride Month 2024 as well as discussing the lore of the games and the City as a whole.

Tsunul - Another YouTuber who discusses lore but who also often delves into more interpersonal matters relating to the fandom and controversies that can affect the game community as a whole.

Esgoo - Although Esgoo does not necessarily get into lore so much, they are often tauted as one of the biggest names in the fandom for, if nothing else, their meta-analysis and basic gameplay/strategy material, as well as their community involvement.

hydrojoy's essay on Benjamin - in addition to Angela, hydrojoy also did an in-depth analysis on Benjamin, aka B, aka Hokma, from Lobotomy Corporation and Library of Ruina and their impact on the story.

MetiNotTheBadGuy's PM Character Essays - Meti has done several excellent character breakdown videos on some of PM's most notable villains/characters, including Roland, Kromer, and Dongrang.

= o = o = o = o = o = o =

=ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

Citroncynique. For being a truly amazing artist, putting in the effort of making a watch guide for Ruina's cutscenes, and getting me into this series and ruining my life forever by jingling a bugman with PTSD in front of me (<3).

MIMI/Whitezombies, Monggeu/koug99, NishikujiC, and Vellmori. Although several of these artists have left PM and the community on bad terms, I still think their efforts should be appreciated and supported, now more than ever.

SnakeskinFS. For finishing Leviathan's English translation.

Folex, Bek, WordsmithVids, hydrojoy, and the Lobotomy Corporation Archive. For posting their cutscene and summary/analysis videos.

NeedsMoreDoge. The Steam user who provided the original guide and backup on how to read Leviathan that I myself utilized.

The less than pleasant members of the community who spurred me into making this guide in the first place, out of pure spite.

And of course, readers like you and those members of the community who make me so happy to be here and be a part of this fandom. Genuinely, thank you all, I have never felt as welcomed as I do in the Project Moon circles I run in.

In addition to the references included here, I recommend you get involved in your PM community as well! Join communities and Discords, support content creators on social sites, help contribute where it's needed and in whatever way you can! The best way to counteract the worst elements of any fandom is to be a guiding and helpful element in your own right.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope this guide helps you out!

[saltedkoifish]

good afternooon;Decided to send you an ask wondering if you have any visual novel recommendations or would want any (I'm reading one asi am tying this)

thank you for the ask ~. hopefully this isnt a late reply ?? i dont know i dont see dates on here rn but anyway :D please prepare for a long and detailed, to my best ability, descriptions. to answer the second half of your question .. please by all means recommend to me !!! i feel like my vndb library has been lacking, and i would love to enjoy new things. start - starting with the non R18 and well known novels i know so far. CLANNAD is a very well known anime and visual novel. as someone who has yet to finish maybe 95% of the game left ... (i've been stalling, sorry .) i am confident that the appraisals it has gotten by those who HAVE finished it are definitely worth listening to. with especially high rating, it could most likely be considered a MUST for visual novel readers. the higurashi series !!!!! this is bloody and scary, and can be considered denpa as it takes alot of elements of insanity into the characters. i LOOOVE these sound novels (sound novels are visual novels that have no choices, you just read. there are also no CGs and rely on audiowork in the overall environment (but no voice acting unless youre playing in some certain versions of the game .. ? i do not know anything about them though but they are not in steam. no voice acting in these novels is no problem for me at all ! ) , which is especially really immersive and personally really crucial to the novels, so headphones recommended ! and description. instead of a CG, you imagine the full picture in your mind..) it being a series with arcs, and as someone who usually likes to prefer short series especially in anime, all seconds of these novels i have spent were fun and worthwhile. if you dont know where to start, i gotchu the first four sound novels are considered the "question arc", introductory novels as they make you "question" whats going on. read these four in order, and then you can move to the "answer arc" .

the second four sound novels are now the "answer arc". of course, likewise the question arc, this is where the secrets shown in the questions arc novels are finally revealed!!

all of these novels are found on steam. onikakushi (first question arc novel/first novel of the overall series) is FREE. beforehand warning: i believe majority, if not, all of these novels are R18 and may or may not have blood related content. if possible ill label them! some visual novels i REAAALLY wanted to read (but unfortunately couldn't find any downloads at all ..) were the White Album visual novels! they are a romance series, with a love triangle trope (maybe more than three people liking each other ?) !! R18, these have sexual scenes. !! another one is "shizuku", a very denpa-based novel and one of the "big three" of the denpa genre consisting of it, sayooshi (which i read and love but do NOT recommend casually to majority of people), and jisatsu no tame no 101 no houhou (i dont know anything about this but here is a lil page that talks about it ! (be wary of possible spoiler ?) !! all three of these novels are R18; GORE, not just blood, related content as well as triggering and sexual scenes. (this is especially in sayooshi as it basically revolves around it.) !!

(a novel mentioned in my pinned post introduction:) kimi no kanojo no kanojo no koi, better known as totono for its shorter title lol, is a romance novel !! with denpa. a little bit of patience and feeling as if you're finishing the game and it'll pull you into a whole new second half of the overall thing. even when you expect it, i am sure the turns of events will still surprise. !! R18, mild blood related content (can be triggering to a certain but mild extremity) and sexual scenes; these are also triggering to a certain extent especially in the "second half" of the game where it turns dark. !! as a subahibi fan, of course i would recommend that one too . i've also been wanting to read it's remakes, tsui no sora, and tsui no sora remake. !! R18 likewise subahibi, heavy content! one or two very graphic sexual scenes as well as extremely detailed description concerning it and some gore. !! kara no shoujo. this is a very intriguing novel despite me having not read any part of it or know any of the plot besides vndb description, the following:

"" March 1956. Tokyo, a metropolis finally starting to recover ten long years after Japan's defeat in the War. Private eye Tokisaka Reiji accepts a strange request from a girl in Inokashira Park.

"I want you to look for something. Me. My true self."

Meanwhile, a series of bizarre murders plagues the area, where young women disappear, only to turn up dead and maimed with their wombs torn out. Seeking assistance on the case, Detective Uozumi Kyozo called up his old friend and former coworker, Reiji.

Reiji's little sister attends Ouba Girls Academy, a school on the outskirts of Hoya City, where two young women have mysteriously vanished. Saeki Tokio, the vice-principal, calls Reiji to investigate their disappearance, giving him his third case.

Reiji infiltrates the academy as a substitute teacher to glean more information - that's when he meets the girl once again.

Kuchiki Toko - his first client, the girl who asked him to search for her true self. Her manner is distinctly boyish as she remarks:

"Heya - so we meet again, Mr. Detective."

The body count continues to rise. What should be a simple search for some students is starting to grow out of control. For some reason, the number of missing people and unidentified bodies don't match up.

Who will be chosen as the next victim?

As the endless cycle of tragedy continues, what mysteries lie behind these new cases? Behind a similar series of murders from six years ago?

Perhaps one girl's smile might await beneath the shell of tragedy... "" i have been a big fan of detective stories! i liked reading agatha christie novels for book projects in school. this novel is on steam too ~~ i also believe there is not only an episode two, but a third (last) episode. all three of these episodes have the same lone protagonist (the detective). second episode has an additional main protagonist. !!R18, sexual content and, most confident that there could be death and blood. !!

swan song . a novel i still have zero clue what is about. it caught my eye and i put it into my wishlist because it had some quite popularity among people. (as someone who is a big fan of sayooshi, which also has some more 8 ratings than 10s, this does not put down my interest.) ratings of swan song for reference:

an earthquakes ruins a city during christmas eve, and six of the main characters gather in a church in desperation of finding shelter from snow. (cover of the novel is a naked lady btw but nothing else thats graphic) !! R18, sexual content and possibly triggering description and setting concerning extreme conditions in life. might be blood .. ? !! i believe these are the ones i have to display ~~ . i hope description has helped a lot. thank you for the ask ! once again.

[qserasera]

a review of Ebon Light

what is Ebon Light?

 just a village girl / living in a fantasy world / taking a midnight ship going anywhereeee  a dark fantasy visual novel game created by underbliss; a tumblr post of it can be found here and it is also downloadable through itch.io

tldr; the premise of the game: a girl gains a mysterious power that talks to her, and also runs into a bunch of elves. i think i’ve spent enough hours on this that i was compelled to write a long review on this (and also encourage mutuals to play this, if it is something that seems like your jam). Minor spoilers might pop up in this review, but nothing that should give away too much plot things. 

just to calibrate expectations properly, the game creator seems to have mentioned that this is definitely weighted more towards the fantasy visual novel side than the usual otome game side, so don’t expect like, a ton of CG scenes or sappy moments.

on the other hand, there are enough strong romantic developments in this that it feels like an otome-game adjacent game to me (something in the vibe of persona 3 or persona 4?? where the story takes some precedence over the dating sim bits, but the dating bits are also a significant part of the whole experience?). at any rate, this has both a fun fantasy plot with threads of horror vibes and thoughtful relationship building moments!

things i liked

the worldbuilding there are different lands and creatures mentioned in the lore, and even though u only see bits of it, it really makes the setting feel lived-in. and yep, there are elves--that’s where the fantasy part of this comes in. But like, if the elves were from a warrior culture and had swords and daggers and assassins and shady political struggles in the background :D

the MC the MC’s skin color, hair, and name, are all customizable! later on, you also get to do stuff like change into a few different clothing options, and some eye makeup stuff. besides that, the MC takes a very active part in shaping the plot--do you want your MC to talk her way out of trouble? sure! would you rather have her pick up an improvised weapon and fight instead? you can also do that! i also appreciate that even in the very beginning scene the MC is mentioned as trading for goods in her village and looking for edible plants in the forest and just doing stuff

the art dark, gothic mood, lots of gray-blue clouds and purple and muted, melancholy tones, lots of forest and ocean landscapes, and somewhat gloomy manors plus interesting character designs! 

Warnings for content (some spoilers to follow) i don’t think there’s much to warn for at all in this game? it’s probably appropriate for teens and up to play. there are some horror elements, but no gore or extreme violence, and some death scenes for the MC depending on your choices, but again, there really isn’t any blood/major injuries shown on screen. 

if there is anything to warn for, it would probably be some amount of psychological manipulation by the power that the girl gains, bad dreams that are hard to distinguish from what is happening in reality, the depiction of an explosion/fire around the halfway point of the story, and mentions of a possibly obsessive relationship between background characters. 

the love interests/other characters

tbh haven’t finished the entire game, have my thoughts anyways (◕‿◕✿) 

Vadeyn

first impression: ahh he looks smiley and sweet? is he going to get betrayed? brainwashed? is he going to get betrayed and brainwashed into forgetting you???

reality: yes, he is just as sweet as he appears, overall a gentle and considerate character type concerned with your feelings and well-being, probably knows what the geneva convention is just ignore that they don’t have the geneva convention in this setting my point still stands 

Haron

first impression: he’s a flirt huh

reality: yeahhh, he’s a flirt but also more emotionally expressive by miles compared to everyone else...Nice

Ernol

first impression: me, reading his character description---serious, focused on warrior stuff, craves the approval of his role models?? hm. sounds boring.

reality:  ernol, practically snarling: “if any assassins come after you, i will fight them for you!!”

me: ...hey...hey...u can’t just Say things like that, give a girl some warning...i can’t believe this this is my Exact Weakness :’’)

seems the most emotionally cold, but actually FEELS ALL THE FEELINGS most intensely, immediately shot up to the top of my favorite love interests list after playing thru that route 

*note: there seems to be a minor bug on ernol’s route where after the relationship upgrade/confession conversation, when you click on his character picture it shows a dark broken heart symbol instead of 2 red hearts as expected? i just played the game through anyways, and seemed to still have gotten to a good end, so i ignored it

Laceaga

first impression: the mean grumpy one?? 

reality: i expect it’s a bit of an enemies-to-lovers slow burn thing, based on what other commenters have said, and im looking forward to it 

Duliae

first impression: ohhh boy, i bet his personality is 90% “words can’t hurt me, my shades are gucci” ヽ(⌐■_■)ノ♪♬

reality: idk but to my best guess it’s likely something like *slaps the roof of a car* this long lifespan can fit so much Angst in it!!