Shikkoku No Sharnoth.
Rating: Adult[ 18+; has some erotic and suggestive scenes].
Despite the cheesy vibe the cover holds, the novel's theme is eccentrically dark and tragic.
If you're one of those conformists who would judge a book[ taking into consideration that this is just a figure of speech, and the "novel" in question isn't one] by it's cover, then you'll probably shift your gears after gazing at the cover art, as it's one of those Visual Novels that seem like they'll have a hopeless romantic start and end.
Thinking outside the box, let's talk about the setting of the novel.
It's set in a steampunk era, where the technological power we now claim to harness, was not available. However, the game doesn't depict a primitive theme in that regard. The game's a unique archaic horror story, with an effeminate touch of mystery to it.
There's plenty of 'machinery' to get you hooked up if you're unnecessarily too much into mechanical stuff. Not to mention, the game seems to have a bit too much unnecessary "pollution" to back it's name off.
But I digress.
You're basically put into the shoes of a female protagonist, who's seemingly not your typically-spoiled-from-the-start princess, and is actually considerate.
For spoiler's sake, I can't disclose much information pertaining to the story, so I guess that's it for the know-hows.
Oh, and the story picks up it's pace really, REALLY slow.
If you're thinking of going into this one, I suggest you to work on your imaginative skills. Otherwise, you won't be able to cope up with the frustrating confusions the game seems to randomly hurl upon you at various intervals.
There are a lot of appearances of real life characters you've heard or read about in one of those famous detective stories, one prime example being Sherlock Holmes.
The art direction is....well, see for yourself:
http://calamitousintents.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/capture_001_22032012_172510.jpg
Exquisite, right?
Oh, you haven't seen the last of it yet. The game's full of archaic outifts that are just simply too captivating, in my honest opinion. It totally seems like the old English days in the game. That being one of the reason this VN seems to tick some people off; what with their likings regarding the current, 'fashionable' clothings being absent. I concur that I have a soft spot for archaic outfits, so I might be sounding a bit biased regarding the review, but this is just my take on the game as one of those players who relished the environment and the characters.
Now then, let's talk about the characters.
The main character's got a pretty adorable personality if you look at it from one of the character's perspective. I obviously won't be stating who, though.
There are random introductions of some minor characters who don't really play a big role in the story, and are there just for presence's sake. However, each and every one of them completely blend with the dark and gloomy environment, albeit with a bit of condescending attitudes.
The game also features mini-games where the main character has to "escape" from a certain group of enemies.
These can be skipped altogether if you don't want to encounter them, as they DO tend to get frustrating when the story gets interesting, and you're suddenly bombarded with one of them. But they're actually fun, and you might miss some minor plot points[ which aren't really "minor" considering the elusive nature of the game] should you choose to skip them. I won't post any screens here.
Now that everything else is dealt with, let's talk about the soundtrack.
It's....above mediocre, if not good. I can't really say it's too befitting for the situations everytime, and the constant repeating of merely 11-13 tracks in the entire game can become a bit boring for some people.
However, in my case, it worked out perfectly well. The OST was just okay.
With all said, my final verdict for this will be a 7.5/1O.
Pros:
-Good story[ provided you're willing to use your head. A lot.]
-Good Art Style.
-'Okay' OST.
Cons:
-Unnecessary encounters.
-Slow pace with which the events occur.
That's it.
This is by far one of the good visual novels I've come across to this day, in all honesty. I don't know how you'll find this, but do give it a try.
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