very nice review, I am limited when it comes to visual novels. I have to admit, I might actually like this sort of thing, I'm highly into the dark and disturbing aspect of things. I'm a major horror fan, the fact of the "love/lovers" is probably the only thing which keeps me away from most visual novels. over all excellent review, you gave detail where it should and not give away the plot, nicely done.
Saya no Uta game Review
Fuminori Sakisaka was in a car accident and his life was saved by breakthroughs in medical science. However, his perception of the world has been Instead of seeing everyday people, buildings and food, all he sees are clumps of meat, blood and gore. Hiding his condition Fuminori contemplates suicide, but then meets a girl who isn't distorted by his vision. With nothing else in the world worth living for, Fuminori asks her to live with him. Her name is Saya and she accepts.
By OlgaFrow
Story & Playability
Story Introduction
Sakisaka Fuminori , a medical student survived a horrendous car accident , only to wake up to find his five senses
reverted to cause his scenery to appear foul and people as detestable and filthy organisms.
He was "saved" as a beautiful girl , the only girl whom appear human in his world , appeared before
him.
Main Character Introduction
Sakisaka Fuminori
He was once a normal medical student but his world was turned upside down when the world had transformed into a sight of
terror before his eyes owing to the accident he had survived.
He have decided to stick with Saya , the only person whom appear normal before his eyes.
Personality
As his sanity was ebbed away , Fumiori had turned cold and distant from those he had once knew. Slowly but surely , he
had turned into a cold blooded killer , a madman to some and yet he is gentle and loving when it comes to Saya.
Saya
A mysterious girl whom had appeared before Fuminori in the hospital and she have decided to stay with Fuminori upon
request.
The two soon became lovers over time , but the truth circulating around her is not all as it seems to be.
Personality
Upon first glance , she may appear gentle and sweet , but she can be merciless and cruel , but she is unexpectedly
devoted to Fuminori , always being concerned about his well-being and safety.
Story Overview
What can I say? Despite this being one of the shorter Visual Novels I have played , it is also one of the few which
would drive your sanity to the brink.
The Visual Novel does not bear any complex element such as having a strong mystery setting , nor does it have a complex
structure of themes and story elements.
Everything is straight-forward but even so , the story itself is intriuging , dark and deep. The shadows enshrouding the
morality of the story is enough to drive most other tales to shame.
This is a unique tale , a tale that fools around with your senses , flirts with your conscience , taints your concept of morality , destroys the basis of human society and yet , had brought out the concept of true love , tainted and dark as it may be , love was shown and it was a love that was displayed in a manner to destroy the very concept of humanity.
Generally , whilst the tale may appear simplistic , plain and linear if placed into words , experiencing this game first-hand will literally drive your senses to the brink of insanity. The love of two different individuals , bringing about the destruction of other's lives in the most inhumane of ways.
If this tale have one flaw , the flaw is that it is not meant for the faint-hearted.
However , it wouldn't be an understatement that this game would literally twist your life in an unpleasent way and
yet providing warmth and comfort from time to time.
Rating:
Graphics
Artwork Review
Perhaps to bring the audiences closer to the game , the character design , artwork and settings are plain.
The characters are , generally speaking , insignificant , other than Saya herself that is.
However , the main point about the artwork is the environment.
The player is able to view the world from two perspectives. Fuminori's distorted sense of sight to a regular person's view of the world. In Fuminori's point of view , the world is distorted , warped up and horrible to the senses. It is no wonder how one would slowly lose themselves to such a world.
From a normal perspective , the world is still dark and have an eerie atmosphere about it. The slightly blurred artwork of settlements and houses , the horribly detailed depictions of death and blood and just about everything else environmental based literally teases around with your senses.
It does not bring about fear , no , but it brings about the feeling that something is wrong , something is morally wrong about the story. Nothing feels right in this game and that's just how it is supposed to be like.
The only flaw I can point out is the coloring of textures on characters other than Saya. The color tone and artwork was not exactly what I would consider "above average" in most Visual Novel settings , not to mention the lack of lighting and shadowing over a majority of the sprites of the characters.
Rating:
Sound
Music Review
Music is , come to think of it , hardly heard through out the game.
Even when it does start rolling out , it hardly pronounces itself from the plot and artwork , which is already enough to
clog the player's mind.
Music hardly enchances the scenes , subconsciencely it may have played a certain effect to the player but consciencely speaking , the players' mind is already distracted by whatever is occuring before their eyes.
Voice Acting Review
None of the characters sound as bright nor as vividly pronounced as in other Visual Novels - but every conversation
sounds like one you would hear from real life.
Why , you hardly hear people talking in exaggerated tones all the time , do you?
However , that by itself is enough to pronounce the actual effects at the right times - such as the screams of despair
and fear , the every gasp that was drawn in and the fear that came out of their mouths - just hearing it alone is enough
to send a vivid image of the scenario itself into your head.
The potential of the voice actors was brought out in a different way - mimicking the conversations of an everyday
scenario and mimicking the actual fear and panic one would feel in a situation when you know you are going to die.
That is where this Visual Novel distinguishes itselves from other Visual Novels.
Rating:
Fun
This is a Review of Saya no
Uta
A disturbing tale that packs true love , deaths , a dark morality basis , fear and a way to break the sanity of the
player themselves into a single , mind-warping tale.
Gore alone isn't the reason why the player would feel sick from playing this game. The way the story twists love ,
the lives of others and morality alone is enough to send your own sanity to the brink.
It isn't an understatement that you would feel your mind going dull and numb whilst playing this game and I find
myself taking breaks from it , time to time despite the fact that this ought to be a very short game.
This tale is not as simple as "good and evil" . There is no good and no evil , only decisions , despair , the
horrors one could achieve for the ones they love and the products of such products of monstrosities you can not truly
view as a doing of wrong.
Whatever the case , the fact that this tale have the strength to tap into the player's conscience , concept of love and morality and transform it whilst they play the game is frightening indeed.
Overall : Others
Age Rating : 18+ ( 21+ Suggested )
Gameplay
Linearity
This game only have a total of three endings so yes , it's very linear in terms of it's storyline but each
ending have it's value in stall.
I find myself literally pouring over all of the endings , unlike in other games where I just get the endings I
don't like just because I can achieve a 100% completion of the game.
No , it is not because there are hidden plot elements in these endings , it is because of the conversations in question
and the plight of the characters that I've decided to read through each of the endings in detail
Gore
Actual gore is not a common sight in this game.
It's not a 24/7 matter of which you would be looking at guts and broken limps , it is not that which makes the game
disturbing but the actions of the characters and the environment itself feels like an internal organ of an gigantic
beast.
Though gore does certainly have it's presence in the game , so this game isn't really meant for the
faint-hearted.
Romance
Romance takes on another form , a form which I can not imagine it to take and yet it had took place.
It's not a soft innocent romance , nor a blinding passion that had broken loose , nor is it your typical everyday
warmth that one would expect from a married couple.
Not , it is not that.
It is the devotion , the devotion that two entities have for each other. A devotion that would bring harm to others as long as they can keep each other safe , a devotion that had allowed the protaginist to throw away his humanity for Saya and likewise , Saya had done all she could to keep the man she loves happy and safe.
You would find yourself thinking that whatever their doing is wrong yet find the lacking in composure to hate them , to truly find the conscience to call them villains. Their acts are vile but their love was pure , a strange combination and a combination which is enough to send your mind in circles.
Repulsion and disgust may come at first , but as the player continues on with the game , you will find out that their
romance is a special one. The acts they had done were certainly wrong but you could not truly point the finger of wrong
upon their crimes.
In some ways , it is touching , in others it is repulsive , a combined flavour of emotions I daresay.
H-Scenes
Well , regardless of your morality , the H-Scenes aren't all too enjoyable , particularly so after the player
realised what Saya actually is.
Let's just say not everything appears as it seems to be.
Fortunately , H-Scenes are rare and short.
Trivia
- English Patch 1.0 is available
Reviewer's Comment
If your faint hearted , weak willed , easily blasted off your mind and is , to put it in simpler terms , mentally weak ,
in the name of all Otakus , stay away from this game.
Rating:
Final Verdict
8.5000 (very good)
Reviewed by z827, Jun 20, 2011
Comments
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angelxxuan Banned Member Jun 20, 2011
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SnickerdoodleNinja Retired Moderator Jun 20, 2011
I must say I really enjoyed reading this review. You seem to have covered everything well, focusing on the aspects that distinguish the game rather than merely explaining the plot. :) Saya no Uta sounds rather interesting; I like horror games, especially psychological ones(though since I'm kind of a sissy I usually just watch my sister play). But the amount of gore and the hentai scenes are probably what would turn me off from this game. Kind of a shame, though, since the romance aspect kind of reminds me of Wuthering Heights in some ways. Anyways, nice review! :D
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