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It's been so long since I played a VN or visual novel. And there's a trial and error phase when it comes to getting a VN to stick with you. I've been playing Otomes for so long now that my standards have grown very high.
And I mean that in both the gameplay and story. For stories, of course, they have to be written well. They also have to be interesting and with an FL or Female Lead who isn't lily-livered, bland, or a bore. For gameplay, I'm looking for a dynamic kind of gameplay. You know, when it comes to VNs
But VN? Otome? Visual Novel? What the hell am I talking about?
To those who don't know what a VN is, it's an Otome. However, bear in mind that not all VNs can be an Otome. And as for what an Otome is, it's a VN that is mostly about romance, mostly to girls and girls-at-heart. On the other hand, a VN is a digital novel with images on it, gamified in a way where the player can interact with the story and reach a certain ending.
In other words, a VN or otome is a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure type of game. You choose how to react in certain moments that can change the ending of your story. Not all VNs can be an otome because some VNs aren't centered on romance, or at least the priority of the VN isn't romance.
Now that we got that out of the way, here's my review of Our Life: Beginnings & Always.
Welcome to Sunset Bird~
Image: GB Patch
The story starts with you, an eight-year-old kid, who's living their life in the slow and quaint town of Sunset Bird. One fateful day, you suddenly meet your new neighbors, a father-and-son duo. And after that, your life will never be the same again.
You will be embarking on the greatest adventure that is called Life. Not alone, no, but then again, maybe.
Our Life: Beginning & Always is a player-centric otome game where your choices shape the story and the people around you. A game where your choices matter. However, despite that, you won't be punished by picking the wrong answer. In fact, there is no wrong answer in this game. It's all about experiencing life the way you want it.
Your relationship with the people around you and, more importantly, with Cove Holden, the main man you will be romancing in this game, will depend on the choices you make. And personally, no matter how many times I play this game over and over again, I will always be surprised to see something new.
Graphics. 10/10
Image: Steam
Amazing! Beautiful art! Consistent and just plain lovely! And I mean this both in the CGs and the sprites. Most of all, Cove is so beautiful from the beginning and always! Their expressions are so varied and, well, tbh, there are some CGs that are a bit...meh. But I am very blind to it. I will turn a blind eye to it, alright. Because overall, art is just breathtaking.
Sound. 10/10
Summer-y and tropically. Nothing sounds like Sunset Bird better than Our Life soundtrack. Relaxing, soothing, and has a light tone to it, y'know, like a playful and childlike feel to it.
Gameplay. 10/10
When I said that my standards in VNs have gone higher, it's because of this game. Unlike other Otomes, when you choose one from at least 3 options, the game will give you a response depending on your choice and will go on with the usual story.
For example, the usual story goes like this:
He asks for your opinion if you agree to go home with him or not.
>Go home with him
>Don't
Choosing 'Don't': You shake your head and he slumps sadly in defeat.
You wonder if you made the right decision.
~*~*~*~
Choosing 'Go home with him': He brightens up and the both of you walk home together.
You wonder if you made the right decision.
See what I mean? Though in some moments, the same can be said to this game but it has a lot of sides to it. Depending on your behavior, the whole story can change on its heels on you, making every gameplay feel new and fresh.
Storyline. 10/10
One of the best stories I've ever read in my entire life. I know I've been repeating myself like a broken record but, as a non-novice writer and avid reader, my standards in the storyline and how they're written are also quite high. And this game NEVER disappointed me. Not once. Never. No matter how much I played this, I always ended up falling for Cove over and over and over again.
Value. N/A
I really, really, really love the game. However, due to personal stuff, I can't set any money to buy the DLCs for this game. And despite really, really wanting to buy the DLCs and have more Cove experience, I don't want to put a score here just because I think it's going to be worth it. I don't want any hypotheticals here and will update this once I happen to buy the DLCs and get to play and experience them~
Oh, but when it comes to the base game, Our Life: Beginnings & Always is free, free, free! You can get it for your Android phone or PC.
Our Life with Cove...and now with Baxter and Derek!
Image: GB Patch
Playing Our Life: Beginnings & Always is such a fun ride. This game has saved me while our place is being battered and beaten by a super typhoon. It was 3 days of blackout but since I was playing on my phone and I had a powerbank handy, it saved me from doing nothing and looking at the ceiling.
The game developer, GB Patch, also released a DLC where you can pursue two other guys you met in the game. One is Derek, a kid you met and became friends with Cove because Cove's Dad entered a partnership with Derek's Dad. The second guy you can date is Baxter, who spent one summer time in Sunset Bird.
What's more, is that they're developing a new game called Our Life: Now & Forever! I am definitely looking forward to it and can't wait for the full release! Expect another review for it once I managed to play it.
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