Aquadine Nintendo Switch Review

Ratalaika Games recently released visual novel Voyage was a great title. Now they released another Visual Novel game that is also looking pretty good within the month of August. Aquadine was released on Steam in 2021 and it had some great reviews so now console owners get the chance to experience it and to enjoy a treat, especially those who like a more casual gaming experience instead of action.

Going To Tell You a Story

Aquadine is a story-driven narrative that sees it following the life of four ordinary individuals in their everyday lives. The story is told from the main character perspective who is called Robin. His personality is very meek and is your student who loves books and is not the most adventurous person on the planet, but he is hiding a secret which is quite shocking. He has an altered ego called Ciel, who is very popular around the place.

Good Disguise

The backstory that made Robin have a alternative persona is very deep and as the game progresses the player gets to reveal more of his reasons for his lifestyle. Besides Robin, there are four other characters that you will meet and as the story unfolds you get to see how they all somehow manage to intertwine with Robin’s life and they are very believable and you will get invested in their complex lives. All have their own personalities and individuality which become prevalent as you progress.

Friends Are Good

There are four different paths to follow but all of them involves the main characters besides just Robin / Ciel. You have Cameron, who is Robin close friend who runs a martial arts club. Another friend of his is Diana, who is your typical social butterfly and is the one who is the visual novel typical airhead. There is the cute and very bubbly Anya, who is never in classes. And then he meets Elizabeth, a transfer student and great singer from another place.

Each character reveals a different part of the history and story of the city and they all appear prominently which ever path you follow. You don’t need to play through each of the paths to get the general story and one play though will give value for money. But to get the fullest experience replay through each of the paths and you will get the full experience, which is worth the effort. The game is a bit short but this is a case of quality over quantity.

Visually Stunning

The graphics are beautiful and if you like anime style graphics then this will appeal to you. They are colourful, very detailed on both the characters and the backdrops and are just so good that playing it is not a chore. The soundtrack is also appropriate and adds the atmosphere to get you invested into the game. It is very kinetic which means that the backgrounds will shift and characters will have movement which can be off putting to new people to the genre. Total gameplay is about 11 hours, which the main story is 4 hours which is short and the rest is made up of the other paths.

Final Thoughts

Aquadine is a great visual novel and will offer plenty for gamers who are used to the genre and new to the style. The story, visuals and sounds are perfect for the atmosphere and makes it very engrossing. It might be a little short and the kinetic visuals might be off putting if not use to them, but this is still a great game and offers plenty of gameplay.