Once again, blown away!! – Phantom of Opera: Visual Novel Review

I’ve only reached the beginning of chapter three so far, but I wanted to share my thoughts on this game. This game had a lot to live up to, at the very least to me personally, because of how beloved MazM’s Jekyll and Hyde game was. I tried my best not to compare the two, considering my love for the latter was sure to give me a bit of bias, so here are my thoughts: I love the way the gameplay is set up. The timeline, the character screens, the little achievements you get, and (especially) the cute cats that hang around all are a big improvement from the last game (look at me, already comparing). But the gameplay is set up in an easier way that feels very natural. The puzzles seem a tiny bit more challenging, but not as much as I would hope for, but their still very fun. The character speed is... very slow, and with the opera house being so big, it can be grueling trying to go from room to room to find the next step to take. Still, very enjoyable! The character designs and the artwork are stunning! MazM knows how to pick those artists, because every special image and character design is gorgeous! I have to admit, when I first saw our gender-ambiguous detective and Christines sky hair, I was a little off put by the artistic liberties. It seemed they should belong in a fantasy setting rather than historical fiction. But still, stunning nonetheless. The dancers designs are wonderful and accentuate their different personalities so well, the phantom is creepy and eerie and I LOVE IT, and Christine is a literal angel inside and out. Though, the game isn’t too body positive, since anybody with a body type that doesn’t look like it came off a runway is seen in a negative light. Bet eh that’s just a minute thing. I love love love how once again the story very closely resembles the book, why even read literature anymore when you’ve got these beautiful games?? (Just kidding please go read original works, they’re masterpieces) The phantom has this edge to him that you don’t often see in most renditions of him, and it absolutely screams horror! You feel desperate with Christine as she tries to plead for him, but it’s so apparent the monster is his soul not his face. I even feel for Raoul, and I usually NEVER feel for the renditions of Raoul! Five stars again because I love the games from MazM, and I’ll be excited to see what they do in the future! I’m just saying, Frankenstein, Dracula, Sherlock, and the Picture of Dorian Gray all have your name on it ?
Review by JellieKittie on Phantom of Opera: Visual Novel.