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Review of Fata Morgana no Yakata

SubjectFata Morgana no Yakata
The House in Fata Morgana - Download Edition
ByHelpfulness: 8
Vote: 9.5
altria0 on 2020-10-08 last updated on 2021-11-24
ReviewAmongst the hundreds of thousands of visual novels that came out in the previous decade, if I had to name one that stands out the most, it would be Fata morgana no Yakata. Unlike most visual novels that shove in H content or stay within a certain aesthetic, Novectacle took a leap of faith and produced Fata Morgana to fit the vision they wanted artistically, not just to sell.

The first thing i want to go into is one of the more controversial elements, the presentation, apart from the already very different artwork, Fata Morgana is also known for its unique sountrack and prose(in the english translation at least). The prose reflects the "old" feeling of the setting that i cannot go into without spoilers, but it mostly comes down to a bigger array of fancy vocabulary to try and emulate "old english" instead of using casual vocabulary, that sounds like a small detail, but it greatly affects the inmersion in the setting and adds to the verIsimilitude of it. Very much a positive.

The soundtrack I can only describe as completely unique, there probably is a genre to describe it but instead i will just write out the details. It mostly consists of string instruments, piano, angelic vocals, and a lot of other supporting instruments, the weird thing is somehow they add even electric guitars subtly into this soundtrack and it does not clash with the sound, akin to something like Umineko adding in techno into its soundtrack. Very much a positive

The plot follows "You" waking up in an old decrepit mansion with a maid next to you, she insists that you are the master of the house but, with no recollection of your memory or any events, she offers to be a guide trough the mansion and tell the past stories of the mansion.

The worst part is the first few chapters, in a first time reading they feel like a collection of completely unrelated short stories and nothing more, but its only for the start, the longer you go, the more cohesive it becomes and all those very slow set ups at the start payoff in very sensical ways for the overall story. Once you get the hurdle of the beginning, the only issues i can see are very small pacing issues towards the end, but there is basically no fear of reading this and finding unsolved plot threads that leave you hanging. Slow but ends up as a huge positive.

The characters are the strongest suite of Fata Morgana, as a story about perspectives relative to morality, it does not just shove a backstory onto a character and use it as an emotional crutch the backstories and upbringings of the characters are always reflected in their present manerisms and attitudes, it is not scared of writing simple concise supporting characters that show a point, but the main characters are extremely complex with layers of personal issues regarding their identies, desires and wrongdoings. Possibly one of the strongest casts in a visual novel story. Absolute positive.

Fata Morgana is a very thematically and logically sound story, slow and even boring at times, but beyond instant enjoyment if you stick, you will be rewarded with sensical payoffs, setting it apart from a market of very inconsistent writing, definitely reccomended by me.
8 points