I kinda wish there was a sweet coffee choice with real milk... lol That's nitpicking tho. Aside from a later use of your preferences, the choice serves no real purpose. So I don't -really- mind.
I was a -little- surprised at the dog thing. I am SERIOUSLY wondering about how the mc acts with the girl they see next. Why obey him so blindly? It makes NO sense. Not when it's someone you just met. Did you know what you were signing up for beforehand or something? oO Because even I realize that is NOT a normal reaction to have. (Most would run for the hills, for one thing. You might be next.)
Not that I mind the action, per se. But I feel like I'm missing the logic behind WHY the mc does what they do. Nothing in the game indicates they're anything more than a normal, average person.
The art is beautiful, as is the story. And by and large I do like this game.
But the ONLY two choices in the game is what coffee you want and if you think something is real or not. Which doesn't even impact the game.
If you had signed up for a photography tour that promised the macabre, and you were shown from the start to have an obsession with these things AND was amoral.... then the game might have worked.
But nothing at all really says that. So the story doesn't feel real at all. Like some wacky dream --except nothing says it's a dream, so it just becomes weird and therefore stupid.
This would make a better novel than a game. If put on Kindle instead of itch. Where novels belong.
I WOULD have loved to see a few more choices, things that impacted the ending, and a minimum of 3 endings.
I would also have liked to see the intro changed (or added to) in such a way that the mc's reactions and actions actually made sense.
(Maybe we see a parent's e-mail trying to convince them to seek therapy for some disorder that makes them amoral, and we see their interest in the macabre, and the walking tour promise them that. As one option. Or we see the amoral part hinted at more vaguely in reading someone died in the news and they don't care, or they collect butterflies and stab needles though a live one without signs of remorse. Anything that explains their later actions.)
But, as I said; I do like this game.
And I kinda hope there may be more chapters of it coming later. Maybe new walking tours with different themes, that still dip into the same macabre things.
Haha, no. I just played a horror game with a cat villain. Don't Take the Cat Home! or something. lol
It's cute tho. And BOY is that cat pissed off. Look at those eyes! (I guess in human terms they're adorable tho. lol Not everyone speaks 'cat'. )
How does the saying go again.... "Don't say sorry; Do better." ?
Anyway... I did enjoy the game. And I do apologize if I sounded harsh. I just wanted to give you good feedback so you can improve the game.
I'm just not very good at expressing myself in a nice way. (And also because lack of logic kinda pisses me off. But in your defense, your mc is the first mc in ages that hasn't pissed me off by being a do-gooder, so... you're still beating the odds. lol )
Hey bud. This isn't a normal thing to say to a developer.
I'm assuming you're quite young on reading through your comment history, with your odd fascination with bringing up how English classes makes your opinion superior compared to others, as well as believing there is an objective and 'correct' way to present a story, so I'll be far less harsh than I would have been otherwise. What you're doing here, with your behaviour and rapid-fire comments and reviews over dozens of visual novels a day, is not doing what you think it's doing. People are not reading your comments thinking that you are incredibly smart by "fixing" all of these "problems" with the games you're playing, nor are you helping anyone create better art.
You are presenting your opinion as if it is an objective truth. You are fine to have this opinion, and even share this opinion, but your opinion does not make a game good or bad.
Sharing such opinions as if they are objective faults do not make a game better, nor do they encourage a developer to make changes to their games. 'Good' and 'better' are subjective ideals, especially when looking at art as originally intended. I understand that desire and drive for something to be better (as you perceive it) is a deeply powerful one and hard to ignore, especially when you're young. But, all you have shown here is that you have grossly misunderstood what catsket was going for. They are known for making surrealist, dream-like worlds, with the MC being more an observer than an active participant. Consider each "wrong" thing you've brought up: choices that have no consequence, dream-like logic, going along with a plotline you don't truly understand. All of this plays into the thematic ideas catsket is building around. You can dislike that, of course, but that does not mean it needs to be "fixed".
To then be blunt: art is not for you. Art is for the creator, and others, such as yourself, may take enjoyment from it thanks to our shared humanity. By opening yourself up to the idea that you can do whatever you want in art, and that an author may be intentionally bending and breaking supposed 'rules' to effect, you can start to engage with work on an author's terms rather than applying one worldview to everything you see. I'd recommend approaching all things in this manner; it makes you a much happier person in general.
And because I know your first reaction to this will be disgust, a "Who do you think you are?" that I'm the first person who has told you this, I'm a games industry professional working in narrative and design. I've won several awards for my work and I'm well respected in the UK games industry for what I do. I am, as far as it really means nothing in the end, a "professional" writer and game developer. What you should take from that, and I know it will take several years to undo the damage of modern media culture, is that it doesn't matter. The things I make and the things I say are just as important as someone who has zero "real" credits to their name.
To fully get this concept, understanding the difference between things that are executed to the full author's realisation, and things you may not personally like, is one that takes a lot of maturity and critical media understanding, and one that not even a lot of adults truly grasp. I wish you the best for the future.
I'd suggest deleting the comments you've made. There is a version of you in five years cringing at your younger self, and while you won't be able to erase the memory of typing out every single one, at least you can save yourself the pain of reading what you actually said.
reading a lot of your reviews and seeing how unhappy you are with almost all of them. there's a difference between giving critique and being critical. calling everything about a game stupid or that you don't get it doesn't help an author. instead, you should be asking questions or drawing the lines. critique is about helping the author realize their vision, not asking the author to rewrite their work to fit your desires.
and as an aside, saying "at least your MC isn't stupid" is pretty backhanded. not that i care but wanted to say.
i started making games because i hated a game i played so much that it made me pick up writing. you seem to dislike or have very harsh words about every game you're reviewing on itch.io right now. if you don't like these games and want someone to cater to your tastes, pick up the keyboard and download ren'py.
i think you are asking for a lot of logic in both a genre and an artistic world that asks for a suspension of disbelief as they invite you into their surreal timelines. logic doesn't need to apply everywhere you go. things are weird to be weird.
and please stop feeding every question you have or recommendation you need into an AI. not only do artists extremely dislike their work being fed to a machine, even for recommendations, but there's more satisfaction in finding something organically than being told what to do.
The way you wrote the story was by far beautiful and grotesque (in a complimentary way!) what started out as a calming pretty cheerful first part devolved into such a mess where mysteries kept haunting us-- Honestly, it was absolutely breath taking the progression of the story became as well as the usage of background images and the way you draw Adonis.
I like how we see hints that MC is somewhat... Unique, like they can see things other people can't see (such as the rot in the apples), I'm wondering if they're more connected to that sort of grotesque side of life but they're just somewhat teetering off the edge, the line between their world and the other world.
Below will be theorizing, speculating, and plain out gushing about this wonderful VN~ So spoilers beware~!!
One thing I theorize is that either Adonis 'sensed' MC's presence and waited till they were settled within the town before making their move or if fate decided to intersect their lines (however, given how coincedental many things are and how Adonis clearly knows and is something more than what they appear to be... I have my doubts). Either way, I think that the long MC stayed with Adonis, the more exposed they became to gore, death, and decay that they otherwise probably didn't expect.
The more MC was exposed, the deeper they were entrenched to the point their senses (such as when Adonis says that they wanted to experiment with the human senses to experience art). I'm not sure if Adonis influenced MC to become... deranged in a sense or if MC was always like this, as though there was a deep-seated dark desire in them that only came to bloom when they were now fully exposed and influenced.
Then again, I'm wondering MC might be a Wendigo? Maybe part of them is and that's why they can see things nobody can see and feel hungry over decay and corpses...
Also, I liked how as the story progresses, Adonis takes a picture of MC at every turn throughout the photo walk where we can say that MC was being pulled deeper and deeper into the town's "other worldly" side. Like a lifecycle, where MC was just a baby or a fledgling at the start of the walk, before slowly being "corrupted" or maybe "corroded" as they become more and more aware of the supernatural entities, until we reach the ending where it seems as though MC's humanity is shedding and they indulge in a carnal or maybe inhumane desire by literally cannibalizing on someone (whether they are a ghost or not does not matter, she had a human shape therefore MC cannibalized that ghost or entity) and Adonis, who was much more interested in the rot, decay, and gore of the final stage of life, took many, many pictures of MC's final descent.
Before the cycle rewound and MC is now "normal" but not anymore, they got a taste of it... And they'll continue the cycle, following Adonis. I wonder if they're nurturing MC in a way, seeing them as their muse. It would be interesting to think but seriously, you did such an amazing job here!!
Aaa sorry for rambling so long I just really love it!!
I don't know how else to summarize this game other than to say that I can feel the aftertaste of blood in my mouth after finishing it. My mind's eye is blind but all of my other mind senses are working overtime and boy oh boy, did they work here. I think I'm a little sick actually, and I mean it in the best possible way.
The imagery was very descriptive, wasn’t prepared but nevertheless I love this game! Added to my favorites because the style of this game is so cool. First “novel-ish” game I have played and I am beyond impressed. Also I am from PA so naturally I had to play this lol.
(Trying to get over being shy, so I'm posting my review as a proper comment! ... and putting my video out there while I'm at it?)
This one was so eerie and gross. I loved it!
There was such a feeling of wrongness as soon as the player character hit the cafe, and each weird encounter along the walk made the skin-crawling sensation that I felt get stronger and stronger. Which I'm honestly a big fan of.
Lots of horror stuff (even psychological horror) gives me overt anxiety where I can see what might happen coming from a mile a way, but I love when a story is able to give me a more underlying sensation of unease.
And the feeling stuck around for a decent while after I finished Fatal Focus, too.
I might be the odd one out on this, but I feel like the pacing was actually really good. It was already foreshadowed in the cafe that strange things were going to sate the player characters appetite during the game.
Although I was wondering if that and the cannibalism at the end was an innate part of them, or if Adonis had somehow manipulated them? Or if Adonis had merely seen the potential for such behavior and did things to push that urge out into the open... But part of that mystery is what actually made the story a whole lot more unnerving.
Everything about Adonis, too, was so damn good. Their sense of style (which, yes, I'm probably a little biased since I love and own clothes like that) to their weird personality made the experience all that more fun.
They gave me both ghost or demon vibes, but also... stalker vibes? I assume they're not a stalker (nor a ghost, though they really didn't come off as fully human) but they had that air about them with how they took pictures of the player character, and some of the weird things they said.
Either way, I really liked them as a character. They were creepy (and, I mean, also a murderer...) and also kind of sweet in their own way.
There really have only been a handful of horror stories that made me feel a similar unease to this one. I'm honestly really happy to have found another story that made my skin crawl in that way.
This was a really interesting and fun VN. I liked how things went from strange to creepy to just outright horrific so fast. The stylised art for this was great and so was the music! Loved the story as well, but was a little confused at the sudden gore/ vore? It didn't make much story sense to me and I might have missed something, but it was still a fun and interesting game!
This was a great addition to the Art Without Blood universe; it was really interesting to see the hints that we were already being influenced by Adonis before we reached the lake, when we noticed something wrong with the pictures of the pup, yet we simply accepted the situation.
Loved the art and I am looking forward to your next game!
Everything about this VN is so poignant and beautiful. The twist is refreshing and a very unique take on the genre. Now I'm doubly curious to know more about Adonis.
Came for the fatal frame references and wasn't disappointed by this snapshot (heh) of horror and the setting it explores. Nice use of palette in the visuals too!
Really, really lovely work. Your writing creates the perfect atmosphere for the casual, intimate horror on display. The picture you paint with prose is quite poetic and is excellently supplemented by the dithered backgrounds + photographs and the red lighting on your sprite work. I've sent it eagerly along to some friends of similar tastes, and I know this is something I will fondly return to in the future.
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I kinda wish there was a sweet coffee choice with real milk... lol
That's nitpicking tho. Aside from a later use of your preferences, the choice serves no real purpose. So I don't -really- mind.
I was a -little- surprised at the dog thing.
I am SERIOUSLY wondering about how the mc acts with the girl they see next. Why obey him so blindly? It makes NO sense.
Not when it's someone you just met.
Did you know what you were signing up for beforehand or something? oO
Because even I realize that is NOT a normal reaction to have.
(Most would run for the hills, for one thing. You might be next.)
Not that I mind the action, per se.
But I feel like I'm missing the logic behind WHY the mc does what they do.
Nothing in the game indicates they're anything more than a normal, average person.
The art is beautiful, as is the story.
And by and large I do like this game.
But the ONLY two choices in the game is what coffee you want and if you think something is real or not. Which doesn't even impact the game.
If you had signed up for a photography tour that promised the macabre, and you were shown from the start to have an obsession with these things AND was amoral.... then the game might have worked.
But nothing at all really says that. So the story doesn't feel real at all.
Like some wacky dream --except nothing says it's a dream, so it just becomes weird and therefore stupid.
This would make a better novel than a game.
If put on Kindle instead of itch. Where novels belong.
I WOULD have loved to see a few more choices, things that impacted the ending, and a minimum of 3 endings.
I would also have liked to see the intro changed (or added to) in such a way that the mc's reactions and actions actually made sense.
(Maybe we see a parent's e-mail trying to convince them to seek therapy for some disorder that makes them amoral, and we see their interest in the macabre, and the walking tour promise them that. As one option.
Or we see the amoral part hinted at more vaguely in reading someone died in the news and they don't care, or they collect butterflies and stab needles though a live one without signs of remorse. Anything that explains their later actions.)
But, as I said; I do like this game.
And I kinda hope there may be more chapters of it coming later.
Maybe new walking tours with different themes, that still dip into the same macabre things.
sorgy
AAAAAHH!! THE CAT!! THE CATTT!!! *hides*
Haha, no. I just played a horror game with a cat villain.
Don't Take the Cat Home! or something. lol
It's cute tho. And BOY is that cat pissed off. Look at those eyes!
(I guess in human terms they're adorable tho. lol Not everyone speaks 'cat'. )
How does the saying go again.... "Don't say sorry; Do better." ?
Anyway... I did enjoy the game. And I do apologize if I sounded harsh.
I just wanted to give you good feedback so you can improve the game.
I'm just not very good at expressing myself in a nice way.
(And also because lack of logic kinda pisses me off. But in your defense, your mc is the first mc in ages that hasn't pissed me off by being a do-gooder, so... you're still beating the odds. lol )
Hey bud. This isn't a normal thing to say to a developer.
I'm assuming you're quite young on reading through your comment history, with your odd fascination with bringing up how English classes makes your opinion superior compared to others, as well as believing there is an objective and 'correct' way to present a story, so I'll be far less harsh than I would have been otherwise. What you're doing here, with your behaviour and rapid-fire comments and reviews over dozens of visual novels a day, is not doing what you think it's doing. People are not reading your comments thinking that you are incredibly smart by "fixing" all of these "problems" with the games you're playing, nor are you helping anyone create better art.
You are presenting your opinion as if it is an objective truth. You are fine to have this opinion, and even share this opinion, but your opinion does not make a game good or bad.
Sharing such opinions as if they are objective faults do not make a game better, nor do they encourage a developer to make changes to their games. 'Good' and 'better' are subjective ideals, especially when looking at art as originally intended. I understand that desire and drive for something to be better (as you perceive it) is a deeply powerful one and hard to ignore, especially when you're young. But, all you have shown here is that you have grossly misunderstood what catsket was going for. They are known for making surrealist, dream-like worlds, with the MC being more an observer than an active participant. Consider each "wrong" thing you've brought up: choices that have no consequence, dream-like logic, going along with a plotline you don't truly understand. All of this plays into the thematic ideas catsket is building around. You can dislike that, of course, but that does not mean it needs to be "fixed".
To then be blunt: art is not for you. Art is for the creator, and others, such as yourself, may take enjoyment from it thanks to our shared humanity. By opening yourself up to the idea that you can do whatever you want in art, and that an author may be intentionally bending and breaking supposed 'rules' to effect, you can start to engage with work on an author's terms rather than applying one worldview to everything you see. I'd recommend approaching all things in this manner; it makes you a much happier person in general.
And because I know your first reaction to this will be disgust, a "Who do you think you are?" that I'm the first person who has told you this, I'm a games industry professional working in narrative and design. I've won several awards for my work and I'm well respected in the UK games industry for what I do. I am, as far as it really means nothing in the end, a "professional" writer and game developer. What you should take from that, and I know it will take several years to undo the damage of modern media culture, is that it doesn't matter. The things I make and the things I say are just as important as someone who has zero "real" credits to their name.
To fully get this concept, understanding the difference between things that are executed to the full author's realisation, and things you may not personally like, is one that takes a lot of maturity and critical media understanding, and one that not even a lot of adults truly grasp. I wish you the best for the future.
I'd suggest deleting the comments you've made. There is a version of you in five years cringing at your younger self, and while you won't be able to erase the memory of typing out every single one, at least you can save yourself the pain of reading what you actually said.
reading a lot of your reviews and seeing how unhappy you are with almost all of them. there's a difference between giving critique and being critical. calling everything about a game stupid or that you don't get it doesn't help an author. instead, you should be asking questions or drawing the lines. critique is about helping the author realize their vision, not asking the author to rewrite their work to fit your desires.
and as an aside, saying "at least your MC isn't stupid" is pretty backhanded. not that i care but wanted to say.
i started making games because i hated a game i played so much that it made me pick up writing. you seem to dislike or have very harsh words about every game you're reviewing on itch.io right now. if you don't like these games and want someone to cater to your tastes, pick up the keyboard and download ren'py.
Yeah, I guess I'm not overly good at expressing myself. So I apologize for that.
I do realize I tend to sound harsher than I mean it.
I really am trying to give helpful review, but my way of wording things may not be the best.
I'll try and work on it. lol
If it makes you feel better, I wouldn't have bothered to comment at all if your game wasn't good to begin with.
i think you are asking for a lot of logic in both a genre and an artistic world that asks for a suspension of disbelief as they invite you into their surreal timelines. logic doesn't need to apply everywhere you go. things are weird to be weird.
and please stop feeding every question you have or recommendation you need into an AI. not only do artists extremely dislike their work being fed to a machine, even for recommendations, but there's more satisfaction in finding something organically than being told what to do.
What a lovely, relaxing photo walk with the chillest vibes...
damn that's one way to grab a snack
Heh enjoyed the use of photos and how you styled everything
Woah. Like that's all I can say. Woah.
The way you wrote the story was by far beautiful and grotesque (in a complimentary way!) what started out as a calming pretty cheerful first part devolved into such a mess where mysteries kept haunting us-- Honestly, it was absolutely breath taking the progression of the story became as well as the usage of background images and the way you draw Adonis.
I like how we see hints that MC is somewhat... Unique, like they can see things other people can't see (such as the rot in the apples), I'm wondering if they're more connected to that sort of grotesque side of life but they're just somewhat teetering off the edge, the line between their world and the other world.
Below will be theorizing, speculating, and plain out gushing about this wonderful VN~ So spoilers beware~!!
One thing I theorize is that either Adonis 'sensed' MC's presence and waited till they were settled within the town before making their move or if fate decided to intersect their lines (however, given how coincedental many things are and how Adonis clearly knows and is something more than what they appear to be... I have my doubts). Either way, I think that the long MC stayed with Adonis, the more exposed they became to gore, death, and decay that they otherwise probably didn't expect.
The more MC was exposed, the deeper they were entrenched to the point their senses (such as when Adonis says that they wanted to experiment with the human senses to experience art). I'm not sure if Adonis influenced MC to become... deranged in a sense or if MC was always like this, as though there was a deep-seated dark desire in them that only came to bloom when they were now fully exposed and influenced.
Then again, I'm wondering MC might be a Wendigo? Maybe part of them is and that's why they can see things nobody can see and feel hungry over decay and corpses...
Also, I liked how as the story progresses, Adonis takes a picture of MC at every turn throughout the photo walk where we can say that MC was being pulled deeper and deeper into the town's "other worldly" side. Like a lifecycle, where MC was just a baby or a fledgling at the start of the walk, before slowly being "corrupted" or maybe "corroded" as they become more and more aware of the supernatural entities, until we reach the ending where it seems as though MC's humanity is shedding and they indulge in a carnal or maybe inhumane desire by literally cannibalizing on someone (whether they are a ghost or not does not matter, she had a human shape therefore MC cannibalized that ghost or entity) and Adonis, who was much more interested in the rot, decay, and gore of the final stage of life, took many, many pictures of MC's final descent.
Before the cycle rewound and MC is now "normal" but not anymore, they got a taste of it... And they'll continue the cycle, following Adonis. I wonder if they're nurturing MC in a way, seeing them as their muse. It would be interesting to think but seriously, you did such an amazing job here!!
Aaa sorry for rambling so long I just really love it!!
I don't know how else to summarize this game other than to say that I can feel the aftertaste of blood in my mouth after finishing it. My mind's eye is blind but all of my other mind senses are working overtime and boy oh boy, did they work here. I think I'm a little sick actually, and I mean it in the best possible way.
The imagery was very descriptive, wasn’t prepared but nevertheless I love this game! Added to my favorites because the style of this game is so cool. First “novel-ish” game I have played and I am beyond impressed. Also I am from PA so naturally I had to play this lol.
Nice.
(Trying to get over being shy, so I'm posting my review as a proper comment! ... and putting my video out there while I'm at it?)
This one was so eerie and gross. I loved it!
There was such a feeling of wrongness as soon as the player character hit the cafe, and each weird encounter along the walk made the skin-crawling sensation that I felt get stronger and stronger. Which I'm honestly a big fan of.
Lots of horror stuff (even psychological horror) gives me overt anxiety where I can see what might happen coming from a mile a way, but I love when a story is able to give me a more underlying sensation of unease.
And the feeling stuck around for a decent while after I finished Fatal Focus, too.
I might be the odd one out on this, but I feel like the pacing was actually really good. It was already foreshadowed in the cafe that strange things were going to sate the player characters appetite during the game.
Although I was wondering if that and the cannibalism at the end was an innate part of them, or if Adonis had somehow manipulated them? Or if Adonis had merely seen the potential for such behavior and did things to push that urge out into the open... But part of that mystery is what actually made the story a whole lot more unnerving.
Everything about Adonis, too, was so damn good. Their sense of style (which, yes, I'm probably a little biased since I love and own clothes like that) to their weird personality made the experience all that more fun.
They gave me both ghost or demon vibes, but also... stalker vibes? I assume they're not a stalker (nor a ghost, though they really didn't come off as fully human) but they had that air about them with how they took pictures of the player character, and some of the weird things they said.
Either way, I really liked them as a character. They were creepy (and, I mean, also a murderer...) and also kind of sweet in their own way.
There really have only been a handful of horror stories that made me feel a similar unease to this one. I'm honestly really happy to have found another story that made my skin crawl in that way.
Thank you, Kat, for making this awesome VN!
i sure hope not...!
This was a really interesting and fun VN. I liked how things went from strange to creepy to just outright horrific so fast. The stylised art for this was great and so was the music! Loved the story as well, but was a little confused at the sudden gore/ vore? It didn't make much story sense to me and I might have missed something, but it was still a fun and interesting game!
I think this is the first time a VN has made me feel physically sick. Fantastic work, especially for making something so atmospheric in 72 hours!!
I really loved this and found myself wanting more. What happens to us after? Is the town alright?
Really nice game!
the town is alright. this is routine. thank you so much for playing!
Loved the art and I am looking forward to your next game!
Everything about this VN is so poignant and beautiful. The twist is refreshing and a very unique take on the genre. Now I'm doubly curious to know more about Adonis.
this is very sweet! thank you so much!!!
I really liked the subtle dark aura in the game.
Came for the fatal frame references and wasn't disappointed by this snapshot (heh) of horror and the setting it explores. Nice use of palette in the visuals too!
Really, really lovely work. Your writing creates the perfect atmosphere for the casual, intimate horror on display. The picture you paint with prose is quite poetic and is excellently supplemented by the dithered backgrounds + photographs and the red lighting on your sprite work. I've sent it eagerly along to some friends of similar tastes, and I know this is something I will fondly return to in the future.
Will definitely be checking out your other works.
this is such a sweet comment! thank you so much! ;w;