Dead Wishes

I didn't get to the end yet, but I feel like I already need to write something about this gem. This visual novel is amazing. It's like nothing I've seen before in that genre. There are some routes that will warm your heart. There are some that will make you deeply uncomfortable. And both types are written perfectly. It's like they took all this "abusive-but-romantic" tropes from other visual novels and presented them with much more realistic and disturbing form. I love it. I already cannot wait for all the extra content and I still have few endings to get. Absolutely recommended.

[h1]Review with accompanying screenshots and video in Sinical Network[/h1] https://www.sinicalanimenetwork.com/post/dead-wishes-review [i]Dead Wishes[/i] is independent developer [i]VIOLET Studio Games's[/i] first visual novel in Steam and itch.io, featuring an adult romance thriller supernatural narrative, a genderless protagonist with a customizable name, and a large cast of male and female characters. [h1]Story and Characters[/h1] The story begins with the main character (default name is Dante) on the verge of being kicked out of their rented apartment for being late in their rental payments. Dante will then get to know the residents of the unnamed city and develop a relationship with them, taking you through various scenarios depending on the choices you make. Maybe you will join the mafia where you uncover a heated love affair gone wrong, become allied with a team of murderers, serve as a caretaker for two dysfunctional sisters, end up on the streets, or become an honest man yo...

Unlike most dating VNs, I learned something from Dead Wishes. I learned that I'm rather deft at mollifying murderous sociopaths in abusive relationships. Also, I'm evidently pretty good at being submissive. So, to all the single ladies out there with extreme emotional issues and/or prone to violent outbursts... *raises eyebrow in sexually suggestive manner* You know where to find me. ... *ahem* To give a proper review now, jokes(?) aside. As a straight man, I feel like the writing was geared heavily towards women players; in terms of the ways other characters treat you, what nicknames they call you, how they describe you, how you react to situations... I know the overall intent was to be gender-neutral, but I still felt like I was playing a woman character the majority of the time. It wasn't terrible for me, but I did want to point out that seeming (probably unintentional) bias. Secondly, I take issue with the player character being too Borderline Personality Disorder...

I have not finished all routes, but I have completed major endings for 3 of the characters so far. This is an example fo the quality that Original English Visual Novels should strive for. I collect almost every VN because my aim is to eventually blog reviews about every single one of them so people can more easily find the kind of VNs they want to play. I recommend this one very highly. I will give a very detailed review once this is completed, but boy do I recommend this highly. It has wonderful routes and a wide variety of interesting characters and plots.

Poorly written unhealthy relationship simulator.

[h1] TLDR; 100% worth it, great plot/art/play time [/h1] This game is amazing! I don't play a lot of indie otome games because a lot of them are overused plot lines with inconsistent or unappealing art, but this game has neither! (As an artist & person with high standards-) the art has an eye catching & unique style that stays consistent throughout routs. The voice-overs fit the emotions of the scenes well and the plot is always interesting! I only really play otome games & RPG maker horror (Mad Father etc.) and this is a perfect combo of the two! The routes aren't drawn out but have a good play time, you're not locked in for 3+ hours each route, but they're long enough you can easily get immersed & enjoy the plot fully!

good visual novel love how unique this game is for its routes and how your choices actually affect the story. my favourite character would have to be Ophelia but they are all unique and well written characters such as Sergio and Festus

This game is wonderful! It really feels like a hidden gem, and it sucks that more people aren't playing it!

As a huge fan of both visual novels and the psychological horror genre, I have to say this game is a hidden gem and I truly recommend that anyone that is a fan of either plays this, unless you're the squeamish type because this game is definitely not for the faint of heart - I'm personally not a squeamish person at all yet one of the routes in the game made me feel physically nauseous. Therefore, I can safely say that the writing in this game is incredible. Not only is it extremely immersive, the story is fascinating and really makes you want to keep on playing to find out the truth of the plot. In addition, the characterisation is fantastic - it really made me want to learn more about each character as they're all so interesting. The entire game is a rollercoaster of emotions, doing a particularly good job at being unsettling and macabre in some parts but also not failing to make you smile and laugh. The game also includes some really well thought out philosophical connotations and in...

eeeeeeh I've been waffling on this review for a bit, but I think I'm settling on DNR because even though I mostly enjoyed it, I don't want anyone just stumbling into this game. Some of the Steam descriptions feel inaccurate and this is the sort of game that people should avoid unless they know it's their cup of tea. TL;DR - 'Dead Wishes' is more akin to games like 'Boyfriend to Death' than 'Doki Doki Literature Club' Dead Wishes poses an interesting dilemma in that the game is better spoiler-free (that first romance hits you like a bag of bricks), BUT there are some pretty significant and needed content warnings. The description in Steam says that it just 'references' some stuff, but if you are going to play this game (especially if you want to get the true ending because you need to complete all the romances), know that it deals VERY explicitly with [spoiler] Sexual Assault and Coercion [/spoiler], [spoiler] Murder [/spoiler], [spoiler] Violence and Gore [/spoiler], [spoiler] Can...