Robin has his mother’s illness and dual identities to worry about, while Cameron has the pressure of leading the school’s martial arts team. Instead, it focuses on Robin and Cameron’s longstanding friendship and their learning to rely on each other.
Friends New and OldĬameron is a likeable character, and I enjoyed the route, but it was my least favorite because it doesn’t really engage with Aquadine’s setting. Each focuses on a member of Robin’s core friend group, their relationship with Robin, and their own struggles. After, the story branches into four routes. Aquadine starts with a common route that introduces the cast and features lots of ensemble scenes. But he’s surrounded by kind friends who care about him, and over the course of the story he begins to open up. Robin’s situation means he tries to keep to himself. Ciel is quite popular, which lets Robin pay the bills, but if word got out that they were the same person, he could lose it all overnight. So he created Ciel to be what he can’t: an elegant showman with an unfaltering smile. Robin, understandably given his situation, has a reputation for being aloof and cynical. Furthermore, he works under the alias Ciel. His mother is hospitalized with a mysterious disease, and with her mounting medical bills, Robin is forced to balance school with working as a gondolier. I genuinely wanted to see them build relationships and overcome their challenges together.Įverything starts with the protagonist, Robin Liyun. This made it easy for me to get invested in all the characters’ stories. A few may have lost their way and others might be a bit immature, but it’s hard not to feel for them. Everyone you meet cares about those close to them and is capable of showing empathy. The Warmth in Your EyesĪquadine’s characters are just as lovable because they radiate kindness and warmth. Aquadine reminds us that the sea is both a mysterious and frightening presence capable of destruction as well as a source of life and boons. It was a joy to see them brought to life in this fantastical setting in such a thoughtful way. Many of the myths it hearkens back to-Greek mythology, the tale of Undine, the legend of Ys-are stories I’ve lived with since I was young. The city’s relationship with water and the legendary merfolk is at the heart of Aquadine’s mysteries and pervades the city and its people. I also fell in love with Aquadine’s mythology. Yet none of this detail is ever thrust in your face, a mark of effective world-building. The result is that Aquadine feels like an actual place with a vividly realized culture, one so charming I would be first in line to visit if it actually existed. There are even fascinating local traditions and a lively folklore. Aquadine draws from Venice and the Mediterranean, and it goes beyond the canals to small details like ferri and touches of Andalusian architecture. There’s a wealth of depth to the city too. Fittingly, Aquadine stands on the veil between humanity and the vast inscrutable ocean. According to legend, the city was once connected to the merfolk.
Aquadine game full#
Aquadine is a warm place full of romance and wonder yet also holds an air of mystery. Bridges hold a special significance, and there are even monuments to the sea. Gondoliers scull passengers along canals to a floating marketplace. In the city of Aquadine, water infuses every aspect of life. Seaside IdyllĪquadine’s setting is absolutely enchanting and my favorite part of the experience. I mentioned I’m interested in OELVNs with a non-Japanese identity, and Aquadine impressed me not only with its stories and characters, but by building a distinctive setting that doesn’t feel like an imitation. Since we recently talked about original English language visual novels (OELVNs), I thought it might be nice to take a deeper dive into Aquadine, an OELVN from developer SoftColors that I recently read.
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