Save the Villainess Demo Review by Amjara
Save the Villainess Demo is an animated delight of an otome. Investigate, fight, and make choices that lead to romance or revenge all while trying to save your villainess.
The Story
You start off the game of no memory of who you are. You find yourself in a strange but very plush carriage drawn by horses. Decked in a once elegant gown now torn to shreds and bleeding you need to piece together who and where you are.
You eventually end up at a mysterious mansion that has an odd servant that resides within. Mysterious and aloof. The mansion just seems to know what you want and provides. A very strange setting.
The four love interests (so far in the demo) include Edmund (Crowned Prince) and charming of course :) Izel, the handsome white haired lovely. Full of mystery and intrigue. Ben, our childhood friend (there is always a childhood friend who is stuck in the friendzone) and Servant, who is well…a servant and very mysterious.
Gameplay & Features
The first thing I want to point out in this visual novel that really stood out to me is how you can move the camera in certain scenes to gain more perspective on the scene around you and to find clues. Also you can press "H" to hide voices (text) blocking what you see. Like what is that fish-like thing that you see every once in a while in the background!?
It can be a bit unsettling in the scenes that you can move the camera around. I wish there was a setting to keep the image still when you do not wish to pan around. A button to toggle the movement on and off.
This game also has choice and consequence that is well embedded into the narrative and the darker choices are not always the wrong ones to choose. There are plenty of save slots so play, investigate and have fun as you can always reload if you wish to take another path.
The Visuals and Audio
Visually this game is a feast, full of animations that bring the environments and the characters to life. The sprites blink, have mouth and eyebrow animations, subtle movements in their hair and hands. The environments also host subtle animations such as lights flickering and candle light.
Well done in this game is also the ambient noises, from your stomach growling to the crunch of an apple. I also really enjoyed the soundtrack (the song in the opening credits and the menu are my favorites).
There are no voice overs for the characters at this time (but that is more a personal preference and I always enjoy voicing the characters myself personally).
A personal side note to watch the opening cinematics, really well done visuals and music.
The Writing
The writing in this novel at times is very witty and humorous. And some text is spicy (well I am not sure if that is intended or just my own mind)...pretty sure it is the text!
Also the references to being stuck in a badly written romance novel are entertaining. I will say however that sometimes the writing is a bit odd with references to hostile cushions or wain-scotting. I know, I know, that sounds like…what? Trust me it is no less confusing in the novel.
Overall Experience
This visual novel is strange in a very good way. An interesting narrative, witty and odd at times. The characters are mysterious. As the main character there are lots of choices you can personally make to shape the narrative for good or bad with lots of planned endings stemming from both. I encourage people to try the demo for themselves and if they enjoy what they experience then to wishlist it. I certainly will be looking forward to the full game in the future. 🦋
Please follow our curator page, Otome Lovers, if you'd like to see more reviews like this one!