Well, here we are. Eight months after The House In Fata Morgana's release, and six months since our first diary entry of "the game better than Breath of the Wild", it's finally time to actually, finally review it.
Fata Morgana is an subject of bafflement, a tantalising enigma, and a frequent point of mockery, all because its Metacritic score (which was a perfect 100, and is now a measly 97) elevated it into being described as "one of the best games of all time" on Switch. This placed it alongside such classics as the aforementioned Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and Hades. PC Gamer included it in their latest "Top 100 PC Games" in September. Visual novel fans already knew this, of course — it's well-reviewed for a reason — but anyone outside of that genre sphere was left to wonder how good an anime visual novel could actually be, and point out that Fata Morgana's high score comes from just nine critic reviews, as opposed to the dozens those games above have to their names. There has to be a catch, right?
After 40+ hours with the game, we can comfortably say that The House In Fata Morgana, at the end of it all, is legitimately as fantastic as they say... although with a few caveats.
If you're a fan of visual novels, you likely already know these caveats. The Dreams of the Revenants edition of Fata Morgana — at around 40 hours for the main game, plus 15 hours for the Requiem for Innocence prequel DLC, plus 8 hours for the Reincarnation sequel DLC — demands a lot of your time, especially as the DLC unlocks sequentially.
A significant proportion of that time is spent waiting. Waiting for things to make sense, waiting for the story to pick up, waiting for certain parts to be over. The beginning, in particular, is slow and boring, with a bunch of unlikeable characters that get themselves into predicaments because of irritating personality traits. People will repeatedly walk into painful situations out of inaction or poor decision-making at the beginning, and it can be frustrating.
A darker caveat is that Fata Morgana can be incredibly, potentially upsettingly dark. The story deals with abuse, bigotry, sexism, torture, and basically any kind of mistreatment you can think of. It's grim. But it doesn't feel like torture porn, as with something like Danganronpa, because Fata Morgana doesn't revel in its misery; Fata Morgana firmly places you in the shoes of the suffering. But it does drag it out something fierce.
The final caveat is that this would not, perhaps, constitute a "game" for many people. Quite frankly, that doesn't matter for this review, but if you're not into largely static, pretty hands-off visual novels, then this certainly isn't going to convince you of their worth — in the same way that blue cheese is fantastic, but someone who hates dairy is never going to enjoy it. That doesn't make blue cheese any less delicious to those who like it.
But with the caveats and the cheese metaphors out of the way, it's time to talk about everything that makes Fata Morgana worth the glittering praise, and the title of "one of the greatest visual novels ever".
The House In Fata Morgana's story is hard to describe without spoiling it, but it begins with a house, a Maid, and you, the protagonist, who can't remember who they are, where they are, or why they're here. There are also a wealth of supporting characters, from the central mystery of the White-Haired Girl's identity, to the men and women in her life who support and use her. Throughout the next few hours, the story slowly unwinds as the Maid circuitously starts to explain things to you — emphasis on slowly and circuitously — and eventually, you'll get to fill in some of those gaps in your memory. But you might wish you hadn't.
And yes, the first few hours are slow — but the payoff is so, so worth it. It requires an investment at the start, and a large part of that investment is just believing it will get better, but not knowing how. After a few twists — at least one of which is an incredibly organic one that will send chills down your spine — the momentum starts to build, spiralling the story away from the tedious stuff into thrilling, captivating heartbreak.
It's incredible how fantastically well-written and well-translated the game is, considering the sheer amount of words contained within. A lesser script, or a poorer localisation, could make the story feel overwrought or utterly piteous, but Fata Morgana's story, even in its slow moments, even in its slightly goofy dramatic moments, always manages to keep you on the hook. By the time you're around ten hours in, you won't be able to put it down.
The most outstanding thing about Fata Morgana, though, is its use of novel narrative techniques — which we shan't spoil — to bend the rules a little bit. Unreliable narrators and untrustworthy memories abound, and it can even get a little difficult to follow exactly what's going on at points, but for a story that's pretty much only told through images, music, and text, it's remarkable how much it can play with those tools to surprise you.
Fata Morgana will, at times, feel like therapy. You will be asked to examine situations that seemed black-and-white from every angle, until every story seems like nothing but bleak, Shakespearean tragedy. But the game is ultimately not about sorrow — it's about overcoming the things that have happened to you, through no fault of your own, then using those painful experiences to shape your own sense of empathy, and be a better person to people. Frankly, it's a lesson most people could do with learning.
Listen, there's a lot of good and bad in this review, and you might be wondering how we came to such a glowing conclusion with a game that has flaws... but Fata Morgana is truly a diamond in the rough. You just have to be prepared to uncover the diamond, that's all. Not everyone has the time or patience to stick with it, which is totally fine. But if you have 40+ hours to luxuriate in a story this good — even if it could do with snappier pacing at points — you'll hopefully be willing to overlook the pain points to appreciate how gloriously, unflinchingly human this game is.
Conclusion
The House in Fata Morgana is over 40 hours long, and in those 40 hours, you'll maybe get to make about three decisions. It is a visual novel in the strictest sense of the word, and you must be prepared for that going in. But with a fantastic, original, slow-burn story about love, loss, hurt, forgiveness, and recovery, it's one of the best visual novels out there — and your patience will be paid off in the end.
Comments 77
Nice to finally see this review come out, and even nicer to see it doesn't disappoint!
While I probably wouldn't list it if I had to name my favourite VNs, I definitely have this down as a clear 10/10 nonetheless. Super interesting story and writing with the presentation and soundtrack to match, really hard to pick out any faults. Can't say I personally agree with either of those cons.
@BenAV I don’t think they could have given it a 10. The outcry would give the team too much to do over the Christmas period in terms of moderation. Bizarrely people seem to really have a bee in their bonnet when it comes to VNs ‘not being games’ despite that sort of gatekeeping being utter nonsense. I even personally bounced off this one because it’s incredibly grim and I’m just not in the headspace for it but I can tell that if you attune yourself to it then it’ll be a revelation.
Big tip of the hat to Kate Gray for doing this absolute unit of a game all the way through!
Ironically, with this 9/10 review the Metacritic average will be bumped down to a 95/96 and will no longer have the same score as BotW
I felt mentally battered by this game, genuinely it affected my mood.
At times it felt like certain points were pushed too much... a grim scene dragged out... I get the point about this character, you can stop now.
There is a lot of repetition, ("oh god, have I got to go over all this again?") the same story from different perspectives and I'm not sure the slow reveals of secrets are worth the slog.
It is an amazing experience and I'm glad it got made, but I'm not sure if I would've started it knowing what I do now.
Everyone's mileage may vary but I would've 'enjoyed' it more with some heavy editing. This isn't a negative criticism of visual novels as such, just this one.
Edit: I know most of those points were mentioned in the review already, I'm just adding my voice.
I'm really getting tired of games getting compared to Breath of The Wild, regardless if it's the score or the gameplay just stop. BoTW is a phenomenal game and other games may or may not take inspiration but it wasn't the first game in it's genre and it won't be the last. I know it's unrelated to the review but come on.
Sounds great for those what like VN, i myself shell skip it as i'm not a fan of them.
@Meteoroid The publisher already said they are not doing a retail physical release, because they don't have the budget for that (that's why they did bothy Vita and Switch version via LRG)
Still a good buy digitally.
I myself love a good visual novel game, I play Sacred Line on the Genesis, Metal Slader Glory and Radical Dreamer for Super NES and enjoy those very much. I may give this one a try but only if it's under ten bucks. All the Visual Novel games I play are either free or under $10 like Love Hina Advance and Metal Slader Glory so may be picking this up during a sale at some point.
I saw BOTW and clicked. Too bad it's a visual novel.... I really hate those.
i felt like a lot of the points mentioned above resonated with me, especially how dark and grim it can get. many months on, i still haven’t finished the game and that’s because at times, things just seem so bleak. having said that, i keep wanting to go back to it, to find out more. absolute love this game, would consider it my fave visual novel.
I won't play this as it sounds like everything I don't enjoy in a video game, but all the same I appreciate the review to get a window into why this is so beloved along with making that informed decision.
Still confused... I love Ace Attorney, but it feels like a video game, with lots of choices and decisions. This feels like literally just reading and not a game in any way.... so not sure I'd like it. Might try it because the reviews are so so complimentary.
Loved the game. I agree music in this game was mostly annoying. I loved the horror score stuff in the second chapter and the cool jazz inspired music in the third chapter. The stuff in the romancey medieval parts was a little blah, especially the track based on the Beethoven C-sharp minor sonata. (The first chapter had a similarly out-of-place track nodding to the Debussy Clair de Lune, which was inappropriate for both the period setting and the tone.)
I'm at the end of DLC right now...it's a majestic game
@SlowPokemon I loved second chapter too
I wouldnt play this kind of games even if they pay me
Definitely getting a physical copy of this soon! A must have for any VN fanatic.
@Specter_of-the_OLED And to think I spent $250 for Clannad (Collector's Edition) and $150 for World End Syndrome (Imported Limited Edition). If I can get a visual novel for under $60 which I have gotten several from $30 to $60 then I consider it a steal. See, most of them are either Import, Limited Run Games or Collector's / Limited editions.
I actually just finished this and all the DLC a couple weeks ago. I agree with the review for the most part. But I would add one additional thing to the cons list. The backgrounds in the main game are super low budget and bad looking. Like poorly photoshopped photos. The sequel DLC's budget is significantly improved in that regard.
@PoliticallyIncorrect That's how I felt until DDLC Plus.. nothing puts me to sleep quicker than reading.. but because of that I got addicted and I've found many enjoyable ones.. my most played "game" this year was Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue with 98 hours. Four romance routes in that one.. and that's considered a short on, lol. Certainly get your money's worth out of these... especially when you spend more on one that costs more than a Switch, lol
People need to understand a game gets a review score based on how good it is for IT'S genre, this game is a master piece for a visual novel and as a visual novel this gets rated so high, saying this isn't as good as zelda is just dumb.
By some people's logic, depending on the genre of a game it can't get a score higher than a certain number? It's like saying visual novels can't go higher than a 90 but action/Rpg's can?
@SuperZeldaFun Well Kate is the best reviewer on this site and definitely doesn't automatically dismiss something simply because it's a visual novel.
@UltimateOtaku91 True that 😁
@JustMonika I'm the same as you, I don't read books or Light novels as it just bores me, but when is comes to visual novels and manga I can keep reading/playing for hours. The art keeps us more interested and makes us want to see more.
I mean would you of played DDLC if it was just a blank screen with words? No art what so ever?
It’s not that visual novels aren’t games, it’s that their gameplay sucks. - Plato to his dinner guests, 1581 AD
It’s great to see this review finally come out! It’s my GOTY, and I sorely miss the joys of playing it. Reading through other text-based games hasn’t been as fun since.
@Specter_of-the_OLED Wait what?! I didn't even know Love Hina had games! I loved the anime and the manga, very funny. Any particular Love Hina game you would recommend?
I’m currently halfway through Robotic; Notes and I have the Danganronpa collection for Christmas.
But I’ve picked this up on sale and I hope to get to it in 2022. Hopefully before but probably after 13 Sentinels and the AI Somnium Files sequel - the Switch is becoming a powerhouse for these kind of games.
I bought the Collector’s Edition from Limited Run Games a few months ago. Great story, but it takes a while to really get into it. It’s a visual novel, so that’s a characteristic of the genre. It’s definitely on the “novel” side of visual novel, whereas games like Ace Attorney and Danganronpa are more interactive.
@CharlieGirl lol wut. Finishing a 40 hour game?
Yes very impressive. 🤣
Literally starting up my copy tonight after this article series got me interested in it!
@aznable Bloody hell, if Plato was alive in 1581 then he’d be a very very old man 😂😂😂
After reading many a reviews, in general, I feel a new take has to be made. Two opinions, at least, of any game reviewed. First, by someone who looks forward to said release, the second, by someone new to the genre. Get a familiar take and a wholly new one.
@BenAV what are your favorite VN's and are they on Switch? (I haven't played any except DDLC+ and could use some good ones)
@nessisonett As an example, I can’t gatekeep you no matter how much I might say a VN isn’t a game. I don’t understand why people use that term in situations where one physically has no influence over the outcome.
@CharlieGirl Beating (most) games isn’t hard. Finishing visual novels isn’t hard at all, unless you are forcing yourself to finish, of course. I don’t see the reason for the pat on the back, seems a little patronizing.
@BloodNinja Because you’re misunderstanding the full meaning of the term gatekeeping. It’s gatekeeping to insinuate that somebody isn’t a ‘true fan’ or something isn’t a ‘real game’ because you’re acting like a gatekeeper. You’re metaphorically holding up a little barrier like a bouncer at nightclub saying ‘nah mate, not with those shoes on’.
It only had such a high score because it had so few reviews.
Let 70 sites get their hands on it and watch that 96 plummet to a 84.
Not saying it’s a bad game- I haven’t played it. Just… take aggregates with a grain of salt (i.e. give a +/- 1.5 point margin on any aggregate, more so if it’s a Sony exclusive or a game with less than 30 reviews)
@nessisonett But how is it meaningful if the barrier is only metaphorical? Say you tell me I’m not a true fan or whatever, why does that override how I think of myself or how I interact with the medium? You know who you are and you know what you’re about, right? I can’t tell you anything about you, like that. Nobody can. That’s the point I’m trying to make.
@BloodNinja Well you’d just be acting like a tw*t. If the point you’re trying to make is that ultimately any kind of mean-spiritedness is pointless then sure, it is. But it doesn’t stop it from making people feel a bit rubbish.
Definitely plan on picking this up somewhere down the line, can't ignore the rave reviews.
With that said, I really wish the BotW comparisons would stop. For one, they're two completely different games. Second, BotW has a metascore of 97 with over 100 reviews, Morgana has a 96 with less than 20.
I dont know how the music could be a negative. its one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard in a game. if not THE best.
trying to put a negative on the 'grim' mood of the game doesn't wash either- I mean, you have to be in the mood for games like Mario galaxy or any other game. the question really is, are you ready to play a game or not.
Does anyone know any of the real life locations that were used to create the background images for this game?
Some of the locations from the main game do look like photos put through a photoshop filter, some of the locations look quite familiar, others look intriguing, but there doesn't seem to be any info about the locations used
Just give it a ten you coward!
Played this and I agree 100% with this review. 9/10 for sure.
I will just say I was not a fan of the 1st DLC as it was basically a 15-hour rehash of one of the main stories in the game. Haven’t done the 2nd DLC yet so can’t comment there
@UltimateOtaku91 I pretty much consider visual novels as an extension of my anime addiction, lol
@Illusion Ace Attorney Trilogy, Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, Steins;Gate Elite, Steins;Gate 0, Robotics;Notes Elite, Clannad, Little Busters!, AI: The Somnium Files.
There's lots of other really good ones too but those are my very favourites.
@BenAV your recommendations are great let me add a couple of my own, particularly the Otame games. Basically you plat from the perspective of a woman, nit damn they have interest premises, such as Collar X Malice, Pio Fiore(a mafia visual novel with anime artwork and aesthetics) and Olympia Soiree,
Sooo this can't be compared to trash from the "opera house" , or am I seeing it totally wrong?
@nessisonett
A good definition of the term that's about to trend, I guess.
I get scared easily and I'm also super slow at finishing visual novels so I might regret playing this, but I also kind of want to.
@nessisonett THAT’S the anachronism that bugged you there?
@KateGray
Oh my God! You finally made it through!
Congrats.
@aznable Hahaha fake quotes are one thing, wildly old Greek men are another 😂😂
@nessisonett I believe you’re quoting Lord Byron there, yes?
@JoeDiddley You still gotta get Doki Doki Literature Club Plus, If My Heart Had Wings and Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue. The 3 best visual novels I've played.
@Illusion
Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue
If My Heart Had Wings
World End Syndrome
Atri: My Dear Moments
Clannad
Little Busters! Converted Edition
The Grisaia Trilogy
Christmas Tina
The Fox Awaits Me
Steins;Gate Elite
Re:Zero - The Prophecy of the Throne (only if you're a Re:Zero fan)
@nessisonett I say laugh in their face for trying to control you on such a weak level.
@JustMonika I am curious if you ever played any of the Otame Games like Pio Fiore, Collar X Malice or Olympia soirée
The game transcends its genre. One of the best stories I've experienced in any medium. Definitely the greatest use of twists, and the emotional "highs" are not rivaled in this current generation of gaming. Seeing it rated on a ten point scale is giggle-inducing. What's being rated out of ten next --- Broadcast News? Before Sunset?
I've been waiting to see a slightly more negative review that mirrored my own experience with the game, but oh well!
I love visual novels and found this one pretty amazing for the first several hours, but eventually the bleakness and sadism of it all just reaches comic levels, like the excessive morbidity and blasphemy of some metal music. Somewhere after the first half I started rolling my eyes or laughing at the tryhardness of it.
The game also seems to present a worldview of "girls like cooking and boys like adventure", which is endorsed in the narrative by heroic characters. This is a genre that has more than its fair share of sexism, but at least there's occasionally some irony to it. Not here!
I can’t believe some people like blue cheese. Like, it’s not even a game.
I get bored after the second story, I'm still trying to work up the patience to endure the third story(which I've heard it's also kinda boring). I don't know I might just as well play the great ace attorney instead.
By the way, I don't think visual novels should be considered videogames .-.
@Themagusx1 No.. I love me some Bishoujo though. Damn crime that nothing from Entergram has ever been localized for the Switch, lol. If My Heart Had Wings and Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue have been my favorites so far.. let's see what's in my VN collection on Switch.. kind of wish I had a PC about now so I could get the more full version of some of these, lol
Aokana: Four Rhythms Across the Blue (Limited Edition)
Clannad (Collector's Edition)
Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! (Premium Edition)
Food Girls (Import)
The Fox Awaits Me (Import)
If My Heart Had Wings (PlayAsia Limited Edition #1113)
Island (Import)
Maitetsu: Pure Station (Import)
My Girlfriend is a Mermaid?! (Import)
Nekopara: Volume 1 (Digital)
Nekopara: Volume 2 (Digital)
Nekopara: Volume 3 (Digital)
Nekopara: Volume 4 (Digital)
Planetarian: Reverie of a Little Planet (Digital)
Re:Zero - The Prophecy of the Throne (Day One Edition)
Root Film (Standard)
Root Letter: Last Answer (Standard)
Sakura Santa (Digital)
Sakura Succubus (Digital)
Steins;Gate Elite (Standard)
Tokyo School Life (Standard)
World End Syndrome (Imported Limited Edition)
YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World (Standard)
@JustMonika I definitely want try Doki Doki Lierature Club too, so many great VNs on the Switch, so little time!
@JustMonika I have a good chunk of thise all digital since that’s my preference. Anyhoo, that company you spoke of I wonder why they worn bring their games over. There clearly is a market for vns now.
@Themagusx1 Entergram has published a ton of amazing Bishoujo VN's on Switch in Asia and exactly zero have been localized. I think one series is localized on Steam but that's about it. They're all available on PlayAsia but again, none have been localized. Giga is the name of the actual development studio of most of the titles.
@JustMonika I wonder why. There is clearly a market for VNS.What are the tones of the Entergram games. Are they like stuff like World End Syndrome and things like that?
This "game" sounds like torture! Can't imagine anything worse. I know loads of people who really love their visual novels, friends and family members and they're a strange bunch, they all have that weird emo vibe going on.
@piecez I don’t quite understand the grating music comment either. Some scenes I left to play longer than needed because the soundtrack is so good. Fantastic review otherwise though. One of my favourite VNs bug definitely would have benefitted from some more editing along the way.
@Themagusx1 They're all romance VN's like If My Heart Had Wings, Aokana, Sakura series and so forth.
@JustMonika got ya
Was too curious, got it on sale. I understand it being a visual novel and everything but... no it's not good. It's a story written as if it's for children, I don't understand how this can be considered a masterpiece at all.
@piecez If a soundtrack could file a restraining order on me, this one should, many times over. I think symphonic music and music in other languages is just not for everyone, much like VNs, but a lot of people do clearly get it if you look at the comments section for any of the tracks on YouTube.
Absolutely could have used a good editor. The kernel of the story is pure gold but not worth the time it takes to find it. GET TO THE POINT ALREADY. I also didn't like the modern-day idioms used in freaking 1029 or whatever - totally takes you out of it. And all those "ugn"s, "aaaaah's", and "..." are super annoying. Couldn't there have been a narrator instead?
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