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Gorgeous and Intriguing, but little to do, March 8, 2024 Angelblood is a fairly long gorgeous and highly stylised visual novel, edging the fine line between romance and horror. You play as Quin, a witch working in a magical pawnshop at the Crossroad between worlds. Your world turns upside down when a peculiar character waltz in: a vampiric angel. How will you handle this novelty?
There is something interesting about mixing the celestial (angel) with the corrupt (vampires), creating a strange world filled with ancient lore forgotten with time or apocalyptic events. The vampiric angel is incredibly gorgeous and frightening; the holy warrior is protecting but with a hint of unhinged; trades are what runs this world, with memories as currency… Nothing you see, nothing you believe, nothing is what it seems. In this world of Good vs Evil, everyone here is neither, no matter how they justify their actions.
The religious symbolisms mixed in the story makes for a fascinating world-building, with the all seeing eye that does nothing, the hand that forgives but also hurts, the wink to biblical accurate angels with the sprite, the separation of the flesh and the divine, the holy and the damned… There are definitely layers in this story, which might require a few runs to find all the links between everything.
While it is an incredible game, both in the visual and narrative side, there is little left for the player to do. Aside from a couple of choices, with the final one deciding which ending you will end up with, you are pulled along the story, clicking the screen for the next sentence to appear (I think it took me 30-45min before reaching the end?). Where it not for the styling (and wanting to see whether I’d have a choice at all)…
With the level of polish considering the tight deadline of a jam, it is understandable to have such linear story. But it would have been interesting to have more agency, especially when talking to the different NPCs coming to the shop.
Still, bonus point for the cute kitten.