Info about Noctuary:

Official game description:
  
Noctuary is a dual-protagonist Visual Novel. Players can play the role of the duo, Fancia Dream and Alina Nightsong who have dreams of "becoming Arborangers who protect and serve everyone." Travel through the fairy-tale-like world as the duo, experience their lively daily adventures, and gradually encounter the life story of a mysterious girl who came down from the sky.  
Meanwhile, don't forget to fight against the everpresent monsters—"Darkritters!" These dangerous enemies threaten the life of Illuminators constantly. Sharpen your fighting skills, defeat ferocious monsters and ensure peace in your community!  
During your adventure, you will fight against various enemies. You can defeat them with a cascade of powerful combo attacks!  
The two main characters master different skills and present various fighting styles, which allows you to win a battle in whichever method you choose. Switch between the two girls in battles to cope with enemies' attacks and finish them off with the powerful On-field Switch skill and the Synergy.  
Embark on various missions within Inlixaland and become a unique "Arboranger."! In addition to the main storyline that spans several tens of hours, there are also over 20 side routes and quests featuring different stories and characters to explore. Join forces with diverse Illuminators as companions, cultivate relationships, and earn adventure rewards!  
The friendships and blessings you harvest along the journey will strengthen you in battle. Feel free to combine the "Blessing Petals" that are embedded with features of different characters to customize your battle style. In addition, there are many other well-designed cultivation systems that are ready for you to explore!

Release date: Nov 28, 2023

Categories: Visual Novel, Character Progression, Multiple Endings, Choice-based Narrative, Character Customization, Combat, Narrative-driven Gameplay, Relationship System

Feature scans:
- Wiki: score 50; verdict: Needs Improvement in Instructional Data; summary: The primary user complaints revolve around the complexity of the game mechanics and the need for additional instructional data to fully understand and progress through the game. The game's extensive content and multiple endings require players to seek external resources to grasp the full experience.
- Steam Deck: score 40; verdict: Tinkering Required; summary: The game has received mixed feedback regarding its performance on the Steam Deck. While it is praised for its stability and lack of crashes, there are significant issues with text readability and gameplay experience. The game runs smoothly and has good battery performance, but the small text and overwhelming visual effects detract from the overall experience.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Outstanding Story and Narrative (weight 0.97): The game's story is highly praised for its depth, emotional resonance, and engaging twists. It combines serious themes with light-hearted moments, creating a balanced and immersive narrative experience.
- Excellent Art and Music (weight 0.82): The game features beautiful and detailed artwork, including character designs, CGs, and backgrounds. The music is also highly praised for its quality and how well it complements the story and atmosphere.
- Well-Developed Characters (weight 0.41): The characters in the game are well-designed with distinct personalities and motivations. Their interactions and development are a significant part of the game's appeal.
- Enjoyable Gameplay (weight 0.39): The gameplay is fun and engaging, with enjoyable combat segments that serve the story well. The game provides a good overall experience with its gameplay mechanics.
- Immersive World-Building (weight 0.16): The game's world-building is detailed and coherent, creating a rich and immersive environment that enhances the overall gaming experience.
- Multiple Endings (weight 0.15): The game features multiple endings that are thought-provoking and logically consistent, adding replay value and depth to the narrative.
- Unique Blessing System (weight 0.14): The game introduces a unique blessing system with beautiful flower designs, adding a creative and visually appealing element to the gameplay. This system is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.
- Positive and Uplifting Themes (weight 0.14): The game's story is described as positive and uplifting, exploring themes of hope, love, and perseverance in the face of adversity.
- High-Quality Visual Novel (weight 0.12): The game is recognized as a top-tier visual novel with stunning artwork, music, and a well-polished narrative, making it highly recommended for fans of the genre.

Common complaints:
- Combat system criticisms (weight 0.5): The combat system is widely criticized for being lackluster, poorly executed, and frustrating. Many players find the combat controls stiff and the overall experience tedious, detracting from the game's enjoyment.
- Emotional and narrative shortcomings (weight 0.37): The game's emotional depth and narrative are found lacking, with many players unable to resonate with the themes or characters. Some story elements feel forced or unnecessary, and the emotional payoff is often insufficient.
- Pacing issues between combat and narrative (weight 0.35): The game suffers from a significant disconnect between its fast-paced combat and slow-paced narrative sections. Players find the transition between these two elements jarring, with excessive side quests and lengthy text readings disrupting the flow and immersion of the main story.
- Technical and design flaws (weight 0.35): The game has several technical and design issues, including poor character modeling, unclear role identification during combat, and repetitive gameplay elements. These flaws contribute to a less enjoyable gaming experience.
- Localization and voice acting issues (weight 0.19): The game's localization, particularly in English, has been criticized for being awkward and sometimes incomprehensible. Additionally, the voice acting, especially in Chinese, has been noted as subpar and in need of improvement.
- Slow and boring start (weight 0.16): The initial chapters of the game are criticized for being slow and boring, which may deter players from continuing. The slow pace and lack of engaging content in the early stages are significant drawbacks.
- Unsatisfying ending (weight 0.08): The game's ending is often described as rushed and unsatisfying, leaving many plot elements unresolved. This can lead to a sense of disappointment and incompleteness for players.
- Disjointed side quests (weight 0.08): Side quests in the game often feel disjointed and unrelated to the main story, disrupting the narrative flow. Many players find these quests forgettable and unnecessary.

Gameplay feedback:
- Dual-character combat system (weight 0.4): The game features a unique combat system where players control two main characters, each with three distinct combat styles. The combat is real-time and can be customized with different abilities and difficulty settings.
- Adjustable difficulty settings (weight 0.3): Players can adjust the difficulty of the game on the fly, allowing for a customized gaming experience that caters to different skill levels.
- Rich narrative and lore (weight 0.25): The game is set in a dark world where light-bearers called '光使' live in lighthouses and fight against dark creatures. The story explores themes of light and darkness, with a deep lore and character development.
- Visual novel with combat (weight 0.25): The game combines visual novel elements with combat gameplay, creating a unique blend of storytelling and action. The combat sections are integrated into the narrative, enhancing the overall experience.
- Mixed combat reviews (weight 0.24): The combat system receives mixed reviews. Some players find it decent and well-made, while others criticize it as lackluster and poorly executed, feeling it detracts from the overall experience.
- Slow-burning narrative (weight 0.15): The story starts slow but builds up to a compelling experience. The early chapters may feel bland, but the narrative depth and emotional engagement improve as the game progresses.
- Character development and relationships (weight 0.11): The game focuses on character development and relationships, with side stories and interactions that enrich the main narrative and provide additional depth to the characters.
- Side quests and exploration (weight 0.1): The game includes side quests and exploration elements that allow players to delve deeper into the world and its characters, although these are optional and not essential to the main story.

Performance notes:
- Optimization issues in gameplay (weight 0.12): Several players have reported performance issues, particularly during battles, indicating that the game suffers from optimization problems. This includes high performance overhead and insufficient optimization in combat sections.
- Developers actively improving performance (weight 0.09): The developers are noted for continuously updating the game with performance improvements and quality-of-life changes, which has resulted in smoother gameplay and better battery performance on platforms like the Steam Deck.
- Achievement bug when skipping dialogues (weight 0.03): There is a specific bug where achievements are not unlocked if players skip dialogues. This issue has been highlighted by multiple players.
- Slow loading speed (weight 0.03): The game has been criticized for its slow loading speed, which affects the overall gaming experience.
- Minor bugs present (weight 0.03): Some players have reported encountering minor bugs, though these reports lack specific details.
- DLC soundtracks mentioned (weight 0.02): Players have mentioned the DLC soundtracks, although no specific issues or praises were detailed.

Recommendations:
- Highly recommended for story and art (weight 0.33): The game is frequently praised for its exceptional artwork and engaging storyline. Many players highlight the unique plot and recommend it to fans of visual novels and story-driven games.
- Recommended for visual novel fans (weight 0.13): The game is highly recommended for fans of visual novels, particularly those who enjoy deep storytelling and beautiful art. It is suggested for players who appreciate narrative depth and symbolic elements.
- Recommended for specific player preferences (weight 0.13): The game is recommended for players with specific preferences, such as those who enjoy long stories, challenging combat, and immersive storytelling. It is also suggested for players who liked previous games by the developer.
- Emotional and immersive storytelling (weight 0.12): The game is praised for its emotional journey and immersive storytelling. Players appreciate the heartfelt writing and the world-building that makes the game's narrative compelling.
- Worth playing despite minor issues (weight 0.12): Several reviews mention that the game is worth playing despite some minor flaws and translation issues. Players find the overall experience enjoyable and recommend it.
- Desire for more content and sequels (weight 0.08): Players express a strong desire for more content set in the same world and look forward to future works from the developer. This indicates a high level of engagement and satisfaction with the game's universe.
- Good value for price (weight 0.08): Many players feel that the game offers good value for its price, especially when purchased on sale. It is considered a worthwhile investment for the content and experience it provides.
- Not recommended for gameplay-focused players (weight 0.05): Some reviews mention that the game is not recommended for those seeking intense gameplay. It is more suited for players who enjoy story and art over combat and action.

Other player notes:
- Free DLC with Japanese voice acting (weight 0.03): The game offers a free DLC update that includes Japanese voice acting. This adds value to the game and caters to fans of Japanese voice acting.
- Niche fan appreciation (weight 0.02): The game includes a small scenario that fans of another game by the same developer will appreciate. This is a specific detail that caters to a niche audience.
- Cantonese language support (weight 0.02): The game includes support for Cantonese language, indicated by '粤配'. This caters to Cantonese-speaking players.

Emotions:
- Joy (weight 0.1): Players experience joy primarily due to the game's beautiful art style, evocative music, and engaging storyline. The character relationships, varied combat styles, and well-crafted plot with thematic exploration also contribute significantly to this positive emotion.
- Frustration (weight 0.1): Frustration stems from challenging combat scenarios, poor combat and level design, and a lack of invincibility frames. Additionally, the immersion is hindered by internet terms, subculture jokes, and the absence of a skip button for dialogues.
- Disappointment (weight 0.07): Disappointment arises from an unsatisfying ending, lack of emotional impact, and unresolved foreshadowing. Players also feel let down by the combat system, character relationships, and the pacing of the story.
- Admiration (weight 0.06): Players admire the game's plot, art, music, and gameplay mechanics. The high-quality visuals, narrative, and character development are also highly praised.
- Sadness (weight 0.06): Sadness is evoked by the emotional themes, character struggles, and impactful character deaths in the story. The bittersweet endings and themes of sacrifice and loss also contribute to this emotion.
- Appreciation (weight 0.06): Appreciation is felt for the game's thoughtful UI, beautiful visuals, and detailed world-building. The high-quality music, engaging story, and strategic combat are also highly valued.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.05): Enjoyment comes from the fun combat, exciting story, and great art. The interesting boss interactions and highly completed story also add to the overall enjoyment.
- Excitement (weight 0.05): Excitement is generated by the engaging story, challenging boss battles, and high-quality art and music. The unique features and the anticipation of seeing all the endings also contribute to this emotion.
- Disappointment (weight 0.05): Disappointment is caused by the battle system and ordinary Chinese voice acting. The boring plot in the first three chapters and the uneven density of battle levels also contribute to this feeling.
- Anticipation (weight 0.03): Anticipation arises from the engaging narrative, character development, and the potential for future content. Players look forward to improvements in the combat system and new works from the developers.
- Confusion (weight 0.03): Confusion is caused by unclear role modeling and the unclear origins of the dark beasts. The symbolic representation of evil is not well explained, leading to confusion among players.
- Appreciation (weight 0.02): Appreciation is felt for the game's plot and art style. The beautiful visuals and engaging storyline contribute to this positive emotion.
- Excited (weight 0.02): Excitement comes from the enjoyable storyline and its twists. The high-quality art and detailed world-building also add to the overall excitement.
- Impressed (weight 0.02): Players are impressed by the Japanese and Cantonese voice acting, art style, and music. The real-world and virtual-world contrast, along with the high completion level of the game, also contribute to this impression.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.02): Players like the character interactions and plot design. The game's plot and character shaping are also highly praised.
- Disappointed (weight 0.02): Disappointment is felt due to the lack of emotional impact in the story and the insufficient difficulty settings. The weak combat sections and story pacing also contribute to this feeling.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.02): Satisfaction comes from the overall high quality of the game, including role shaping, plot depth, and excellent foreshadowing. The high-quality story and art style also contribute to this positive emotion.
- Satisfied (weight 0.01): Satisfaction arises from the game's overall quality, including the story pacing, world-building, and multiple endings. Despite some flaws, players feel the game is worth the price and offers a satisfying experience.
- Happy (weight 0.01): Happiness comes from the enjoyable combat, character development, and relationships. The multiple endings, adjustable difficulty, and fun gameplay also contribute to this positive emotion.
- Boredom (weight 0.01): Boredom is caused by the tedious gameplay in the later stages and the dull daily life sections in the early part. The long and uninteresting main storyline and bland combat also contribute to this feeling.}