It’s tough sometimes to cover a visual novel with a review, simply because there isn’t really any gameplay other than pressing the A button and reading through the story. That said though, there are some fantastic storylines within the genre to get stuck into and play and if the narrative compliments the art style, then you’re onto a winner. If you’re after something you can just chill with and absorb, then you may want to look at Aquadine. Another publication from the excellent Ratalaika Games S.L crew with development from SoftColors, is now available on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S alongside various other platforms. If you’re like me and will use any excuse not to bother reading books, then sifting through one in video game format is an eye-pleasing compromise.

What Can I Expect?

I’ll try to cover this section without spoiling the story too much, but essentially what you’re getting here is a lengthy and rich story told as a visual novel. Be prepared to do quite a bit of reading and be wowed by the wonderful visuals that will pop out at you throughout the story. This is targeted at an age range of 12+ so may not be suitable for kids younger than that, but a lot of people between 12 to late teens will relate to the characters and plot.

You play out your time in Aquadine as Robin Liyun, a high school student who is a bit of a bookworm and adores reading and lives with his grandad. Just a normal student with a usual routine, he is asked to show a new student around the school who turns out to be a celebrity. He doesn’t bat an eyelid, and this doesn’t phase him, whilst the other students surrounding him are mesmerised, he treats her no differently.

Over time, Robin grows close to his new group of classmates, but he has some real struggles of his own at home. Will he open up and reveal his secrets to his new peers? Or will things go down a different avenue? There is much more mystery surrounding these events though, Robin is trying to make ends meet outside of his academic studies under a different alias after learning his mother would be hospitalized with an unknown illness. The story unravels much more and becomes absolutely compelling to the point you want to keep going to find out what happens next, very much like binging your favourite Netflix show.

Great Characters

What is a story without decent and interesting characters? Aquadine not only tells a great and hard-hitting story, but it also introduces characters that bed in within this adventure really well. They all appear to integrate really well, and you really grow to like them all in one way or another, they all have different characteristics that you’ll pick up and the writers have done exceptionally well to make them all intriguing and not stale and just blended into the background.

ANYA

Anya is perhaps the most artistic of the bunch and seems to be led by Diana a lot of the time which is hardly surprising since they are childhood friends.

DIANA

She is the cousin of Cameron and works in a cafe with her mother, close friends with Anya.

CAMERON

Cameron is best friends with Robin and also cousins with Diana. He absolutely adores martial arts and strives to achieve the best in life from all angles.

ELIZABETH

A bit of a known celebrity and famous singer who becomes introduced to the group fairly early in the story. She moved to Aquadine after creating a bit of a scene at her past residence.

I have kept the introduction to this handful of characters short and sweet as I feel it is important to learn about them yourself as they are the important cogs that make this great story flow.

Graphics & Audio

I was very impressed with the visuals on display throughout Aquadine. Every single slide was super detailed with stunning backdrops and lighting effects that shone through even though the pictures were static. Characters are illustrated in that Japanese anime art style that we all know and love. The narration is boldly displayed and easy to read at your own pace. It is totally up to you when you skip to the next section of dialogue.

When it comes to the audio, there isn’t much to go off when it comes to voiced portions. But there is a nicely articulated soundtrack that blends in with the game’s atmosphere and makes for a soothing and relaxing playthrough when you’re just chillaxing on the sofa. There is enough variance throughout to keep the music playing, I have played far too many novels that have the same track repeating. Aquadine excels in this respect, and I really enjoyed the music livening up the story.

In Conclusion

Aquadine is one of the better visual novels I’ve had the pleasure of sitting through and I have played a fair few. The fantastic art design and backdrops really prop up an interesting and compelling storyline with some believable characters. The plot and storytelling may not be for everyone, but you can tell some thought and effort has been poured into the writing. It’s something that can quite easily be played through in a few sittings with easily obtainable achievements for that all-important gamerscore. I do feel though that at £19.99 it could be a little pricey for the type of experience it is, but I can understand that there has been a lot of work pumped into the overall product here. If you’re into engaging stories with anime-like visuals, then this one will be right up your street.