A Heartfelt Snapshot of Youth and Mystery
As I get older, I feel the gap between the younger generation and myself getting wider and wider. As this chasm grows, you become increasingly unaware of modern trends, sayings, or music – and perhaps that is exactly how it should be.
However, at their core, the same anxieties exist because we are all human and share the same feelings. Teenagers still worry about belonging, love, friendship, and finding their purpose in the world.
Until Then is a game that puts you directly in the shoes of a teenager in the Philippines trying to find their way. It is a heartwarming story full of surprises, and here is why I liked it.
More Than a Visual Novel
In its bones, Until Then is a visual novel. You will spend a lot of time engaging with narrative scenes – watching people talk and reading dialogue. But this game is unlike any visual novel you might have played before, as it features inventive gameplay, cutscenes, and great mini-games.
The story starts with a young man asleep in bed. You press the start button, and his bedside alarm begins to buzz. But remember, you are trying to wake a teenager, so you have to press that button a few more times. The boy in question is Mark, a high school student in the Philippines. He is a rather lazy student who leaves everything until the last minute and feels a bit lost in life. He has close friends and a girl he wants to romance, though she has other ideas. When some new students arrive at the school, everything changes for Mark. Eventually, some terrible events unfold, leading Mark to learn a lot about himself and his friends.
The game provides a brilliant snapshot of teenage life in this region, feeling consistently authentic and charming. The characters you meet all have unique voices and are brilliantly written with panache. When the more supernatural elements are introduced, they feel like a natural progression of the plot rather than an uneasy shift in direction. The dialogue is witty and fun, yet it never shies away from moments of melancholy or more serious matters. Furthermore, conversations aren’t just face-to-face; they frequently play out through social media and messaging apps, making it a uniquely clever experience.
Beyond the Text
The gameplay is naturally limited, as you would expect from a visual novel, but it does far more than most games in the genre. You will spend time pressing a single button to advance dialogue or typing out responses online. However, you also get to directly control Mark at times, walking left or right to explore certain levels. What really helps, though, is that the developers have included a series of mini-games to inject some much-needed variety into the gameplay.
For example, at one point, you and a friend visit a food stall to order some fish balls. This fried delicacy introduces a mini-game where you compete against your friend to skewer the fish balls floating in the hot oil. It requires skill, tasking you with hitting the centre of a moving meter, and it is surprisingly great fun. There is another fantastic mini-game set in a haunted house where you must scare as many people as possible.
On the negative side, there are certain scenes that I felt overstayed their welcome. If I were being critical, Until Then could benefit from a bit of an edit and a closer look at its overall pacing.
Creative Storytelling
Thankfully, the visual editing and creative storytelling help this one stand out from the rest of the pack. It is beautifully illustrated, from its expressive characters to its detailed backdrops. There are numerous clever moments and lovely visual surprises that I simply do not want to spoil. The same high praise applies to the audio presentation, which is superbly crafted. There isn’t any voice acting, but the environmental sound effects are fantastic. The music features wonderfully emotive beats that genuinely push the story forward and support the narrative perfectly during its most crucial moments.
An Insightful and Unique Indie Gem
Will Until Then be for everyone? I don’t think so. Even though it is a brilliant entry in the visual novel department, I suspect the slow pacing might become an issue for some. You spend a lot of time reading and watching, rather than actively playing. However, the way Until Then presents itself is entirely unique in terms of visual design, sound, and editing. It also boasts some fabulous mini-games that offer a nice distraction from the main events.
Overall, it is an excellent visual novel and a great, insightful look into teenage life in the Philippines.
Important Links
Until Then Arrives On Xbox With A Heartfelt Story Of Teen Life And Unraveling Reality – https://www.thexboxhub.com/until-then-arrives-on-xbox-with-a-heartfelt-story-of-teen-life-and-unraveling-reality/
Buy from the Xbox Store – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/until-then/9NXCB0MXTV9N/0010
