Noctuary Review – Beyond the Marred Memories

Visual novels that attempt to meld in other genres are often a risky, hit-or-miss endeavor that can significantly diminish the overall experience’s efficacy. The central complications tend to be rooted in the gameplay being either too one-note in its applications, too occasional to justify its existence, or a mix of both.

This design conflict came to mind when I began playing the Gratesca-developed action RPG visual novel hybrid, Noctuary. Initially released on Steam in 2023, the game is set to arrive on consoles soon. And given the overwhelmingly positive reception the title has seen on Steam, I grew mildly curious; now, I’m pretty glad I did. While Noctuary isn’t an idealized example of this genre mash-up, it partially makes up for it with its strong cast and combat feel.

Characters and Narrative Strengths

Noctuary takes place in the densely realized world of Inlixaland, following Fancia Dream and Alina Nightsong, two beings known as Illuminators who strive to become Aroborangers. This occupation encompasses various tasks, including fending off creatures of Darkness, known as Darkritters. Along the way, they learn of different ideologies surrounding what it means to be an Arboranger, as well as tackle several issues plaguing their core community. Then, making matters more involved is the sudden presence of Lumina Fullmoon, a newly born Illuminator who seems to be suffering from amnesia and clearly has more going on with her than meets the eye.

At its core, Noctuary prioritizes its narrative and visual novel storytelling above all else, and it does so to splendid effect. The dynamics and avenues of character interaction are consistently engaging, even amidst their respective durations, with there not really being much of a weak link. First, of the two leading partners, Fancia and Alina, the former is the greater of the two in terms of focus, doubly so since her perspective is that of the player’s.

Fancia, while open around those she’s close to, is the more reserved of the duo, being a more rational thinker. She’s also the younger sister figure of Mildia, a legendary Arboranger who has earned equal respect and fear from practically everyone in the profession and its observers.

As for Alina, she’s essentially Fancia’s opposite in several ways, though the two trust each other explicitly. Their bond is one of the major highlights of the plot here, a significant feat since, otherwise, it would have significantly lessened the experience. The implicit understanding that the two share in conflict is an endearing thread that elevates the emotionality of the other dynamics by extension. Throughout the main story, Fancia and Alina find themselves traversing the lands around multiple Beacons, safe hubs of civilization relatively void of Darkritter interference.

Despite the rest of the cast has varying emphases of focus in the core, linear plot, most of them shine more in the optional side episodes. These scenarios are often brief exchanges that delve more into individual pasts and the circumstances surrounding the world’s lore. These scenes effectively bolster the already existing strengths of these characters to a considerable extent, aligning with the game’s core progression while maintaining its text-heavy appeal. The world itself is also given notable contemplation for the leading duo and players alike.

Worldbuilding and Translation Issues

As new lore terms and aspects of the world are detailed, either in-depth by the characters or even just mentioned offhandedly, dedicated entries surface in an easily accessible encyclopedia. There’s a good deal to keep track of, and the game usually does a decent job of naturally interweaving it to prevent it all from being overwhelming. This does instill the benefit of ensuring the pacing is kept afloat without feeling the need to elucidate every detail. Still, an uneven balance is struck in the early hours, where the resource is constantly filled, making it more of an initial chore to absorb the incoming knowledge.

Moreover, the translation quality of Noctuary sometimes suffers from grammatical and tense errors, making the reading process less gripping than it otherwise should be. It’s not a stumble that ruins the narrative outright or anything close to that, but an additional editing pass or two were definitely needed before release.

Noctuary’s Combat System

Regarding the other avenue of gameplay, the action RPG components, there isn’t much to say since they are not constant. Basically, both Fancia and Alina are playable during combat, and they each embody three styles. These styles all feature different attack types and animations, along with special moves, offering impressive variety for what mostly feels like a supplemental side mode. Plus, the actual battles themselves are addictive and occasionally challenging, boasting meaningful on-the-fly decision-making with elegantly seamless movement.

I can’t overstate just how exemplary Noctuary feels in its battle scenarios. Between the aforementioned variation in combat styles, a damage-infused character swap mechanic, and areas of growth, everything coalesces into a pretty gratifying action romp. Further, bosses and crowded enemy contexts require a genuine understanding and countering of attack telegraphs. A specific design choice I appreciated was how dodging can’t be spammed, as it has its own continuously replenished gauge acting as its resource.

Another major facet, which also ties into the gameplay progression, is the Blessing Flower. In the early hours, Fancia comes across this item in what appears to be a dream, initiating a new power that blossoms within her, dependent on the growth of relationships. This unlocks Blessings and Perks, which are gorgeously drawn menus that enhance and impart intuitively communicated fighting bonuses.

Gameplay and Pacing Concerns

Put simply, the loop here involves completing every side mission from the map’s drop-down menu, earning rewards for the Blessing Flower, empowering yourself, and progressing the main story. It’s a more-than-satisfying process that consistently illustrates worthwhile improvements.

However, the fact that I enjoyed these gameplay moments so much simultaneously vexed me since this collective positive doesn’t come close to reaching its full potential. The combat system, for as harsh as this may sound, almost feels wasted here. The storytelling and cast are compelling, but so are the battles; in fact, I found these elements all equally delightful. Strangely, there are even noticeable plot moments where enemies arrive, but they’re slain off-screen instead of providing a player-controlled bout, for whatever reason.

Ironically, if the gameplay were more dull and generally less cohesive with its systems, I’d probably have much less of an issue with it all. This is undeniably a strange and perhaps needless complaint, but I just couldn’t help but notice how underutilized this perfectly well-crafted battle system is. There is a training area, though that’s obviously not a substitute for actual real fights. Maybe the team will craft a new game using this battle system as a basis one day.

Final Verdict

For visual novel fans, Noctuary is an absolute must-play, thriving on a captivating setting, confident narrative distillation, and lovable characters. The enchanting soundtrack and stylish character designs only enhance the interconnected memorability. Still, the unpolished translation and lack of balance in its gameplay presentation can make it jarring and undercooked for those simply seeking more. Regardless, Noctuary is at least worth checking out as it becomes accessible to non-PC players.