Version: 1.43 (DEMO)
Time spent: about 2 hours (two walkthroughs)
= Introduction =
In this review, I will evaluate the game "Word to Angel" from several important positions. This is a completely subjective opinion. I do not aim to offend anyone, blacken the reputation of the developers and the project itself, etc. If I make conceptual mistakes, then I ask you to explain what their essence is.
The expected impression - 90% or higher
= PLOT - 0.9 / 1 =
"Being alive without any purpose feels like being an empty can with an unknown expiration date"
It seems to me that this phrase contains the whole meaning of the life of the WtA's main character, Meherio.
Meherio's innate cheerfulness allows him to look at life from the bright side and achieve his goals. However, in a world far from reality, the hero of the game is haunted by nightmares. Actually, the first chapter begins with a battle with one of the creatures from his dreams. Regardless of the outcome, Meherio wakes up in his room.
Having reached adulthood, our hero went in search of his father. The fact is that even as an infant, Meherio was given to Mr. and Mrs. Robert, friends of his father, to raise. The text written by Meherio confirms that all this would have been impossible without their help, for which the young man is sincerely grateful.
Paris, where he settled, seems to be going through hard times. The surrounding mountains of garbage, greyness and gloom create the impression that life itself has gone from there forever. Even some of the remaining residents are packing up and about to leave their hometown. However, there is one place where residents can feel safe - a park near Meherio's apartment, next to a local orphanage.
On the way there, our hero went to Exa, a dealer in musical instruments, and found out that they were giving away goods for free. Meherio bought them, knowing that he would be able to put them to proper use, since he himself is well versed in music.
And it really turned out to be true. In the park, together with the protagonist, we can chat with the locals and invite them to learn how to play simple melodies on various musical instruments. After completing a series of reaction mini-games, we will be able to arrange a small concert in the center of the park. It could have ended like this, but suddenly one of the residents turned out to be Meherio's father.
Don't you believe in such coincidences? Me too. We do not know why this meeting was predetermined in this way, but it is likely that Meherio's father saw in his son the features of himself in the past and the features of protagonist's mother, who, as it turned out, died in childbirth. He regrets his cowardice, and asks Meherio for forgiveness. We have the opportunity to make a choice. To forgive him, realizing that the past cannot be brought back, and believing in his sincerity, or not to forgive, which also seems very fair.
It is quite obvious that forgiving him would be the right decision. Having accepted this, the father will offer Meherio to have fun. Tired, the protagonist will fall asleep, having met new opponents in another bad dream. Otherwise, he will leave the park and fall asleep at home. A battle with the bosses of the first chapter is inevitable anyway.
At the end, we learn that we have summoned an angel named Playel. It's hard enough to determine who exactly he is communicating with, but it's likely that his influence on the plot will be significant, including allowing Meherio to get rid of his nightmares.
We cannot speak about the completeness and coherence of the plot based on the part we have presented. In general, I am intrigued by why Meherio sees nightmares, who are all these creatures who want to harm him. I don't like the way Meherio met his father, because such unusual coincidences must be justified by someone's plan. I hope that this will be revealed in future chapters of the project.
= MUSIC - 1 / 1 =
Actually, I don't have much to say in this section. The music in this project is filled with depth and mysticism. At some moments, it even feels like it corresponds to the mood of the main character or the environment in which he is mentally located.
= DESIGN PHILOSOPHY - 0.8 / 1 =
The game is made in pixel graphics. Objects, characters, and locations are very minimalistic, with shading and contrasting color combinations prevailing in the overall style. For example, Meherio's apartment is bright, filled with glaring colors, has a special interior and atmosphere that conveys the inner world of the protagonist. At the same time, the outside world is filled with gray colors, dark areas, and lack of light. The brightness and colorfulness of the shops and the park clearly do not fit into the overall style of the location.
The development team has done a lot of work since version 1.0.0. New animations for characters and bosses and transitions between cutscenes have been added. Despite the contrast, I generally rate the style of the game as warm and friendly. Even in boss battles, creepiness, frightening distortion, or unpleasant elements are not felt.
The main character is indeed in danger, but the prevailing style does not convey this mood. Unlike the design, the music more clearly conveys the tension of the fights and the positivity of the cutscenes and locations.
= CHARACTERS AND NPCs - 1 / 1 =
The first chapter features quite a few characters and NPCs.
Meherio. The main character of the first chapter is a positive and cheerful young man who went in search of his father. Meherio's worldview and determination are the main factors determining gameplay and the specifics of battles.
Meherio's father. This man is very sorry about the past. His path is very similar to that of Meherio. He was an orphan, and when he grew up, he traveled the world, because his entire previous life seemed like a cage to him. In his monologue, he says that the period of his acquaintance with Meherio's mother was the best in his life. After her death, he did not find the strength to raise son without her. Actually, because of this, he gave Meherio to his friends. He admits cowardice, and asks for forgiveness.
Exa and Bob. Merchants. Unlike Exa, Bob is ready to continue trading, despite the general situation in the city. Both merchants know Meherio well and are friendly to him.
Residents of the city. They are all in a depressed state, but we can cheer up those who are in the park. Dancing NPC is the best.
Playel. Angel. He represents true goodness. Meherio's commitment to pacifism was the main impetus for his appeal. I think Playel can help the main character get rid of his nightmares. It's even possible that Meherio is chosen to be the one who can defeat the evil he faces in his dreams.
= COMBAT SYSTEM AND GAME MECHANICS - 0.8 / 1 =
BATTLES. The difficulty in understanding this game is that it has an extreme pacifist orientation. No one can die, no one can give up. Meherio has to win anyway. This is also reflected in the UI. So, mood points (MOP) represent the mental HP of Meherio, mind points (MIP) represent the mood HP of opponents. We win the battle when the MIP drops to zero, we lose when MOP drops to zero. The only weapon in Meherio's hands is words. We need to communicate with the enemy in order to reduce their MIP, that is, to change the direction of their mind. The main mechanics of the battles are based on dodges.
In the entire first chapter, Meherio must survive only two battles. The first one is at the very beginning with an unknown creature who probably wants to attract Meherio to their side, but gets resistance. It strikes randomly with lightning and causes whirlwinds, as well as sets traps on the floor. Communicating with it has no effect: after several attempts, Meherio wakes up in his room.
The final battle with Deci-Bell takes place after Meherio falls asleep in the park (when he forgives) or at home (when he does not forgive). In the latter case, the battle becomes more difficult and does not give Meherio the opportunity to heal without using items.
This is a paired opponent, but communication with them does not have an individual focus. They're on some kind of mission. They probably want to bring Meherio down. Tbh, I don't fully understand their purpose. Anyway, there is a conflict between them. We see that Deci is more melancholic, and Bell is resolute. In conversation with them, we find out that they are tired, and they don't want to try new activities. Meherio understands that they are not free, and tries to show them that there are not only bad notes in the music of life, but also good ones. Good notes can heal Meherio slightly, but the opportunity to catch them appears only if he forgave his father. This is an analogy - Meherio's parents used to love catching butterflies, now Meherio also catches good notes. There are only two types of attacks in battle - bad marks, falling from top to bottom at high speed, and lower notes, moving from the left edge to the right and vice versa at the upper and lower levels of the field. Bad notes is the final attack combining the two previous ones. Also, during attacks, opponents can cause falling sheet music, impairing visibility, and stunning.
OVERWORLD MECHANICS and MINIGAMES.
~ Apples. Meherio loves apples very much. In battles, they are healing items, otherwise they accelerate his movement.
~ Park minigames. Simple reaction games where you need to press the right buttons at the right moment. You can try it several times if it didn't work out the first time. They can be difficult for those with poor reaction speed (like me lol)
~ Quartz and agate. These items are scattered around the map and are an alternative to money. They can be spent on healing items in Bob's store.
The game's serious focus on pacifism is both its advantage and its disadvantage. I think the disadvantage is simply that not many players can go through this format of gameplay, but it will be very interesting for those who want to study the lore and find answers to the questions that torment the main hero.
= OTHER - 0.8 / 1 =
~ Pigeons. These birds really interfere with the passage of minigames in the park. You can spend a packet of seeds to distract them for a while.
~ One chance to visit Exa. The fact is that the quartz and agate found before the location are not enough to buy a special item from Exa. After entering the store for the first time, it will be impossible to go back, so you need to look for more items before visiting this location.
~ Voiceover. Perhaps this is one of the most unexpected moments of the demo. In the story transitions, Meherio's thoughts are voiced. However, it seemed to me that the volume of the voice was slightly drowned out by the background music.
~ The order of the minigames in the park. Playing with Meherio's father is the most difficult, in my opinion, but this minigame is the closest to the player. This makes it particularly difficult to adapt to the specifics of the minigame.
~ Voiding room. This is an interesting addition to the ending of the demo
~ You can listen to different tracks while playing the game outside of battles
TOTAL: 5.3 / 6 (88%) - GOOD
The overall impression. The demo of the game "Word to Angel" has created quite an intrigue for its fans. I hope that we will be able to find answers to all the questions posed in the first chapter. The purely pacifist orientation of the game is its main feature, so in fact, I think that the battles in it have a semantic meaning rather than a focus on victory.
Thanks for reading this post! 
Words hold immense power for good - use them thoughtfully
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