Love Ritual is an upcoming game for PC/Mac by ZandArts. The demo is available on Itch.io.
Special thanks to XandArts for reaching out to me about the demo!
Links: Twitter | Tumblr | Itch.io | Patreon
Synopsis: Because of her expertise in the occult, Riilai is tasked with investigating the recent performance of a forbidden ritual. It was either the druids or the necromancers, but both sides claim they didn’t do it. Riilai must solve the case and determine who is lying, but two attractive representatives may make her job more difficult than she anticipated!
The current demo for Love Ritual may be just a quick preview of what’s to come, but it is already a visually stunning demo. Using Live 2D and made with VN Maker, everything from the menus to the sprites to the backgrounds are animated. Though animation is not an entirely new concept, it’s still exciting to see, and I really like how it’s effectively used and integrated into this demo. Combined with the designs and color pallets, the overall effect is a mystical, otherworldly feel that compliments the story.
Adding to the already impressive presentation is the ability to interact with the backgrounds. I love the Her Interactive Nancy Drew games, so I’m excited to see an otome game that will utilize a point-and-click system. There’s also easter eggs you can find featuring cats! Here’s a preview video from the developer of one of the ways you can interact in the game.
Visuals aside, another thing that stands out in the Love Ritual demo is the characters. Riilai is an interesting MC, and I think a lot of people are going to like her. She’s rational and calm, but she’s strong minded and assertive when she needs to be. My favorite thing about her is that she asserts herself using her intellect. But Riilai has a cute side too. She feels dating shouldn’t be a priority, but she catches herself getting distracted by the love interests anyway (who wouldn’t!).
The two love interests are Seth, the representative for the necromancers, and Shanrae, the representative for the druids. Seth is cold and haughty, while Shanrae is friendly and considerate. They couldn’t be more opposite and spend most of their introduction arguing with each other. But from the brief individual scenes, I suspect that their first impressions will be challenged. For example, while Seth is coldly polite, he’s also a bad boy who is easily embarassed. And though Shanrae seems friendly and considerate, he’s oddly very calm when he encounters Riilai in lingerie.
The Love Ritual demo is just a teaser for the game, but what a teaser it is! The stunning visuals pull you into a world of intrigue and fantasy, and the characters keep you there. My only critique is that I want to date the police officer too! There’s a lot of development still to come, but Love Ritual is one to look out for! Consider trying this demo and checking out Twitter or Itch.io for more details!
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This looks and sounds really promising. Will keep this on my list. Thank you for your thoughts!