Wednesday, March 5, 2025

Fuyuzono Sacrifice - review

Genre: VN.
Developer/publisher: Otomate.
Platform: Switch.
Official Site: https://www.otomate.jp/fuyuzono/
Release date: 26-2-2025.
 
I honestly wasn't sure whether or not I was going to get this but two weeks before
release I thought on it, the regular edition cover art was nice and I kinda
liked the setting of it? sadly I noticed the price was steep and it really
seems otome games or new games in general have become luxury products.
I sure was nervous buying it at such a steep price, still I liked the setting
and heroines outlook of wanting to decide her own destiny, so I bought it.
 
Pro's
- Great cast of characters.
- Each route has unique ways to solve the key problem in good or tragic ways.
- Lot's of sweet/cute scenes with the LI.
-  Beautiful artwork.

Con's
- Short and doesn't have much substance.
-  Can be a bit cliche or cheesy.
- The final LI has barely any presence outside his own route.
 
 
Art was gorgeous, I loved the fantasy look and soft colours.
Seiyuu seems to be a mix of ones I know and then some I am not familiar with.
Music was pretty fitting but nothing wowed me, I liked the theme that played on the main menu
and the OP song was good too, definitely stuff i'd let play when I boot the game up.
 
Story well I am just gonna say I had 0 expectations, my first impression was that its
rather basic, the heroine had only a short amount of time before it would be her
doomsday aka the day she was going to be wed to the god of winter.
The story itself was easy to follow, there was not a lot of infodumping and it flowed well.
The worldbuilding itself was solid and have no complaints on it.
The LI were interesting so it was still fun to see what was gonna happen or learn more about them.
The prologue and common route are short and to the point...
Fuyuzono definitely won't take you eight common chapters to get to a route!
Oscar's route started out comfy but I couldn't help but feel a little sense of dread
over the heroine's upcoming fate as the bride of the god of winter. 
 
Something I absolutely loved was at times there was a  change in POV enabling you
to see things from the perspective of the love interest. The heroine had no sprite in
the bottom left but she did appear on screen if there was a perspective change which was nice.
The pacing was okay, it wasn't that slow I was getting bored, still this was also not
a long game either. I'd say its perfect if you're tired of longer games.
 
The game seems to encourage multiple playthrough's since I keep getting extensions
of the very first scene in the game the more routes I completed which was a nice touch.
 
Characters
Oscar... I liked him a lot but I think that's pretty much because of his personality.
His route was pretty much focused on his character but didn't touch upon all plot threads
because that was sacrificed for the romance. I thought Oscar was pretty great
despite that and this man is willing to go very far if need be...
Elias route felt like it was good for introduction due to him explaining a lot
about the legends surrounding the gods. It wasn't too focused on romance
but it did take babysteps towards that so it wasn't bad. While it was also focused
on his character, I think they over did it with the angst in some part near the end.😓 
Still I think Elias needs an honorable mention because he also was a stellar supportive character!
Dylan was an amusing character, if I had to recommend one route from the game
to anyone it would probably be him. That's mostly because the relationship
started from zero instead of already being friends.😄
Besides there's definitely an audience for guys like Dylan...
Regis was quite likable, but his situation was more complicated than I'd thought
and this game has some really dark undertones that tend to get glossed over.
Like we can see some of it in Dylan's route but in his own that isn't part of the main issue.
For a poster boy he wasn't too bad but romance wise it felt kind of similar to Elias
where they went from acquantance to friends to lovers but with Regis... it was
very obvious he liked Laeticia from the start. I guess its okay not everyone
has to be so curt like Dylan or the friendly guy everybody knows like Oscar.
Regis route also felt like it was the main one and the rest didn't quite compare.
Hiver probably stood for hibernation because he just doesn't exist outside of his own route.
Regis hinted at him but did so in a way that made me full of dread... and I almost 
skipped out on doing his route, but I persisted for the sake of the conclusion. I liked his story
but yea I couldn't fully get into the route of a character that crawled from under a rock.
 
I guess Fuyuzono Sacrifice was solid, depending on what you come here for.😅 The name
of the game suggest tragedy but the synopsis hinted at seize your own destiny kind of thing.
So it could be a miss if you come here for the former, for me the best ends were satisfying
however there are tragic ends and they can be kind of sad, atleast I thought Oscar's was.
I don't recommend this game if you hate cliche's and cheesy stuff or you have high standards
and want to be blown away by stellar writing cuz while its solid I wouldn't say it was stellar.
I think this game is best for those who have very little experience with the otome genre
and/or don't mind any of the above and just want a short&sweet otome game.
---
Personally I didn't have much in the way of expectations nor did it absolutely blow me away
but it was a pleasant experience. I loved the medieval-ish fantasy setting, I didn't think it
was ever that deep in terms of plot, it had the basics down to a T
but due to the short length isn't able to explore its own setting fully.
I liked all love interests a normal amount, they didn't do much to upset me
but Oscar was definitely my favourite, my apologies your highness.(Regis)
Its not as lengthy like trouble magia or an ero novel in disguise like honey vibes and while
there are bad ends they are not great in numbers. Romance wise there's not going to be
a lot of time to begin with due to plot elements but there's enough to build
a connection between characters... though its easy to say it could seem rushed.
At the very least it didn't overstay its welcome which was a good thing.
Still I want to say otomate should've done better because it seems like they're in a hurry
and not taking their time. You know if this game had like a one more chapter for every route
there probably would have been enough but instead we're left with
a snowflake that falls unto your hand and just melts away quickly.
7/10

My playorder: Oscar > Elias > Dylan > Regis > Hiver.
Only the last route is locked till you do all others, I might recommend Elias first due
to being good with introduction and it doesn't throw you into a whirlwind romance like Oscar.
Though if you care about the plot i'd save Regis for before the final route.
Play order I recommend:
Oscar / Elias / Dylan > Regis > Hiver. 
I don't think it matters too much who you pick with the first three so its pick your poison.
 
There's still some spoilers after the jump cuz I blabbed too much on hiver's part
and rambled some more about the characters while sharing some fav cg's.
So if you want to play this game best stop reading here!
 

Oscar Silvestri.
CV: Terashima Junta.
 Oscar is the friendly big brother guy, yea that sounds like a red flag but I hoped
that wouldn't be the case and regret thinking hey I kinda like this guy!
When he said he's fully on her side I was completely sold and did his route first
most of my fears were quickly set aside and it felt like I could actually trust this guy.
Seems like Oscar has had enough of losing people he cares about so this time
he doesn't want to let it happen, its heavily implied he lost his family in the past.
Oscar pretty much turned out to be the dependable onii-chan, he does
enjoy teasing Laeticia at times which lead to some fun scenes.
I was all for Oscar he won my heart from the first scenes its not fair! of course
Laeticia managed to keep some of his advances at bay, I mean they could
runaway together but that won't solve anything amirite?
I enjoyed slowly learning more about Oscar, it didn't take all route for him
to be more open with Laeticia perhaps its because of already being on friendly terms?
but there was a snake in the grass and there was still more to him
still due to how he was I actually felt like I could trust him.
The route was still engaging at its half way point then it sorta fell into karma's a bitch
like sure Oscar is my man willing to kill for me but then gets hit back like clockwork.
I can't help but both cry and laugh at this development. Laeticia actually gave him
a seeing-too when he was in a better shape and also fucking found out his real last name
which forced him to tell her the rest of his story because while he was open
he literally told half truths. Laeticia is also the first to confess because
gotta love a man willing to kill for you. I mean priorities but she literally
took everything Oscar said and did very seriously. At first he thought she was joking
but he can't reject her when she's so serious about it and wants him to protect her.
It was so bittersweet how he wanted to protect someone he came to see as family.
Overall this route felt kind of short, it was over before I knew it...
which is my only disappointment since it felt like they could have done more.
I did like that it didn't overstay its welcome or went on longer than needed.
Also while its obvious there's more to it all this route didn't go into it fully
the main appeal was pretty much Oscar himself. This route may not do well
to those who can't like or care about him for some reason or other.
Oscar was also the only one which I did the tragic end of, let me just say
it suited his character to a T. I'd say it was sad yes but I was also a bit bewildered.
I'd rate his route higher but it also didn't do more than needed with the plot so it is what it is.
That fucking hurt man... but I still like this CG.
7.7/10 (9/10 if bias)
~
 
Elias Bernier.
CV: Liura.
 Cute priest guy who is too good for this world, too pure...
didn't seem like he'd ever would harm someone.
At first I wasn't particular interested in Elias as a love interest but since
he had a major presence in Oscar's route I decided to do him next.
It wasn't off on the best of starts as he educates Laeticia on religion among other things
and he seems determined to get to the bottom of it all but he needs some more time.
The first part of the route felt like a test of patience because I was not interested
in going to sunday school. Yes, it do be like that but you get used to it.
I liked it when Elias started being himself and not just a teacher...
turns out he doesn't even want her to become the bride of a god and wants to be friends.
Seeing him so honest made me like him more, its okay to be friends first since
they really don't know eachother and their relationship felt really stiff in the beginning
unlike with Oscar who got a headstart as he already was on friendly terms.
The heroine really tries to make the most of her time huh?
What started out as a boring route developed into something interesting...
Elias apparently is special and his eyes are proof of that. While he is not
Charles own son he did raise Elias with care. This route had turn of events
which lead the heroine to give up trying to find another way... it suddenly
felt very hopeless, Elias refused to give up for some reason.
Sadly I think the heroine lost some agency in this route, I didn't think it was
that big of an issue with Oscar. Still seeing Elias be so determined amidst the hopelessness
wasn't that bad per se. Though I can understand some people may dislike it.
I liked the resolution of it all more than Oscar's route despite liking the ending more there
perhaps it is because Oscar glosses over things that Elias goes into.
Elias tragic end was... odd it seemed like it would be an elope end
but then the heroine just ditched him overnight and sacrificed herself?!
I think I prefered Oscar's tragic end over whatever this was.
Overall I liked the route despite not liking the LI at all at first, Elias grew
on me a lot but he's not my favorite. Not sure about his seiyuu, his acting seems
fine in his own route but it was obvious he wasn't used to voice acting
as there were times it was good but there were noticeable dips.
Awww  yea he's never letting you go now...
8.3/10
~
 
Dylan Guibert.
 CV: Suzuki Ryouta.
How it started...
 Honestly while he was not my type I did have a moment of oh no glasses guy hot.😂
Sadly his personality is too uppity for my tastes so that tended to sour the mood in some
of scenes he was in. I mean yea hot glasses guy but his attitude pisses all over the place.
Laeticia's first impression of Dylan was less than positive, so Regis had to step in
to say he's not that bad! Its also hilarious how Regis knows how to put him in his place
because Dylan has a potty mouth if you let him. I swear to god this guy is only
helping Laeticia because the prince told him to, Dylan's attitude was insufferable.
Honestly I should have gone for Regis not this guy! I regret everything!!! 
While Dylan can be nice, he's probably your type if you get turned on by being called trash.
I know there's an audience for guys like Dylan though...
Oscar be like I'm right here!
This route sure was something else..? it felt more serious and seems not everyone
is a fan of the prince as there were assassination attempts. Dylan has it rough
no wonder he is the way he is, he's had enough of it. I loved the interactions he had
with Regis though, their chemistry was so good they make a pair. No homo.
Also his past is just icing on the cake whoever wrote this route was cooking.
Romance wise it felt normal, he wasn't nice or friendly right off the bat, it took some time
but I was honestly shocked at how fast it went once he realizes he might like her.
Holy shit it was comedic, like who are you? you're not the Dylan I know?!😂
 Still it was really cute to see them now as to back then... lmao is this what love does to people?
Tragic end was sad but it ended up leaning more to being creepy... i'm saying anything.
The bad ends weren't much and just gotten by making poor choices... what baffles me
is the one near the end in chapter 4, did it really matter if you chose
to wait a little longer? apparently so! oh well best end's where it at anyways.
How its going...
8/10
~

Regis De Rupeltier.
CV: Umehara Yuuichiro.
 Oh no its another Umehara character? he's handsome and surely intelectual!
sigh otomate at it again here we have beautiful intelectual male 124053196 with his voice.
Sadly Regis feels like a character that could be voiced by Takahiro Sakurai but
I don't think that guy will be doing new roles from now on, only reprise old.
Don't worry I love umehara... i'm just tired of the typecasting.😭
Anyways Regis is the prince and also seems to be on the heroines side as he personally
came to check on the state of affairs and takes the whole thing very seriously. 
Regis was really nice and while I wouldn't say they were friends from the get go
 there was a genuine kindness that was shown through every word and action that he did. 
Oh he's a special guy alright...
I'm not sure why Regis seems to like Laeticia so much but he seemed oddly
comfortable around her, more so than other girls. Regis route was a lil special
and for a poster boi I was impressed. Unfortunately like many others its still short
but atleast was paced well, now after going through it I wonder about him in other routes...
now that I mention it I could say the same about Oscar since you never know with him.
I think this route was more interesting than most... or rather it felt like it was
the main route in the game and most others were side content.
Romance wise  I thought there was a bit of a bias because of the story
its not necessarily bad and I liked it but yea... partly the pining was too much, lmao.
Also what annoyed me was that Laeticia was so formal like she kept calling him
highness for four chapters, it wasn't till the ending he was like can you stop?😅 
The tragic end really fitting with the game's title... but hey atleast we got Oscar!
Appropriate CG for what happened during the ending...
9/10
~
 
Hiver.
CV: Tachibana Shinnosuke.
 The god of winter who the heroine is supposed to marry and sacrifice her life to.
Hiver must stand for hibernation because this guy has almost 0 appearances in the initial four
routes so while I was kind of intrigued during my initial play that gradually faded to disinterest.
This route basically exists to make sense of the plot that they never really are able to get into.
I knew he was a LI from the official site but while playing through the game it  felt like
such a what if... and when I got to the route it felt like this guy crawled from under a rock.
NGL this was the funniest scene in the whole route...
Was he always there? nobody knows or has noticed before... so it felt really awkward to suddenly 
run into him. Hiver as a character feels so disconnected from it all even though he shouldn't be.
Even Oscar was like this guy is SUS you shouldn't trust him. Thanks bro can always count on ya!
Of course it is explained why it is the way it is which is good and I did kind of feel bad for him
but I think the execution could be a little better here. I couldn't get into the idea of romance
he kind of friendzoned himself only to later realize that he may have feelings, this is like
the 3rd LI where this pattern happens. Its actually insufferable so at the end of the day
despite ending up pitying Hiver-kun he's the last guy I wanna think about.
I did think Hiver was kind of cute in a way, he seemed a bit lost or clueless at times
which didn't help with the romance factor at all, I think i'd prefer him like a lil brother.
Spoiler time! since half of the plot was a half truth let me see if I get the gist of it.
Two antagonist collaborated, Junes pretends to be Fredia and keeps selecting brides
who're like descendants of the actual Fredia. The real Fredia was someone Elegal once loved
but she threw away her godhood and eloped with the ancestor of Regis. Laeticia is
he descendant of Fredia. Elegal is just very butthurt and selfish so he refuses to accept that his
Fredia is long gone. Both the heroine and Hiver refuse to accept Elegal's vision. 
Hiver ends up sacrificing himself for Laeticia's sake. Tinos and Materias end up stepping in
because they can't bear to watch this any longer and decide to do what they couldn't in the past
and bless Hiver, getting rid of his curse cast upon him by his own father Elegal.
Hiver faces off against his daddy and kicks his ass. The end oh and for some reason
Laeticia decides to embrace her origins this time so she can be with her god husband.
7/10
So uhm... yea I would have enjoyed Hiver's character more if he wasn't hibernating
outside of his own route, Laeticia was supposed to marry this guy but it was all a ruse
to get her to his dad Elegal, I fucking can't with this but I'll take it over the truth end
mistonia no kibou shoved in my face. Anyway there's a normal ending too to this route 
n which everyone else comes together with the heroine to confront the fraud Fredia.
Sadly there was no CG for this... but I actually preferred over the best ending.
I think EX story 2 could fit as the sequel to this but uhm I don't think we had to explore
the possibility of redeeming Elegal and turning him into a handsome guy.😱
Dude served his job as an antagonist, LET HIM REST I honestly didn't need that
but maybe someone else could so pick your poison I guess.😌
~
 
Route enjoyment:
Regis > Hiver > Dylan / Elias > Oscar.
This is mostly based on plot relevance and the resolution in each routes
and unfortunatly while I liked Oscar he doesn't rank that high compared to others.
Regis route knocks most other routes out of the water but I actually prefer it over Hiver.
 
Fav character: 
Oscar > Dylan >  Regis > Elias > Hiver.
Nothing against Elias, I even think he was pretty great as a supporting role
but he's not really my type.  Regis has a lot of story bias and he's nice but Oscar
despite his okay route managed to outrank him... gotta love me a man willing to kill for me!
Dylan... well its complicated! none of that matters though as Oscar is my best boy.
While Hiver's story was bittersweet, I think I would have enjoyed his character more
if he had just a little bit more presence in the game and not just in his own route
not that it matters i'd pick Oscar over him in a heartbeat.
 
 Final thoughts
W-wait its over already?! my honest reaction.
 
Well... I wouldn't say it was that bad but it just lacks substance, they had the basics down
but they absolutely fumbled it, if all LI had like maybe one more chapter it would've
gotten more time to be fleshed out but instead it seems like it was in a rush.
I understand that the central plot point makes it seem there isn't
a lot of time but they could have handled it better.
I liked how they fleshed out the antagonists and tried to redeem them
in an extra story but IMO the love interest needed more care as well. /facepalm.
Anyways when I first looked at this game I was interested in that god of winter guy
but after playing that excitement was gradually lost. The other LI were just that great.😄
Atleast it had a full-comp CG...
 Of course Hiver kinda grew on me but man for being a key character he sure lived under a rock.
This is also one of those VN's where you need to do all of the routes to get the full picture so if you
just did one you could be disappointed especially at the length but it does add up together.
I could play an hour before bed and still make progress so this game was probably
designed for people with not a lot of time for games but still like this stuff.
Due that I actually liked this game still, it doesn't have a common route that drags.
Routes are about 4/5 hours depending on your reading speed which is acceptable. I've recently 
finished Canus route in Cafe Enchante and that guy's route was about the same length
as a route in this game. Still Enchante did have a common route... while this does barely.
Anyways depending on how much you like medieval fantasy settings I can recommend
Fuyuzono Sacrifice to those who prefer shorter games or are new to the genre.
It may not be a perfect work but it did a solid attempt at crafting a world and story
while delivering lot's of sweet moments with the LI.
7/10
I do think the price is a bit too high for this game but the economy is also kind of shit
right now so I don't even blame them, I think it being short shouldn't be an issue, there are
other games from otomate that're pretty short as well still they should have tried more here.
 
 
As for other games I have cafe enchante on the backburner and there's Atelier Yumia next month!
I wanted to get Majima's pirate game but I haven't played Y7 or 8 so probably not anytime soon.

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