I always find it difficult to recommend a game from an unknown developer. This being DragonFire Studios first game, it does very well, much better than expected. Even though the graphics are perfect and the story is very intriguing, you can see how amateurish the game is at times.

I don't mean that in a negative way, I'm just saying that the game has that feeling that it was made by someone who was trying to do something good, but at certain moments did the opposite. Fortunately not to the point of making the game unplayable, but just with that strange feeling...

This review was submitted for Arcane Burajiru™

Story

We are abruptly introduced to Ian Newfield, a cybersecurity engineer working for Daikon Industries. After some explanations, we discover that someone has leaked important company data onto the Dark Web. The data is so important that many powerful companies and entities are interested.

We're back to a week ago, when the leak happened. Your boss tells you to find out who inside the company leaked the data. Ian must then solve this major problem that could put his life at risk, while trying to help his sister who is ill in hospital.

A well-crafted story, but one that seems confusing and simple. I don't want to go into detail and give away spoilers, but in a few times, a lot of things don't make sense, something you can ignore. NetGhost goes to great lengths to make a story that wins you over, but the more you read, the simpler it seems.

At first you have your doubts, but with a few hints that appear throughout the game, your doubts start to become truths, making everything very predictable.

Even with all this in mind, NetGhost is very profound in terms of story, even ignoring parts where everything is explained in the smallest detail, done just to make the reading longer, since it's not important to the story itself.

Gameplay

There's not much to say about the gameplay of a visual novel. One thing I didn't like was how everything was very separate. NetGhost was made in the Ren'py engine, so I'm normally used to a few shortcuts, but it seems that everything has been modified.

Not much has changed, but the most annoying thing is that you can't go back to the previous text by scrolling the mouse wheel. The rest can be ignored.

Graphics

What stands out most in visual novels are the graphics, and there is no exception here. Even though a lot of the game's art is very attractive, this is to be expected from a game of this price, so there's not much to talk about.

The best thing here would be the backgrounds, which have a quality almost better than many large games, being very well detailed with a quality above what is expected for a first game from an unknown developer, well done of a job if I must say.

Audio

It has some decent music that goes well with the style of the game, but the ones that stand out the most are the suspense/action songs, which are very well done by the way. One of my favorites would be the nightclub one, which I might download later haha. The rest are here and do their job well, they're good, but they don't stand out too much.

Sound effects are used throughout the game, helping immersion as well as hindering it. Many effects are strange and don't match the place we're in. A good example would be at the beginning of the game, we're on an avenue in front of Daikon Industries, and instead of hearing cars passing by, you feel like you're stuck in a room with a bunch of people talking right at your ear.

Verdict

Being DragonFire Studios first game, they've done a phenomenal job, better than they should have, in fact. Even after 5 hours, I still haven't managed to finish the game, and it feels like I'm not even halfway through. If need be, I'll update this review as soon as I've finished the game.

It's well worth it if you enjoy a long, well-constructed story and beautiful graphics. Even if you still have your doubts, there's a demo on the developer's website with 3 hours of content, as well as some videos on Youtube...

Score:
8/10

Strong Points:

+ A great, compelling story.
+ Beautiful graphics for a 'small' game.
+ Charming, well-crafted music.

Weak Points:

- Not important stuff being described in detail.
- Strange sound effects that don't match the environment.

As with all reviews, this is my opinion on what I thought of the game. If you find it interesting, I recommend you buy and play it to see if it's worth it or not... You can also download the demo, that's up to you.

Follow our curator for more: Arcane Burajiru™

Check these out if you can:
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Liphisbus
Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/groups/NankainaBurajiru

[h2]From cyber security to criminal fugitive.[/h2] I always find it difficult to recommend a game from an unknown developer. This being DragonFire Studios first game, it does very well, much better than expected. Even though the graphics are perfect and the story is very intriguing, you can see how amateurish the game is at times. I don't mean that in a negative way, I'm just saying that the game has that feeling that it was made by someone who was trying to do something good, but at certain moments did the opposite. Fortunately not to the point of making the game unplayable, but just with that strange feeling... [quote] This review was submitted for [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44762845/][i]Arcane Burajiru™[/i][/url] [/quote] [b][u]Story[/u][/b] We are abruptly introduced to Ian Newfield, a cybersecurity engineer working for Daikon Industries. After some explanations, we discover that someone has leaked important company data onto the Dark Web. The data is so important that many powerful companies and entities are interested. We're back to a week ago, when the leak happened. Your boss tells you to find out who inside the company leaked the data. Ian must then solve this major problem that could put his life at risk, while trying to help his sister who is ill in hospital. A well-crafted story, but one that seems confusing and simple. I don't want to go into detail and give away spoilers, but in a few times, a lot of things don't make sense, something you can ignore. NetGhost goes to great lengths to make a story that wins you over, but the more you read, the simpler it seems. At first you have your doubts, but with a few hints that appear throughout the game, your doubts start to become truths, making everything very predictable. Even with all this in mind, NetGhost is very profound in terms of story, even ignoring parts where everything is explained in the smallest detail, done just to make the reading longer, since it's not important to the story itself. [b][u]Gameplay[/u][/b] There's not much to say about the gameplay of a visual novel. One thing I didn't like was how everything was very separate. NetGhost was made in the Ren'py engine, so I'm normally used to a few shortcuts, but it seems that everything has been modified. Not much has changed, but the most annoying thing is that you can't go back to the previous text by scrolling the mouse wheel. The rest can be ignored. [b][u]Graphics[/u][/b] What stands out most in visual novels are the graphics, and there is no exception here. Even though a lot of the game's art is very attractive, this is to be expected from a game of this price, so there's not much to talk about. The best thing here would be the backgrounds, which have a quality almost better than many large games, being very well detailed with a quality above what is expected for a first game from an unknown developer, well done of a job if I must say. [b][u]Audio[/u][/b] It has some decent music that goes well with the style of the game, but the ones that stand out the most are the suspense/action songs, which are very well done by the way. One of my favorites would be the nightclub one, which I might download later haha. The rest are here and do their job well, they're good, but they don't stand out too much. Sound effects are used throughout the game, helping immersion as well as hindering it. Many effects are strange and don't match the place we're in. A good example would be at the beginning of the game, we're on an avenue in front of Daikon Industries, and instead of hearing cars passing by, you feel like you're stuck in a room with a bunch of people talking right at your ear. [b][u]Verdict[/u][/b] Being DragonFire Studios first game, they've done a phenomenal job, better than they should have, in fact. Even after 5 hours, I still haven't managed to finish the game, and it feels like I'm not even halfway through. If need be, I'll update this review as soon as I've finished the game. It's well worth it if you enjoy a long, well-constructed story and beautiful graphics. Even if you still have your doubts, there's a demo on the developer's website with 3 hours of content, as well as some videos on Youtube... [b]Score:[/b] 8/10 [b]Strong Points:[/b] + A great, compelling story. + Beautiful graphics for a 'small' game. + Charming, well-crafted music. [b]Weak Points:[/b] - Not important stuff being described in detail. - Strange sound effects that don't match the environment. As with all reviews, this is my opinion on what I thought of the game. If you find it interesting, I recommend you buy and play it to see if it's worth it or not... You can also download the demo, that's up to you. [quote] Follow our curator for more: [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/44762845/][i]Arcane Burajiru™[/i][/url] Check these out if you can: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Liphisbus Steam: https://steamcommunity.com/groups/NankainaBurajiru [/quote]