i promised i wouldn't make this game my entire personality and failed

I really enjoyed this visual novel, so I'll share a bit about it to any potential buyers.

If you didn't know already, this novel takes place in the same setting as TYPE-MOON's other games so there are a couple of characters present in this story that are elsewhere. This doesn't mean you have to read any other novel before this one or vice-versa, it's a freestanding story on its own. With the exception of one extra chapter, this VN is a kinetic novel which means there are no choices or separate endings and it's told as one linear story (this is because it was originally a novel which Kinoko Nasu wrote). It's also mostly told in the third person with some exceptions, and the story follows Soujuurou and Aozaki (again, with the exception of the extra chapters). It is not an adult game, but contains the typical violent imagery you would expect from a Type-moon VN.

The artwork in the novel itself is incredibly beautiful. Each of the many CGs are made to perfectly represent what is going on in a specific scene, so there's really not much to leave to the imagination in terms of background. The environment within is detailed and lively when it wants to be, or barren when the time calls. The character designs are very good, each one showing a bit of the character's personality whether it be through their design or facial expressions, and they are also drawn beautifully. The OSTs and effects are also made to be incredible, I was surprised to hear liszt when I played the game for the first time. Each soundtrack definitely amplifies the "feel" of the scene, and they are used so well it makes me believe there is some sort of science to these things. The sound and visual effects are also great, the way the camera pans in a scene may reveal only certain parts of the CG for suspense, or the camera may be slow so the reader can appreciate the beautiful scrolling background as the text appears onscreen. Not to forget this VN probably has the most stacked VA cast in the history of the genre perhaps ever, I mean seriously look it up. Each of the VAs is perfect for their characters, maybe it's just bias, but these voice actors did the absolute best job of embodying their characters. These five elements work together so well to cover all bases of the visual novel, and create something that looks and feels bewitching (word choice intentional).

As far as the story goes, it's good. I would say the story isn't quite as strong as the other aspects of the novel, but it holds its own and is beautiful in its own right. Most of it is slice of life-ish. Don't get me wrong, the action is there, but there is much more effort put into characterization through everyday scenarios than action. The characters do develop a bit throughout the story, maybe not as much as something like Shirou in FSN, but it is notable how much they change. The characters themselves all seem to be written pretty well, most of them tend to be a bit surly but that's just how it is (poor soujuurou) and they all behave mostly realistically. Also, expect the typical Nasuverse sillyness with how the magecraft and logic is and all that, it's a bit tricky to understand what is going on at times, but that could be by design in most cases to make it feel more magical. There's also the extra chapters which are definitely worth reading; if you payed for this game and don't read them then you're just doing yourself a disservice.

I do recommend this visual novel very highly, it's the second one I read from Type-Moon and it is definitely worth it. Mahoyo is also very easy to pick up and beginner friendly since it reads like a book and isn't an eroge . So yes, you should read it. Ciao.

My favorite Nasu VN
10/10 Characters, Story, Art, Soundtrack