Oof. Sometimes a game rolls up with gorgeous visuals, an intriguing premise, and a Kickstarter campaign that raised over ¥6,784,322 (roughly $42,626) from nearly 900 hopeful backers - and then somehow still drops the ball on the one thing it's supposed to do. According to a review published by Siliconera, Volontes, the newly localized otome visual novel, is unfortunately that game.
For the uninitiated, otome games live and die by their romance routes. It's basically the whole main quest. So when a reviewer says the romance in almost every route feels tacked on, that's not a minor side quest bug - that's the final boss being replaced with a loading screen.
Pretty to look at, painful to feel
To be fair, Siliconera's reviewer acknowledges that the character designs and CGs are genuinely gorgeous, and the game's premise had real potential. This isn't a total dumpster fire situation - more like a beautifully rendered dumpster with very little inside it.
The review draws comparisons to Loca Games' previous project, Yukar from the Abyss, noting Volontes carries the same low-budget visual novel energy. It's also described as quite short, which stings even more when you consider how much hype the localization campaign generated.
The Kickstarter blues hit different
There's something uniquely painful about a crowdfunded project that doesn't quite deliver - because those aren't just customers, those are believers. Nearly 900 people opened their wallets specifically because they wanted this game to exist in English, and the result reportedly underwhelms on the core romantic storytelling that the genre promises.
If you're a die-hard otome fan who absolutely needs to complete the Pokédex, the art alone might justify a look. But if you're going in expecting swoon-worthy character arcs and emotionally satisfying routes, Siliconera's verdict suggests you might want to grind elsewhere for your romance XP.
