59 people found this review helpful
1 person found this review funny
Not Recommended
0.0 hrs last two weeks / 11.1 hrs on record
Posted: 24 Mar, 2019 @ 10:44am
Updated: 1 Aug, 2021 @ 3:52pm

Ignis Avis Venatio includes many genre and is probably best described as supernatural/fantasy/slice of life Visual Novel. I'm honest with you guys, I played it just a few months ago, but I already can't remember a single thing about the story, only that I felt like falling asleep out of boredom, and I'm sure I even did fall asleep for a few minutes. It's always a bad sign if something simply fails to be rememberable after such a short time. That only happens with titles that are neither good nor bad enough to be actually remembered in any way. I don't know about you, but that's how it works for me, at least. So, if you expect to read a fleshed-out review, I'm afraid I have to disappoint you. I can't tell you much about the story or characters anymore because I simply can't recall anything except for the beautiful visuals and the fits of sole boredom that got a hold on me more often than not, but I would like to warn you that you probably won't get anything out of reading this paper-thin story, except for admiring the gorgeous artwork. This is not a hidden gem, even if it may looks like it at first glance.

https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1532337902

The text is displayed as a wall of text instead of a classic text box. You probably know that kind of text representation already from the highly acclaimed Higurashi Series. One might feel overwhelmed by the amount of text since there is simply too much to read at once before it goes over to the next transition. I already disliked the wall of text in Higurashi, and I only started to read it attentively after installing the PS3 Patch, which transforms the wall of text into a classic text box. However, the Higurashi Series is more than a decade older than Ignis Avis Venatio, and what many people seem to accept when playing Higurashi due to the good plot, as well as the hype, is probably more difficult to achieve for a relatively new Visual Novel like this one. The text presentation made it even more difficult for me to follow the shallow story, and I lost the desire in it quite soon.

https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1531085791

Admittedly, I'm kind of biased since the art is absolutely stunning, and that always catches my attention even if the story is not that interesting to begin with. I think it's not an exaggeration to say that this is one of the most beautiful looking Visual Novels here on Steam. I mean just take a look at some of the CGs; if those aren't beautiful then I don't know what actually is. Some Visual Novels that lack great storytelling can still convince me and are able to leave a positive impression on me when the graphics are beautifully illustrated, but the story has to be at least a bit intriguing for that to happen. Sadly, the artwork is the only thing that kept me going, otherwise, I would have just skipped through the whole game. I was hoping that the plot would show some kind of improvement over time, alas that did not happen. It's nothing you haven't seen before and especially if you've watched your fair share of shounen anime, Ignis Avis Venatio is probably going to be a tedious experience for you as well.

https://gtm.you1.cn/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1538033427

There are just too many aspects that make it impossible for me to truly recommend this Visual Novel. Missing features like a voice over, a user-friendly interface or a gallery are just a few honorable mentions that would doubtlessly turn it into a more enjoyable experience, but first and foremost Ignis Avis Venatio is lacking a captivating story that would make it worthwhile to torture yourself with the amateurish writing that is far off from being well written.

𝐅𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐎𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐤𝐚𝐢'𝐬 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐑𝐏𝐆 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬
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3 Comments
Sirius 24 Mar, 2019 @ 3:05pm 
Thanks for the review, Aniva!
Aniva 24 Mar, 2019 @ 1:23pm 
Honestly, I didn't expect that anyone enjoys that kind of text presentation. :lismile: In Higurashi, the wall of text made it really difficult for me to even tell who is saying what, so I was really glad that it could be changed so easily with the patch, but I'm glad to hear that you don't have any problems with that! :selphinehappy:
Мизантроп 24 Mar, 2019 @ 1:02pm 
oh, I enjoyed a lot that 'wall of text' in Higurashi and would like to see it more actually xD but if the story is meh then sure(( Thanks for the review! :smallredrose: