The collaboration recruitment of 『Date A Live V』 characters, 「Space Singularity」&「Time Gap」, is being held!!✨
⏰Recruitment Period
March 14, 2026 (Sat) 10:00 ~ April 12, 2026 (Sun) 23:59
#일번가데어라콜라보
#데이트어라이브
#데이트어라이브Season 5


If I had to give an overall review, I would say another one of my life's masterpieces has been born. After finishing the 52 Hertz After Story DLC, I stared blankly at the screen for a long time. As a student who loves visual novels, the emotion this epilogue gave me was greater than the main story. The desperate love between Yeonhee and the protagonist was so vivid that I think it will remain in my memory for a long time. From the beginning of the DLC, my heart sank at the doctor's diagnosis of Yeonhee's worsening condition. She was already fragile in the main story, but feeling like she was terminally ill made me panic, wondering if it would end with a sad ending. But I had no doubt that it would end with a happy ending! Another memorable scene was when the protagonist underwent illegal surgery. Frankly, it wasn't ethically right, but that's what made it seem like the ultimate sacrifice of love that the protagonist could express. I felt sorry for the protagonist because I understood his feelings for making such a choice.
In other people's reviews, there were people who liked this line: "A small flame will eventually go out, but if you breathe on it, it can grow again at any time." I agree. I felt that it was a line that encapsulated the protagonist's growth narrative. And originally, something that seems meaningful stays in your mind for a long time. In the ending, when the protagonist reunites with the awakened Yeonhee and shows a happy behind-the-scenes look at serializing the manga, I felt sad because I thought the work was coming to an end. The main story was also heartbreaking, but I think the After Story is a work that realistically depicts the anxiety and healing after love. And the excellent voice actor's acting skills, the dreamy BGM, and the final CG added to the lingering feeling. Thanks to this, I think the quality of the work has improved. More than anything, I think the aftereffects will last for a long time. I look forward to the next work coming out soon!


Honestly just remove these options for late game players, like asking them if they gave any ***** about being in nightmare mode. What's even the point of still having the normal chaos if there are zero benefits to doing it??? And really, you want us to keep all the useless basic cards and reduce our credits by 100 to get an equipment that has basically zero use? And the season boss being basically unbeatable unless you have Nine just kills the fun, there's no way to win the battle unless by some godfkin miracle you manage to deal enough damage. BTW JUST FKING REMOVE SENECTUS.


It was a quest that made me feel a lot of thoughts and emotions.
I think that those who have had pets as family members or are with them will be able to empathize a lot.




https://youtu.be/zOOTujiy3wg?si=lJi4Nq5cXvmABCnw
Thank you for watching with BGM.
Everyone has a story they hold most deeply in their hearts for their own reasons. For me, that place is definitely taken by '52 Hertz'. To me, 52 Hertz is not just a visual novel. Just as Yeon-hee saved the protagonist in the story, I was saved by the story of 52 Hertz. That's why I can't help but love this work so much. So today, I'm going to leave a slightly different review. First, I will analyze and review some of the attractive points of the game 52 Hertz itself, and then I will tell you how I became entangled with this work and how it kept me alive.
1. Funeral
52 Hertz After Story deals with the story 2 years after the main story. The introduction of the story starts differently and intensely from other visual novels.
It's a story about someone's funeral. As a player of the game and a reader of the story, I was immediately drawn into the story from the beginning, and as soon as I saw the word funeral, I felt like I had been hit in the head. "Whose funeral is it?" It must have been Lee Myung-jin or Yeon-hee. If it's the latter, I'm curious whether the subsequent development will focus on flashbacks to the past before the funeral, or on the remaining protagonist, etc. 52 Hertz is characterized and has the advantage of having a device designed for readers and works to constantly interact with each other. It's a good article, a good story, so it's not a passive and one-sided script delivery, but a work that always has something to think about.
Fortunately, it was Lee Myung-jin's funeral, not Yeon-hee's. I was curious to see what Lee Myung-jin, who had harassed the protagonist and Yeon-hee as the main villain in the main story, would do in the DLC, but it was an unexpected and attractive development. The setting that Lee Myung-jin was in debt due to gambling gave causality to his death, and the compensation smoothly led to the resolution of the 'money' problem among the many problems the protagonist experienced in the main story.
2. The Connection Between Two Loners
After that, the episode of Yeon-hee and the protagonist organizing their luggage in the monthly rent room was also impressive. What I found really interesting while playing the game was that Yeon-hee and the protagonist are so different. The protagonist who likes Aliens and Yeon-hee who likes Predators. Yeon-hee who likes thrilling shark boat experiences and the protagonist who hates it. The protagonist wearing neat clothes and Yeon-hee wearing a flashy sukajan. Like this, the two have so many different things, but they are a pair of 52 Hertz whales that are the only ones in the world whose frequencies reach each other. One thing that has changed about the protagonist like Yeon-hee is that he, who used to call AC/DC ABCD, has come to like rock. It was impressive that the rock that comforted Yeon-hee when she was having a hard time became a connection between a pair of whales that embraced each other.
3. A Desperate Dream That Had to Be Given Up
The two talk about the protagonist's frustrated dream, a cartoonist. I think many people will sympathize with the protagonist here.The difference between what I like and what I'm good at. It's a sad thing in a way. It's like living with a wall that you don't even know if you can overcome it even if you try your whole life. It would be a relief if you knew you couldn't overcome it, but in reality, you can't know that cruelly. I could also greatly sympathize with the protagonist.
“I should be a cartoonist after all.” Even with such uncertainty, the protagonist desperately wanted to become a cartoonist and challenged himself because he loved comics. He challenged himself again and again with the feeling of chewing on broken glass and staring into the abyss of despair, but his dream of becoming a cartoonist gradually faded due to repeated failures. In addition, his parents were addicted to a pseudo-religion, he didn't have enough money, and he was getting older. In the worst situation, the protagonist's choice was compromise and death. Everyone must have thought like the protagonist.“I’ve done enough.” “If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.” At this point, I was easily immersed because I remembered the painful memories of giving up my dream in the past while thinking about this. After that, the protagonist, who left for Mangyeongdo to die, met Yeon-hee and decided to live again after being saved by her.
However, even at this point, the protagonist's dream remained frustrated, and hekept the lingering feelings for his dream as a cartoonist as a small spark inside. This is something you can see in the conversation with yourself in the latter half of the play.
4. Happy, But Uncertain Daily Life
The dates of the two who became lovers are the same as those of any other couple. They eat together, go to comic book cafes, and go to movie theaters, spending peaceful and happy days. They joke around and have tiki-taka, expressing their love for each other.
However, Yeon-hee's brain tumor did not improve, and it threatened their daily lives like a bomb that could explode at any moment.
The protagonist's inner monologue after hearing about Yeon-hee's examination results conveyed the protagonist's self-blame and despair to the reader at a rapid pace.
5. Contract with the Doctor
The doctor, who noticed that the protagonist could not accept the fact that Yeon-hee was about to die, took him to his private laboratory and offered him a contract that the protagonist could not refuse. The protagonist becomes the subject of illegal bioexperiments for the doctor's research and achievements, and a large sum of money. And the doctor's contract was to 'try' to treat Yeon-hee in an illegal way.
Looking at it coldly, it was a pretty unfair contract. It is not only unethical, but also almost certain to harm the body and cause disorders in the nervous system and mind.The price of surgery is not'successful treatment'but'attempt'.'The ordeal that came to the protagonist again was'uncertainty'. That was what had always tormented him when he was pursuing his dream of becoming a cartoonist and when he was with Yeon-hee, who he didn't know when she would leave. However, the protagonist agreed to the surgery without hesitation. What was interesting while playing multiple times was thatthe protagonist was less likely to give up than I thought. He dropped out of school to work part-time day and night to draw in order to become a cartoonist, and he kept looking for ways to save Yeon-hee and didn't give up, and then he lay down on the operating table. Rather, he was a person with stronger will than average. In the past, he lived for his one and only goal of becoming a cartoonist, but now it was an interesting point that he was sacrificing himself for the more important goal of saving Yeon-hee, without even thinking about his unfulfilled dream.
Also, what was impressive to me was the process of Yeon-hee receiving treatment. Thanks to the very specific treatment and surgery methods in the play, it gave me a sense of immersion as if it were an actual treatment method. I liked that it wasn't simply "a miracle happened and Yeon-hee's tumor was completely cured."
I have learned something from watching many stories in my life. “Give maximum causality with minimum coincidence.”The way to increase immersion by reducing coincidence and giving causality isto give solid and detailed settings. Thanks to the well-organized story, I think the development of After Story was able to become a good work by wonderfully satisfying this point.
6.Body exchanged for opportunity (- Best directing)
As many people feel, the most satisfying directing throughout the entire work is the part where there are gaps in the protagonist's memory. I was greatly impressed by the directing where the vision was distorted like a static TV, gaps appeared, and the BGM was distorted strangely. It felt like I was directly experiencing the protagonist's situation, with directing that was like something you would see in a horror movie. I have experienced some of the symptoms that the protagonist experiences, and it was a sudden but immersive directing that made me feel the fear and embarrassment of that time.Another advantage of 52 Hertz that I felt in this part is
that it is good at crossing genres.52헤르츠가 가진 또 하나의 장점은Usually, constantly changing genres interferes with immersing and focusing on the play, but 52 Hertz was able to feel a variety of fun by crossing various genres such as romantic comedy, suspense, and horror thanks to its solid and elaborate structure.The part where he argues with the doctor without knowing that Yeon-hee is next to him is one of the most fun parts while playing multiple times. It wasa conversation between the two where you could feel the doctor's struggles to somehow clean up the spilled water.
7. The Direction of Love That Goes AstrayThe protagonist and Yeon-hee both found the meaning of life by meeting each other, but they loved each other in different ways. The protagonist's method was'I can die for you.'
'
but Yeon-hee was'I want to live with you.''The protagonist gave up his body for Yeon-hee in his own way, and Yeon-hee, who found out about this, pushed him away and said goodbye for the sake of the protagonist. I felt sympathy for the fact that the fact that Yeon-hee had not finished her treatment was binding the protagonist, rather than the sadness of the separation or his physical condition. I think I would have gone crazy if I were in the same situation as the protagonist. It was a situation where the only chance to save the person you love was blown away by your mistake. Even though it was obvious to anyone that Yeon-hee would not come back to receive treatment, it was a desperate situation where he threatened the doctor to carry out his surgery and Yeon-hee's treatment so that Yeon-hee could receive treatment if she ever came back. As I said before, he was a person who did not give up in the face of uncertainty this time either.‘너와 함께 살아가고 싶어.’였죠. 주인공은 자신의 방식대로 연희를 위해 자신의 몸을 포기했고, 그걸 알게 된 연희는 주인공을 위해 그를 밀어내고 이별을 고합니다. 당장 이별의 슬픔이나 자신의 몸 상태보다는 연희가 치료를 끝마치지 못했다는 사실이 주인공을 옭아매는 것에 동정심이 들었습니다. 제가 주인공 같은 상황이었어도 미쳐 페인이 돼버렸을 것 같습니다. 사랑하는 사람을 살릴 수 있는 단 하나의 기회가 자신의 실수로 날아가버린 상황이니까요. 누가 봐도 연희가 다시 돌아와 치료를 받지 않을 상황이지만, 혹시라도 연희가 다시 돌아오면 치료를 받을 수 있도록 의사를 협박해서라도 자신의 수술과 연희의 치료를 감행하는 처절한 상황이었지만. 앞서 말했듯, 그는 이번에도 불확실성 앞에서 포기하지 않는 사람이었습니다.
8. Threat and Surgery
I found this doctor to be a very attractive character. In the story, he isa figure with ambiguous good and evil, which I think was an excellent setting. If the newly 등장한 character in the after story was completely evil, it would have been difficult to escape the feeling that Lee Myung-jin showed in the main story, and if he was completely good, he would have been less attractive.
He performs ethically and legally illegal treatments for money, and when Yeon-hee's mother dies, he seems to be a heartless person who thinks about the surgery fee first, but unlike Lee Myung-jin, he is reluctant to kill others, andI liked the character that he doesn't cross the line he set. I think the existence of the character of a doctor made it possible for the story to flow smoothly from beginning to end.
9. Facing the Embers
As Payne, the protagonist, who underwent surgery with the determination to save Yeon-hee even in the worst physical condition, experiences a systemic shock and is at a crossroads between life and death, faces his childhood self inside.
I think 52Hz has two main themes, combining the main story and DLC. The first theme is the theme that runs through the entire work"Two outcasts abandoned by the world comforting each other's wounds.". The second theme is the main theme in the protagonist's inner world"My uncertain dream."is.
In the story, the protagonist worked quite hard to become a cartoonist even in a bad environment. However, in the main story, he was fed up with uncertainty due to the trigger of 'money' and tried to give up both his dream and life as a cartoonist. But seeing that the embers were still there, it seems that he still had some regrets.
The inner child who wants to become a cartoonist does not scold the protagonist for his lack of talent or the amount of effort he put in.The child points out that he compromised without finishing. It's the same thing Yeon-hee said while walking with the protagonist on the railroad tracks. Not drawing the cartoon you started to the end. Giving up without trying to create different stories each time. Defining and compromising on one's own limitations.
In the inner world, the protagonist faces his own contradictions. In the after story, the protagonist's way of love was 'I can die for you'. The interesting thing is that this was Yeon-hee's mindset in the 52Hz main story. She was going to give the protagonist her 200 million won insurance money. When the protagonist realized this, he scolded Yeon-hee, asking if she thought he would live happily with the money he received as her life price. On the other hand, in the after story, he scolds the protagonist who is trying to save Yeon-hee by sacrificing his body, asking what meaning it has for her to live if his body is ruined. It was impressive to realize that he, too, was doing a love that didn't think about the person who would be left behind because he was more precious than himself. When the protagonist realizes that his contradiction and his method were all leading to unhappiness, his inner self forgives the protagonist.
This is one of my favorite phrases in this DLC, about embers.
"
A dream is like... a small ember.
Even if all the fire that was burning brightly on the firewood is extinguished, the small ember inside... lasts a very long time.
Hyung thought that because the fire was all extinguished... he couldn't do anything with the small ember. But that ember will burn hot again if Hyung blows wind on it again and puts firewood in it. That ember... never disappeared from Hyung's heart in the first place.
"
The pure ember continued to draw in that spot. Imagining himself becoming a cartoonist someday.
The young protagonist asks the protagonist to stop compromising and crouching down and run to the end before the embers go out.
After the reconciliation between the two, before regaining consciousness and returning to the real world, the young protagonist makes a promise with the protagonist, hooking their little fingers. A very small and warm hand full of charcoal. It was the hand of a pure child who didn't feel pain when drawing, didn't want to give up, and liked drawing. I am very moved by this scene. It was the first time in a long time that I almost cried while playing.
This is the most impressive phrase in the entire DLC, and it still gives me strength.
"
Doing what you like... won't always be fun.
Difficult things will come again and again in the future.
You'll have a lot of doubts about whether this is the right path for you... But whenever that happens, remember how much we liked this...
Even if a moment comes when you want to give up, never look back.
When I'm Hyung, make me smile... like the current Hyung.
"
I also have a dream, and I'm living for my dream, but there are more difficult days than happy days. I make mistakes, blame myself, and sometimes I feel like this isn't my path. Whenever it's really hard, I remember how much I liked this. As the inner child told me, it was a good phrase that made me determined to run to the end without looking back.
10. Goodbye (Climax)
I really liked the directing. From the inner world, the main story's ending song was played as an instrumental version and built up, and when I finally opened my eyes and faced Yeon-hee, I exclaimed out loud when the lyrics came out. I couldn't help but smile when my favorite song came out at the climax.
The protagonist eventually regains consciousness and faces the girl he wanted to protect even at the cost of his life. Fortunately, Yeon-hee's NMG treatment was successful.
The way the protagonist, who is in shock, is treated here was impressive because it was in line with the first theme of the work. Yeon-hee's treatment was done by taking the protagonist's cells. Conversely, the treated Yeon-hee's cells were used to treat the protagonist.
"An outcast abandoned by the world comforting each other's wounds."
I was impressed. Throughout the story, the protagonist and Yeon-hee seemed to be saving each other. The non-unilateral direction of love seems to have made the story beautiful.
The protagonist, who faced his younger self in the inner world, changed. He no longer thinks about dying for Yeon-hee or giving up his dream of becoming a cartoonist for Yeon-hee.
"I decided not to give up on myself for you."
Finally, the protagonist, like Yeon-hee, resolves to live with her, and to not give up on his dream and to put wind and firewood into the embers.
Yeon-hee is eventually cured thanks to the protagonist's dedication, the protagonist succeeds in becoming a cartoonist, and the story ends with him expressing gratitude to his inner child who taught him how to live again.
11. 52Hz Review
I watched it all the way to the end as soon as it was released, and it was as fun and touching as the main story. Comparing it to the ending of the main story, the ending of the main story was the connection between the two 52Hz whales, which was uncertain when it would be cut off, but therefore more desperate and affectionate. None of the problems were solved: the brain tumor of a lover, Lee Myung-jin threatening his life, lack of money, and a fading dream, but that's why it was more lingering. On the other hand, the ending of the dlc seems to have put a pleasant period to the story in a direction where all four problems are solved and everyone is happy. I've played the after story several times, just like the main story, and I'm receiving different reverberations each time I play it.
Also, I liked that the beer that often appears in the story acts as a device between the two. In the main story, they drank together and achieved Yeon-hee's first bucket list, and after they became lovers, they started drinking together on a daily basis. Later, when the protagonist was unconscious, Yeon-hee brought it to the hospital room because she wanted to drink with the protagonist, and I liked that it was a connection between the two throughout the work.
Having played it several times, I think the biggest advantage of the 52Hz production team is the power to immerse you. It was especially fresh and good to start the after story with a heavy story of someone's funeral and then divert attention. Also, I was impressed by the excellent visual and auditory directing when the protagonist's memory was cut off due to aftereffects. Even if you only look at the story excluding the directing, it was a story that made me really curious about the back story while playing. In addition, I really liked the story that continued to interact and give me things to think about.
I think the only ending where everyone can be happy is the ending of the after story. Even if the protagonist wasn't caught lying at the hospital and Yeon-hee continued to receive treatment without knowing and was completely cured, the protagonist would have collapsed. If that had happened, both Yeon-hee and the protagonist would have been hurt and unhappy.
I think the two themes of 52Hz, "An outcast abandoned by the world comforting each other's wounds" and "My uncertain dream," are so well combined that the story couldn't be better organized from beginning to end.
12. Me, and 52Hz
I have been suffering from complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) and depression due to a series of events. The roots were deep, so treatment was not easy. On the outside, it didn't show, but while my inner self was collapsing, I experienced frustration with my goals. I didn't have outstanding talent, but I liked it so much that it was my dream and goal. However, due to repeated major failures, I compromised and tried to give up my dream like the protagonist. Also, I faced myself seriously planning the act that the protagonist was going to do in Myeongyeongdo in the early part of the main story. However, I didn't want my life to end so bleakly, so I wanted to read a warm and good story before I died. I usually liked reading, so I tried to read a literary novel, but I couldn't find one that I liked. When I couldn't find an answer in literary books, I started looking for games with warm stories. If I played directly from the protagonist's point of view in the game, I would be immersed and feel the beauty of that warm and cozy story. That was my first encounter with 52Hz. It was my first visual novel in my life.
52Hz was a very well-made story, so it was easy to get immersed, but it was also easier to get immersed because the protagonist's situation was so similar to mine. A fading dream, and various difficult situations.
I faced myself crying while watching the story. It wasn't because I was sad. It was because it was such a touching, affectionate, and desperate love. I've seen so many stories in my life, but this was the first story that resonated with me so much.
The lyrics of the ending song that came out when the ending credits rolled after the game also pierced my heart. Later, while looking into 52Hz, I learned that a DLC was scheduled to be released, and at that time, I had only one thought in my head.
"I want to know the ending of this story."
With the determination to see the ending of the DLC, I temporarily postponed the extreme plan to after the DLC was released. Every time the DLC release was delayed, the plan was also delayed little by little. Until then, I set a bucket list of wanting to experience the things that Yeon-hee liked one by one and achieved them one by one. The day I set the bucket list, I immediately bought a Walkman.
I brought in the TPS-L2 that Yeon-hee uses in the story, but I didn't have a cassette tape to put in. I immediately visited Seoul Records, the background of the record store in 52Hz, and bought several rock albums. Before doing 52Hz, I wasn't even interested in rock. It was the day I developed a hobby of collecting and listening to albums.
There are other albums, but I took pictures of the 6 I listen to the most these days. AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, and Metallica and Led Zeppelin, which Yeon-hee likes and seems like she would like.
It was refreshing to visit places that were the motifs of the story, such as Seoul Records and Aqua Planet Jeju, with the Walkman and tapes and listen to the music that Yeon-hee liked.
After that, I also tried drinking bottled beer, and with the help of Gemini, I bought and mixed various medicinal herbs to recreate the afterimage of Yeon-hee's favorite Doraji cigarettes, and I was achieving my bucket list one by one. The scent of the incense pouch made at this time is better than expected and it is a scent that makes me feel comfortable, so I hang it in my room and live with it.
Then, a new bucket list was created: I wanted to draw a fan art of Yeon-hee in a great picture. When I was young, I dreamed of becoming a cartoonist like the protagonist. I drew all day at school and at home. But when I was in middle school, I faced ambiguous talent and realistic difficulties and compromised with reality and gave up my dream.
After a few years, when I tried to take out the dusty tablet from the warehouse and draw, it was difficult to draw anything easier, let alone Yeon-hee. To make matters worse, my physical condition had deteriorated significantly due to the side effects of the treatment drugs. I wanted to draw Yeon-hee well, so I worked like crazy. After the fan art drawing was added to the bucket list, I spent almost all of my free time drawing.
I focused solely on drawing, analyzing and imitating Yeonhee's face in the official illustration. I was genuinely happy while drawing. It reminded me how much I loved it in the past, and it was my desperate dream. Drawing was so much fun that I wondered if I had compromised too early, and I regretted the past. It seemed that my spark had not yet been extinguished. Fortunately, now I have another desperate dream that is burning brightly. However, for my younger self who desperately wanted to become a cartoonist, I want to continue to fan the flames and add fuel to the fire for drawing.
Originally, I wanted to finish it around February 11th, in time for the release date. Unfortunately, the time was delayed a lot due to my physical condition, but during that time, I learned the ending of the DLC that I really wanted to know, erased extreme plans from my head, and gradually the treatment began to take effect. And finally, I finished the drawing.
I am still alive thanks to 52 Hertz and Yeonhee. Just as the protagonist is saved by Yeonhee, I have been saved many times by the story of 52 Hertz, and I am endlessly grateful.
Thank you so much to the production team for creating the best story and game. I'm really looking forward to the next one.
Thank you.


After the update on Saturday, March 14th,
you can purchase the "Fox's Whisper" viewing item set in the recommended items using additional costume rights.
The composition of the product is as follows.
◆ Live 2D Lobby・Video - Border of Yeon (can manually switch between the present world and Myeongbin)
◆ BGM (Lobby) · Silence
◆ BGM (Lobby) · Other Shore
◆ BGM (During the game)・Night Walk
◆ BGM (Riichi)・Meeting with a Fox
⏰After the update on Saturday, March 14, 2026 - Sunday, April 12, 23:59
#마작일번가Ichibangai


Morning Everyone!



Arrived at Papunika?
It keeps reminding me of paprika..
After being in a dark place, coming to Papunika is a huge contrast..
I wonder if Viole and her younger sibling are doing well 🥲




Payton story end!
No, the Seikria human experimentation, are you crazy......????
Too much ㅠㅠ
I felt guilty taking the Ark out🥲🥲🥲
Am I allowed to take the Ark out of their land?
They don't have anything, so they purify rotten meat and eat it😭😭😭
I have to go back to Sunflower Island and finish my Arkrasia homework..
Runaway youth, Aman, at least you ate good food..
Payton Deron eats weird cakes and says ew...
Stop running away!



I didn't know. From the beginning, I wasn't much of a gamer, let alone someone who played visual novels. At best, I would play League of Legends to kill time when I had nothing to do, or hang out with school friends during breaks. Then, by chance, I came across information about a unique whale called the 52 Hz whale, and I became interested and searched the internet to learn more about it. But lo and behold, a game called <52 Hertz> popped up out of nowhere. Out of curiosity, I searched it and found an introduction that said, "The story of two outcasts abandoned by the world."
"What is this...? From a quick glance, is it some kind of dating sim?"
I think I've seen people playing similar games on YouTube from time to time. With nothing else to do, I decided to learn more about the game <52 Hertz>. Then I saw a picture of what appeared to be the female lead, and I thought,
"Oh, she's pretty."
That was my reason for starting the game.
[Game Story]
In short, the protagonist, who wants to achieve her dream of becoming a cartoonist, works hard to pursue her dream, but becomes exhausted due to her lack of talent and environment. Then, her mother, who is addicted to a cult, takes all the money she has saved. As a result of that incident, the protagonist, who is broken, heads to Mangeongdo, an island village famous as a suicide spot, where she meets a heroine in a similar situation and they heal each other.
[Brief Overview of the Main Story (Spoiler)]
DAY 1: First meeting with Yeonhee in Mangeongdo, contract proposal (Neoul Merchant)
DAY 2: Cleaning the Neoul Merchant shop
DAY 3: Cleaning the Neoul Merchant warehouse, discovering the bucket list notebook, beer with Yeonhee, starting to live together
DAY 4: Record store, old ramen
DAY 5: Aquarium
DAY 6: Yeonhee and the protagonist run away, Yeonhee's past, motel
DAY 7: The protagonist is kidnapped, a fight with Lee Myung-jin, Yeonhee's confession
2 months later: Trip to Australia and ending
This is a brief overview to help you remember when playing the DLC. The detailed story is quite lingering if you enjoy it while playing it yourself. I have never played a visual novel before, but I felt that the story itself was quite solid and the foreshadowing was properly recovered, so I enjoyed it. However, there are choices in the main story that affect the story, and I personally felt that the process of creating conflict in this part was a bit forced. Except for that part, the highlight (warehouse rush) of the main story was very refreshing, and I enjoyed playing the DLC, feeling that the writer's writing skills had improved.
The endings according to the choices that affect the story are listed below.
DAY 5 → DAY 6
To see the true ending here, you have to meet Detective Lee Myung-jin exactly once when making the two choices. If you meet Detective Lee Myung-jin twice or don't meet him at all, you will move on to the bad ending.
[Bad Ending 1. Unkindness](If you meet him twice)
You can check this if you choose "Go to the convenience store." → "Let's take a walk." in the previous choice. The protagonist and Detective Lee Myung-jin sense something suspicious. The protagonist quickly takes Yeonhee and runs away to a motel, but worries that Detective Lee Myung-jin will abuse the cell phone left at Neoul Merchant, so he returns home. However, he is ambushed and kidnapped by Detective Lee Myung-jin, who arrived first, and meets his end in a waste material warehouse.
[Bad Ending 2. Unspoken Truth](If you don't meet him)
You can check this if you choose "Look around the house." → "Let's clean." in the choice. The protagonist watches a movie with Yeonhee at home after taking a walk. He is curious about the identity of the medicine bag that Yeonhee didn't tell him about during the day and falls asleep. The protagonist wakes up in the early morning and finds the front door of the house open, sees sand on the living room floor, and rushes to find Yeonhee. Yeonhee's room was full of medicine he had never seen before, and a letterhead in the corner only said "To the Mister," and Yeonhee was nowhere to be seen.
If you choose only one of the convenience store or the walk and meet Detective Lee Myung-jin, the story continues and you can check the true ending.
[Impressions of the DLC]
The story takes place 2 years after the main story. I played the main story quite impressively, so I was quite looking forward to the DLC. In fact, I thought both the story and the direction were good. Because this game had an influence on me without me knowing it, I felt a little sad that the ending in the main story was open. Then, I heard the news that they were releasing a DLC and that it would end with a happy ending, and I remember waiting for the game to be released. So I played the game on the day it was released.
If you play the DLC, Yeonhee appears in a fun way from the beginning after a long time. I hope you try it if you haven't seen it. Also, if you look at the story, there are quite a few familiar details. Like in the picture above, she says the same lines as when she first appeared, and the small nuances that Yeonhee mentioned in the main story are also well incorporated into the DLC. There are quite a few hidden things, so it's fun to find them while playing.
The DLC starts with Lee Myung-jin's funeral, and I personally found it ironic that the person who was trying to get Yeonhee's insurance money ended up giving Yeonhee compensation. In addition, in the DLC episode, the story progresses in a structure that contrasts with the main story. In the main story, the relationship between the protagonist and Yeonhee and the story progression were like this.
Isolated island village (Mangeongdo)
Yeonhee's importance > Protagonist
Yeonhee sacrifices for the protagonist (insurance money)
Yeonhee hiding a secret
Conflict subject = external (Lee Myung-jin)
However, there are many parts that are reversed in the DLC.
City
The protagonist's importance is great
The protagonist sacrifices for Yeonhee
The protagonist hiding a secret
Conflict subject = internal
Also, I felt that they tried to express more diverse directing than in the main story. I think people who enjoyed the main story will also be satisfied with the DLC.
[Influence received through this game]
The first thing I thought after finishing this game was, "Let's go to a record store." To be honest, I don't know why. I just wanted to go. I turned on the map app and checked the record stores, and I saw a store that I thought, "Huh? This is very familiar?" It was the store that was the motif for 'Geumgang Records' in the game. It wasn't that far from home. I usually played the guitar, but I was ignorant of rock. So I just found AC/DC's Back In Black, which Yeonhee mentioned in the game, in the corner. It was a popular album, so there was only one left.
After that, listening to music at record stores and buying albums such as LPs and CDs became my hobby. This costs a lot of money. In addition, when I was traveling in Japan, I suddenly remembered Yeonhee's outerwear from the main story and bought it at a clothing store, and that's when I learned that such clothes are called sukajan. I must have enjoyed the game a lot. I think I'm lucky to have played such an attractive game.



'숲속의 작은 마녀'는 4인의 개발자분들로 구성된 국내 인디 개발팀 '써니 사이드업 (SUNNY SIDE UP)'에서 제작한 2D 픽셀 그래픽 힐링 어드벤처로 2020년 7월 한 달간 펀딩을 진행한 결과,
4,652명의 후원자들로부터 무려 최초 펀딩 목표 금액의 1360%를 초과하는 1억 3천6백만 원이 넘는 금액을 모으며 펀딩 단계에서부터 상당한 관심을 모았던 인디 게임이다.
2차례에 걸쳐 텀블벅 후원자들을 대상으로 '숲속의 작은 마녀 체험판'과 관련한 피드백을 받았고, 지난 5월 17일에 마침내 스팀에서 얼리 액세스를 시작하였는데 얼리 액세스 버전에서는 본편 전체 분량의 1/4 정도만 공개되었다.

정식 런칭은 2023년으로 예정되어 있으나 정확한 날짜는 미정이며, 얼리 액세스 시작과 함께 놀랍도록 빠르게 좋은 평가들을 쌓아가면서 그간 '숲속의 작은 마녀'를 기다려왔던 유저들의 기대감에 부흥하였을 뿐 아니라 더불어 국내 인디 게임의 하나의 새로운 발전 가능성을 보여주고 있다.
소리 소문 없이 조용하게 수많은 유저들을 열광시키고 있는 '숲속의 작은 마녀' 이 작품이 가지고 있는 특색과 매력은 무엇일까?

숲속의 작은 마녀의 얼리 액세스 버전만 가지고도 15시간을 꽉꽉 채워 플레이한 뒤에 이 글을 작성한다.


챙이 넓은 커다란 모자와 검은색 망토.
마녀 하면 떠오르는 전형적인 이미지.
'숲속의 작은 마녀'에 등장하는 주인공 수습 마녀 '엘리 블루리버' 역시 이 전형적이 마녀의 이미지에서 전혀 벗어나지 않는 모습을 하고 있다.
우리에게 익숙한 마녀의 이미지란 '오즈의 마법사'에서 주인공 도로시가 신고 있던 동쪽 마녀의 마법 구두를 빼앗고자 했던 나쁜 '서쪽 마녀'와 같은 악한 이미지가 보통이지만,
이 작품 '숲속의 작은 마녀'에 등장하는 마녀들은 '오즈의 마법사'에서 도로시에게 도움을 주었던 상냥하고 자상한 '북쪽 마녀'와 같은 선한 도우미와도 같은 이들이다.
마을 사람들에게 문제가 있다면 그 문제를 해결해 주고, 마을 사람들과 함께 동고동락하면서 마을의 일원으로서 마을의 발전과 화합을 위해 노력하는 이들로 이제 막 마녀 학교를 졸업하고 3년 동안의 수습 마녀 생활을 시작하게 된 '숲속의 작은 마녀'의 주인공인 '엘리 블루리버' 역시 그런 선한 마녀 중 한 명이다.

지루하고 고리타분한 건 못 참는 천성이 자유분방하면서도 유쾌하고 귀여운 말괄량이 '앨리'는 수습 마녀 생활을 하기 위해서 마녀들의 도시인 '하이라이언'으로 향하던 중, 기차가 생각지도 못 한 문제로 잠깐 운행을 멈추게 되자 기회를 놓치지 않고 기차에서 내려 주변을 탐색하기 시작한다.
그도 그럴 것이 기나긴 기차 여행에 지쳐 있던 이 어린 마녀에게 낯선 환경은 그녀의 호기심과 탐험 정신을 부추기기에 충분했기 때문이다.

그리고 그곳에서 만나게 된 빛나는 하얀색의 고양이 한 마리.
앞뒤 가리지 않고 신비한 고양이를 뒤를 쫓아 무작정 따라간 곳에 위치하고 있는 것은...

이제는 아무도 살고 있는 않는 것으로 보이는 버려진 마녀의 집.
이 집의 주인이었을 마녀는 어디로 사라져 버린 걸까?
하지만 궁리를 해 보았자 당장 답이 나올 문제도 아니다.
기나긴 기차 여행에 지쳐 있던 엘리는 오늘 밤은 이 버려진 마녀의 집에서 묵기로 결정한다.
기차는 내일 아침에 다시 운항을 재개할 예정이라고 하였으니, 하룻밤 정도는 푹신한 침대에서 편안한 휴식을 취하고 싶었기에...
하지만...
버려져 있던 마녀의 집의 침대가 너무나 푹신했던 것일까?

다음날 아침 엘리는 이미 기차가 떠난 지 오랜 휑한 기찻길을 마주하게 된다.
보통이라면 낯선 환경에 덩그러니 내던져진 이 상황에 울상을 지어야 하는 것이 마땅하지만 그 어떤 상황에서도 긍정의 마인드를 잃지 않는 긍정의 마녀 엘리는 그저 이 상황이 즐겁고 신나기만 한다.
왜냐하면 '새로운 모험'이 지금부터 엘리의 앞을 기다리고 있을 것이 분명하기에, 이 앞에 어떠한 일이 생기더라도 그 모든 일들이 엘리의 가슴을 두근두근 뛰게 만들 테니까.

엘리는 기차에서 잠깐 대화를 나눴던 바텐더 아저씨가 엘리 앞으로 남겨 놓은 편지를 힌트 삼아, 전날 밤 묵었던 마녀의 집으로 돌아가서 집을 청소하고 바텐더 아저씨가 알려준 근처 마을 '위스테리아'를 찾기로 결정한다.

하지만 위스테리아 마을의 입구는 어째서인지 거대한 가시 덩굴에 가로막혀 있었고, 이 가시덩굴을 어떻게 제거할까 고민하던 과정에서, 위스테리아의 주민이라고 하는 꼬마 소년 '러브럼'과도 만나게 된다.
마을에서 조금 멀리까지 나왔다가 거미줄에 걸려 오도 가도 못 하는 신세가 되어 있던 러브럼을 구한 엘리는 조사 끝에 마을 입구를 가로막고 있는 덩굴을 제거할 수 있는 마법 물약을 만드는데 성공하게 된다.

엘리의 활약으로 러브럼은 무사히 집이 있는 마을 안으로 돌아갈 수 있게 되었지만, 위스테리아 마을은 엘리의 예상과는 너무나 황량한 곳이었다.
러브럼의 할머니이자 위스테리아 마을의 촌장인 '에니트'와의 대화를 통해서,
3년 전 갑자기 자라나기 시작한 가시덩굴이 위스테리 마을 여기저기를 뒤덮기 시작하였고 그 결과 부서진 집에서 온전한 생활을 할 수 없게 된 마을 주민들이 하나 둘 마을을 떠나기 시작해,
현재는 촌장인 에니와 그의 손자인 러브럼 그리고 식당을 운영 중인 용족 요리사 아르덴 이렇게 3명 만이 이 마을에 살고 있는 유일한 주민이라는 사실을 알게 된다.

에니트의 자신이 나고 자란 이 마을이 이렇게 허무하게 쇠락해 가는 것이 마음이 아프지만 어쩔 수 없는 현실 앞에서 많은 것을 체념해 버린 듯한 모습을 보이고 있었다.
그러나 엘리는 그런 에니트에게 자신 있게 다짐한다.

'다 잘 될 거야,'란 말을 좋아한다.
왠지 그 '다 잘 될 거야'라는 말에는 신비로운 힘이 깃들어 있어서, 그 말을 되풀이하다 보면 정말로 뭔가가 잘 될 것 같은 기분이 들기도 하니까.

하지만 엘리의 장담은 막연한 '잘될 거야.'가 아니었다.
이후 엘리는 정말로 열심히 위스테리아 마을의 재건을 위해 노력하기 시작한다.
마을 내 집들을 파괴한 또 다른 종류의 거대 가시덩굴들을 제거할 방법을 찾고, 떠난 마을 사람들에게 다시 연락을 넣도록 촌장 에니트에게 부탁을 하고,
떠난 마을 사람들이 다시 마을로 돌아와 예전의 그 평온하고 평화로운 삶을 살아갈 수 있도록 마을을 천천히 천천히 조금씩 바꿔나가기 시작한다.

자고로 인생이란 아무리 열심히 그리고 성실하게 계획한다고 해도 언제 어디로 어떠한 형태로 흘러가게 될 것인지 알 수도 없고, 예측도 불가능한 것.
어느 날 갑자기 전혀 예정에도 없던 낯선 지역, 낯선 마을에 도착하게 된 엘리.
그럼에도 불구하고 그 변화무쌍한 변화 속에서도 웃음을 잃지 않고 긍정의 에너지를 뿜어 내며 '하면 된다'는 정신으로 또는 '분명히 잘될 거야.'라는 믿음으로 위스테리아 마을을 다시 부흥시키기 위해 산으로 들로 강으로 돌아다니며 쫓아다니며 문제를 해결하기 위해 동분서주하는 모습의 엘리의 모습을 보고 있자면, 어쩐지 마음이 따뜻함과 포근함으로 가득 차는 기분이 든다.



'숲속의 작은 마녀'에서 플레이어가 하게 되는 주요 활동은 필드 여기저기를 돌아다니면서 마법 물약의 재료로 사용할 식물과 동물들을 채집하는 일이다.
처음으로 발견하게 되는 동, 식물들의 경우 '깃펜'을 사용하여, 해당 동, 식물에 대한 정보를 도감에 기록할 수 있다.
각각의 동, 식물은 맨손 또는 잠자리채를 이용하여 채집하게 되는데, 술래잡기하듯 쫓아다녀야 하는 경우도 있고 해당 동물이 눈치채지 못하도록 살금살금 조심스럽게 접근해야 하는 경우도 있다.
'맨드레이크' 같은 경우는 비명으로 앨리의 정신을 쏙 빼놓기 때문에 '귀마개 물약'이 필수이다.
특정 장소에서만 획득 가능한 재료, 밤에만 획득 가능한 재료 등 재료들마다 획득 가능한 포인트나 방법이 다르다는 점도 특징이라 할 수 있다.

앨리의 다이어리에는 동, 식물에 대한 도감뿐만 아니라 각종 물약이나 마법 사탕을 제작하는 레시피 또한 기록되어 있는데, 이 레시피는 스토리 진행을 통해서 얻게 되는 경우도 있고 퀘스트 완료 보상 또는 구입 등으로 얻게 된다.
각각의 물약이나 마법 사탕 들은 재료 및 제조 방법 (불 세기와 젓기 방향)이 모두 다르므로, 매번 물약을 만들 때마다 제조법을 확인하는 것이 필수다.

제조법을 확인했다면 추출기와 로스터를 이용하여 채집한 동식물들을 압축하여 추출하거나, 잘 구워내어 연금용 재료로 만든다.
그런 다음 마녀용 가마솥으로 가서 필요한 재료들을 넣고, 불 세기를 조절하고, 젓기 방향까지 선택해 주면 물약이나 마법 사탕을 제조할 수 있다.
특히 각종 키가 '컨트롤러'에 완벽 대응하기 때문에 컨트롤러 하나만으로도 수월하게 모든 조작이 가능하다는 점도 이 작품의 장점 중 하나이다.

이 물약과 마법 사탕 들은 '메인 스토리 해금을 위한 퀘스트 진행'용으로도 사용되고, 앨리의 유일한 수입원이 되어 주기도 한다.

'마녀 카탈로그' 서비스를 제공하는 '다이엔'과 보부상 '아우레아'를 통해서 매일매일 사이드 퀘스트를 받을 수 있는데, 이 사이드 납품 사이드 퀘스트를 완료할 때마다 마녀 전용 재화인 '루나 코인 ( ...)'이나 일반적인 재화인 골드를 얻을 수 있다.
획득한 재화들로는 연금 도구의 성능을 업그레이드하거나 인벤토리 확장 등을 할 수 있다.


참 여러 가지 면에서 '게임의 편의성'을 위해서 많은 고민을 한 것이 보이는 작품이다.
먼저 퀘스트의 경우, 혹 퀘스트를 진행하는 과정에 있어서 '누구를 만나서 무엇을 해야 할지 몰라서 퀘스트 진행에 막힘'을 경험하는 일이 없도록,
'키워드'라는 메뉴를 통해서, 특정 인물들과의 대화가 필요한 경우에는 '누구'를 만나야만 하고 현재 누구와 만났으며, 누구를 만나지 않았는지를 보여 주고 있다.
즉, 특정 퀘스트를 진행 또는 해당 퀘스트 처리를 위한 정보를 얻는 데 있어서 다수의 인물을 만나야 할 경우, 만나야 할 이들이 누구인지를 명확하게 보여 준다.

처음 게임을 시작했을 때 '이동 속도가 너무 느려서' 이 부분이 참 불편하다 생각했었는데,
그러한 부분 또한 메인 퀘스트를 진행하다 보면 자연스럽게 '마녀 빗자루' 획득을 통해서 해소가 되게끔 설정이 되어 있고,
이 마녀 빗자루 또한 무제한 사용이 가능하되 대신 사용할 때마다 내구도가 줄어드는 방식을 적용시켜 놓아서, 필드에서 수집한 나뭇가지와 같은 재료들을 사용해 지속적으로 수리하여 사용할 수 있게끔 설계가 되어 있다.

물약 재료를 만들기 위해서 꼭 필요한 '추출기'와 '로스터'의 경우에도 초반에는 1번에 하나의 재료밖에 없어서 여러 개의 재료를 추출하거나 굽고자 할 때는 매번 같은 작업을 반복해야 하는 것이 피곤하게 느껴졌었는데,
다이엔이 주는 납품 퀘스트를 완료한 뒤에 받게 되는 루나 코인을 사용하여 '추출기'와 '로스터', '마녀 솥' 등을 업그레이드하게 되면 1회에 2개, 3개씩 재료를 얻어낼 수 있게 되기 때문에 점차 재료 추출 과정이 편리해진다.
게임 초반에 느끼게 되는 '아~ 이 부분은 좀 불편해' 내지는 '피곤해.'라고 느끼게 되는 부분들이 게임을 진행하다 보면 자연스럽게 하나둘씩 노력을 통해서 개선할 수 있는 부분들인데다가, 장비 업그레이드나 가방 확장을 위해 요구되는 조건들 또한 과도하게 높지 않아서 적절하게 목표 의식을 고취시켜 주었다.
지루함과 피곤함 사이의 적정선을 잘 생각하여, 개발한 부분들이 여러 면에서 돋보였다.


엘리의 주변을 맴도는 누가 봐도 수상쩍어 보이는 실눈 (그러다 눈뜨면 비열해 보이기까지 하는???) 캐릭터까지...
아직은 공개되지 않은 이야기.
얼리 액세스에서는 아직 만나볼 수 없는 이야기.
예정에도 없는 위스테리아 마을에 자의 반, 타의 반으로 정착하게 된 엘리와 엘리의 주변으로 다시 조금씩 잃어버렸던 활기를 되찾기 시작하는 위스테리아.
하지만 꽃길만 걷기 바라게 되는 앨리와 위스테리아의 앞길에 위기감을 더해줄 것 같은 복선 요소들.
잔잔함 속에서도 흥미로움을 불러일으키는 스토리도 '숲속의 작은 마녀'에 대한 기대감을 더한다.

그리고 또 하나 미쳐버린 퀄리티의 미려한 픽셀 그래픽!!!
숲속의 작은 마녀의 텀블벅 펀딩 페이지의 '써니 사이드업'의 4인의 개발자분들에 대한 소개 내용을 살펴보면, 한 분이 기획 및 프로그래밍 담당, 나머지 세 분께서 애니메이션 및 배경, 원화 등의 픽셀을 한 분씩 맡아서 제작하셨다는 내용을 확인할 수 있는데,
혼자서 기획 및 프로그래밍 다 하신 메인 개발자님도 대단하시고, 이 어마무시한 퀄리티의 픽셀들을 수작업을 한 점, 한 점 장인 정신으로 찍어 내신 나머지 세 분의 아트 쪽 개발자님들도 정말이지....
이 인정사정 없는 미친 픽셀 그래픽의 퀄리티란...
플레이하는 내내 눈이 행복하다 못해 호강하는 기분이었다.
그리고 뜬금없지만 '숲속의 작은 마녀'를 플레이하고 깨달았다.
나는 수인과도 사랑에 빠질 수 있는 인간이었다.
늑인... 아니 견인...?
아무튼 늑대인지 허스키인지 모르겠는데, 로이 외모 미쳤...😍


'숲속의 꼬마 마녀'에는 '전투'를 포함한 그 어떠한 '폭력적인 요소'도 포함되어 있지 않다.
RPG + 연금 시뮬레이션 게임으로 유명한 '아틀리에 시리즈'에서 전투를 포함한 RPG 요소를 빼고, 연금 시뮬레이션 요소만 남긴 채 2D 픽셀 그래픽으로 제작한 작품이라고 생각하면 이해가 빠를 것이다.
조용하고 평화로운 일상 속에서 하루하루 주어진 퀘스트들을 해결하고, 하나의 퀘스트를 해결할 때마다 또 조금씩 진행되는 메인 스토리의 이야기들을 감상하는 재미가 있다.
'스트레스 요소' 없는 동숲과 같은 잔잔한 '채집'과 '크래프팅' 위주의 진행 방식에 '동숲'에는 딱히 없던 '메인 스토리'가 더해지면서, '숲속의 작은 마녀'는 동숲과는 또 다른 느낌의 재미를 안겨 주게 되었다.
'스토리가 없는 작품'의 장점은 스토리가 없기 때문에, 엔딩이 없다는 점이다.
하지만 반대로 스토리가 없는 작품의 단점 또한 '엔딩'이 없다는 점이다.
'숲속의 작은 마녀'는 '메인 스토리'를 작품에 입힘으로써 '플레이 타임'과 '게임 볼륨'에 대한 평가를 받게 되는 입장에 놓이게 되었다.
그러나 대신 '스토리 작품'의 강점인 '스토리'가 가지는 매력과 각각의 캐릭터들에 더욱 선명한 성격과 특징들을 입힐 수 있게 되었다.
시작이 있고 끝이 있기에 유저들은 이 작품을 플레이하는 동안만큼은 게임 속 스토리에 푹 빠져들어서, 엘리가 되어 위스테리아의 마을 사람들과 유대를 쌓고 위스테리아가 다시 예전의 반짝거림을 찾아가는 매 순간순간을 함께할 수 있다.
이번 얼리 액세스를 통해서 공개된 분량은 본편의 25%에 해당하는 분량, 추후 '숲속의 작은 마녀'가 정식 런칭되었을 때 공개될 나머지 75%의 이야기들이 참을 수 없이 궁금해졌다.
이 마을에 주민들이 북적북적해지는 날을...
수습 마녀 엘리가 조금씩 성장해 가는 모습을 확인할 수 있는 그날이 벌써부터 자꾸만 기다려진다.
스타듀 벨리가 이시절 감성을 재현하는 것을 목표로 했던 인디 게임인데
그 스타튜 벨리를 기반으로 해서 이 시절 게임을 만들어 낸 걸 보면 돌고 돈다고 해야하나요?
이런 부분은 참 재미있습니다.
물론 편의성이나 콘텐츠 완성도 같은 부분에서는 그 시절보다 조금 부족하긴 합니다.
마법사가 되는 방법이나 초기 아틀리에 시리즈 같은 연금 + 주인공의 성장 이야기를 다룬 장르의 게임이 유명하지 않다 보니
위 게임들을 해본 사람들은 위 게임들의 장점을 계승하지 못하고 즐길 거리는 위 게임들 보다 적은 점을 지적하는데
위 게임들을 안해본 분들은 힐링을 중심으로 해서 주인공이 성장하는 이야기 자체에 흥미를 느끼고 이쪽을 높게 평가하더군요
이런 방식의 게임을 접 해본 사람과 안해본 사람의 평이 갈린다는게 재미있더군요
위 방식의 게임 자체가 워낙 적은 데다가 숲속의 작은 마녀 제작진들은 스타듀벨리에서 변형시키면서 발전 시킨거라고 한걸 보면 위 게임들에 대해서 알지 못 하는것 같기도 합니다.
아! 스타듀 벨리 유명하죠!
저는 스타듀 벨리는 구매만 해 놓고 아직 플레이는 못 해 봤지만, 아틀리에 시리즈는 좋아합니다. 🙂
전 아틀리에 시리즈를 재밌게 했기 때문에, 숲속의 작은 마녀도 좋았어요.
아틀리에 시리즈에서 RPG 요소를 빼고 연금 시뮬에 소소하게 마을 부흥에 중점을 둔 스토리에서 힐링이 느껴졌거든요.
아틀리에 시리즈에서는 전투를 신경쓰지 않을 수가 없는데, 숲속의 꼬마 마녀는 동숲처럼 비전투라서 그런 점이 편안하게 느껴졌습니다.
즐길 거리가 적은 부분은 지금은 얼리 액세스인 점을 감안하고 좀 더 지켜보아야 할 부분이라 생각합니다.
현재 얼리 액세스에서 공개된 부분이 본편의 25%에 해당하는 부분이고 본편에서는 동숲과 같은 '낚시'나 '목장 이야기'에서처럼 NPC들과의 친밀도 (연애 요소는 없지만) 시스템이 추가된다고 하니, 볼륨이나 즐길거리에 대한 평가는 본편이 출시된 이후에 해도 늦지 않다고 생각합니다.
비전투라는 점에서 오히려 스타듀 벨리와 같은 2D 픽셀만의 매력을 강조하된 컨셉 자체는 동숲의 힐링 요소들을 많이 가져온 작품이라 생각합니다.
덧글 남겨 주셔서 감사합니다, 정어리님.
5월의 마지막 날 기분 좋게 보내시고, 상쾌한 기분으로 6월 시작하세요. 🙂
초창기 아틀리에의 모습과 숲속의 작은마녀 제작진이 만들려고 하는 모습이 닮았습니다.
RPG가 강조되는 현재의 아틀리에는 시리즈가 이어지면서 변한 모습이죠
그래서 초창기 모습을 아는 사람들의 평이 달라집니다.
아틀리에 초기 모습을 전혀 모르는 제작진이 그시절 감성을 담은 게임을 보고 그시절의 아틀리에를 재현하려고 하니 돌고 도는 듯한 느낌이네요
마리 & 에리의 아틀리에가 출시되던 시기에는 제가 아틀리에와 같은 장르보다는 타 장르에 더 관심이 있을 때라 확실히 저는 그 시절의 아틀리에 시리즈는 플레이한 적이 없기에, 해당 게임을 즐기셨던 유저분들께서 어느 부분을 정확하게 아쉬워하는 것인지에 대한 파악이 어렵긴 합니다.
숲속의 작은 마녀는 가벼운 느낌이 장점인 작품이라 생각하기 때문에, 이 작품을 좋아하시는 분들은 그 가벼움을 좋아하는 것이라 생각합니다.
가벼움 속에서 느낄 수 있는 유유자적함이 좋았는데, '육성'이나 '조작' 등에 중심을 두신다면 기대에 못 미치는 작품일 것 같기도 합니다.
포인트를 어디에 두느냐에 따라 동일 작품에 대한 평가도 확연히 달라질 수 있는 법이니까요.
점심 시간이 다가오는데, 점심 맛있게 드세요! 🙂