Anna MirabellaYonder World: Interview With the Void is a psychological horror and romance game currently in development by Fluttering Abyss. Play as Vellus, an angel who has just earned herself the title of junior scribe in the Heavens. After a mishap on her first day of work, the young angel finds herself in a world unknown.
A review was requested via our “Review My Visual Novel” form.
The demo of Yonder World starts off with loud booming music on the title screen. The angelic hymn has a sense of darkness to it, leaving a feeling of uncertainty in the pit of one’s stomach before they even press “Start.”
The introduction scene is equally as dark, starting with discordant chimes and a black screen. We have a brief meeting with a particularly sinister being before the protagonist explains, in a very fourth-wall-breaking notion, that to understand how we got here we have to backtrack a little.
A flashback is launched, and we get to see the real beginning of the story, which ends on the exact same scene we started with. This sequence of events feels particularly unnecessary and jarring as we’re jumping back and forth in such a short span of time.
Our introduction to Vellus is short, feeling almost rushed. I had to scroll back through the text a few times to understand what happened completely. It’s a “blink and you’ll miss it” kind of thing. However, as Vellus mentions her work as a scribe multiple times in the Yonder World, it’s really important for the player to understand where they’re beginning.
The Yonder World game page promises many sudden and unexpected deaths, and they certainly deliver. I died right at the very beginning of the game for choosing the “wrong” option. It didn’t feel very fulfilling or purposeful at all, only shoehorning the player into one particular route: making sure you ask the Dethiral for an interview. This visual novel could benefit from a slower pace and more explanation to the lore, hidden within the narrative and character interactions.
Yonder World has some positives as well. The game’s sprite and CG art are gorgeous. I love that Vellus’ image never leaves the screen, and she has quite a few expressions, so it never feels bland. The backgrounds are Creative Commons, but because they’re all from the same base artist, they don’t feel mismatched or out of place. The games’ soundtrack is also really nice, giving the player just the right amount of suspense.
What I loved most about this game is the ability to not only romance characters, but gain friendships with them as your bonds grow stronger. I can’t wait to see how this is polished and expanded upon in the full version.
The Verdict:
Yonder World promises to be a wicked tale full of melancholy and the demo does not disappoint. With great art and music, you’ll be filled with apprehension as you navigate Vellus’ new life. If you like stories about angels and devils, this may be the game for you.
Yonder World: Interview With the Void is currently on Kickstarter. You can download the demo to play for yourself on itch.io or Steam.
