Developer: Polychroma Games
Platforms: Linux, macOS, PC (Reviewed), PS5
Genre: Adventure, Casual
Publisher: Maximum Entertainment
Until Then is a slice-of-life narrative visual game. This game was developed by Polychroma Games and published by Maximum Entertainment. There are a few games similar to Until Then, such as Night in the Woods, Oxenfree, A Space for the Unbound, etc. This review was done on the PC, but the game is also available on PS5, macOS, and Linux.
Until Then is a single-player narrative game where the opening starts with a written narration of your character alongside little animations. The opening sets the story of a 15-year-old boy named Mark Borja. He is a high school student with a very laid-back, slacking attitude who tries his best to continue through various high school moments. He lives alone in the Philippines, and his parents are working abroad. The game follows Mark’s story alongside the many friends he has and later comes to embark on a mysterious phenomena. The game focuses on young love and the experiences Mark shares with his friends. It revolves around a loving story but one that is filled with much content. It is heartfelt but offers great twists and turns in the story.
The controls to Until Then are extremely easy to get a hang off. When starting the game, there is a tutorial that helps the player get used to the controls. The mouse and keyboard work really smoothly with the controls, and there seems to be no noticeable lag. This game would definitely be ideal to play with a controller to get the most comfort out of it. Either way, when playing with the mouse and keyboard, it was nice and easy to get a hang of all the controls. The keybinds for interactions are also shown on the screen whilst playing the game. One of my favourite controls to the game was the messaging feature where you could mash random keys on the keyboard to have it simulate your typing to the person. This little control addition from the developers adds great detail and realism to the game, which I absolutely loved.
The art style for Until Then is a beautifully immersed pixelated world. The game features stunning pixelating visuals that create an atmospheric environment, one which resembles that of the Stranger Things Game but goes above and beyond. The usage of dynamic lighting, shadowing, and creating fourth/backgrounds all get encapsulated really well with the various layers of the environment. I love the attention to detail and the elemental 3D effects in this pixelated art style that does such a good job of creating the various locations in which the player interacts. The designs of the characters are so well made, even with their simplicity, which adds a whole another level of captivation for players. I have to say the art style is fantastic and stunning. The animations for this game are outstanding as well. The expressions are so exaggerated through different forms of lines and movements. The art style has purposely blurred text for signs and items, which is a nice touch. It keeps those things subtle whilst paying attention to other important details. Even the still shots have some sort of animation, from the constant up-and-down movement of the characters to speckles of dust or wind in the air. I like the usage of different zooms and angles. The depth walk that happens automatically is so smooth and feels extremely real. In addition to the visuals, the soundtrack makes the game even more alluring with the completion of the visuals. The soundtrack can be described as vivid and enchanting almost. It’s a great mix of ambient noises, such as dogs barking, birds chirping, and people walking, mixed with instrumental synthesised music to add a different sense of emotion to each scene. For instance, the scene with Mark and Ryan where they are cramming the presentation has this upbeat, fast-tempo beat which goes so well with what’s happening in the scene. I found the visuals and sounds to make the game much more encapsulating to play. The game has an anime-esque feel to it.
The gameplay for Until Then is simple, where you go from left and right to interact with objects and meet with people to unveil the story more, but it does get more complex as you play the game. The game revolves around the premise of discovering the intriguing story that Mark’s life is about. First and foremost, the game does a good job of portraying a high school student where the use of a smartphone and social media mechanics can be explored by players. Whilst Mark waits on the train, he scrolls through his feed to which you can comment on people’s posts, like them and read more news articles. One of my favourite features has to be the texting app, where you can read and reply to people who send you messages. Not only does this lead further into the story, but it makes the player feel like they are in control of what is being sent. Plus, texting is so realistic because you see the character typing something at first and then deleting it to send something else, which is something people tend to do regularly.
Besides those aspects, there is much more to the game that creates a realistic environment that flows smoothly with the storytelling nature. I also love the addition of ‘mini-games’, which differentiates the playstyle on certain occasions. Those interaction games are cute and include things like buttoning a shirt, putting in a USB, and many others. Not just this, but the inclusion of many other circumstances, such as the teacher catching Ryan and Mark chatting whilst presenting, adds another level of storytelling. Personally, the MCR group chat resonated the most as it seemed like a group chat I would have with my friend’s not just that, but the texting lingo is so on point, and the sense of humour is perfect. If you’re someone who has been through high school or is currently in high school, you can see a bit of yourself in some of the characters that are introduced in the game. The dynamic and dialogue between the characters are so fun to read up on and choose the next steps. I like that each character has a unique personality, which enriches the story.
As I said earlier, Until Then is a heavily narrative game where the ending matters and the game has multiple endings, so making choices throughout the game is very important. Not only does this allow the player to replay the game and find other endings, but it showcases which decisions are the most important. The game is heartfelt and can take many twists and turns that can have an emotional impact on the player. It is slow-paced but not in a way that would bore the player but rather keep them glued to their chair. Personally, it is one of the best visual narrative games that I have played, and the way the story unfolds is like no other. I 100% recommend this game, as it is worth your time and will truly leave an impact.
Until Then is an interesting game that revolves around an emotional story where you play as a high school student who undergoes a mysterious phenomenon. Through this story, you learn more about your friends and the people around you as you interact with them on a day-to-day basis. The game captures a great sense of heartfeltness through fascinating pixelated visuals and an immersive soundtrack. If you want to try out an outstanding visual novel game, then be sure to check out Until Then!
Overall: 10/10
This is S & S. We are world game explorers. We play games. We have played over 10,000+ games! We travel, we write reviews AND we play more games!!!!
