Platform: PC | Demo Length: 30 minutes
Of The Lilies is a romantic narrative adventure where a young woman has to save the world from a divine curse – although doing so will mean having to kill one of her love interests.
The developers, Startris Studio, have noted that the game is heavily inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender and Space for the Unbound and that influence is very clear from the get-go.
You play as a young girl preparing for her coming-of-age ceremony as she is set to become the new chieftain of her homeland, Tayabac. Already the demo starts off with a sort of nostalgic feel as you interact with her surroundings and she notes an unsettling sense of déjà vu. Nevertheless, she sets out to help out the villagers with preparations, familiarising you with the game’s mechanics. These include fetch quests and simple quick-time events (QTEs). It does a good job of laying out the groundwork while giving you a glimpse into life and culture within Tayabac.
The peaceful opening is abruptly shattered when Tayabac is attacked by the Seiyslan Empire, sending the story in a much darker direction. The demo then jumps forward ten years, leaving us with plenty of questions about what happened in between.
My Impressions
I was immediately drawn in by the charming 8-bit pixel graphics as they really added to that nostalgic appeal of classic adventure games. The CG/character sprites are charming and coupled with the music, these all blend seamlessly to bring you into the world.
Although we don’t see much of Tayabac before the invasion, the land is rife with culture and already has its own identity. This made seeing the destruction to the village all the more devastating, and the reaction of the villagers, who you have only met a short while ago, heartbreaking.
I particularly enjoyed that the tutorial included an unwinnable QTE where the protagonist tries to use magic but fails, as it plays into the wider plot of her being unable to use it. As there is still a large gap in the romance adventure game market, I am interested in seeing how the battle mechanics will play out and the difficulty as the story progresses.
We are also introduced to two of the five love interests, who are very distinct characters from one another. This gives me hope that the romances and character development will be a fulfilling experience. Although Seiji only appears in the final scene, that short moment was enough to establish a soft spot in my heart for him (I’m a sucker for the loyal childhood friend-trope).
Would I Recommend It? YES! ✓
Absolutely. Despite the demo being only about 30 minutes long, the impact it manages to leave in that small amount of time is extremely impressive and it cuts at the perfect time when you’re left wanting to know what happens next.
I’m excited to meet the remaining love interests who, from the promotional images, already look like a unique cast of characters and am looking forward to experiencing their romance with the protagonist.
I think it was clever that the game already “spoils” the twist of having to kill one of your love interests because it creates a foreboding feeling of dread when you experience all the moments – both wonderful and bad – with them, knowing that it might all end… which adds wonderfully to the tale as it raises the emotional stakes of her journey.
You can try out the demo to Of The Lilies on Steam.
This game was reviewed as part of the Fall in Love Visual Novel Festival on Steam.
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