Cinders - Happily Ever After?

For some reason 'Fairytale' films and TV seems to be something that is 'In fashion' at the moment, from dark and blood-soaked versions of old tales (Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters) to backstory explanation (Maleficent) to large TV drama series (Grimm, Once Upon a Time). With all this in mind comes Cinders, a re-telling of the old Cinderella story set up as a Visual Novel.

What are Visual Novels? Well think of one of those old 'Choose your own adventure' books, make a choice, turn to page 34 and so on. Visual Novels are essentially an upgraded version of these, showcasing character and background art throughout the tale and providing multiple choices at every turn.

And since Cinders is a Visual Novel game, the Visuals better be good. Thankfully they are, character art looks beautiful with each character and each of their expressions instantly being recognisable for the player. Backgrounds too look stunning, each helping to provide the backdrop for the tale. Music too plays a heavy part too, calm moments providing thought provoking tunes and more dramatic moments managing to send chills up the spine, the tune 'Born From Decision' being a really great tune in of itself (and is currently available FREE on Bandcamp).

On the same track, Visual Novels also should have a great story, hence the 'Novel' piece and Cinders doesn't disappoint thanks to its clever adaptation of a classic, providing new characters if needs be and rounding off previously one dimensional characters, giving both the stepsisters and the step-mother more than just the title of 'evil' for instance. The amount of choices in the tale really assist too, providing a fair amount of replay thanks to the game showcasing four different main endings, each of these containing multiple variants.

Overall if you love a good tale, Cinders is a worthy addition to any games library. If you prefer gameplay over story however, well... Visual Novels in general are not going to be for you.