What a blast.
This is, by far, the best visual novel I ever see.
The atmosphere and the characters are memorable and the dark, gothic, themes are wonderful.
I have no more to add to the countless positive reviews.
A game that will make you laugh, cry, remember what love is, get divorced, have 2 children, and become a billionaire. I was only half joking about that. If you live on Earth and breathe oxygen, this is a must play for you. The game deals with pain, trauma, peace, love, happiness, and what it means to be human. You will learn more about yourself than you even knew. So give it a shot, you won't regret it.
This VN is one of the best pieces of written media I have ever read in my life. The themes and harsh things people deal with in real life are shown, expressed, and explained better than anything I have ever seen dealing with the same ideas. This Love story was 100% worth my 43 hours of gametime. I cried more times than I could count. The writing is so raw, real, and genuine. I could tell everything was handled with the utmost care. The art design is so beautiful and unique I adore it so much. The music was perfectly used to set the atmosphere in every scene, It is easily among my favorite OSTs ever. If you want a long interesting mature love story. Please give this a try. You won't regret it.
Often times in equal parts is this game overly dour and depressing, and its pacing glacial and prose overwrought. It had been awhile since my last VN and I admit my tastes in media have changed quite a bit, so getting through this was somewhat of an ordeal. But, unlike many others with innumerable dead ends, recycled scenes and poorly thought out minigames, the linearity of Fata Morgana means you won't need to follow a guide (though there are annoying QTE-like choices that aren't properly signalled) and it is a pure reading experience, so I appreciated the ease of getting through it (esp for getting achievements naturally).
Still, there are times I put it down for extended periods. The central mystery of who the protagonist is, why the haunted manor is the way it is and how all these threads of fate tie together is strong, and you realize there are yet mysteries within more mysteries, half-truths and tragic misunderstandings. The title of the game is a clue to this. Still, as compelling as the narrative is, the often recycled music and lack of scene variety (though what there is is generally excellent, as are the character designs) does little to propel you forward. You'll be confused, shocked, touched and elated all within a chapter, but it can be patience testing. Things will not be soon revealed until the very last lines are drawn over your screen. It is a *very* long title, even accounting for reading speed, and the included side stories means you have a very long read ahead of you.
It is ultimately a confidently told story about humans at the very best and at their very worst, the horror of one's inescapable circumstances, of very real and fantastical curses, suffused in gothic dread.
*Played the Dreams of the Revenants Edition on PS Vita