Visual novel games often rise and fall based upon the strengths of their storytelling and their presentation. The gameplay doesn’t often matter but it can be a problem if not done right. Love Ribbon is one of the most balanced games in this genre in terms of giving you the depth of a visual novel but the interactivity of a normal RPG in many ways. If you’re searching for a beautifully told story that is visually appealing and offers a compellingly realized world, then we think you should give this game a try.
How to Download Love Ribbon
To download the game, click on the Download button located below this review. If you like anime romance, check out also Tricolour Love Story, If My Heart Had Wings, or LOVE³ -Love Cube.
The Game Review
One thing that is tough to avoid when discussing this type of game is the story itself. Without revealing any spoilers, we have to give you some idea of what you’re delving into. After all, if it isn’t your thing, you will probably want to know that right off the bat. Love Ribbon is very much in line with other games in this genre and this includes its story.
The one area where it might make some people squirm or may even perk others’ interests, even more, is that the romance here is between two women – specifically, sisters. As a “yuri” visual novel, this is to be expected and, without revealing specifics, this is the focus of much of the action of the game.
The next aspect that people like to know about when it comes to visual novel games is the style of the presentation. The artwork here is superb. It is really beautiful and everything is rendered in a delicate pastel palette. Illustrations are clean and crisp as well as large and vibrant.
The manga style here hearkens back to the 1990s era and this classic look gives the whole novel a kind of Sailor Moon-esque appeal that could draw in gamers not typically given to this genre of game. In line with this approach, the gameplay isn’t complex and there aren’t really many difficult concepts here to grasp. The story moves at a somewhat slow pace at first but then really starts to pick up towards the middle. Much of the time spent with the game is quite passive and this could prove challenging for gamers that are more aligned with action-heavy titles.
Outside of the core gameplay and graphics, everything else is top-notch. There’s really no reason to complain about sound, music, or the ever-important user interface. Everything is clean and well suited to the story. The biggest obstacle that we think many people will face is the fact that the game has a somewhat controversial plot that might not be everyone’s cup of tea. While these kinds of subjects are often explored in television and film, video games are still seen as a somewhat forbidden area for this kind of topic.
We disagree with that notion and we think you will, too. In fact, we think that Love Ribbon and games like it will only increase in number and, as they do, their ability to convey deep stories and quality if somewhat passive gameplay will become a more prevalent genre as a consequence.
