Animamundi
| Animamundi: Dark Alchemist | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Karin Entertainment |
| Publisher(s) | Hirameki International |
| Platform(s) | Windows |
| Release |
|
| Genre(s) | Visual novel |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Animamundi: Dark Alchemist (アニマ・ムンディ 終わりなき闇の舞踏 Anima Mundi: Owarinaki Yami no Butou) is a Japanese gothic horror visual novel developed by Karin Entertainment and distributed by Hirameki International in the United States.
Many years have passed since Count Georik Zaberisk, once famed as the brilliant Royal Physician of the King of Hardland, relinquished his title and moved to the country to care for his frail sister, Lillith. His life since that time has been that of a normal aristocrat, with little out of the ordinary befalling him. So when one day the King offers Georik a new position as doctor in the capital, he jumps at the chance. However, while he is away from his manor, things take a horrifying turn for his sister when the villagers suspect her of witchcraft and as a result behead her and burn her body. Devastated by the death of his sister, Georik is grief-stricken until he realizes with shock that Lillith's severed head is still alive. Knowing that she cannot live like this forever, Georik tries to restore Lillith's body by transplanting the head from one body to the next, but despite his medical genius, he cannot make her whole again. In the depths of desperation, he stumbles across the secrets of alchemy, secrets long ago forbidden. Seeing no other way to save his sister, Georik has no choice but to start his journey down this dark and dangerous path...
As has been the case with most visual novels released in America, Animamundi did not attract much attention in the mainstream gaming press, thanks in part to its fairly limited distribution. Several female-focused gaming websites reviewed the novel and were generally supportive, but not everyone was pleased with the fact that some of the artwork from the game had been edited or replaced; primarily the gore and soft yaoi. To atone, Hirameki released some copies of the Japanese official game book, but did not re-release an unrated unedited version of the game. Another well-received factor for the game is that it had only one known bug; a text error that could be activated by clicking a particular series of events in a specific order.
In its review, GrrlGamer.com noted the "beautiful artwork, great musical score composed of symphony and chorus, [and] superb voice acting," as well as the elaborate storyline and dialogue. The review also had kind words for the English language adaptation, noting that "aside from a couple of minor typos here and there... Hirameki has truly done an outstanding professional job in this title." GamerGirlsUnite.com gave the novel an 85% rating, praised the voice acting with particular notice given to Yui Horie's performance as Lillith, and concluded that "... if you want to explore a new gaming genre, you're fond of reading stories and not afraid of getting into a gothic horror adventure, this is the game you need to experience. You won't regret it!
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Wikipedia