Young Ethani finds herself washed up on unfamiliar shore. There is a Lighthouse, a beacon for those who have lost their way, its Keeper tells her. What happened to Ethani? And will she find her way after leaving this mystical place?
I liked...
The concept (the story is first told backwards as a kinetic novel, and then from the beginning, where the player can try and reach a better outcome—I really enjoyed that)
The choices (Ethani has some tough decisions to make, which keep the story interesting; also the game overall is easy to navigate, since you can see in which direction each choice leads)
The characters
The art and music
I didn't care for...
The tonal shifts (at times, the game drops into chibi comedic scenes or grimdark tragic teritorry, with little subtlety)
The leaps of logic (a few plot points just don't feel very realistic, in my opinion)
Verdict
The melancholic Lighthouse of Guiding Flames is not the perfect visual novel, but it's an interesting one. The story can take you in very different directions depending on what choices you make, and some flaws of the plot do not take away from the message or overall experience. Recommended.
