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Don't trust anyone's eyes.

(Note: This review is of the demo, so information will most likely be outdated once the full version rolls out. I hope to post a review soon when that time comes.)

Having played Crimson Rafflesia before, also by the same creator, I was pleasantly surprised to see him tackling the horror RPG genre, and I knew I was in for a treat. Crimson Rafflesia was full of twists and turns, a broken villain for a protagonist, and a cast full of extremely human and loving yet flawed characters. I picked up this game fully expecting the same.

Nevertheless, this being a demo, I sure hope my much-raised expectations don't come crashing down in the full version!

Story

It's rare for me to say this about a horror game, but the plot truly feels like I'm being handed jigsaw puzzle pieces that I know will complete into something brilliant. There's just something about the story that feels so fluid, well-thought -out, yet jagged in the sense that it's not a comforting, spoon-fed story, but one that the player will have to figure out by paying attention.

The story alone follows three main characters and what appears to be two plot threads (Mika's story versus Lenine and Micaiah's), both of which are vastly different. When I was playing through the chapters, I found myself wondering - What can the creator possibly do to tie both up properly? The ending room of the demo, however, resolves with a bang. That yes, everything is interlinked, much more than it seems, and just because the places look different to you from your narrative point of view doesn't mean that they're that different, and wow. That was really powerful, and I commend it.

It's the kind of demo that makes you sit at your desk and think after you're done: I want to know more. I've already come up with many theories, and I desperately want to hear them confirmed or denied.

Yet, with all the potential this demo has shown, I find myself afraid of raising my expectations up too high. This game definitely takes a huge risk by featuring a deep, convoluted plot, and I really want to see it live up to it in the end with all plot threads satisfactorily resolved. Yet, many a game has failed to live up to the expectations that it has brought up, so I really do hope that Mica: Apoptosis will be an exceptional case.

Characters

There's something about the characters that I really liked, which is simply how dynamic they all are. So far in the demo though, the only characters that really stood out to me are the protagonists, but I enjoyed their liveliness as characters (not literally, of course. Mika was obviously not very lively) and how much deeper their motivations seem to run than what it appears to be. Anyu is an honorary mention as well... the strange diary about his dad's death as well as the cryptic quotes that every chapter begins with makes me wonder if his father's death was what led him to become the Messiah? Or is there something darker than that?

Some of the more minor characters, such as Fleur and Rainer, clearly seem to have more than meets the eye, too, with their suspicious (especially Fleur's) conversations with Micaiah in Chapter 2. I've got my eye on you, Fleur.

Artwork

The art assets are cute, lush and Victorian anime-styled. While I have always had the preference for realism, this style works well and suits the mood of the game. I like Micaiah's appearance the most. She has the look of a glass doll and I think that design really matches her personality.

Gameplay

I liked the puzzles. They were generally of decent difficulty, not too hard nor too easy. I find that a lot of people got stuck at the part where the Messiah (at least I think it was the Messiah) set the room you're in on fire, but that was one of the easier puzzles to me, strangely enough.

Apart from the puzzles, there was only one chase scene, which was easy enough and wasn't at all scary (because it happened right after a cutscene that mentioned that someone's coming after you), so nothing too difficult. I hope the difficulty increases in the later parts of the game.

Horror Factor

This part of the game I believe could have been handled better, but as it isn't a huge consideration factor to the more plot-oriented me, it isn't a big deal.

The demo in general doesn't scare me, despite a few parts which may be tense and some parts with a creepy atmosphere (as well as the occasional scary scenes). But most of all, perhaps due to the changing characters between chapters, there is a lack of full immersion, so you don't feel like you are really in the characters' shoes.

Conclusion

Despite a few minor hiccups here and there, all in all, I'll give this game a 4.5/5, both because of how impressed I am, as well as for encouragement. (May change depending on the end result.)