When I first saw this game on RPGMaker.net front page, I got really interested on it. A Drama RPG about depression, I became a little worried about that, depression is a very fragile subject that is badly depicted most of the times. But I'd given it a chance, and what a surprise that experience was.

I may dive a little deep with "spoilers" here, but not enough to make the game a less deserving experience.

The Art

One of the best aspects of the game. When you think about RPGMaker games, most of the time you remember the basic props and sprites that come with the base product, but Lenin comes surrounded with original art, from the sprites to the scenario itself. Almost everything, if not everything, feels like it belongs there, alive and unique as they can be. The game comes with beautiful drawings that shows us some scenes illustrating in-game events, all really well drawn and full of the artists self-style. And let's not forget how cute and charming our albino lion is haha

The Music

To combine with the original artstyle, we have an original soundtrack, complete with emotional and captivating music. The one that plays during the game introduction is a mix of playful and sad, showing us how Lenin is still a child, but his heart is already filled with sadness and pain, it's my favorite, along with Samiga Village theme song. Charming and enchanting, I'm sure that anybody playing this game will wish to take some time just to appreciate the soundtrack.

The Interactions

*I'll not go in deep with the characters because I played just the demo, and it isn't enough to get to know well most characters*
As I stated in the beginning, the game proposes, since it starts, to deal with very sensitive issues. As you walk around the village, you can feel the way Lenin is treated by everybody, how he is seen as a monster. Sometimes we get some heartwarming interactions that escapes from all that, and one special interaction almost made me cry, during the first minutes of the game. Everything is there to show to us how the world deals with Lenin, and we are given the chance to choose how we deal with it, be it by agressive or pacific means. I felt like every choice had a meaning and a consequence, something the game had promised to deliver and has delivered very well.

The Gameplay

The game plays as your classic adventure game, you have to search for objects and solve some puzzles that help you progress with the story. As I said before, your choices can change the story in many ways, and you get that feeling of "choices matter" you have from some games like "Life is Strange" and "Undertale", but not as complex, but with a lot of potential, because while you travel around the world you have to deal with your emotions and other people emotions which are never simple or straightforward as much as we may wish. There are no regular battles, like classic RPGs, but you still have to deal with some conflict sometimes.

Conclusion

Lenin the Lion is a game filled with emotions, both good and bad, and has the chance to deliver a very important message about depression and other emotional issues, with sensibility and care. It's the kind of game that everybody should play at least once, to learn about those issues or to get a chance to see yourself in the paws and mane of a white lion.