Japanese otome game developer Voltage has unveiled an upcoming PC port of their 2022 visual novel even if TEMPEST. Peviously a Nintendo Switch exclusive, the title is listed as “Coming soon” on Steam.
even if TEMPEST is a dark fantasy that takes place in a western historical setting where witchcraft trials and witch burnings are commonplace. Players take on the role of Anastasia (not that one), the tormented daughter of a marquess. Her misfortunes ultimately lead her to be sentenced to burn at the stake, but right before her life is extinguished, she awakens to the power of “Fatal Rewind,” which allows her to turn back time and pursue a better outcome for herself. However, things are never as simple as they seem, and Anastasia will have to endure further hardships before she finds her happy ending.
Being an otome game, the rest of the main cast is filled out with handsome men that serve as potential love interests for Anastasia, although given the dark nature of the story, they are all hiding secrets that guarantee each of them to be anything but a typical prince charming.
What makes even if TEMPEST stand out among its contemporaries in the genre, in addition to the Fatal Rewind plot device, is the gameplay loop. Much like popular courtroom drama games such as the Ace Attorney and Danganronpa series, players will first conduct investigations to search for culprits who conduct the wicked deeds of The Witch of Ruin, collecting evidence and testimony to piece together the truth. Afterwards, players will use the evidence they gathered in a trial sequence to pin down the culprit.
The game will feature branching paths in the storyline, as well as a flowchart to easily allow players to jump around the game’s timelines at will. The extent of the game’s mysteries will only be fully unraveled once every branch has been fully explored, leaving plenty of room for replay value. The game also features full voice acting for all characters aside from the protagonist.
even if TEMPEST saw a follow-up “fan disc” spinoff titled even if TEMPEST: Dawning Connections, which brought the romantic elements of the original game to the forefront, in 2023 for Nintendo Switch. A new title set in the same universe, sins of KALEIDO, is set to release on July 16, also on Switch. There’s no word yet if these titles are planned for a PC release, but players without a Nintendo platform will be able to experience the original game before long at the very least.
even if TEMPEST’s Steam page can be found here. The Switch version is currently discounted at 55% off until July 20 on the Nintendo eShop, along with its spinoff Dawning Connections at 50% off.
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