A preface to go check it out over here - https://asphodelquartet.itch.io/blind-griffin
It's free and their only game on this account, but I must say it's worth a playthrough.
Now you know me at this point, I like looking for different visual novels and the like to look at. What draws me in? A multitude of stuff. Good storytelling, good music, lovable/hateable cast (a funny scenario there), and most importantly, it has to peak interest. Kind of like looking through books in a bookshop, trying to find what you'd like. Whether it was made two days ago, two years ago or even two hundred years ago, if it can tell a tale right, it's done it's job.
This I find to be one of those examples.
Made in 2015 for a competition on itch.io for NaNoRenO 2015 (looking at all the entries, I actually recognise a few I've played casually, so I'll look over them for you at some point) by a group called Asphodel Quartet, The Blind Griffin is something that got me feeling accomplished after playing it. While I wasn't familiar with any of the quartet's work, I did find myself more absorbed than usual in this, despite it being shorter than others.
While I completed it in a little over two hours, it's mainly due to me being able to read quickly (I always have to turn up the text speed), but it did help that the scenes were repetitive. It didn't force you to think "Okay, so I need to answer this big sequence in order to get the best ending" because it was pretty straightforward with the options. A definite change of pace from longer games I've played, but a good one.
Now, before I ramble further, let's jump into this review!
From their page, they set the scene of this being based in the American 1920s, or as they used "The roaring 20s". To give a little bit of history around it, during that time alcohol was banned, so people had to make very sneaky ways of selling it. Speakeasies ended up being that little slice of colour everyone needed (a hidden bar of sorts, you'd have to be in the know to find it usually).
Our main character, having travelled from home to make a living, stumbles upon one speakeasy known as "The Blind Griffin". She manages to get a job, only to realise everyone in there can use magic, and funnily finding out she can too. Learning magic and working at a bar, our protagonist has to learn how to use her magic with the help of the other workers.
A nice slice of history and fantasy from how they sell it, and I'm a sucker for the time period. Not just because of the air of mystery, but the music.
To also clarify before I begin, there are three separate routes - Giovanni, Alexei and Emilio. I will be covering them while trying not to go into major spoiler territory.
Now, the warning is here - There will be minor spoilers, but I'm gonna be trying to reign it in. Screenshots used will be from their page too, to avoid spoiling more than I need to.
Let's get into it!
Story/Plot
Okay, while the story was pretty short, I genuinely enjoyed how simplistic the story was. The changes between routes makes going through the repetitive dialogue a lot nicer, especially when you're wanting to do it in one sitting. The little things you spot between different routes does make you understand more why they act how they do, which builds up a lot more attachment.
While the magic portion is the only part that's fictional, it doesn't take away from both the main story itself, or the historical factors surrounding it. Seeing the story unfold as the protagonist learns magic is more realistic than what you'd see in certain novels. No expertise, and you see constant progression and improvement as time goes on. The fact they don't need to use it daily (so the fact that it's supposed to be hidden is evident) makes it seem more believable.
Although all the plots are quite simple by following the usual story form (for you who don't take media and whatnot, there's a theorist called Todorov. Pretty chill theory to check out), it doesn't feel overly simplified. The majority of the endings available do feel as if they're conclusions, rather than simply saying "you chose right, here you go", but the "bad" endings that are offered do feel a bit lacklustre, but do fit the genre.
Overall, a good story plot, with good conclusions (for the better endings)
Characters
I was honestly surprised, but extremely happy by how diverse the character set was. From the main character, so even the side characters we only see a few times, everyone has a personality you can't forget easily. Even the bachelors all feel different, especially with how they view the heroine.
To make it easier (and to save you feeling as if I've spoiled their entire personality), I'll summarise the character and give my views on them.
Heroine/Protagonist - A Chinese/American who had to work from a young age. Practical and street smart, she's able to hold her own, but lacks a little in the academic side as she didn't learn how to read or write. Honestly, I didn't think I'd like her as much as I did. She's sassy, practical and will hold her ground. Seeing her grow over the timespan is honestly a treat and as a main character, she doesn't fall into the Mary Sue category (hooray!)
Emilio - A working class American/Spaniard who's family owns a bistro. He's got a hot temper on him and he specialises in fire magic. Not the biggest fan of non-magical people simply due to past experiences.
While he's the one with the most endings (the other ones have three, while he has four), I didn't actually like him at the start. It took me at least two playthroughs before he grew on me a bit more, but that's just me. On the whole, he's not the most likeable, but he grows on you. Perfect for the tsundere fans out there.
Giovanni (Gio) - An Earth magic specialist with a passion for music. The speakeasy's violinist and saxophone player (although he's not the best at it). He's seen as one of the strongest in the coven and an older brother figure since he's more laid-back.
Not gonna lie, I saw him as more of a shifty person, till I realised how laid-back he was. He does bring a good dynamic to the group, and while his route didn't let me down, it didn't make me feel too much more for him. For those who like a tough, but sweet guy, this route's for you.
Alexei - A noblemen who emigrated from Russia to avoid the revolution back at home. While he seems to act cold and awkward with strangers, he's actually quite kind and very easy to fluster (if you so choose).
This was not only my first, but my favourite route to go through. He had me fooled at the beginning, when he seemed so cold, but after choosing his route first I ended up finding out how much more he is. Plus, out of all the bad ends, his feels like the one I'd cry at if I was more emotionally attached. For you out there who wish for the cold outer, warm inside type/hard worker, he's your guy.
Vivienne (Vivi) - A bubbly, headstrong girl who's the songstress of the speakeasy. Coming from New York, she's very knowledgeable about the city. The reason she got into singing was after seeing Bessie Smith live!
I honestly adore her. She just gives off sisterly feelings (if that's something). She keeps her head held high and even shows people a thing or two about assuming due to appearance. If I were to have more scenes just to see her, I would honestly go for it as she's just a doll to be around (oh geez, now I'm taking their accent).
Marie - The owner of The Blind Griffin. Disowned by her family due to her gender identity, she was allowed to keep the building only if she kept making a profit. Money is like water to her, spending it on what intrigues her. The word of warning is not to bring up her height.
I'll put this out there - She's such a queen! Mysterious, sophisticated and comfortable with who she is now! It was rare already to see such a thing in the time period, so for Marie as a character to be there, just being herself is honestly amazing. I know the authors loved making her (thanks to the extra notes) and I honestly love her too.
Layout, Artwork and Features
The layout of everything was generally very clean. The text for the dialogue was readable all the way through, contrasting nicely over a darker background. What I did have trouble with was the darker text used on the menu and for the extra options (on the sidebar in at least one image). If you struggle to tell between darker tones, playing with a blue light filter (I was at the time), or simply not paying attention, it's harder to see the colours pop up.
Luckily, they had a right click to save function, but it was still tedious if I wanted to go through the normal menu as I was struggling at times to see what I was selecting when I wasn't paying proper attention. Apart from that, I liked the vintage look that the menu reflected, and the model of the main character's reaction was a nice touch too.
Speaking of the models, they're very well drawn. While I'm usually sold on more anime-style visual novel drawings, this brought a lot more charm to the story itself. It fit the time period in my opinion (and I'm honestly obsessed with how cute Vivi looks in her images too). They're expressive, they fit the theme and none of them look similar to each other. A perfect mix.
The backgrounds I have to give them credit, they are honestly amazing to look at. I'd at least like one or two of them as backgrounds, simply because I can just picture myself in those places. The little details like the liquor on the shelves are just the touches that add to the scene. A treat for the eyes no matter how many times you play.
Looking at the dialogue, an interesting thing they've chosen to do was to consider using slang from the 1920s. What made it all the more engaging was their bibliography of terms you could access anytime in the game (and their own little comments, which was a fun touch). I never thought I'd be interesting in calling someone a "dame" once again.
A final thing to note about this is funnily the tutorial. When I first loaded the game and was offered a tutorial, I did accept it, thinking it was just a regular guide. To my delight, it was a lot more entertaining to see. It explained what you could do (hence knowing to right click to save) and some funny dialogue bits before it even starts. The best part? They were directed at you and not the protagonist. A great touch.
Overall Opinion
Despite being over 5 years old, it still lives up to the quality of craft. Short, sweet and an enjoyable experience for the most part as it could get repetitive if you're 100%ing without wanting to read it all again. I'd definitely say give this a try as it's a diamond in the rough
Personal score - 8/10
-R (02/2/2021)