I'm gonna start off with a bit of a ramble, so if you wanna skip to the actual review, disregard the first few big paragraphs. I have things to say about the VN itself, but I want to unload something first.

Fault, as a series, isn't the most active one. Their first visual novel Milestone One came out in 2013, with the sequel Milestone Two Side:Above coming out two years later. I've been on board pretty much right before MS2a came out, and have been waiting with baited breath for a new installment. Since 2015, we have gotten a demo of the prequel Silence The Pedant, the spin-off Mhakna Gramura And Fairy Bell, both in 2018 I believe, and now Lightkravte. Besides that, it's been pretty radio silent outside of Patreon, and sometimes a little quiet on there as well. I've been donating to the devs through Patreon for years now, and after hitting some financial issues which I've since recovered from, I had to drop my pledge to a dollar a month. What I'm trying to say here is that I've stuck with this series since 2015, and would easily call it one of my favorites. I've seen their passion for the project, I've seen the growth of the studio, I've seen progress on their projects, I've seen them go through hardships... I've seen a lot, and I haven't seen even the most of what's been going on in the background. To this day, I see the potential of this series, and I want it to be big, I want it to succeed, and I want to see this story in its entirety. Unfortunately, what I haven't seen, and what many others haven't seen, is releases.

Over the course of 9 years, Fault has made 4 full releases, two of which are mainline stories and the other two spin-offs. There's also a prequel story in the works, which is a major part of the story in general, but that's been put on the back-burner, with only getting a demo release so far. Behind the scenes, and through Patreon posts I've seen that Alice in Dissonance has made a lot of progress in the technical and art department. It just bums me out that with all the progress they've shown us, we haven't had consistent and/or frequent releases. If not for those Patreon posts, I probably would have already given up on this series, but the potential it has to become phenomenal is too great for me to ignore. With how much people geek out about stuff like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Star Trek, all these popular series, the Fault universe interests me so much that it has the potential to be that for me. It could be my Star Trek, my Lord of the Rings. But it misses that mark with the lack of releases. The fact that Lightkravte released in the first place is a sign of hope for me, and I sincerely wish... I hope... Alice in Dissonance can get everything together and pick the series up, then make good progress. Some would probably say I'm a fool supporting a lost cause, but after so many years, I still find the potential of the series incredible. I don't want to give up on that. It's just... frustrating, you know?

Phew! That was a lot. But I'm here to write a review about Lightkravte, so let's do just that.

Fault - STP - Lightkravte is a spin-off prequel of the Fault series. It takes place 5 years before Fault Milestone One, and is a story about a young boy called Khaji Oberg, who strives to be a painter. Unfortunately for him, he's not a very good one, as his work is way below subpar, and after two years of practicing daily, he hasn't gotten any better at it. Regardless, he still tries to find ways to pursue his passion and keep painting, even if the world says no.

I wouldn't say the story is all that important compared to the other entries in the series, but I do think it's a very interesting one. I love the world of Fault and I love seeing lore being build upon it, and this one does just that. The story by itself is also pretty good. It also has a lot less dark or gruesome turns compared to the other entries, but it still has its own little moments. Beyond that, I think it's a pretty fun story that presents questions about pursuing your dreams vs pursuing something more stable, stuff like the differences between wanting to do something vs enjoying it, things like that. I wouldn't say it's the most original topic, but it's still interesting.

The art is phenomenal! Be it the character art or the backgrounds or the CGs, the art of the game is beautiful. When I first saw the animated characters in Patreon posts, they didn't look all that good to me. But seeing them in game, I've come around to liking them, and quite a lot in fact. Unfortunately, there is no gallery to peruse the art in. I love looking at artwork from visual novels, either during my playthrough or after the fact, and unfortunately the only time you get to enjoy the art is when you're reading it. Which isn't bad in and of itself, but I guess I just like enjoying the little things just by themselves sometimes.

The music is also really pretty. Be it calm and casual, or dramatic, or sad, the music really adds so much to the mood. If there is a soundtrack available for it, I want to buy it.

Overall, Lightkravte is a good visual novel. I wouldn't say it's the best Fault has to offer, but considering the lack of entries into the series since 2015, I would say it's at least a somewhat welcome one. Though if you've read Fault before and are still looking for an installment that continues the story, this unfortunately isn't that. Still, I think it's a good read regardless of whether you've read any of the previous visual novels or not. You might be a bit lost on some of the characters if you haven't, but you'll learn who they are pretty fast anyway. I would recommend.

The story is simply quite amazing. Saying more would be spoiling it.

Six hours. That’s how long it took me to play through Lightkravte, subtracting the time I left the game idle while I did other things.

Seven years. That’s how long it took for the next full installment of the fault series to be released after side:above in 2015. It comes out to less than an hour per year.

I wanted to hate it. I /do/ hate it. Side:below was supposed to be released in what, 2017? Initially we were told that it was delayed, and then that Silence the Pedant would come out first, and then StP was delayed, and then it was delayed again, and then that side:below was actually going to be coming out first after all.

And that we get told that it’ll be neither of those, StP is being made into its own arc, and the main character that AiD’s had seven years to come up with, much less Selphine or Ritona, is some simpering f*ckwit that makes the average harem anime protagonist look good? I’m not going to pretend I have insight into all the reasons as to why entries keep getting delayed, but a delay as long as what fault went through absolutely would’ve killed off lesser series for good. So, knowing this, and still forcing my way through the game’s early bits where Khaji’s insufferableness is at its maximum,

I get an achievement at the 2-hour mark letting me know that I can no longer refund the game???

That borders on insulting; I was really tempted to just put down the game then. But I didn’t. Fault has a special place in my heart; as short as milestone one was, it sparked a love for fantasy, for magic, for stories that love and care and respect their world and characters, for carefully crafted settings that whisk you away to another location entirely, that’s still burning almost a decade later. Of course a petty, passing whim isn’t going to beat out that spark that’s been burning for so long. Not to brag or make myself seem like an expert on the series, but I waited for hours in the 110+ July LA sun to get into the Project Sekai panel at Anime Expo just to hear a crumb about developments in the series (there weren’t any). I’ve had merch of Selphine and Ritona out on display in my room for a couple years now. Point is, I think it’s an incredible series that clearly has a special place in my heart, and even then, the circumstances around Lightkravte made me feel like my goodwill was being taken (at best) for granted or (at worst) advantage of.

And yet, despite all my grandstanding, this review is still going to blend in with the sea of other positive reviews, because of course it is: it’s fault, so the level of its quality was expected to be this high. Every moment I groaned about how awful Khaji was, shortly after some incredible little hunt of worldbuilding would pull me back in. Without going too much into spoilers, his journey is one that had me rooting for him by the end of it. A focus on the highs and lows of Khaji’s psyche, rather than on the actual major events, works well towards redeeming his character, although I still maintain that the overall story would’ve been better if I wasn’t actively rooting against the main character for the majority of the story. Yes, it’s more “satisfying” because we went from a terrible character to a likable one, but if I was picking this game up randomly I would’ve refunded it way before the two hour mark.

As for the story itself, it was good, but the way it depicts Rughzenhaide helps to color in a lot of what we would later come to know about Selphine and Ritona is great. Since the two spend all their time away from Rughzenhaide in the main storyline, experiencing the country from a “normal” (although that’s debatable given the people Khaji is friends with) perspective does an important job of filling in the world. I wish I could just appreciate Lightkravte for what it is instead of what it could or should’ve been (side:below), but every point of praise for the game feels like it has to have an asterisk because of the circumstances of the series. I’ve already established that AiD could release a new entry that does nothing except personally insult my family and I’d still end up finishing it, but that doesn’t mean I can’t write a too-long steam review as my way of yelling into the void about how frustrated I am that can’t wholeheartedly enjoy this game in the way that I wanted to, despite the obvious quality in it.

In conclusion, if you enjoyed the previous fault games, you’ll enjoy Lightkravte too. You’ll probably enjoy it even if this is your introduction to the series. And I really wish I could’ve said otherwise. I wish I could’ve ripped into this, asking what the hell AiD’s been doing for the past seven years, scrapping the incredible story of the first two games for this weird prequel-game-turned-prequel-arc series-within-a-series. But might makes right, and the force of fault’s writing is just as good as it always is. It would’ve been easier to just write the series off as a flash in the pan wasted after all this time, but much like a ghoul in the thrall of a necromancer, I’m bound to this series for all of time.

I’ll see you all for side:below in 2029.

A good entry into the overarching series that also manages to be a standalone experience. If you have the time, this is the chronological play order from what I remember,

- Fault Milestone One
- Fault Milestone Two: Side Above
- Fault StP Technical Demo (Available on Patreon and not entirely necessary to play)
- Fault StP Steam Demo
- Fault - StP - LIGHTKRAVTE

Lets all hope the wait isn't so long for the next game.

Where should I start... it's been 7 years since last game. That's not a small amount for series that were supposed to be episodic but let's put that away for now. Instead let's ask ourselves: "How much changed and improved since last game?"

This might be rough but I feel like not that much changed, it's the same game that I liked years back for music, heartful fatnasy world & narrative. Lightkravte is a goergous project that shines as always among other VN's, with uncontested technical design and art quality. Even though we are reading story about farmer son in a kingdom of Rughzenhaide, with a bit weird interest in girls. it's still incredibly fun to read in the World of Fault.

I've seen game developers making huge progress in span of 3 years and upon releasing the game. They celebrate even small success, and they listen to feedback. Working on even harder after game release. I feel like Alice in Disonance stumbled upon problem, trying to make something to ambicious and they are lost in the process. For all these years I wouid love to see: Voice Acting, at least partial and continuation of the previous stories. instead of bringing new prologues reintroducing whole World, and new ideas from another perspective, it's a kinetic VN without choices that was supposed to be episodic.

By all means it's a good product, just not what fans were expecting from the story...
You may safely play it without knowing other games, it works as a prologue for Fault universe.

A great addition to the fault series. It actually takes place before the fault milestones. You don't need to read those first, though I feel I got more out of Lightkravte because I did. No voice acting but lovely graphics with animated characters. I felt the main character was a bit whiny but I can't say I've been any better when dealing with guilt. Heh. All in all, I really enjoyed the story and I need more fault games!

It's alright. As a visual novel, it's pretty to look at, sounds good, looks good, and offers some insight into the background characters present in the second vn of the series. A series I at one point endlessly endorsed and was happy to indulge in.

However.

the clear disorganization from the development side is beyond disappointing at this point. I enjoyed fault milestone... I enjoyed fault milestone close to seven years ago. Since it seems in high likelihood the series will not be finished ever, I'm no longer recommending alice in dissonance visual novels for the time being as many of them currently just end on cliffhangers, and we can expect no resolution to occur.

Wow, been a while huh?

Once more I go into reading fault with great expectations, the previous title always raising the bar and each time it finds a way to kick it into outer space with a new release.
With the moving avatars the characters don't feel like sprites, they feel like they are actually living and breathing, along with some great little details like the blinking or the addition animations.
The scenes all hit the right notes, funny and lighthearted all the way down to deep and introspective. Everything feels grounded and the additional world building is fantastic, the characters all have their unique personalities that feel fleshed out and i was rooting for every single.


Finally, they still have a scene that scared the ♥♥♥♥ out of me, just like every other release. One day I won't get spooked damnit!

This is certainly an interesting release. To preface, I've played Milestone One, Milestone Two: Side Above, and the original STP Demo on Steam, so i'm already invested in the series and have a sense of its history. That will be important to the perspective of my review.

———

First things first, there's been a change in the art style from previous games, specifically with the characters. Their designs are simpler and flatter and more closely resemble modern anime. For example, the faces tend to be rounder and their clothing has less detail that is needed to give it the appearance of depth. In previous Fault games, I loved how meticulously drawn the outfits were, and each pose for each character seemed like it was worked on to perfection. Comparatively, Lightkravte's character designs feel a bit more boring (I felt it was worst with Flora and RItona).

What's especially noticeable about the change in art style is that the style used for the characters no longer matches the style used for the backgrounds, so the characters feel a bit like they've been superimposed onto the scenes. The result is that they feel a bit odd and out of place.

Everything else feels like it's in line with expectations. I think the backgrounds are done well, the characters themselves are still pleasing, and the general aesthetic feels like an appropriate continuation of the series. I think the team especially did a great job nailing the look and feel of Rughzenhaide.

Overall, I consider the character designs a downgrade, while everything else meets expectations. If I hadn't played previous Fault games, I'd say the character designs are great.

———

Next, I'll talk about what they gained visually. The most obvious is that the characters all move, both by transitioning between poses and expressions and actually, physically moving across the screen. I think it looks really good and is a good addition to the series. What's especially cool to me is that the characters are (from what I can tell) actually 3D models made to look like 2D animation. If that's correct, then it's an incredibly impressive feat and the creators did an outstanding job nailing that—it is *not* easy to do by any means. (In fact, it reminds me a little of Arc Systems' works in Guilty Gear, DBZ FighterZ, and BlazBlue).

Overall, solid improvement on the series.

———

I'll cover the narrative portion of the game by touching on the characters independently from the plot itself.

Starting with the characters, I unfortunately have a huge criticism: Khaji, the protagonist, is pretty unlikable. To put it bluntly, he comes across as a typical harem anime protagonist, which I find to be a turn off—it made the game more of a slog to get through in some parts. I think some parts of Khaji's unpleasantness as a character are intentional, as the main theme of the story is about his naively limited and selfish view of the world and the people around him. That part makes sense. Where I lose interest is the constant perving on female characters, his constant nervousness, and the running gag of him being unable to hold a conversation in serious situations. It's one thing to have a flawed protagonist, but Khaji has too many bad traits packed into one character, especially as the protagonist whom we experience the game through.

The rest of the characters are great. The scenes with Flora and *especially* Ritona are the most noteworthy. While it isn't her story, I genuinely love how much more Ritona gets fleshed out, and the interactions she has with Khaji are where he best fits his role as the perspective of the reader. Misha and Riggs were both surprisingly more involved and I enjoyed them both a lot, especially after their brief appearances in Milestone Two: Side Above. It was good getting to see more of them.

As for the story proper, I thought it was good overall. It covers a lot of themes, a few of which I think were handled quite well and serve as good (whether intentional or otherwise) commentaries on modern society. Namely, the expectations and responsibilities each person carries in their society, that people of higher status don't necessarily have easier or better lives despite how it may appear from the outside, and the general advancement of civilization to make life simpler and less difficult for people that then leads them to becoming more complacent and entitled over time. There's a good bit of complexity to the narrative under the hood, and you can easily spend time digesting it after you're done playing. Likewise, I think the writers do a really good job of showcasing the humanity and depth of the characters. Each one has their own problems, and how they respond to and handle them varies in genuinely believable ways.

Overall, I'd say the story is paced quite a bit better than previous releases and has more depth to it, especially with the characters. Unfortunately, though, I consider Khaji to be so unlikable that I think the Lightkravte is a narrative downgrade. In fact, I'd say he's a good example of how not to make a character. While he gets better throughout the story and I can appreciate his journey and its accompanying themes, I don't think he's worth the investment.

———

The music is top notch as always. There are some reused tracks from the STP Demo, which I actually really liked because they fit the general vibe of the game. I especially loved what I guess would be called the "main theme" of Fault that plays after the first few scenes when the introductory credits are rolling—choosing to compose it in a minor key like that was excellent, and I'm really missing the "Extras" section of the game to be able to listen to it more.

I can't say if this is actually true, but it feels like Lightkravte has more tracks in it compared to the previous games. It certainly felt more varied, and the songs themselves have a lot of emotion and weight in them. There's a song that plays during a conversation between Khaji and Ritona in the latter half of the game that is straight fire.

Overall, outstanding as ever, and a wonderful way to build atop an already solid foundation.

———

So what do I say about the game as a whole? That's difficult. If you're invested in the Fault series, I think it's an okay addition for anyone looking to have more Fault and further involve themselves in the Fault world. You're probably not missing anything substantial if you skip out on it, however, and instead just wait for Milestone Two: Side Below. If you're new to the series, I don't think this entry is worth your time.

The AiD team nails what I feel they're best at: telling a compelling story with lovely characters and well-composed, emotional music that fits well with each scene. Compared to previous entries, however, they really drop the ball on the protagonist, Khaji. Since he's the lens the reader experiences the story through, it's imperative he be likable and relatable, and I think he's absolutely neither of those. Compared to the primary lens of the other stories, Ritona, he just doesn't hold up—to the point that I don't want to go through the story any additional times like I have with previous entries.

I'm also a bit disappointed in the art style change for the characters. My suspicion is that it's a consequence of trying to use 3D models for animation. Unfortunately, there's an additional downside to that, which is that it's hard to appreciate the animation without voice acting. You miss a lot of the subtle movements if you're focused on reading, and the alternative is to watch the animations first and then read, which artificially slows the pacing of the game. And as I previously mentioned, I think the characters look better in previous titles.

I therefore have to rate it as a No. If Khaji were handled better, I would have rated it a Yes despite my other issues with the game.

I’d like to preface this review with the fact that I didn’t get into the Fault series until around the end of October 2021. I haven’t been starving for a new entry for a long time, unlike other fans. This might change how I feel about the story presented.

This VN is great stuff! An enjoyable story, a great cast of characters, beautiful art, and a fantastic score, Lightkravte has a lot of stuff going for it while providing me with only a small handful of gripes.

First, the story, what we’re all here for. I enjoyed it a lot. The story does have a slower start, which might turn off some people. Despite that though, AID has drastically improved on their pacing issues that were pretty rampant in fault milestone one. Lightkravte also has quite a bit of witty dialogue between the Perchwood crew and others. It gets some good chuckles out of me. This is also something I’ve seen steadily improve with each release, including the STP Demo. Sonetta especially has great dialogue going for him (yes, him.) He’s a great addition to the cast.

When the story needs to be serious, it excels. I liked all of the moments Khaji had to have serious one-on-one conversations with the other characters, though I do question if one or two of them were super important to the overall plot. Not that I mind all that much, I was elated at the chance to finally see what’s going on in some of these characters’ heads.

Speaking of Khaji, I like him! He starts as maybe a tiny bit basic but watching his interactions with the other characters and getting to know him a bit better had me rooting for him fairly quickly. I loved reading about his journey.

When it comes to Khaji being the main character of Lightkravte instead of Ritona, I don’t mind at all. I think it helps that Khaji and Ritona can’t stand each other for a majority of the VN because they’re actually very similar. Reading about how they feel about each other gives a lot of insight into both of them. Although, it only feels like you start getting most of that insight in the second half of the VN, which contributes to the slower start of the story.

My main gripe with the story is some setup that feels like it doesn't go anywhere. A conspiracy plot is set up that ends up feeling like it’s just planting seeds for future STP entries. Khrau’s influence in Khaji’s journey is pretty substantial, and I honestly thought he was going to be the main antagonist of Lightkravte. I was excited about the prospect too because I love his design and his demeanor. But in the end, he didn’t do much. A bit disappointing. Hopefully, we can see more of him in the future.

The art has taken a MASSIVE step up. I absolutely adore all the life that has been breathed into these characters with the Spine system being used for sprites. Watching them whip out different poses is a delight. The CGs were also all very well drawn. I only have one small gripe, and that’s Riggs’ design. He’s supposed to be a buff guy, but in STP he looks about as slim as Misha. Initially, I just figured he buffs up in between now and his appearance in milestone 2: side above, but Khaji outright says that Riggs is a buff guy in this VN. Unless I’m missing something, I’m not really seeing it.

I love this game’s music! Not only is it great stuff, but it’s also used well. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen media have great music but not know when to use it. Lightkravte certainly doesn’t suffer from this.

One last gripe before I close out, but I noticed a distinct lack of an extras menu. This is my biggest gripe with this VN. I love this game’s art and music, but I can’t go back and look at/listen to it without booting up the actual story. This is kinda baffling considering these types of menus are not only commonplace in other VN’s, but they also existed in both milestones one and two: side above. I hope this can be patched, and if not, be released as DLC. I hope this isn't missing in side below, too.

That’s all I’ve got to say on Lightkravte. A fantastic VN that is worth the price. Whether you’re a new fan or a longtime fan, I think there’s a lot that Lightkravte has to offer. If you are a new fan, be aware that this VN is fairly short. Considering this isn’t anything new for the series and the lower price tag, I don’t think it’s a detriment.