Warped Reality is a sci-fi, cyberpunk visual novel developed and published by Unwonted Studios. You're Kazu, a young man who's just finished his VR machine, hoping that it'll be what turns his fortunes around for the better. However, after Aya, his longtime childhood friend, tries the VR machine, she disappears, putting Kazu in a frenzied panic. Determined to find her and to discover what happened, he modifies his VR machine, turning into a Warped Reality (WR) machine and visits several virtual worlds to find her. What secrets will Kazu discover, and will he find Aya?

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3782572588

As for the gameplay, multiple choices are presented throughout the story. While some choices determine the relationships that Kazu has with NPCs, other choices can determine if he progresses with his mission or reaches a bad ending. A few mini-games are present as well, and failing them results in a bad ending. Lots of CGs as well as a varied soundtrack are in the game, and plenty of Steam achievements and Steam trading cards are available. However, achievements won't count towards a user's global total until the game is out of "Steam is learning about this game".


I must admit that this visual novel didn't get on my radar initially until a good friend referred me to the developer, knowing that I'd get around to reading it and writing a review. ^^ Also, since I saw that a lot of friends wishlisted it, I figured that I should get to it on the sooner side and share my thoughts. In addition, I do enjoy a good sci-fi setting. XD


The beginning of the story starts off strong, with Kazu just having finished his invention. We get to see his personality revealed early on. He's hard-working and wants to believe that things will work out although he's not so naïve as to blindly trust anyone (well, guess I can sort of relate to that). His enthusiasm shows in how excited he is about his invention, going so far as to tell Aya about it. When events spiral, though, that's when things get exciting. I enjoyed the main story itself, with how Kazu travels to different virtual realities ranging from a version of ancient Greece to a dystopian, war-torn version of Detroit, all to search for his childhood friend. Also, I like how there's a deeper conspiracy going on, and without going into spoiler territory, there's a very good reason to have a healthy amount of distrust. :o

With any weak parts to the story, I feel like it happens with regards to relationships. For example, Kazu and Aya are in a romantic relationship, but unless I missed something major that makes this obvious, I didn't pick this up. It's even more baffling if Kazu chooses to trust Sil, his ex-girlfriend but still friend who is in the same line of work. Major spoilers - Sil suddenly gets angry during a scene about Kazu betraying her for Aya, and I have to agree with Kazu on this. It's confusing why Sil would get angry when there's no indication that she and Kazu will ever get back together. I feel like the relationship parts should have been developed better to make the characters' reactions more realistic.

The writing itself is solid. The pacing is good, and I only noticed a few typos. Of course, with how many branching paths are present, it's difficult to correct all the typos, so I understand if a few are missed.

As for the gameplay, I enjoyed the mini-games. They're fairly easy to complete, and if you ever fail them, you always have the option to try them again. If you choose not to, though, then you'll get a bad ending, so if you're going for all achievements, then it's something to keep in mind. All achievements are obtainable although it may require multiple playthroughs to do so. However, in the Extras section on the Main Menu, there's a Chapter Select option, so you can go for a chapter where you think you might be able to get a missed achievement. I'd recommend making save files at several points in the story, just in case. I was able to obtain all the CGs as well, but I'm currently missing one music track and a couple of character profiles. Since they're not required for any achievements, though, I'll probably just explore them when I have the time. XD


The art is very well done, giving off that sci-fi, cyberpunk setting. The sprites and backgrounds are drawn well in detailed and colored well, too, with a good contrast of colors. Especially, the CGs are great to look at. It was difficult to choose from among my favorites, but I did my best. ^^

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3782572685

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3782572794

With the music, the tracks all give off this futuristic vibe, perfect for a sci-fi setting. They have a great range, too, from the ones emitting hope to the darker ones full of despair. All the tracks are instrumental.


Would I recommend Warped Reality? If you enjoy visual novels that are suspenseful and action packed, especially enjoy sci-fi settings (like I do), and/or you like getting all those Steam achievements, it's definitely worth a try. Assuming that you're going for all the endings, achievements, and whatnot, it's worth the asking price for how much content and quality you'll get out of the game. Of course, you can choose to wait for a sale, and it's in a Steam bundle.

Finally, I'd like to thank Unwonted Studios for the review key. It was quite the ride to follow Kazu on his mission to save Aya, and I totally enjoy a good sci-fi story. ^^

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