https://www.sinicalanimenetwork.com/post/because-we-re-here-act-1-quick-thoughts

Because We're Here is an episodic World War I inspired otome visual novel with romance, slice of life and thriller elements. It features a female postal worker, Elfriede Rauss, who works in the small town of Boschberg. When her co-worker and all the young, healthy men in her town enlist in the Wesslinger army to fight a war with another powerful country, everything in her life changes.

Act 1 covers her daily life as a postal worker, getting to know all the young bachelors in town, and eventually joining them in the war as a messenger for Eighth Company. Act 2 covers the drama and intrigue among Eighth Company as the Wesslinger army and their Etgoesian allies are engaged in a war with Leyland and Levasseur with some backdoor diplomacy among the rank and file soldiers on both sides.

This visual novel is an indie production using the Renpy engine, so it has to rely on the plot and diversity of characters to bring out the storyline, and route variety to make up for the average classical background music and artwork. There is a published community guide to help players get all achievements in the least number of playthroughs.

Act 1 is a bit short and generic as it takes the time to introduce the first set of characters in the story (Around 3 hours), whereas Act 2 is considerably longer with plenty of suspense, thrills, addition and removal of some characters (Around 7 hours).

After obtaining all achievements in act 1 and 2, the romance feels rather rushed as many of the specific character routes only have a few scenes before the protagonist and the chosen character confess their feelings for each other. Still, the large variety of characters with different personalities and backgrounds to pursue a romance more than makes up for this part.

As for the drama and thriller aspects, it has good scriptwriting to keep the reader interested in reading the story because every character, including the protagonist, has at least a flaw or weakness somewhere. There are no Rambos or Mary Sues as the protagonist can be shot dead for failing at a battle of wits minigame, and some characters will also inevitably meet their end in an ongoing war in the trenches against an equally powerful and well-equipped army.

Defections, collusions, and getting to know certain individuals on the enemy side (also hinting at possible romance options in subsequent acts) are described in vivid detail in act 2. Therefore, I can recommend this game with the act 2 DLC anytime, and hope to see the next two acts released in future.


http://steamcommunity.com/groups/vnislife

(Note: my playtime might be registered as 5 minutes, but I completed the whole story in offline mode. Reading through everything took me about 2 and a half hours.)

A well-written, well-researched, and touching visual novel set in a fictionalised version of World War I.
Because We're Here bills itself as an otome game, but there isn't too much romance - at least, not in the first instalment. There is, however, a very large cast of well-designed and nicely-drawn male characters with diverse personalities for the heroine to interact with, and you get a few sweet scenes with them depending on your choices (of which there are quite a lot).

It's an indie VN, but it was obviously put together with love and affection. The writing is very polished, and though it covers some pretty grim subject matters it's filled with deadpan/sarcastic humour that stops it being too depressing. The writing reminds me a lot of the Blackadder comedy series, which was probably intentional.
The characters are very varied, and they all have their own philosophies on the war: some are very gung-ho about the prospect of murdering their enemies, others want to fight for the prestige/social status, and others want to be left out of it altogether. All these different responses to the war are explored, and there's some thought-provoking stuff in here.
The character art is very soft and subdued, which suits the maudlin setting, and it's anime influenced, but not so anime as to be unfitting. I think it's impressive that, with such a huge cast of characters, everybody looks distinct and unique.
The backgrounds lack detail and are pretty blurry, but the sprites are the main focus anyway, and they're serviceable.

Honestly, the worst part of this story is that I want to know what happens next...! Part one isn't too long, and feels more like an introductory prologue to a wider epic than a stand-alone story. It also ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. Fortunately, after checking the developer's tumblr, it looks like the second part is already written, and they're waiting on art assets, so if the first 'episode' sells well and gets good reviews, it should be out much quicker.

I'm hoping that more people give this story a shot, and write positive things about it, so I can read the rest...!
It seems like later chapters will include new characters who offer yet more alternate viewpoints on the war, such as 'enemy' soldiers, so it'll be nice seeing more dimensions to the conflict and how everything unfolds~

I would like to start by saying this game is graphic. Without spoiling too much, a CG or two will contain blood and the game doesn’t shy away from violence or the realities of war. Personally, I only found two scenes that really bothered me. However, one scene was just brutal, and the other was really good writing. For those curious about the brutal scene; your character is getting ready to kiss her childhood sweetheart and he is shot in the head in front of her. Trust me, the MC’s face in that CG matched my own.

Essentially, ACT 1 focuses on setting the scene so that you have an understanding of the characters, their motives, their relationship to the MC and each other, with little snippets of your potential romance option’s backstories to leave you wanting more.

To start, the writing and characters are amazing. In otome, it’s all too common for the main character to be a big pushover, somewhat ditzy and childlike; you get tired of it. Add on to it that the men she’s pursuing are usually so perfect that their only issues are deciding what they should eat for breakfast, and you sigh as you prepare to read yet another boringly mediocre otome with pretty artwork. Thankfully, the writers of Because We’re Here did not take the same approach. Elfriede Rauss is everything we want in an MC. She has a personality, she knows how to think for herself and isn’t completely hopeless. Your potential partners have goals and problems that go beyond getting the main character to fall in love with them.

The amount of detail and research that went into this is incredible, it’s based off World War I, and before you turn to walk away, while it doesn’t glorify the war itself, it doesn’t bash it either. It’s brutally honest, heart-wrenching, and extremely well written. The developers give you enough detail to be fully immersed, such as the feeling of helplessness as you wait for that letter to arrive from the one you love, or the realities of what life in the trenches was like. But not so much that you’re transported back to history class, half asleep at your desk. Soldiers aren’t portrayed as rough and tough badasses who aren’t phased by the amount of fatalities they witness. Instead, they’re portrayed as actual human beings who understand that this might not end with them as unscathed heroes.

Now, if what you want is romance, you won’t find much of it here. ACT 1 is more of a prologue for your potential candidates. I recommend picking it up so that you can appreciate the character development, especially Wolf’s. It also gives you an idea as to why things are the way they are. I know this might be slightly disappointing to some people, but based on how ACT 1 ends, I’m confident that ACT 2 will contain more of the main character getting close to her potential partner.

I’ll say my only gripes so far are the artwork and how short it is. Now, I don’t usually complain about artwork, I’m no artist after all, but while the majority of CGs are nice, it’s off-putting how juvenile the older characters suddenly look in their personal CGs. But this isn’t enough for me to tell people to pass on the title, because the writing really is that good. And besides, the sprites and backgrounds are simply gorgeous.

As for how short it is, while it does tie up beautifully, for whatever reason, they decided to “sort of” let you choose your own path, and I think the approach is slightly silly considering a lot of the situations seem so unlikely, not to mention it’s clear they wanted to give us some type of connection between the MC and who you want her to be with. But in my eyes, I think it could have been left out. You’ll see what I mean when you play through yourself. All I’ll say is that you barely know a lot of these people, so it’s odd they’re willing to do such personal favors for you; or in the case of Wolf, that he’s able to say anything or even acknowledge much. Also, due to its length, I don’t feel comfortable commenting on the choices, because I have absolutely no idea how much they truly impact the story. The devs claim that its life or death and that pursuing some individuals may lead to the loss of others, so it’ll be interesting to see how things carry over to ACT 2.

Overall, this is an incredibly touching and thought provoking read that you won’t regret. Your only complaint will likely be that you’ll wish it were longer. I’d personally recommend that the devs release at least two acts at a time so that the wait between them isn’t so brutal. This would also give fans more to hold them over and keep them coming back.

I first encountered this visual novel a day before it was released, and immediately I was excited – I love historical settings, and WWI doesn’t get nearly enough media attention, and the characters looked very varied and setting-appropriate, so I had high hopes. Having played the first act now, I can say that the VN delivered everything I wanted and more.

Firstly, this is a very well-researched story. Everything from the details of the trenches to the many different wartime roles that were available to the different kinds of reactions people had to the war – and how they changed over time – are replicated here perfectly. But it doesn’t feel either overwhelming or confusing – apart from a brief explanation of the political history of the war early on, there’s no exposition, instead allowing the reader to familiarise themselves with the world by watching it unfold. It’s worth noting now that this story isn’t technically based on the real WWI – the countries and their geography are different, with some interesting results – but if you want something that captures the spirit of WWI in a very personal, in-the-trenches way, I can’t fault it.

The art also contributes to the feel of it. While I actually wasn’t super fond of the CG art, the sprites are very well-drawn and expressive, and fit very well into the setting despite not being hyper realistic. And the music is perfect – from the very first scene, the usage of traditional classical music perfectly expresses the dramatic moment, and other scenes continue, whether it’s upbeat folk music for the scene where everyone is just so darn excited to sign up to go to war, or sour dirges for when things inevitably go to ♥♥♥♥.

And as I’d hoped, the characters are all very different, reflecting a broad range of attitudes towards the war, and towards each other. You have the eager young lad determined to prove himself a hero, the draft-dodger who is castigated by the townspeople, the lout who just wants to beat some heads of the other side… but they don’t end there in those boxes, either. Even over Act I, we see very quickly how the war affects people, sometimes in drastic ways. Things change, and in a very real way.

The romantic system is also worth a note. It’s kind of a mix of the traditional ‘choose dialogue options your character will like’ system and the more modern ‘just straight-up pick the person you want to date’ option, but with a very unique twist – once you pick a character to get on their route, you’re not locked in. You can totally change to get onto someone else’s route later, if you decide you like them better. Which is good, because there’s going to be even more love interests introduced in Act II (beyond the 10 already available!!). I really like this idea, allowing for more flexibility over your route choices, while still making your dialogue options feel like they matter (as you can’t get on someone’s route if they don’t really like you much).

Then there’s the Battle of Wits system – interestingly for a war game, the real gameplay is actually in debates, where you will have to choose the most persuasive or most accurate response in order to win an argument. But it does actually make sense in such a thoughtful vn, set in a time when people were starting to drastically change how they talked and felt about war. And it works well – both times it comes up in Act I, it makes a lot of sense how it would have an impact, and the choices were reasonable if you thought about it. (For what it’s worth, I got a perfect score… except on the coup de grace of the Elfriede vs Elfriede match. Which was instantly reloaded, because I myself probably would’ve been a draft dodger, given my cowardice :P)

But I’ve been dancing around the real reason this VN left such an impression on me. WWI wasn’t like any war that came before it, or really any after it. People really went in thinking it’d be a gallant, noble affair, over by Christmas, but it was the opposite in every possible way. It was dreary and dark and cold and depressing, unartistic and lifeless. And that truth hovers in the background during the first half of the story, through Elfriede’s cautiousness and dramatic irony, but when the second half comes around, it becomes clear that this game is not ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ around. The author understands this war EXACTLY, and through her writing, manages to communicate every bit of the hopelessness and tedium of it. But that’s not left for only the characters to experience. Be warned: characters will be injured, and maybe even die – and maybe even your favourite. In recent years, I’ve become skeptical of the writing choice to give character’s stories an early and unexpected end for shock value, but this is the perfect setting for it, aligning fully with the tone and themes of the setting and so subverting the expectations of a romance game to tell a true, realistic story. Because this stuff did happen. If you don’t think you could deal with that, knowing that your love interest is not safe, then this isn’t the game for you. But if you want a story that will punch you in the gut and deliver something you probably haven’t seen before, please do play it.

I should at least mention the few things I didn’t like. As I said, I found the CG art weirdly amateurish compared to the sprites, in a way borderline inappropriate for the setting. As this is Act I, not all of the characters get much attention – for a couple, it’s hard to see how Elfriede could have developed any positive feelings for them by the time it comes to pick a route, but that’s just a structural problem. And I could see others finding this Act too short for the price point, but as someone who measures stories more by impact than time taken, I am completely satisfied.

In short: this is a very well researched and written story with a wide variety of interesting characters well developed, which captures an atmosphere that isn’t quite like anything I’ve ever seen before. It is dark – the creator doesn’t consider it a borderline horror game for no reason – but it’s not so merely for shock or edginess points. These are events that really happened, for real reasons, and every sentence of the story exudes that. And that means that, even in between the awfulness and misery and tedium, there was also friendship, and laughter, and love. To what extent the latter will win out over the worst of the war will only be revealed over Acts II to IV, and I for one will be there on day one.

I just want to take a moment to praise what impressed me the most in this game, apart from its well-documented setting and refreshing writing style ( esp. the humour), I gotta say that it was the cast of characters that got me invested. And, God, I became so attached to them :''') that tears were shed during Act 2.

While the number of our love interests can be intimidating at first, don't fret! Quality was not sacrificed for quantity! In fact, each character is crafted to be different from one another ( be it their backgrounds, views, mind-sets and personality). They are all very carefully written, and each has his own spotlight moments integrated into the narrative. It gets so easy to love ( or love to hate) them!

I would recommend this game for the people looking for a vn that offers a Cathartic experience. You will laugh, cry and despair and in the end, you will still end up loving it <3. In short, this vn will make you feel!

Act I of Because We're Here tells the story of postal worker Elfriede Rauss, and the impact that her country declaring war has upon her and the young men around her. Whilst the story is of a fictional war, it is based very realistically around the time of WWI.

As many other reviews have already stated, the writing within this game is excellent. The false excitement at the declaration of war, the drama, tension and grim reality of uncertain life in the trenches are all conveyed in a way that brings the horror of the setting to the reader and will leave you caring what happens to the characters within.

Development of all you meet is very good, from the draft dodger to the naively overenthusiastic. No individual feels like a convenient addition just to fit the story or make up the numbers.
Most of this first act revolves around the period between the initial declaration of war and the boys going off for their first taste of reality, how this affects them and Elfriede's relationship with them.
Reader choices are all either/or except the occasional “Battle Of Wits” where a series of wider options must be chosen correctly in order to ensure successful progression.

Graphically, the sprites are nice, although the insistence on using the “no eyes” technique for minor characters is an off-putting mistake I would like to see wiped from visual novels altogether.
Backgrounds look like they have been hand sketched on paper and scanned in. While this may sound basic and/or disappointing, it actually works very well, especially with the muted palette. This art style both fits and supports the setting nicely. A more detailed and colourful backdrop would be more likely to conflict with the story than enhance it.

Once the pre-trenches story has been completed, we reach the point of choosing Elfriede's route, and by this time there are perhaps a surprising number of options to choose from. It is worth noting that from the route choice, this first act is almost complete. What follows, irrespective of your selection, is a very brief introduction to the path of your chosen love interest; which should lead nicely into Act II. So long as you go into this game accepting that it is only a part 1 and therefore the story will effectively be only just starting when you reach the end, you should be fine.

The narration is in my preferred first-person style. I generally find this makes immersion easier.. and yet, in this case, I always felt like the reader on the outside looking in, as the story was told by the main character to me, with my assistance required on a regular basis. Perhaps it was the setting (a long way from my personal preferences, I enjoy stories of a much more genteel nature); but I found it impossible to “become” Elfriede in my own mind. With the nature of the story though, perhaps this was a good thing. It is certainly not light-reading-before-bed material; although the skill level of the writing ensures that it is also not too intense nor stressful.

If you are comfortable with a love-in-the-trenches backdrop for your entertainment, then Because We're Here is possibly the best example available of a visual novel with this theme; and with Act II having been very recently released, this would be the perfect time to jump in and try out this game if you haven't already done so.

Price-wise, for the length of the game, it may be a touch on the high side; though I would counter this by suggesting that you are paying for quality over quantity. To summarise in one sentence: this will not be to everyone's taste, but even if it is not your ideal, you will still come away admitting to yourself that what you have experienced was very high quality material.

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Like many Visual Novels, it's safe to say this product is more firmly aimed at female audiences than male...with a distinctly feminine perspective cast over the ravages of war. That said, it's very well-made and well-written of its type, with charming artwork and excellent sound design, so...if you're more firmly in the target demographic than Yours Truly, I can very, very safely recommend it.

Perhaps it's unlikely that I would have spent six bucks on it, but it's definitely worth the money if you're an avid VN fan (this may only be "Act I", but it's a solid few hours of reading just the same). It's also oddly refreshing to see a VN that isn't dependent upon its womenfolk bearing the burden of gigantic gazoongas in order to guarantee sales.

My hat is most certainly off to Studio Elfriede for what is clearly a class - as opposed to crass - act, in a genre all too often associated with the latter.

Verdict: 8.5/10.

(PS If you enjoyed this review, feel free to check out my two Curator pages: http://store.steampowered.com/curator/9284586-ReviewsJustfortheHELLofit/
http://store.steampowered.com/curator/10868048-Truly-Horrible-Horror-Games/?appid=398210
Cheers!)

I just finished Act II and am still processing the rollercoaster of emotions and ideas I have been subjected to. Really amazing, and thoughtful, and truly unique, though I remain curious about the odd ahistoricity of some aspects of the storytelling and worldmaking...

All that aside... I can't recommend this enough. Just make sure you take breaks and give yourself a hug when it's over.

"I doubt we will ever be forgiven. All I hope is – they'll remember we were human beings." - Timothy Findley's THE WARS

I was drawn to this game because its concept intrigued me: - romances against the ominous backdrop of World War I (or something very like it). I actually wasn’t sure how well the elements would sit together, but I was intrigued to find out. When I got to play it, I was blown away by how engaging and human it was.

The war is very new, and very exciting to the townsfolk. But we know (and our character Elfriede suspects) that it’s going to be bigger and more terrible than anyone can take. The story and the relationships grow and reel under the conflict’s lengthening shadow. It’s what they used to call an intimate epic.

I’m new at romance-based games, and before I played it I was worried the story would do too much to make the characters alluring at the expense of drama. I couldn’t have been more wrong! The numerous characters we meet are immensely human. Conflicts between them reveal their ugliness, before the grim camaraderie of war binds them together, letting them reveal a greater complexity, and new kinds of weakness. Characters who I reviled at the start earned my sympathy, and I found I cared immensely for just about everybody.

The game kept me up late at night, and I wanted to press on. I woke early, hungry to play more. The only frustration was that it ended when it did. I wanted Act II! But wars are long, and require a tense sort of patience.

It seemed a small pity that we didn’t see more choice and consequence in the game, as that largely came towards the end of the act - but again, that’s wholly suitable for this setting: we’re swept up in the war, and impotent to hold our friends back, or save the doomed youth. This is a perfect synthesis of setting and story, and I must sit tight and hope for more. Thankfully the wait, if not the war, ought to be over by Christmas.

Well written. Lots of surprising moments. Caught me off guard a few times. I was invested in the characters and the events of the game could be a real punch in the gut.