Arguably, Celestia: Chain of Fate is a lighthearted fantasy visual novel with some otome undertones. With twenty relatively sizable chapters telling its tale, the game takes time to find its footing, but a decent, character-driven tale exists here for those with patience. I became attached to the world of Celestia: Chain of Fate and its colorful cast of characters by the time the credits rolled, so much so that I’m hopeful we’ll get the storyline’s hinted-at continuation.
Celestia: Chain of Fate‘s storytelling and world-building are akin to the mangaka group CLAMP‘s style, particularly in two of their classic titles that are personal favorites of mine: Wish and CLAMP School Detectives. At first, the game’s plot does not take itself too seriously before gradually becoming more serious. Players take on the role of Aria, a supposed human of noble lineage living a peaceful life with her doting family. But that all changes following a surprising announcement on her eighteenth birthday: she isn’t human at all, but the hybrid product of a forbidden love between a high-ranking Daemon (demon) and Angelus (angel), the very same ones her adoptive parents used to tell her about as a bedtime fairy tale when she was a child. To protect her from hostile forces in both of their respective realms, her birth parents hid her in the third human realm until she came of age. At eighteen, all Daemon and Angelus descent offspring must attend a magic school known as Celestia Academy to help determine their place within the realms. Despite her unique situation, Aria is no exception. What trials await her in this strange new terrain with potential loves and rivals waiting around any corner? Is there something foreboding waiting in the wings of the school? Aria’s set to find out as she heads to Celestia Academy.
I won’t dwell much on the overall plot for Celestia: Chain of Fate, as it evolves surprisingly throughout the game. However, I didn’t expect many of the game’s later plot points, and I ultimately became entirely invested in how specific character stories and relationships developed. I was both pleasantly surprised and upset that the tale ends on an obvious “to be continued” note — Celestia: Chain of Fate is referenced as Book 1 in the credits — since I wanted to see the outcome of several narrative hooks after the amount of buildup they received. Still, I remain thoroughly impressed by the level of detail and thought in the game’s various story arcs.
Aria’s three likable love interests are Daemon Val, Angelus Luke, and half-Angelus Ash. Their respective stories develop throughout the narrative regardless of whether you pursue their romances, which is a nice touch versus having characters disappear from the narrative. Side characters also have their own stories that play out with close friends and allies, which may not be all they seem. Even rivals have hidden depth and understandable reasonings behind their actions. Aria can have some ditzy and naive moments as a main character, especially in the game’s first half, though her sheltered upbringing from the fantastical during her formative years didn’t help. However, she also has a headstrong personality and drive that emerges later in the story. Given the numerous player response choices throughout Celestia: Chain of Fate, you also shape her decisions.
I describe Celestia as more of a fantasy visual novel with otome/romance elements because said elements present themselves differently than the typical otome genre norm. For instance, having Val, Ash, and Luke’s storylines play out in the main story regardless of who you choose to spend time with is a bit abnormal. It makes Celestia feel like essentially one long common route in terms of its plot progression, as you must actively choose not to spend time with a character to avoid scenes with them. You can raise affection levels based on your choices, but that doesn’t impact how the core tale will progress. Instead, it simply alters optional scenes. You’re encouraged to spend time with all the love interests to get the best “grades” for the academy, as outings with them somehow tie into helping out the school. Since Aria is determined to become the best student at the academy after a particular plot reveal occurs, those good grades are essential. There’s no penalty for pursuing romantic moments with all three love interests; strangely, it doesn’t come up in the narrative if you do. I found the story scenes with all of them quite sweet and spicy, even later on. Still, players used to the usual narrative flow of traditional otome VN routes might find the equal focus on all romantic relationships for most of the game off-putting.
Because of Celestia‘s narrative setup, replayability is not a huge factor. Celestia is a sizeable VN with many decision points that can open up additional scenes or alter specific outcomes, such as how well a class assignment might play out. Still, the main plot is set on rails unless you make a decision that leads to one of the game’s numerous bad endings. While I wanted to continue Aria’s adventures beyond the ending, I didn’t feel an immediate drive to replay Celestia a second time as I would’ve with a more traditional otome experience.
Visually, Celestia: Chain of Fate has both high notes and low points. The character and background artwork are beautiful and highly detailed, with unique visual animation effects utilized to showcase action scenes or casting magic. I also adore the gorgeous unlockable CG illustrations. However, the game utilizes lower-budget silhouette character designs for certain side characters and monsters, even when said characters are prominent enough to warrant actual artwork representation. This silhouette usage is especially evident in a later story chapter where the discrepancy between side character designs and the main characters becomes painfully apparent. However, I do appreciate the visual accessibility of the UI, as the text boxes and fonts are quite large and easily visible.
Chain of Fate‘s soundtrack is quite lovely and fits the scenes whenever the music tracks play. I especially love the central vocal theme, “SEA LA,” whenever it appears. Sound effects are plentiful and are usually utilized to make a significant impact, though some can be odd or out of place. Be prepared to hear the kissing one a lot, or the sound of panting whenever an arduous physical task is completed. There’s no voice acting, though, which might be a letdown for more traditional otome visual novel fans who are used to at least a few lines of voice acting.
Script-wise, there are a few grammatical and typographical errors, though that’s most likely due to how large the script is. They never reached a detrimental point to my overall enjoyment of the game. Regarding extras, you can replay scenes you’ve already seen through the “Memories” tab in the game’s Extras portion. The Extras menu lets you relive Bad Ends or look at uncovered CG illustrations. After progressing through a main story chapter, you might find one or two side stories that you can peruse in Extras, helping to offer further insight into the main cast of characters and several of the more important side characters for excellent world-building and intriguing storytelling elements.
Celestia: Chain of Fate is a surprisingly detailed visual novel with more depth in its light fantasy tale than one might initially give it credit for. Plus, it provides a nice dose of romance on the side. Visual novel and otome fans willing to give the game a chance will find an enjoyable time if they stick with it, despite any initial hesitations with the game’s earlier chapters. I hope that “Book 2” releases sooner rather than later, and that’s a telling sign to me as to how much I ultimately enjoyed Celestia: Chain of Fate!
