Following the betrayal of her kingdom’s church, during which she lost everything, a young survivor emerges from the burned ruins of her village only to get a new lease on life by masquerading as a rival country’s prophesied Moon Witch. Can Fiena hold on to her new, cherished sense of security even as political machinations once more threaten to take it all away? LocaGames‘ fantasy otome Volontés is a tale of magic and survival, crafting a compelling visual novel with multiple routes to uncover every secret in its plot.
Similar to LocaGames’ first localized otome title, Yukar From The Abyss, Volontés is a shorter VN focusing less on quantity and more on the quality of its four character routes. The storyline is darker fantasy fare, building on itself with reveals from one route (such as the reason wolves sometimes appear on the periphery of events) that often impact the direction of a later one.
The cast of characters is phenomenal, led by the strong-willed protagonist Fiena, who evolves believably throughout the plot. The four love interests each have distinct personalities and well-developed motivations, and there are many memorable supporting characters, including two standout cast members: Fiena’s aggressive, boisterous lady-in-waiting, Marie, and an understanding, patient magic teacher, Ciara. Narratively, Volontés hits the ground running and spins a successfully engaging yarn that encourages replayabilty, especially since two of the story routes must be unlocked by completing the others first.
Some might find the story lacking in the romance department, which is surprising considering it is labeled an otome title. Volontés focuses on crafting a believable fantasy world populated with nuanced characters, but as a result, the romance tends to take a back seat to the goings-on at the front and center of the plot. That isn’t to say what’s present isn’t well-written or believably developed, though. Quite the contrary, as I enjoyed the romance subplots greatly once they unfolded. But those who go into Volontés with the expectation of romance as a central theme since it’s usually a key component of an otome might be disappointed to find it takes second-fiddle status here.
Despite Volontés’ shorter game time amongst its four character routes, there’s still a plethora of endings to uncover. A helpful-yet-simplistic story map aids players once they’ve completed a first playthrough, with the usual assortment of extras also unlockable the further along you go. These include a CG gallery, short stories detailing a sweet epilogue for each “happy ending” uncovered, a “listening to music” option, and uncovered character profiles. However, it’s where the music box comes into play that you’ll notice the localization’s oddness.
While the English localization for Volontés is flawless from a script and grammar stance, it’s a bit of a journey to actually reach it. The default language for Volontés is Japanese, and, naturally, everything from the controller layout map to the game’s text is written in it. You can change the game script to English via settings, but things such as the default name menu for Fiena or the credits during the opening cinema or ending remain untranslated. It isn’t a game-breaking issue by any means, but it can be distracting at times and makes the English localization seem more of an afterthought even when its quality is top-notch.
Volontés is a gorgeous game with beautiful backdrops, character portraits, and CG illustrations. I honestly wish there’d simply been more variety in backgrounds, given how beautiful they are, since the game relies heavily on “tell, don’t show” during important narrative events that involve supposed action sequences or crowd sizes.
Likewise, the character portraits are great, but not everyone gets one, including some relatively important named characters amongst the mix. Fiena herself has a great design, yet she only appears in certain CG illustrations, which feels like a waste. The UI is simple yet aesthetically pleasing, fitting the story’s fantasy tone. Sound-wise, the voice acting and music are both excellent, though one of the biggest disappointments is that Fiena remains unvoiced. The music, such as the opening theme, definitely helps set the stage for emotional responses and the setting.
All in all, I’m rather impressed by Volontés. Aside from the roundabout way to reach the English localization, the story and characters in this VN are wonderfully written and deftly portrayed, even if it sometimes feels as though the romance element is secondary. At around four hours per route, the game’s short-but-ultimately-satisfying length is a boon as well. Like Yukar From The Abyss before it, Volontés is a title that proves LocaGames can deliver high-quality otomes comparable to the genre’s heavyweights. Those who enjoy well-written, choice-heavy VNs would do well to check it out!
