Spooky monster girls
Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp's review
Developer: Outis Media
Genre: Visual Novel
Reviewed version: Final
Censored: No
Patch Needed: No
OS: Windows
Language: English
Dark Waters: Gino and the Witch of the Black Swamp is a short visual novel made by Outis Media that has the honor of making me want to complete it in one go despite me not being a fan of the horror genre.
Pros
Engaging story despite its length
Its soundtrack is great and helps build the mood of the scenes
The game's art and the sex scenes are pretty
Cons
It'd have been nice if all the characters had sprites
The game puts you in the shoes of Gino, an average guy that spends his free time reading about urban legends and searching "haunted" places with no results. That's it until he meets a witch named Cuca when he explores a swamp on the outskirts of a ghost town. He then spends some days with her to see if her magic powers are real (and get to know her well while he’s at it, if you know what I mean ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)), unaware that there's more to her than it meets the eye…
You can tell they put a lot of effort into writing the story because it's engaging, even though you can finish the game in less than 3 hours. I was hooked from the start, and I didn't stop playing it until I finished it. Furthermore, the characters are well-written. Cuca, in particular, is quite interesting since some bits about her are left to the player's interpretation.
For the most part, the game plays like a kinetic novel. There aren't any choices right until near the end of the story when whatever you pick dictates which ending you get. I also liked how it handled the game's atmosphere, and it reminded me a bit of an old anime named Wasurenagumo. It alternates between tense moments that keep you on edge and chill moments that relax you while maintaining a constant feeling that there's something off. Moreover, it builds tension naturally without relying on cheap jump scares.
The game's art is pretty good. The backgrounds are a bit simple, but you get used to them quickly, and they also highlight Cuca's character sprite. I wished the rest of the characters also had sprites, though. While I get that Gino didn't get one to make it easier for the player to self-insert, it'd have been nice if Lenny got one. As for the sex scenes, there are only 3 of them, but they are gorgeous.
Verdict: Very good
While a few things could be better, you can't pass this one if you're in the mood for a short and spooky VN or just looking for a game to play on Halloween. You’re likely to enjoy it as much as I did, if not more.