Pale Cachexia

I've been playing games for 28 years and have never had a real emotional response to a game's story before. This game changed that and is the first time I've legitimately been brought to tears. This especially surprised me because I've never really enjoyed Visual Novels, or even reading for that matter, all that much before. But here, I found myself so immersed in the story and world that I played through the game entirely in one sitting. This VN works so well for a variety of reasons. For one, the writing is what I'd consider essentially flawless, at least as far as my knowledge goes. I find that VNs often have serious issues with pacing, but this was the exact perfect length for me, with new things happening exactly when I was hoping for more. I imagine the linearity of the story helps make this happen so effectively (there's no choices here, which is by far my personal preference in game stories), but there's something to be said for this level of craftsmanship regardless. The small scope of the setting, story, and characters goes a long way as well. You're never being overwhelmed with information, but everything you experience, from locations to characters, stays incredibly detailed and fully-formed. There's just 3 main characters, but I found myself very quickly heavily invested in the relationship between all of them. I pretty notoriously am drawn to stories that "ground" themselves like this and this game is no exception. It might actually be one of the best examples of it I've so far experienced. One of the most important aspects of this game is the hauntingly and beautifully composed soundtrack. The composers did an absolutely phenomenal job setting atmosphere, tone, and emotion here, which brings the game to life more effectively than I'd realized was possible. The music makes strong use of ambient pads paired with heart-wrenching piano, which fit the story themes and setting perfectly. The composers built this world for me in my head and, honestly, I'm still in awe. Finally, the art on display here is some of the better stuff I've seen from VNs. The character designs are compelling and drawn in a style I find quite appealing. The main character I think was especially expressive and well drawn. I will say there is a small but noticeable difference between Seina and the other 2 characters' styles, maybe in part due to the differences in age between them, but she still fits in well enough. The backgrounds, on the other hand, are all flawless. They're made in a way that makes them simultaneously feel detailed but also abstract, which had me able to easily imagine the world in my head. I found myself stopping just to appreciate them at multiple points in my playthrough. The only real criticism here is that I did notice 3 or 4 typos while playing. They were very small and didn't affect the story in any way, but I did notice them. 2 of those were relatively early in the game, so others may notice them too, but be aware that it's not representative of most of the game. Personally, I'd say there's something legitimately and truly special here - something that has definitely left a lasting impression on me. And I really hope other people are able to have this experience too. I'm very glad this game got made and that I played it.

Pale Cachexia is a beautifully drawn and scored gothic VN oozing with atmosphere, with a short, well-paced story and a small, but well-defined cast of characters, which is (in my opinion) let down somewhat by its writing. To start with the positives, the art of this story is utterly gorgeous. Though there are only three characters with sprites, they all have a lot of expressions and poses, which ensures that the visuals never feel static. The main character, in particular, looks lovely. Her design is especially appealing, and I love the shiny, satin-y colouring on her red shirt. The artist did a great job bringing her to life. The backgrounds, too, are utterly gorgeous. There's a lot of them, and they're drawn at a large resolution, which lets the story zoom in on specific elements of these backgrounds without any noticeable loss in the quality of the art. The VN is directed very cleverly, which makes full use of background assets, and often characters will stand in different zoomed in parts of the interior BGs when they're conversing, which gives the characters a real sense of 'place' in evey scene, and also serves to make the rooms of the gothic mansion the story occurs in feel larger and grander. It's clear that a huge amount of effort went into the creation of all the art assets, and the coding and the piecing of it all together in the engine, and it really pays off. Reading this VN often feels like watching a movie, given the motion of all the sprites, and all the zooming and panning which is done with the backgrounds. As for the music and the sound, I found it basically flawless. The BGM is beautiful, with a lot of sombre piano, and it's always well-placed and well-timed. It does a lot to enhance the mood of the story. There's a lot of sound effects, too, such as chirping birds or rustling grass when the characters go outside, which makes the world presented feel very lively. Even the most minor interactions, such as characters setting down teacups or picking up loose sheets of paper, have sound effects. There's a lot of painstaking attention to detail here. The story, meanwhile, is a fairly standard gloomy gothic story with some horror elements, but it works well enough. The story is short, but well-paced, and new plot developments occur at timely intervals which stops the story dragging. The characters, too, are all done well. I was particularly fond of Isaiah, which is a credit to the authors, given he doesn't have all that much screentime. His relationship with Seina is particularly heart-warming (and heart-wrenching); it feels rather realistic. The main character, Esther, might come across a bit a bland, in comparison with the stronger characters of Seina and Isaiah (I regret I had to pause in writing this review to remind myself of Esther's name, which says either something about my own memory, or Esther's presence in the story), but this makes sense in the narrative, given she's suffering from a drawn-out terminal illness which often leaves her exhausted. Esther's concerns that she might be 'boring' are even brought up in the story proper, in a particularly grim scene between her and Seina, which I found to be a highlight. That scene successfully managed to make me feel a good deal of sympathy for Esther, so props to the writer! As for the actual writing style, however, I'm less enthusiastic. Though the story is decently plotted and paced, and the character dialogue is charming and believable enough, the third person narration can be somewhat cumbersome, owing to the author's extensive reliance on adverbs. Characters are forever being described as 'staggering slowly', or 'whispering softly', which is redundant. If a character is staggering, it's implied in the verb choice they'd be slow about it, while if a character is whispering, you can assume they'd be soft. The adverb 'completely', in particular, saw far too much use, and there was one instance where a character was described as performing two separate actions 'quickly' in the same sentence, during a quiet, understated sort of scene where she was sitting on her bed. If this adverb issue occurred only occasionally in the writing, I wouldn't comment on it, but every third or fourth sentence in this story seems to contain at least one adverb. Sometimes, single sentences were modulated by three or four adverbs, which (unless utilised to achieve a specific dramatic effect) is unnecessary. I feel like this might come across as an unfairly nitpicky complaint, but the adverb issue was so egregious (to me, at least) that it kept throwing me out of the story. I'd often find myself counting the number of adverbs used per sentence rather than paying attention to the actual text, which is a shame, because everything else in this VN is so good! While I did enjoy my time with Pale Cachexia, on the whole, I think the experience could've been improved if an editor had gone through the text to nix a lot of these redundant adverbs. It would've gone a long way to improve the 'flow' of the writing, which would have further heightened the gothic atmosphere that the art, music, and visual direction captured so well. I'll still recommend this VN, though, as there really is a lot to like about it, and I can imagine a lot of people enjoying it!

I had this game in my steam library for a while but I'm glad I've found a perfect time to play it. Despite a great choice of visual novels I often struggle to find a suitable one for my current mood, [I] Pale Cachexia [/i] was ideal in this regard. From the first seconds when I started it, music, visuals, story tugged at my heartstrings. Despite being very atmospheric in a slightly dark way it was healing for my mental state. I was playing it slowly, savoring each moment like taking a bit bitter medicine. I lloved that experience immensely! It's one of those stories I'd definitely like to come back later. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2806078125 As for the story. I don't want to mention any details about the plot. The whole immersion seems to be kinda intimate, personal. I kept writing down my thoughts, my memories, associations connected to illness, death, allusions to myths, philosophy and fairy-tales but...you know, when I start sinking in similar contemplations it strikes me at some point that it's just my personal perception, perhaps total nonsense but who cares actually if that's what the story evoked in me thanks to my gained life background. Most likely the intended message was in something else. But I honestly find such stories the best, letting me pull out my own vision, images... Visual novels can be not only entertaining but smart and meaningful. I'm grateful for this unexpected gift! So, shortly why this VN deserves a praise: +well-written story! That's always a great pleasure for me to read Argent Games novels. <3 +visuals are breathtaking. +gothic powerful atmosphere +music adds a lot to the general vibe https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2802369572 I don't know what even to whine about. --Oh right, I used to experience some bugs with dark screens appearing after the start of the game every time but saving and restarting helped. --I'm not the fan of kinetic novels, I prefer to influence the story buut I think this one was perfect the way it was. --I wish it were longer xD https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2831946099 Welp, if you'd like to get a thought-provoking, slightly sad experience I highly recommend this novel. For me it's a masterpiece. I enjoyed it greatly! [table] [tr] [th]More thoughts about the game in a [url=https://steamcommunity.com/groups/readingnook/discussions/0/3278066986688360211/] Reading Nook [/url][/th] [/tr] [/table]

This VN deserves another playthrough from me. Due to life circumstances, I played it in brief and sporadic chunks. It's best read in a few long stretches closer to one another, or even a single sitting if you can manage it. Pale Cachexia radiates a distinctive sense of atmosphere and feeling tones that cannot be found in many other visual novels or video games. Various labels can be used to classify it, but in a true artistic fashion, conglomerations of language only serve to skew its underlying core that presents itself differently to each individual. It's strengths manifest in its well written dialog, gorgeous drawings, and haunting soundtrack. Beyond all of these visual illusions are its greatest strength: focus in story and presentation. As time progresses and we become exposed to more and more fictional mediums, we feel as if the same ideas get repeated many times over in slightly different permutations. An over-saturated market. We become desensitized. A common approach to mitigating this is creating ever larger and more expansive worlds, filled with numerous characters and ever increasing plot complexity. There is a different way, a more counter-intuitive way to create something that shines in a sea of mediocrity and repetition, and it is found in this visual novel. Simplicity, minimalism, and focus. Quality over quantity. Honing in on a strong plot and seeing it through to the end without progressive divergence into tangents. Crafting a small number of characters, giving them each the time to develop and show their nuances, quirks, and motivations. More simply - creating a [i]good[/i] story. Because when all is said and done, what really captures the interests of humanity and stands the tests of time is a good story. In other words, the tale of how a deeply flawed character experiences the world they find themselves in, and how they change in the process of overcoming the difficulty the universe has thrown at them. The story grabs you, sucks you in with its subtlety and design, and has you exercising a level of empathy you did not know existed within you. The characters become real in their personality and delicate interactions. You are able to see the pain within. Pale Cachexia realizes this. It does away with the flashiness, the needless complexity, the extraneous, and as a result, quality, substance, and style emerge. This fact, combined with the marvelous illustrations and music, make this a highly recommended visual novel from me. And it's a shame it's not more popular.

I loved this game! I'll remember it fondly as one of my favorites! The beautiful art, music, and story with well-written characters and great writing. A touching, sentimental story that was sad but ended up with a surprising ending. It kept me entertained. I enjoyed all the mysteries. Great job! Every game from this developer is amazing. I wait for visual novels like this all the time. Really made my day! Thanks to the developers for always making amazing games like this. :D

A beautifully illustrated and hauntingly scored gothic novel. Short and bittersweet; perhaps missing an ending coda that ties with the achievement name.

There's so many things that Pale Cachexia does well. It's not perfect, but it's beautiful anyway. Story offers you no choices to make, but sometimes having them would ruin something that doesn't require any of your input. You're here as a ghost, lucky enough to watch events unveil on their own. It's accompanied by dozen of gloomy piano melodies and sounds that fill the picture that would be incomplete without them. I haven't seen anyone to sing praise to text bubbles yet, but I find those to be done incredibly fitting with everything else, as well as menu buttons being hidden while you're reading, unless you'll choose to summon them. It makes novel look clearer and adds to immersion. Art is pleasant, but it's noticeable but it was done by three different people. At one point Esther's head was glued to rest of her sprite, reminding me of Professor Dowell's Head by Alexander Belyaev: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2913529635 Attempts at horror were noticeably weak, but thankfully never overstayed their welcome. CG with Isaiah running was probably one of the worst ones (which contributes to that situation with lack of shadows and not-so-dramatic light) and it would be neat if novel had his sprites changing to the end of the novel, as his mental and physical state did (that would require not too much extra work on them, considering those would be mostly a couple of layers of shadows, but I can see why those weren't made). Overall, good performance with some room for improvement.

What a beautiful, cozy, soft, and sad story. Esther and Seina's relationship was so pure and delicate. The setting was mysterious and wonderfully illustrated. Gorgeous background art and character models. Well written descriptions of the locations, world building, and character's stories made this VN a treat to read. The music was high quality and not repetitive. The background sound effects were also well done. The ending was bittersweet for me, left me wishing for more.

It's a non-interactive story and a slow-paced one, but it's very personal and incredibly emotional. And while I miss the amazing interactivity of Red Embrace: Hollywood, I can definitely understand the choice behind making this visual novel completely linear. This story couldn't have had multiple endings. It had to say exactly what it had to say and it does so with the excellence that I grew to expect from Argent Games.

I read a lot of Visual Novels so I'm not unfamiliar with slow pacing but I found Pale Cachexia an absolute chore to get through, especially when you have to wait a few seconds with sprite transitions for the next text block to appear, making everything just feel sticky/even slower Pale Cachexia constantly feels like it's on the verge of getting really interesting, which is why I stuck with it, but the moments of intrigue are spread out between tons of boring overly written waffle. The characters have moments of intrigue but are really one note - so you're just constantly going over moments of character development that we've already seen multiple times The atmosphere, soundtrack and visuals are really really nice though, to be fair

The tale of two lonely people trying to understand one another. With a tinge of mystery and horror. The story doesn't pull you in right away, but gets interesting the more you learn of the characters and their pasts around halfway through. The art, the music and the writing blends well together. It's well worth a read. Would've preferred to have the novel end on the scene before the last one, as it is much more powerful than the one after it, but it is a fine piece of work nonetheless.

[code]The Steam store didn't lie, it really is a gothic story.[/code] Esther comes to the woods searching for something she needs really bad. You see, she has a fatal disease called [i]Pale Cachexia[/i]. If you don't know what cachexia means, fret not, I didn't either. Basically it's a syndrome which causes weight loss and muscle wasting. [i]“But about the Pale part”[/i], you might ask. That you will find out later. So yeah, Esther is searching for the cure, but instead she finds a girl named Seina. Together the girls are trying to solve the mystery of the disease. At the same time, Esther learns more about her new friend and the mystic manor that she's staying in. I like this novel but I think it's not for everybody, because it is very slow, even painfully at times. And it takes a while before you really sink in into the story. There are some parts where you'll probably feel like nothing is happening and you're just wasting your time. But I thought it was okay, because the coolest thing here is the atmosphere, not the plot. By the way, about the atmosphere — the art here is simply amazing. Sprites of the main characters are super pretty. The background art is also great and adds to the feeling. Of course, the last part of this mix is the soundtrack — chef's kiss. It's quiet piano music which helps create the vibe but at the same time doesn't take your attention away from the story. I'm still not sure what is my opinion on the ending. On one hand, it's fitting for a story like this. On the other hand, I was craving for something much more vivid, and I think the ending would be more satisfying if it had more drama. To summarize, [i]Pale Cachexia[/i] is great on a technical level. The art, the music, the menu design — everything is gorgeous. Plot-wise the novel is not that great, especially in the end. I recommend buying it only if you're a big fan of visual novels and/or gothic stories and want to expand your library a bit. P. S. I almost forgot — I've played this on Steam Deck (which I'm obsessed with, but we'll talk about it another time). The novel works perfectly fine, but I had to change layout a bit so that I could use buttons instead of a pad when using the menu. [quote]🌟 If you want to see more reviews and recommendations by me, check out my curator page → [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45309733/]Anna's Misadventures[/url] 💛[/quote]

I'm not normally a huge fan of kinetic novels, as I generally prefer there to be dialogue options in my visual novels; but I decided to give this one a go, because I love the developer's work. It definitely turned out to be worth the price. It took me about 4.5-5 hours to complete it, so the hour estimate is spot on. I ended up staying up late and finishing the game in one go. The writing is very well done, and I have to say the art is absolutely gorgeous, especially the background art. The characters are relatable and likable. As for the main plot, it was well worth the read; however, there's not a ton about it that can be said concisely without spoiling it, aside from what the developer's info about the game has already said. There's several small loose ends that the game never fully explains, so it leaves an air of mystery to the story and a few (minor) things are up to interpretation. Overall, if the game's info on the steam page interests you, I don't think many would be disappointed with the kinetic novel's plot or your purchase.

A beautiful, atmospheric and heart breaking story of the bonds between two friends. The backgrounds are gorgeous, the details on their clothes exquisite, and the music atmospheric. A touching read, though a bittersweet ending that leaves you daydreaming about their future.

I really enjoyed this story. The art and soundtrack were great.

[i]Cachexia, a wasting syndrome that leads to loss of skeletal muscle and fat, is estimated to occur in up to 80% of people with advanced cancer, depending on different factors.[/i] Without any doubt this is probably best novel I read, so far... and yet it is heavy riding, dark and grim story done in gothic artstyle. Pale Cachexia is a novel about Esther a young girl affected by Cachexia disease. When science or medicine fail, people often go outside of conventional boundaries, religion, alternative sciences to help themselves. Same thing happened to our Esther, after she heard rumors about alchemist that lives in forest that might found a cure for her disease she went there all alone. ...when everything fails hope is all we have.... This novel as I already mentioned is heavy reading, plenty of heavy monologues about struggle, survival, loneliness and hope. Monologues are fantastic with deep philosophical thoughts often very long going for pages and pages, getting into her mind as deeply as possible. They want us to be there in her mind, all the time, and not just to be there but to understand. Hard job for developers, but also for a reader. Just think about it for a second, imagine you get up in the morning and you can`t get out of bed, but nothing is wrong with you, you just don`t have enough energy to do anything. This is what this novel wants you to imagine. What also amazed me is that this novel has only 3 characters and still managed to keep me interested in a story, slowly reading every world, just marvelous. I admire her in any way, I admire Esther, her will to survive, her struggle and her endless hope, after all hope is what kept her alive and what`s keeping her alive. Her mentality is so strong, she has to be, she has to be stonger then any of us, and she is... Bloody amazing novel, never read anything so deep, so profound before and most important they got it, they got the point they wanted to achieve with this story. Every word, every line of text is so well done. The more you read, more you are close to an end, words have more meaning, words you read when you start reading this novel, every word becoming heavier and heavier giving you burst of emotions at the end. Emotional masterpiece.

A good visual novel that's only a few hours long. The art drew me in but I was surprised there was a good story as well. It's worth checking out and spending a few hours on.

It's a beautiful story with a lot of thought put into it. The art and music couldn't have been chosen better. Although the pacing might be perceived protracted, I have always felt every line had its place and contributed to painting a rich and complex picture of a character.

Yes, I recommend this game. Greatly enjoyed this game. Glad I got to experience this game. Honestly, I was hoping to see more after the credits, but I'm satisfied with the ending. Thank you for making this game. <3

Pale Cachexia was a story I wasn't expecting, it starts with a slow pace with not much going on. But as soon you start to dive in the disturbing, and sinister feelings this story elaborates by its incredible writing and music. Along with the moments between Esther and Reina, which in all the bubble of melancholy it portraits the calm and vivid moments really are the ones that get you off guard.

A bit of a slow burn but a compelling story nonetheless. Another great story from Argent Games

An emotionally and psychologically gripping story that I'll remember for a long time!

Ngl I cried. Several times. Argent games (Dovah) is always so good at writing. The mood and atmosphere created by the music and art matches the story so well. Visual novels can be a bit slow at times but this definitely wasn't. Even the peaceful happy moments draw you in. This is honestly like a novella but with an enhanced experience.

A short story of a chronically ill girl in search of a cure for her mysterious disease, a lonely girl in a house in the middle of nowhere, and in the background, the lonely girl's father who tried to find a cure for the disease before mysteriously vanishing. A quiet melancholic tale with a bit of light horror. Not a huge amount to the story and the ending’s a bit non-committal but it has a great sense of atmosphere. Sounds such as crunching footsteps, a crackling fire and the muffled pattering of rain go a long way to creating that quiet realistic ambiance.

It's a good one

Thank you.