Missed Messages

Wow is probably the best way to start this Missed Messages review. This is a game made by one developer, the phenomenally talented Angela He. This game is a visual novel game, but it is one of the best I have played in the last couple of years. The thing is this is the kind of game that is better the less you know about it so I will warn you than there will probably be spoilers during this review.

The College Life

The premise of the game is that you play a college-age young lady who shares a dorm room with another young woman called May. The first thing you notice about Missed Messages is the beautiful almost dream-like art style that the game has. It is a breath of fresh air to see a game that looks like this and the whole world that has been created manages to look like it could be real, but there is also something just a tad off about it too.

The iPhone Diaries

This is a visual novel game and while it is classed as being about romance and horror (as well as memes) I am not sure I would pigeon hole the game into either one of those categories. This is a very heartfelt game and a game that after I beat it for the first time, I jumped straight back in. The game sees you on your iMac and you get a message from someone via AirDrop, the game plays the Apple card very heavily so if you are familiar with Apple devices like a Mac or iPhone you will get a kick out of this. You get a message from someone called, goth gfs iPhone and it is up to you how you respond to this person.

Not What You Think

I am trying my very best not to spoil things for you guys as Missed Messages is a game best experienced firsthand. However, the way the conversation flows with this “stranger” is very interesting and the game is not actually about the relationship with this person you are talking to via the computer, but your roommate May. I will admit that I completely missed this my first playthrough, but the game has four endings so you are encouraged to play through it multiple times. Which I actually did…. In one session.

One of the things that is cool about this game is that a playthrough will only take you around 30 minutes so it is the kind of game that is made for those without a lot of time on their hands. The thing is the storytelling was so powerful that while the game may have only taken me a few hours to see all of the endings, this is a game that stuck with me for a while after I had played it. It was so emotional that I was desperate for a few of my friends to play it so I had someone to discuss it with!

Pros:

• A truly breathtaking game in every regard
• I love the beautiful art style
• The game tricks you into thinking it is about one thing, but it is not!
• Multiple endings
• A playthrough only takes 30 minutes or so

Cons:

• This game is so good I would love to have had the world fleshed out even more
• It will keep you up at night thinking about what happened!