u/Redqpple

A couple of days ago, I began my first playthrough of The House in Fata Morgana. Earlier, I wrote a review of Door 1, where I expressed my appreciation for the story and my excitement for the next chapters. I’ve decided to review each door of the game as I complete it.

Door 2: Yukimasa, the Beast. Where do I even begin? It is now pretty clear to me that each door provides something completely different from the previous one. I had a feeling that the VN would focus on aristocratic societies and the dramas/tragedies revolving around them. But now I am convinced of just how versatile this game can be.

The second door revolves largely around identity and interpersonal psychological fragmentation. This door’s premise tells the story of Yukimasa, who claims that he is a violent beast and tries to confront his bestial nature, trapped in a dichotomy between peace and ferocity. The more people treat him as a human being, the more compassionate and human-like he acts, yet whenever he is treated as a beast, he actually begins to act like one, murdering and torturing people around him.

The duality of Yukimasa is where I found the story to be special and compelling. Yet this duality also leaves a lot of unresolved questions. My main concern with the story is that there is no coherent explanation for him becoming such a violent lunatic. It all suddenly begins as he slaughters the people on the ship. I actually miss some background information explaining why. I wish the story could dig deeper into that, or maybe I missed some important clues.

Now, I honestly found it very hard to sympathize with such a disgraceful and unlikable character as Yukimasa. I really felt frustrated by his actions, and I didn’t like that the main character of this story was a remorseless killer. Thinking about it more after completing the door, maybe this disgust and resentment are what the reader is intended to experience. After all, those feelings toward the character are what evoked such strong emotions in me.

What confused me throughout the story was the White-Haired Girl’s appearance. At first, I thought that she was the same girl from Door 1, but her appearance and backstory were completely different from her previous version, and she was also apparently blind. I thought that she had lost her memories or was intentionally hiding them. But after completing the door, I think it is more likely that she will appear in every door, serving as some sort of symbol figure. This is the second time she has been referred to as a “witch.” Her duality centers around her being a very sympathetic and likable person while also bringing misfortune to the house.

After completing both doors, my interest in the story has only risen. I love multi-layered stories that are also interconnected between each other, and I hope to see more of that versatility in the next doors. I also very much appreciate that people shared their opinions and clarified some things for me in the comments on my Door 1 review. Thank you!

Yesterday, I began my playthrough of The House in Fata Morgana. I had almost no prior knowledge of what this game was about or what it could offer. I knew that it was one of the most iconic VNs, yet as I am relatively new to the genre, I haven’t heard much about it.

Firstly, I want to appreciate the game’s OST—it is wonderful. I can’t fully express how much I love the track 'Ephemera' which depicts Mell and Nellie’s carefree childhood. It just fits that scene so well. Not to mention 'Luciole' with its absolutely majestic and ethereal tones, and the beautiful vocals throughout the soundtrack. I have no idea why the OST is in Portuguese and would gladly appreciate it if someone in the comments could clarify that for me. Initially, I thought that the singing was in Latin.

Now, about the writing. I very much appreciate the details and their later payoffs. The story seems very multilayered, and what initially appears to be filler information later turns out to be crucial to the story. I still think that noticing all the details won’t allow you to predict the ending or the plot twists, which is also part of the beauty of it for me. But because of those details, everything makes sense later. I honestly thought about taking notes while playing through the next doors.

This door gave me actual shivers. I am quite sensitive to emotionally enriched stories, and this ending left a very strong and intense impression on me. I expected the game to be tragic, but not THAT tragic. I felt very bad for the White-Haired Girl while despising Nellie by the end, but I still somehow understand her as a character, as the writing allows me to get a better idea of why she did what she did.

Besides the plot twists and the details that already tell us a lot, there are still many unresolved elements and mysteries. Where is the father? He is present in the narrative, yet the story never shows him or tells us much about him. Who left the text behind the painting? Did someone intentionally want Nellie to discover it? Who is the black-haired Maid? She is the one who guides me through the estate in the present, yet in the flashbacks, she looks just the same as she does now.

Having finished the first door, I am very excited to explore the story further. I can’t wait to see what the other doors can offer me. The first door really got me hooked, and I hope I can share my thoughts on the next doors as I finish them.