Advent: Dawn Review
Advent: Dawn is a character-driven sci-fi mystery visual novel with a lot of ambition. It blends the puzzles of Zero Escape with the twisting narrative of Ever 17. The result is a game that’s far more polished than it initially appears.
Protagonist Atlas Everly accepts an unusual job on a remote island. As soon as he arrives, things go horribly wrong. Trapped deep underground with six strangers, Atlas’ decisions may determine who—if anyone—survives.
The group is trapped over 300 meters underground in a partly-mapped cave system. To get out, they’ll need to work together. But at least one member is here on false pretenses.
Who he chooses to trust controls which of his female companions he grows closer to. It also brings him closer to a different lie. Discovering the truth about the island, his companions, and a recently fallen oppressive regime will take everything Atlas has.
One thing is clear: something is very strange in the caves. And no matter which path Atlas takes, his perceptions may not be reliable. The only way out is through.
The Cave is Not What it Seems
Advent: Dawn is a visual novel adventure game in the vein of titles like Ace Attorney. It combines route-based mechanics with light dating sim elements, through it’s far from a romance.
This is a very plot-focused game about the highs and lows of human connection. Each of the strangers trapped in the cave has their own secrets, Atlas included. Uncovering the truth requires putting the pieces together across multiple playthroughs.
I would recommend reading the first four routes in the following order: Lyra, Merge, Kimika, Dark. After that, Amelia’s route will unlock. The rest of the game should be fairly straightforward.
Each route has a different tone and focuses on different mysteries within the caves. Some lean heavier on horror than others. And while it would have been nice to get a little more set-up for some plot points and worldbuilding, the twists still landed.
This game draws inspiration from sci-fi mystery visual novels like Ever17. The focus on gathering information across branching narratives feels very Uchikoshi.
Advent: Dawn is a Mystery Wrapped in an Enigma
Advent: Dawn presents an interesting vision of sci-fi technology, ancient myth, and speculative geology. The worldbuilding is a bit rushed, but the narrative is solid, and the climactic sequences are really nicely animated and presented. But at about 9-12 hours of gameplay, this is a pretty short title, so some elements of the setting lack sufficient build-up.
The game does some very clever things with its mechanics and presentation. These range from mysterious text that can only be read in the backlog to haunting whispers to visual haze indicating Atlas’ mental state. Each route features some mind-bending encounters, fascinating musings on the nature of people and reality, and fun banter.
When you aren’t exploring caves or making big relationship decisions, you’re solving puzzles. Advent: Dawn features magic square puzzles, timed decision-making, and more.
If you’re as bad at puzzle-solving as I am, there is a hint option. If you really can’t get something, the characters will solve it for you.
One thing I really enjoyed is that the game’s flowchart doubles as a map of the cave system. This makes for an interesting blend of narrative and gameplay functionality. Each passage is also color-coded to make it easy to identify a route at a glance.
Unpredictable Visuals
Advent: Dawn has an anime-inspired art style that takes some getting used to. The environmental design is solid, but the character designs have a more cartoony look that’s definitely an acquired taste. But I had acquired it by the time I hit Kimika’s ending, so give the game a chance.
The mouth animations are underwhelming, sadly.
Only particularly important cutscenes feature voice-acting. The game does present the option for Undertale-style voice beeps throughout the unvoiced sequences, however. Most of the voice-acting is good.
The art and animation take a noticeable jump in several scenes. I was particularly impressed by a handful of sequences rendered with a hazy, stylized, and almost monochrome feel. I wish the game looked like this the whole time.
All in all, Advent: Dawn is a short but sweet outing for fans of Steins;Gate and Ever 17. Just don’t expect a romance.
***Steam code provided by the publisher***
The Good
- Fascinating narrative
- Solid art direction
- Interesting structure
- Can adjust puzzle difficulty
The Bad
- Cartoony character designs
- A few typos
- Needs more worldbuilding
