Starlit Sky - Review

“… when people die they become a new star in the sky and live out a second life as that star, shining down upon their sleeping loved ones.”

Spoilers Below

Starlit Sky is the story of both Jack and Marivel as they work together to fulfil a promises they have made. This is one of the first games to explore a relationship purely of deep friendship, rather than romance. It was originally conceived as a NaNoRenO game (made entirely in 1 month), but ended up being completed in May.

Describing the setting is difficult – it’s partially a combination of a (roughly) 19th century like world with a world of magic, where fairy tales can be real. Perhaps there is a degree of incongruity in this unusual setting but for me it never really detracted from the story – especially since many scenes in the story can be seen somewhat allegorically.

The protagonist is a fairly unusual age (13) for a VN – for much of the story, the slightly older Marivel is a more dominant character, due to her magical abilities and greater On the other hand, Jack is much more level-headed and in some ways wiser, enabling their characters balance very well with each other as they solve the problems they encounter together. As their friendship develops, they begin to share more of their pasts with each other, which for example reveals why Jack is always looking at the sky. Marivel’s story is only explained fully in the penultimate scene – although there are some clear hints given throughout the story as to why she forgot so much about her sister, I was very surprised upon reaching that scene. Significantly, the relationships Jack and Marivel had with their siblings, closely parallel their own friendship, except here their ages are reversed. The relationship they develop through the story seems to replace their previous friendships with their siblings.

Although Starlit Sky is mainly the story of Jack and Marivel, the secondary characters they encounter on their two side-trips are also very well developed. The theme of friendship is strongly prevalent again, as Jack and Marivel work together with Violetta, and then Kareena to solve the problems they encounter. For me, what was especially significant is that all three characters in each encounter were needed to best resolve the problem – for example without Jack, Violetta would have ended up taking the memory potion. I guess it was primarily because of the strong emphasis on friendship, that the story never felt sad for me, but instead was more of a heart-warming tale.

When I first discovered VN’s about 8 months ago, one comment I read (I think it was relating to Kana – Little Sister), emphasised that in a Visual Novel, you are playing primarily for the ending. From me, it is mainly (though not exclusively) the games with really well done endings that stay in my mind well after I’ve finished them. The ending to Starlit Sky is fairly short, but it is very moving and it really gives a sense of hope for the future, as Jack and Marivel both fulfil their promises together. Having the two stars showing at the end is a very effective artistic touch.

The character sprites in particular are utilised very effectively, with horizontal positioning and flipping used to show both the positions and emotions of the characters (ie facing away when they are angry or leaving the scene). I particularly like Violetta’s facial expressions, as they strongly enhance her personality. The music is also very well chosen – as a fairly small number of tracks are used, when certain pieces are repeated they link between sections of the story and emphasise the unified moods these sections share.

Overall, Starlit Sky is a beautifully told and moving story of friendship. As long you don’t approach the game expecting a story of romance, you are likely to enjoy this VNReview by Ignosco