Antivine Review

Find the Answers 

If you’re on the lookout for a puzzle game with a narrative experience, look no further. Developed by Regeneration Studio and published by Userjoy, the puzzle game Antivine tells the story of a boy trying to find himself, and the truth behind his uniqueness. Later joined by Mumei, a girl with amnesia, they traverse the world, uncovering bits and pieces of the story. The mechanics, the art, and the music come together to tell the tale of the Treeman.

Antivine centers around perspective, from the story to the gameplay. These complement each other so well and puts more weight on the underlying message that Antivine tries to get across. You’ll need to shift the puzzle around, interact with the environment and get Mumei to help you get across or activate some features. The mechanics add to the story and the message of Antivine beautifully and shows how much thought and care went into making this game.

A Heartwarming Journey

Besides how fitting it is to the story, the gameplay also felt dynamic while remaining simple. You tap where you want to go, and Senshu will take the shortest route there. If you swipe up, Mumei will come out of your bag or go back in. Swiping from side to side will make the puzzle turn, allowing you to activate certain features. Sometimes I couldn’t shift the screen or get Mumei in and out of my bag. When that happened, I needed to close the game to get it working.

In addition to the interesting mechanics and the emotive story, the art style and the music further elevate the game. They’re both relaxing and pleasing, accentuating the calm atmosphere Antivine presents. Combining the 3D aspect of the puzzle and 2D art in the cutscenes helps to immerse the players in the story. The downside of the narrative experience was that Antivine is not properly translated into English. While reading the story, I found some grammatical and syntax errors that marred the experience. They’re minor, but they’re enough to make you do a double take.

A Fair Warning

Good graphics. Good story. Good music. What could be wrong? Well, after the tutorial, you must pay to continue. I don’t have a problem with paying for a good game. However, I do have a problem when I start playing a game thinking it’s free and then they pull the paywall. And nowhere in the game description tells you you’ll have to pay. Mind you, Antivine is only $4, but I would rather them tell me upfront or say it’s just a demo. I do hope the devs specify in the description that you’ll need to pay eventually, because it did sour my experience.

All in all, Antivine is worth it. The story, the music and the art are captivating. I found the gameplay mechanics engaging and the gradual difficulty increase challenging without being frustrating. Although it has some technical issues, they’re not enough to take away from the experience entirely. As long as you keep in mind that it’s not a free game, that is. If you love puzzle games with heartfelt stories and stunning visuals, download Antivine and join Senshu and Mumei in their adventure.