Enter a magical world of mystery, magic, and Fae, in Alaris, a supernatural fantasy amare visual novel developed by Crescence Studio. Take on the role of a Healer who finds themself at the center of a global crisis, uncover the secrets of a long forgotten conflict between humans, dragons, and Fae. Shape your story, survive, and maybe find love along the way.
Check out chapter 1 of Kuna’a’s Route
About Alaris
Discover secrets long forgotten, and nurture relationships waiting to bloom. In a game inspired by the lore of Dragon and Fae, make choices that can shape your story, relationships, and even personality. Will you be brave, kind, wise, charismatic? Only you know the answer to your fate.
A global crisis that only continues to escalate. A dangerous run-in with a shadowy stranger. And a mysterious word that won’t stop gnawing at you. How does everything tie together? And what role could you possibly play in all of this?
Alaris Review
In Alaris, you play as a Healer with the unique ability to perceive energy, the magical essence all beings possesses, in the midst of a global crisis. The balance of magic is in danger, leading to the appearance of the Overtaken, dangerous entities overflowing with magical energy. While returning home one evening, you are attacked by the Overtaken, but despite not having any professional training, you are able to heal and subdue your attackers (something no one else has been able to do). This attracts the attention of Central, an organization tasked with investigating the energy crisis and they enlist your help in dealing with the Overtaken threat.
But, Central is not the only group interested in you, word of your ability to heal the Overtaken has reached the Fae, beings once thought to be little more than myth. One of whom hopes to claim your power for their own endeavors. But, despite the danger the Fae pose, you feel a pull towards these mysterious beings, a connection that has ties to a long forgotten conflict between humans, dragons, and Fae.
Immerse yourself in this world through two distinct story paths, each of which explore different aspects of the aforementioned energy crisis. In the Central routes, you work with Kayn, Druk, Fenir, and Etza to investigate the Fae and their connection to the current crisis. While the Fae routes have the MC leave the world they know behind to assist Kuna’a and Aisa to heal a mysterious illness plaguing the Fae. As of this writing, I have played a bit of Druk and Kuna’a’s routes. But, the common route does offer the chance to spend time with each of the love interests.
This is one of the few romance games where I can honestly say I enjoy all of the characters, even characters I wouldn’t normally pursue had their own charm that stood out as you get to know them better in their individual routes. I usually find flirty characters like Kayn a bit flighty, but as the story progressed, I quickly discovered that they are surprisingly serious and knowledgeable.
There is a found family dynamic between the Central cast that I really enjoyed. They have their own bonds that exist outside of their relationship with the MC. From the brotherly bickering between Druk and Kayn (I lowkey ship them) to the motherly fussing of Etza towards just about everyone. And it was nice to see the MC kind of slot right into their little group. These bonds help shape the world and the story in ways that make it feel more full and alive.
Each romance route is tailored to its particular LI and while there is some overlap in some of the broad strokes of the narrative/mystery, each experience is specific to that character and their journey. Each is a small piece of the puzzle and you will need to explore them all to truly understand the intricacies of the world.
If I had to recommend a place to start, I’d say go with the Central routes to ease you into the world and give context for the later lore. The Central routes feel more grounded, focusing on the budding relationship between the MC and the LIs, while gradually delving into the big mystery of the Fae and the energy crisis. While the Fae routes explore the world of the Fae and how the energy crisis connects to the conflict between dragons and humans, delving into the deeper lore of the world and magic.
Honestly, each route is pretty much set up so you can understand the story no matter where you start, it’s a matter of how much lore you want in your playthrough. As with many lore heavy stories, Alaris can be a bit dense at times, but, the mystery is unveiled in such a way that you want to know more about this world and its characters. In addition, there is a helpful glossary feature that you can use to refresh yourself on key terms throughout your playthrough.
While the lore is a big part of the narrative of Alaris, there are plenty of romantic moments to give you all the doki dokis, which is only enhanced by the stellar voice acting performances.
In the prologue players can use their free time to go on dates to get to know the characters in a more relaxed setting. Whether that’s shopping at the local market, grabbing drinks at the local cafe, or a quiet picnic in the park; each activity offers a sweet respite from the “plot”. Once you enter the main story, the dates stop, but you can occasionally text them using the in universe communicator.
Each interaction gradually shapes the relationship between you and your chosen partner. It can be a bit on the slow burn side, so if you’re expecting a big confession scene, then you’re in for a bit of a wait.
But, the more realistic progression does lend itself to a more believable romance experience. These are bonds that grow along with the characters and the story, not because the story demands it. The slow burn makes the eventual payoff so much more worth it because it is something that has been forged naturally.
In other romance games you have to shape yourself and tailor your choices to best appeal to the partner you are pursuing. Often times, forcing players to make choices that contradict who they are in favor of obtaining a “happy” ending. But, Alaris is a story that you shape yourself! In the game you shape your personality with four different traits (Bravery, Kindness, Wisdom, Charisma) that determine how the MC engages with the world itself.
Will you be more flirtatious with the love interests? Will you be compassionate with an enemy? Will you use logic and reason to achieve your goals? The choice is yours and with no consequences within the story, in fact the story shapes itself around you. In my run with Druk, my Bravery stat was highest, so my dialogue skewed more assertive, adding a bit of a belligerent sexual tension to their relationship. It was a lot of fun to see the MC rip into Druk without the fear of “messing up” and losing out on those romantic moments. Everyone deserves to find love and acceptance! And that freedom to forge your own story and truly be yourself is what sets Alaris apart from the other games I have covered and I wish more games had similar mechanics. Knowing you can say what you want and still bag your bae is a game changer!
Is Alaris Worth Checking Out?
So, if it wasn’t obvious, Alaris is a must play game! Crescence Studio has been working on this project for quite some time and every single feature has been seamlessly brought together to bring the world and it’s characters to life. Alaris is an immersive mystery story that will pull you into each new twist and turn. This is a game that you’ll want to fully clear, simply because you don’t want the story to end!
It’s wild to think that such an imaginative story and characters were created by a solo dev team, the quality of storytelling in Alaris would put many mainstream releases to shame! So, do yourself a favor and give Alaris a try, you won’t be disappointed!
This review is part of a sponsored collaboration with the developer Crescence Studio, however that had no effect on the opinions expressed in this review.
