The Divine Deception Reviews

Honestly, I am not happy that [spoiler] Laverna never existed at all [/spoiler], but the game with its complex plot and really thrilling situations is still awesome. The side characters are very awesome as well. They are all unique and get funny, cool and dramatic moments with other characters, which gives the story a lot of heart (Yi is the coolest by the way). The ending was slightly disappointing because [spoiler] it was too short and ended quite abruptly [/spoiler], but the main part of the story (the seven decks) was so good that I don't even care that much. Great game.

this game is a genuinely wonderful visual novel! it was entertaining, mysterious, and kept me on the edge of my seat even after the game ended. some parts were rough, yes, the sentence forming minigame felt unforgiving at times, and most of the minigames felt rather clunky, but compared to the previous game by them (the zodiac trial), this is a massive step up! this is a definite recommend. the artstyle is fun, every character is fun to read and see interact with the world, and the overarching plot was a blast.

There is a certain audience who will like the Divine Deception, but I think most people will be more frustrated than entertained with it. I bought this because I loved the Zodiac Trials. The Divine Deception is similar to the previous game in concept, yet it did not stick the landing as well. DD has a much weaker hook. The gimmick about betting on the outcome of the story was really cool. But the whole setup with the narrator, seven protagonists, and black void was too contrived for me to care, for the first half of the game. I did get invested eventually, especially after the excellent twist, and there is a satisfying end to the story. Really, my main complaints were that the dialog was often dull (too much "witty" banter and insults), there are a bunch of glaring UI frustrations, and the blurry background images are not enjoyable to look at. Two of the minigames were genuinely really fun, while the other two minigames were janky but fun enough. If you are willing to put up with all of these flaws, then the game does offer a good story, told in a unique, memorable way.