This is my new favourite game. I have not shilled a game this hard since Transistor, and that came out 11 years ago. I don't say this lightly! Without spoiling either, I can only say the comparisons for my perspectives are definitely there, however, melt's storytelling revels in a deepened extrapolation.
The representation in this game fails to disappoint. In fact, it manages to achieve everything but. Tantalizing subtlety laces every chapter, void of neglect, with a delicate balance of scene pacing, art that strikes at the heart when it knows the writing has disarmed you into your most vulnerable state, and a soundtrack perfectly selected to tie in the entire mood, delivering you what was written on the tin: Toxic Yuri. The high degree of illustrated contrasts, fully utilizing the medium of a kinetic novel to the genre's entirety, leave you with a sense of unease... All while luring you into a sense of comfort within your own darkness, one I have never before experienced, yet always knew I craved to know. This is the healthiest-unhealthiest piece of media I have ever consumed, and I am immensely grateful to my past myself for having set aside the time, instead of pushing it off.
It is a work that wields its own twisted, shameful vulnerability as confidence: it spells nothing out. It trusts in its own darkness to shine. Yet with each and every step, it nods along to your subconscious, right from the very start. The prime selection of scenes with Mitri's full illustrations will lead you to believe emotions were painted out through Dooble's words, though upon second read, I realized the immersion 「melt」 clutches you in just seeps that deep. The push, the pull, every emotion is depicted in manner so ethereal; it wraps your mind with an unspeakably eerie comfort.
There is only one word that can describe why it encapsulates this genre so perfectly: Duality. The epilogue will make certain you the emotion brands itself into your soul for a long time to come.
Play melt. If you are lost in life, or have ever been, play melt. If you are holding onto inherited shame, play melt. If all you have known are the wrong crowd, if you wish to be guided towards finding the right company: Play. melt.
It will be worth every ounce of your psyche and emotion. I'll be impressed if you even manage to put it down halfway, willingly!
To think this was crafted within the span of six weeks, piercing through even a intense creative block, and yet the duo still came away with an undeniable masterpiece. I won't say it is your magnum opus, but I sure as hell look forward to the day I get to experience such... You both now have another newly devoted fan. The world needs your work. And I will be there to make sure they know of it. Thank you both, for creating.
Now stop reading this review, and go PLAY MELT! ❤️🗡️🩸